Flavoring Your Water

I <3 Crystal Light! I drink a gallon of it in 2 days!

I don't pay attention to the hype over preservatives and artificial sweeteners.

There was a study in a magazine last week (at least that is when I read it). It said that you need to watfch how the things are sweetened but that they do get you to drink more water so they are more a + than a negative. Most are now flavored with Splenda or Tevia so not really artificial since those are made from sugar. One of the people from the article was a nutritionist that said she tells her clients not to drin kthe junk that poses as healthy but isn't. She sai she tells her clients what ones are good or okay for them. I drink the Crystal Light or the Walmart's brand of the Peach Tea. Just don;t believe the "immunity" or hydration claims since you cannot drink enough to get that benefit. In the summer, I do put slices of lime in water for a nice cold drink.

i know that some may feel that preservatives or artificial sweeteners aren't a big deal, but nevertheless, it's always best to drink as natural as possible...especially if you do have any concerns about CONS in flavored drinks. And personally, i do believe that there are cons to preservatives, artificial flavors..or any sort of added chemicals.

On a side note, everyone should go to.. hulu.com and watch the recent show of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution that was aired last night. I'm so glad that this is being shown to wake up America. Everything in this one mom's refrigerator was frozen foods...all preservatives. And if you look at just her face...you can already see how unhealthy her skin and the colors around her eyes were..That's from poor eating. I have a co-worker who looks just like her, and my husband has a few co-workers who looks just like her too. And guess what, everyday..they drink soda, eat fast foods. So yeah, there is a consistency in how we look and what we put in our bodies. And processed foods, full of preservatives and sodas or drinks full of artificial sweeteners are the culprit.

You know, you can always put fresh berries in your water for flavor..even kiwi or pineapples. And you'll get the nutrient of fresh fruit too. :)

Instead of the packets with additives...... I simply use slices of lemon, orange or lime. Works great for me.

OK- the artificial sweetener thing makes me a little nervous. Also, splenda is chemically modified sugar which also makes me concerned. I have lemons around the house all the time and just put a quarter of one in a glass of water- it adds flavor and lemon is like an internal cleanser for your body so it is doubly good for you. The base of all of the drinks are water- so if you want the benefits of water- keep it as clear as possible.

The dangers of using flavored water are the same as using diet soda. Anything that contains an artificial sweetner will cause your body to release insulin into your blood stream. As a result you will either overeat or it will cause your body to store incoming calories as fat due to the excess insulin. If you don't beleive read Dr. Oz's take on this. Unless you are diabetic there is no reason to put any artificial sweetner in your body.

Well, fake sugar isn't good for you. Too much is bad for you.
Also, fake sugar can actually make you eat more. Your body tastes sweet and gets ready for calories. Then no calories follow and your body tells you that you're hungry and missing calories.
It's best to skip pop and flavored drinks and just add lemon, lime, or orange wedges to water. If you miss the fizz, get sparkling water or club soda and add citrus.

http://www.healthcastle.com/diet_pop_health.shtml

Watch the sodium content of some of them too. Some are higher than others, but even if there is a moderate amount, it seems silly to be adding sodium to your diet in the form of water. . .I avoid artificial sweeteners as much as I can too. Also depending on the brand, some (the ones likes Crystal Lite) also contain artificial coloring which can cause numerous health issues. I'm not a nut about this stuff, but I know that if I drink more than 3 glasses of anything with red coloring in it, I find that I'm kind of agitated and canNOT sleep that night when normally I sleep like a log. Just stuff to watch. . and just like everything else. . .everything in moderation. Maybe alternate flavored water with just plain old water with fresh fruit in it to even it out :)
E.

Read the ingredients list on the bottle/packet and then decide for yourself. When I looked at them carefully a few years ago, every single brand had artificial sweetener in them! Ick! That stuff is nasty - and one of the most common migraine triggers out there so I avoid it like the plague.

I used to get migraines several times a month... then I stopped eating/drinking artificial sweeteners a few years ago and have had >one< migraine in 3 years! Too many studies back this up and show I'm not alone, either.

Even 'natural' foods/drinks can have weird chemicals and processed stuff in them. There is no legal defination for "natural" on packaging. Many companies claim high fructose corn syrup is 'natural' because it orginally came from corn (but then has been processed to death).

Depends on what sweetner was used. STEVIA is a plant based product and does not have the side effects of aspartame and other sweetners. In addition, I've done tons of research and know that many artificial sweetners break down bone density.........why women in particular should never drink diet cokes, etc... Not the calorie issues as much as the chemical problems.

I've never used those because I avoid artificial sweetners, but if the stevia plant is the source, you should be okay.

Sounds like you've been chronically dehydrated for some time, too. If you crave it, your body is already in dehydration mode. You should NEVER wait until you're thirsty to drink water. Only a 3% water loss is necessary for dehydration. Water is required of EVERY function in your body.

If you want to understand all of this more, pick up a copy of YOUR BODY'S MANY CRIES FOR WATER. You'll never look at water the same again.

Do some research on artificial sweeteners. They are really bad for your body. Most Doctors don't even want their diabetic patients to use them. If you need to flavor your water try using fresh fruit juice or something like that. In processed food there are so many chemicals too. If you are going to be drinking this stuff, and a lot of it, then I would worry about you. I got all my friends to stop using diet drinks after another friend nearly died from using them, she was a diabetic and it was killing her, she drank nearly a 2 liter a day of diet cola.

The only downside I can think of is the artificial sweeteners but if your other option was a diet coke it doesn't really make a difference! I'm partial to Crystal Lights Raspberry Green Tea myself :-)

If you want to avoid the artificial sweeteners try filling a pitcher of water and floating some lemon and/or lime slices in it and keep it in your fridge. Of course you can do this with any fruit, get creative!

A lot of that stuff are chemicals.
Unless it says all natural, but you must read the label.
Or go to natural food stores.

Or, you can flavor your own...

good luck,
Susan

I usually use fresh fruit, the flavored packets just taste too sweet & sugary for me. Lately I have been keeping a pitcher of water in the fridge with lemon, limes and sometimes various berries floating in it.

The flavored water is better then soda so that is a plus in your case. But there will still be traces of chemicals in the flavored water since it is broken down from original state.

A.
I would only warn you of the artificial sweetners and cancer causing dyes that are in your water. If you are drinking more water (which is good for you) why comprimise it with ingredients that do more harm than good. Please check out my website www.livingwithsolutions.com and go to sports nutrition and there you will find a drink mix that has none of the above ingredients and is actually beneficial to you, in some cases better than water. Do your research.
S.

I use EmergenC and drink a glass of water before my coffee each morning. There is some sugar in it, but at least it's not artificial. Anything with chemicals in large quantities is not great on the bod. Tazzo Tea makes wonderful hot and iced tea blends that can be flavored with Agave Syrup.

If the flavoring is not using artificial sweeteners I can think of no cons to using it. In fact it's a good thing if it helps you drink more water.

read the label. sugar substitutes are dangerous. they contiue to find things wrong with them. I would use only natural/fruit added to the water. my sister kept getting urinary infections because one of those sugar substitutes. Remember a lot of that extra stuff is not natural and are really just chemicals

My husband stopped drinking pop and lost a lot of weight and all he drinks now is water that he flavors with those on the go packets my kids also like them.