Water that's not really water... I am soooo confused!

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So when I drink things like Propel Zero or other unsweetened drinks that are water based like Crystal Light or even unsweetened brewed iced tea do I get to also count that as water???

HELP!!! :-)

Replies

  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    It personal preference. Some people, for reasons I have never been able to fathom, only count plain water. Others count water with fruit in it, but not if you put tea leaves in it. Others, more reasonably, count all liquids. If you are just trying to stay hydrated, then you should count them all.
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
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    bunny.gif


    Love that bunny!

    Anyway, assuming you are "normal", with no medical conditions, your body needs around 8 cups of fluid a day. And no, it doesn't have to be actual neat water. Tea, coffee, juice, soda, fruit, veg, water with stuff in it...it all counts as fluid.

    For more arguments, use the site search function for water, and you'll find lots more threads about this :)
  • reese66
    reese66 Posts: 2,920 Member
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    It personal preference. Some people, for reasons I have never been able to fathom, only count plain water. Others count water with fruit in it, but not if you put tea leaves in it. Others, more reasonably, count all liquids. If you are just trying to stay hydrated, then you should count them all.

    I agree with this, but this view can get you shot on sight by the "I am right and you are wrong crowd."

    Do some research and drawl your own conclusion, web md has great articles reguarding this.
  • Coltsman4ever
    Coltsman4ever Posts: 602 Member
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    There are water based fruits and vegetables that count towards water consumption as well. Not sure tea, propel, coffee, crystal light and other similar drinks should count or not. They have caffeine and other chemicals and dyes that are not good for you.
    But, my point is, you can get your water from more than just a glass of plain water in the fruits and veggies.

    Edit: But then again, I'm no professional. I just play one when nobody knows any better.
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
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    My mamma said.............and Mom's are always right that water is water - anything else is just something to drink.

    Most teas and coffee have caffeine which is a mild diuretic and can lead to dehydration. Once you add crystal light, those other packets of flavoring - it is no longer water, it is a sweetened drink.

    I do have coffee and tea during the day, but I always get in at least 80 - 100 oz of water in addition.
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
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    The Straight Talk
    In his review, “Caffeine, Body Fluid-Electrolyte Balance, and Exercise Performance,” Lawrence E. Armstrong, a professor of exercise physiology at the University of Connecticut disproves the notion that caffeinated beverages rob us of our precious fluids. By reviewing the scientific research on the subject, he concludes that although caffeine, like water, is a mild diuresis (it increases excretion of urine), moderate caffeine consumption does not produce a “fluid-electrolyte imbalance” that can affect health or exercise performance. Furthermore, we retain roughly the same amount of fluid after drinking a caffeinated beverage as we do after drinking water.

    Even more encouraging for habitual coffee consumers is the finding that those with caffeine tolerance have reduced likelihood that a fluid electrolyte imbalance will occur. The more regular your caffeine habit, the more fluid your body is conditioned to retain.

    Other findings support his conclusions. A small study done at the University of Nebraska tested the body weight, urine output, and blood of eighteen subjects after they consumed caffeinated and non-caffeinated beverages. They determined that there was “no significant differences in the effect of various combinations of beverages on hydration status of healthy adult males.” The Institute of Medicine expert panel on water and electrolyte intake asserts that the diuretic effects of caffeine are transient, and that coffee, tea, and colas can contribute to total water intake.



    Via http://www.divinecaroline.com/22178/46361-coffee-makes-dehydrated-say-what#ixzz1ZApP9Igd

    How did the 8 X 8 myth start? Valtin thinks that the notion may have started in 1945 when the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council recommended approximately “1 milliliter of water for each calorie of food,” which would amount to roughly 2 to 2.5 quarts per day (64 to 80 ounces).

    In its next sentence the board stated, “[M]ost of this quantity is contained in prepared foods.” But that last sentence seems to have been missed, so that the recommendation was erroneously interpreted as how much water a person should drink each day.
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
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    It personal preference. Some people, for reasons I have never been able to fathom, only count plain water. Others count water with fruit in it, but not if you put tea leaves in it. Others, more reasonably, count all liquids. If you are just trying to stay hydrated, then you should count them all.

    I was brought up this way and this is the way that my mom's nephrologist said it should be done to ensure the kidneys are properly filtering at all times. A lot of the toxins don't get filtered out of the blood by counting other sources of fluid as water intake.

