Crystal Light is it really good for you? HELP!

Amandalovesfood89
Amandalovesfood89 Posts: 100
edited October 1 in Food and Nutrition
I drink A LOT of Crystal Light, mainly because I don't like drinking water. A little bit of flavoring helps me so I can stay hydrated and at least get some water intake.
My question though is, is it really the same as just drinking water? Am I still getting the beneficial results as I would be if I was drinking just water? I know these probably seem like stupid questions but I honestly don't know the answers and would like to know if I should drop the Crystal Light and just maybe have water with a little bit of lemon juice instead!??

Replies

  • RhondaLeeRoss
    RhondaLeeRoss Posts: 186
    You're better off drinking water with lemon in it!
  • iamMaLisa
    iamMaLisa Posts: 278 Member
    well i would say if it is getting you to drink water, then its better then nothing. It does contain alot of artificial flavors that are not good for you, so you kind of have to weigh the good and the bad. crystal light + lots of water is good, no crystal light and very little water is bad.
  • foremant86
    foremant86 Posts: 1,115 Member
    you are way better off drinking plain water, crystal light uses aspartame which is known to cause cancer, i stay away from anything with aspartame in it
  • Annieminnesota
    Annieminnesota Posts: 111 Member
    www.foodfacts.com

    Great website I've found helps me decide if something is really good for me. You can type in "crystal light" and see what it says about that product. Hope this helps!
  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
    I think you're losing a lot of the benefits of plain water. Sure, you're staying hydrated, but you can do that with any beverage. There's nothing like plain water to help weight loss and flush toxins. Do you make yourself exercise when you don't want to? Then why not make yourself drink plain water, even though you don't want to. Years ago, I hated water. But making myself drink it, now I love it. Maybe it's an acquired taste for some, but it's so essential!
  • TheDeviation
    TheDeviation Posts: 149
    If it gets you to drink water; go for it.

    Do your own research on artificial sweetners. You'll probably find as many "for" as you will "against". I personally just limit them in my overall diet. Mostly because I seldom like the taste.
  • Sepheara
    Sepheara Posts: 208 Member
    Crystal light is tasty, and I drank it for awhile, but then I read the ingrediatns. it has fake sugars and fake flavors and a lot of additives. Fake stuff like that isn't good for your body :(
    Water with Lemon is good, also tea is good. made from loose leaf or the bags.
    you can make a ton of it hot (I use my coffee pot) and chill it and drink it cold. if you don't add sugar
    then theres flavor and no real calories.

    Also some of the crystal light flavors made me sick.
  • pbajwally
    pbajwally Posts: 210 Member
    Nothing with artificial sweeteners is better for you (artificial ANYTHING for that matter). Plain water will always be better for you over any flavored drinks. I can only drink Crystal Light once in awhile and I really can't stand diet drinks because I can taste the sweetener. I would say sweetening your water with a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime will aid in the lack of flavor issues. Plus, it's a natural thirst quencher.
  • pbajwally
    pbajwally Posts: 210 Member
    you are way better off drinking plain water, crystal light uses aspartame which is known to cause cancer, i stay away from anything with aspartame in it

    My thoughts exactly. Not to mention, aspartame gives me headaches.
  • sharonlsmith
    sharonlsmith Posts: 1
    wow. Thanks. Crystal Light --out you go!
  • chichi1967
    chichi1967 Posts: 54
    I was addicted to soda all my life then june 14th after a melt down in the fitting room at sports authority.. I gave up all soda's & started just drinking water & milk... I lost 5 pounds... I then started drinking crystal lite more than water... I gained back 3 pounds... Stay with water most of the day.. have 1 glass of crystal lite with one of your meals.. this way you limit yourself.

