I hydrate with tea. Bad idea?
It started when I lived in Russia. No one really drank water since you couldn’t drink the tap water, so everyone drank tea all the time. Loads of it. Black tea, all day long.
Is this bad? Am I still hydrating if I only drink tea?
You’re fine. Caffeine is a mild diuretic. You would need to ingest a hell of a lot to have any real effect on hydration.
If your urine is light yellow to almost clear you’re hydrated.
I’ve had several different doctors tell me that caffeinated beverages don’t count towards hydration. One said I should subtract coffee from my water intake, but didn’t give an opinion on tea, other than to recommend decaf. It is obviously possible to drink only tea (one of my grandmothers was pretty much in this camp) but it would be very hard to find a doctor who wouldn’t recommend against it.
I’ve told my doctor that my main beverage of choice is tea and she’s ok with that, but I think she was mostly just relieved I was finally out of the soda camp. The only warning I had about it was to not take in so much caffeine as to increase blood pressure, which hasn’t been a problem. I think the only time I’m just having straight water is during workouts (even that is iffy, I’ve been known to take tea to the gym) and after brushing my teeth.
My body will not let me drink just tea. If I let down my guard and forget to drink a few liters of water I just feel icky, more stressed, and my lips start to get chapped. My general rule is for every 8oz cup of tea I drink I have to drink double that in water.
I’m the same way. Everyone thinks it’s so strange when I always have to have a cup of water with my tea.
I drink far more water than tea but I just generally feel better when I drink water. I get headaches if I don’t drink enough and it’s not great for my digestive system. I suggest adding in water rather than more tea or juice or pop, but obviously you can survive. Neither of my grandfathers ever drank water, and my father and uncle still don’t. My father gets on a rant that 8 glasses of water a day was made up by the Nestle corporation… I don’t bother. Unfortunately, he ‘hydrates’ with beer, haha.
One of many articles about studies pointing to tea more hydrating than plain water: http://healthland.time.com/2011/01/14/study-tea-is-healthier-than-water/
My MD is fine with tea – she just said to count caffeinated bevs as 1/2 the amount of liquid they actually are – so – 1 c tea = 1/2 c water, in hydration terms. I guess it’s to account for the diuretic effect.
Interesting! Thanks very much. I really do love drinking tea all day long. It’s just so much more interesting than water!
You can maintain hydration without consuming plain water, by having teas, fruits (fresh juices), vegetables (soups), etc.
The important thing is to maintain a balanced diet with moderation in everything consumed and follow guidelines mentioned in other posts like ensuring that the urine is light in colour.
Personally I would recommend having a glass of water every morning after brushing, mixed with a teaspoon of honey and a tablespoon of any of – apple cider vinegar / aloe vera or other herbal juices / lemon juice.
Thanks! I’ll have to give that a try. Tell me more about the aloe vera. Is there a particular kind that you get? I’ve heard that aloe is really good for you but I imagine that whatever you’re putting in your water isn’t the same as the kind at the drugstore!
I get mine from local Indian medicinal manufacturers. If you do not find anything suitable in your local stores, you could search on Amazon.com for aloe vera juice and pick up whatever is popular / has good reviews. Try the apple cider vinegar (with mother of vinegar) too – you can read up about it.
I was going to add the thing about having ‘mother’ in the vinegar. I do this, and it isnt too bad tasting really. A good way to alkaline.
One thing about aloe vera, though (and you may already know this): it’s a laxative and can cause diarrhea and cramps and so on if taken internally. So . . . just be careful if you decide to experiment with it, I guess. :)
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