    I will go with what the kidney specialist says as he was a long term and very trusted doctor for my mom.

    I will not take any chances with my kidney health and ending up on dialysis like my mom did.
  • reese66
    reese66 Posts: 2,920 Member
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    It personal preference. Some people, for reasons I have never been able to fathom, only count plain water. Others count water with fruit in it, but not if you put tea leaves in it. Others, more reasonably, count all liquids. If you are just trying to stay hydrated, then you should count them all.

    I was brought up this way and this is the way that my mom's nephrologist said it should be done to ensure the kidneys are properly filtering at all times. A lot of the toxins don't get filtered out of the blood by counting other sources of fluid as water intake.

    I will go with what the kidney specialist says as he was a long term and very trusted doctor for my mom.

    I will not take any chances with my kidney health and ending up on dialysis like my mom did.
    :flowerforyou:


    Cool and we have a different view that is all, no one is trying to attack you, your mom or her doctor.

    Like a said, do your research and draw your own conclusion, better yet talk to a doctor about it.
  • RBXChas
    RBXChas Posts: 2,708 Member
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    So when I drink things like Propel Zero or other unsweetened drinks that are water based like Crystal Light or even unsweetened brewed iced tea do I get to also count that as water???

    HELP!!! :-)

    I don't take a stance either way because - like many people here - I am not an expert. I can only tell you what I know.

    HOWEVER, what I do know is that plain water is obviously fine, and the more you drink the better, so long as you don't go way overboard (I'm talking 300+ oz of water/day, which can actually be really bad for you). If you were drinking regular Coke all day long and are now drinking Crystal Light and brewed teas and the like, you're doing better than you were, right?

    About 5 years ago I went gung-ho on NutriSystem and lost 30 pounds. (At the time, I hadn't just had gained a million pounds during pregnancy, so I had started much lower than I did this time - 30 pounds lost put me at a pretty low weight.) I did it by calorie-counting and by drinking a TON of water. I used to drink well over 100 oz of water a day, and I hate drinking plain water. It's pretty rare to see me drinking even ice water. I used to buy generic 2-liter bottles of club soda or seltzer at the supermarket (they're usually 50-70 cents apiece) and would basically drink carbonated water all day. The NutriSystem boards were also split on this issue, and lots of people would go on about how I'm going to develop esophageal cancer because of the carbonation and how seltzer and club soda have sodium in them (they do, but it's a TINY amount) and so it didn't count as water. The way I saw it, if I weren't drinking the seltzer/club soda (or, in this case, Crystal Light and tea), what would I be drinking? I certainly wouldn't have been like, "I SEE THE LIGHT! I AM GOING TO DRINK NOTHING BUT PLAIN WATER FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!"

    So my humble opinion is that you need to be realistic about what you can do. If you can drink plain water, go for it. But if it's the difference between drinking Crystal Light and not drinking water overall, then what's worse?

    I gave up diet sodas about a month ago (I am a Coke Zero addict), and I am cutting back on how much Crystal Light powders I use. Instead of one "single" packet per 18-oz glass of water, I use one packet for my 36-oz water bottle, so it's just diluted (it's still good). I also like lemon slices in water but don't feel like dealing with fresh lemons, so I put a little lemon juice in my water. Occasionally I'll pick up lime juice instead. I also do have my cup of (caffeinated) coffee in the morning, after I've exercised, showered, and fed the baby. I also drink 1% milk (100 calories/8-oz serving - why I don't drink skim is another debate for anotehr day). Point being, I figure I'm on my way to drinking more straight water, but if I tell myself I can't drink anything but, I probably won't drink anything at all.

    I have never had Propel, so I can't speak to that, but I imagine it's the same debate.

    That's just my two cents; I am just trying to be realistic about it. I hope that helps!
  • RBXChas
    RBXChas Posts: 2,708 Member
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    It personal preference. Some people, for reasons I have never been able to fathom, only count plain water. Others count water with fruit in it, but not if you put tea leaves in it. Others, more reasonably, count all liquids. If you are just trying to stay hydrated, then you should count them all.

    I was brought up this way and this is the way that my mom's nephrologist said it should be done to ensure the kidneys are properly filtering at all times. A lot of the toxins don't get filtered out of the blood by counting other sources of fluid as water intake.