    Hope this helps .. add me as a friend if you want a buddy

    Lynda
  • cbregar
    cbregar Posts: 1
    Yes, it does count as water...kind of. Your body needs water to digest everything that you put into it, caffeine, fat, calories, etc. Crystal light has 5 calories, right? So, you would need a small amount of water to digest those 5 calories then the rest would just count as water. If that is the only way for you to drink water, than go for it. However, I don't feel like artificial sweeteners are the way to go, I was told that even though there are no calories in artificial sweeteners that your body still digests it as sugar...so not too sure. Good luck on your journey.
  • mrsthefifth
    mrsthefifth Posts: 3
    Water with lemon in it is better for you, no doubt. Crystal light has artificial sweeteners in it and some studies have shown that they actually make you feel hungry.
    I was the worlds worst about drinking water. I knew the benefits, I just couldn't stand it! I bought myself a brita pitcher so that my water tastes good and made myself DRINK! It was hard because I was giving up a life long Coca-Cola habit. But the results have been awesome!
  • cobarlo14
    cobarlo14 Posts: 582 Member
    I've been using Mio sparingly..just for light taste...I dislike water straight and I can't keep it cold all day at work.
    So for now it stays while I am losing...when I get further down I am going to have to re-access the situation and try to keep plain water cold all day.
  • microwoman999
    microwoman999 Posts: 545 Member
    Lets face it we know water is the best for us! I know that it is bad to drink diet pop and crystal light! You should try to drink as much water as you can but if Crystal light is what helps you then try to make it a treat! Once a day. Before you know it you will only be drinking it every once in awhile and not everyday. Please though if it is helping you right now then keep up your hard work and work that into a thing to stop later. I did not make all of my changes over night and there is still sometimes when I change things now anyway! Water is good for flushing your system and it also helps with the elastisity of your skin (the bounce back so that you don't have flabby skin). So it up to you but I know many will tell you its not good to make that your main source of intake. Used to not drink any pop but now I drink diet pop and I am fine with it. Many of us do things bad for us....Smoke, Drink, Drugs maybe and we know its bad for us. We still live on and still get through life. Do what you can and keep going!
  • CeejayGee
    CeejayGee Posts: 299 Member
    I drink those types of drinks every so often. In moderation, anything is okay. :)

    Have you tried fruit in water? EVen a few strawberry slices, orange slices, peach slices, lemon, lime, etc give the water the essense of the fruit without adding any calories or artificial flavorings :-)
  • urangel_4
    urangel_4 Posts: 2 Member
    Actually, I asked my doctor the same question! She said, it is a great way to get enough water in your diet if you don't like water. I trust her!

    I also read this: http://caloriecount.about.com/crystal-light-vs-water-ft12633

    Hope it's helpful.
  • cheri03
    cheri03 Posts: 172 Member
    you are way better off drinking plain water, crystal light uses aspartame which is known to cause cancer, i stay away from anything with aspartame in it
    It has not been shown to cause cancer. Please do not spread untruths.
  • scubacat
    scubacat Posts: 346 Member
    I drink their new product called Crystal Light Pure. It has no artificial sweeteners, preservatives, etc and uses Truvia in place of aspartame. A single packet runs about 30 calories and I split that between two tall glasses of water.
  • ZebraHead
    ZebraHead Posts: 15,207 Member
    I have a hard time keeping it lit... oh...oh light... crystal LIGHT... nevermind
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
    I always think this question is a little silly - if you drank a glass of water and then ATE a packet of crystal light (like a pixie stick) it's not like it undoes the fact that you still drank a glass of water :-)
  • pa_jorg
    pa_jorg Posts: 4,404 Member
    drinks like that can also trigger headaches
  • fmbarbuto
    fmbarbuto Posts: 131 Member
    Read this!

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/29/diet-soda-weight-gain_n_886409.html

    :flowerforyou:
  • PlunderBunneh
    PlunderBunneh Posts: 1,705 Member
    Most of the time I drink Crystal Light because I find it coming down to that, or nothing. Not that I'm a stubborn anti-water snob or anything, just because I forget to drink. I'm trying to switch back to water, and I love a quick squirt of the Mio for that.
    But hey, it's water. Sure, it's got other stuff in it, but it is still hydration.
  • proats
    proats Posts: 35 Member
    you are way better off drinking plain water, crystal light uses aspartame which is known to cause cancer, i stay away from anything with aspartame in it

    LOL, what!?!?

    Aspartame causing cancer is nonsense. There is nothing unhealthy about it. Try doing a little more research and less parroting of mass hysteria:

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12180494
    (read that study before posting again)
  • skydivingchef
    skydivingchef Posts: 1
    Thanks for the tip. I will check that out next time I'm at the store. I've been wondering if there was an alternative
  • Marty_D
    Marty_D Posts: 39 Member
    had a moderate crystal light addiction a few years ago. Started having stomach pain. Pumped the brakes on the crystal light, stomach better. Have read some things about aspartame and think it may be the culprit. I just as soon get a non- calorie reduced beverage and add water to it to cut the calories. I prefer that taste to the after taste of sweeteners. Cheers.
  • myfitnessisavirtue
    myfitnessisavirtue Posts: 673 Member
    I drank it a few years ago but it gave me really bad headaches. Once a day for a treat would be a better choice IMO.

    I like to drink iced tea (green tea, peppermint tea, etc) with no sweetner. It makes water more interesting for me. Also, green tea is supposed to help with weight loss.
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