    I will go with what the kidney specialist says as he was a long term and very trusted doctor for my mom.

    I will not take any chances with my kidney health and ending up on dialysis like my mom did.

    Just saw the quote in your signature - you should watch the documentary Fat Head. It's interesting and funny. I think he was on to something - which is why I drink 1% milk instead of skim, nevermind the fact that it tastes AWESOME after years of drinking skim!
  • laurad1406
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    I agree with this, but this view can get you shot on sight by the "I am right and you are wrong crowd."

    In all fairness, saying that you only count plain water can also get you shot by the "You should count anything that hydrates you" crowd. The thing is....EVERYONE IS RIGHT. there is no wrong way to log your own personal water intake (except for the obvious extreme ways). I was a religious Diet Coke drinker and I decided to stop drinking it. I used the water tracker to ONLY track plain water, just because I personally felt like I could benefit by drinking more of it. I have no vendetta against people who also count fruit, beer, diet coke and crystal light.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I one of those crazy rebels that doesn't log water at all, plain or not. I like to live on the edge and just drink stuff when I'm thirsty or because I want it. I like to live on the edge.
  • reese66
    reese66 Posts: 2,920 Member
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    I agree with this, but this view can get you shot on sight by the "I am right and you are wrong crowd."

    In all fairness, saying that you only count plain water can also get you shot by the "You should count anything that hydrates you" crowd. The thing is....EVERYONE IS RIGHT. there is no wrong way to log your own personal water intake (except for the obvious extreme ways). I was a religious Diet Coke drinker and I decided to stop drinking it. I used the water tracker to ONLY track plain water, just because I personally felt like I could benefit by drinking more of it. I have no vendetta against people who also count fruit, beer, diet coke and crystal light.

    Then those people doing the shooting would be included in the "I am right you are wrong" crowds.

    I believe one way some believe another and who am I to say which is right or wrong, so if you or anyone else takes offense to my comment, sorry, my intention was to point out that this can be a heated topic and people can be, shall we say, forcefull in their opinions either way.

    Have a great day!!! :)
  • laurad1406
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    Then those people doing the shooting would be included in the "I am right you are wrong" crowds.

    I believe one way some believe another and who am I to say which is right or wrong, so if you or anyone else takes offense to my comment, sorry, my intention was to point out that this can be a heated topic and people can be, shall we say, forcefull in their opinions either way.

    Have a great day!!! :)

    Oh I wasn't offended at all! I'm sorry if it sounded like I was....to be honest it makes me laugh, I see these water threads all the time and it ALWAYS turns into an argument haha. No offense to you, but I think we can both agree how you log your water doesnt affect (or bother!) me at all, and vice versa!
  • Prettyinpaisley
    Prettyinpaisley Posts: 40 Member
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    I'm glad I stumbled on this post, because I've been wondering the same thing. I usually count tea when I log water - but not juice, coffee, or alcohol. For whatever reason, tea, in my mind is healthier than coffee... so I make a conscious effort to choose to drink it before other drinks.

    I always drink a glass of water with EVERYTHING I eat. I've made it a habit.

    I haven't drank soda in years. Sometimes I wish I drank soda so that I could give it up and instantly lose weight. Not to derail the conversation, but my boss used to drink 3+ cans of coke a day. JUST by cutting out soda, he lost over 50lbs.

    Anyway, good thread. Keep the debates coming. It's interesting. Hopefully everyone will get some insight from the conversation.
  • cheeksv
    cheeksv Posts: 521 Member
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    I only count water because that is basically all I drink. You should drink to hydrate and also water flushes the system so the way I personally see it is if its got something in it ( like crystal light and juice) it is going to leave something behind I may not want. like artificial sweeteners and crazy amounts of sugar per serving. Now if I do have something like that on the off chance, I will count it towards calories just not water intake. As for tea I do not drink it so often that it matters to me. Maybe one cup of tea a month is my max right now.

    So basically what I am saying is in my opinion if water is all you drink then you don't have to count other liquids toward that but maybe towards your overall calories and sugar if you track it. If you do count things like juice and whatnot I would be concerned about the artificial sweeteners and sugar if that is something you worry about or have trouble with. That though is another beast all together. :p
  • fragilegift
    fragilegift Posts: 347 Member
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    personally, and I haven't actually thought about why, I count plain water as 'water' and everything else as 'drinks.'