Besides guzzling water, milk is a top choice to refuel. Sodas, even diet ones, get a bad rap for lacking nutritional value, but they can still be hydrating. Juices and sports drinks are also hydrating -- you can lower the sugar content by diluting them with water. Coffee and tea also count in your tally.
People who don't drink enough water every day are at greater risk of kidney stones, problems with their heart valves and some kinds of cancer. Even minor dehydration can affect physical and mental performance. Drinking water is also essential for the health of your mouth.
While plain water is best for staying hydrated, other drinks and foods can help, too. Water can be found in fruits and vegetables (for example, watermelon, tomatoes, and lettuce), and in soup broths. Fruit and vegetable juices, milk, and herbal teas add to the amount of water you get each day.
TAMPA (WFLA/CNN) — As refreshing as water is, it may not be the most hydrating drink choice. In fact, water may not even crack the top five of the most hydrating drinks out there. According to a study from Scotland's St. Andrew's University, milk, Pedialyte and soda top the list of most hydrating beverages.
Chugging large quantities of water isn't hydrating you any more than if you sip it slowly. It can seem like you're being proactive by gulping down a large amount of water before beginning some extraneous exercise.
Juice, smoothies, iced coffee, ice tea, protein shakes, milk, and other drinks can be excellent alternatives to water. You should avoid relying too much on drinks with a high sugar content, such as soda, certain fruit juces, energy drinks and chocolate milk.
In general, however, it usually takes about two hours for your body to rehydrate fully after drinking a significant amount of water. As for how you should rehydrate, water is the best choice. Sports drinks, such as Gatorade, can be helpful for athletes who need to replenish electrolytes.
Gatorade, because of its electrolyte content, helps to restore the lost electrolytes and keep a person hydrated, during intense activity. It can also replace electrolytes, during times of illness, such as stomach viruses.
It hydrates you
This myth comes from a study funded by Gatorade that found people who drank their product were better hydrated than if they drank water—but only because they drank more fluids. If you drank the same volume of water versus Gatorade, you'd be equally hydrated.
According to a recent study from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, your body can alleviate mild dehydration in 45 minutes with 20.3 oz (600ml) of water.
Dizziness or Lightheadedness
For example, if you are experiencing dizziness or lightheadedness or feel as if you may pass out, this may mean you are severely dehydrated.
Urine Color – Urine color can be assessed and compared with the urine color chart (as seen to the right). This is the easiest measure of hydration for most people because it is easy to assess and does not need additional equipment to do so. The higher the number or darker the color the greater degree of dehydration.
Now for the main reason you're reading: Does drinking Tea count as drinking water? In a word, yes. Almost all non-alcoholic fluids, including Tea and Fresh Coffee, count towards your fluid intake.
Here is one more reason to enjoy that morning cup of joe: “Coffee counts toward your daily water intake,” says Lauren DeWolf, MS, RD, a registered dietitian with Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Centers. The water in coffee, tea and other caffeinated beverages helps us meet our daily fluid needs.
For example, diabetes, physical exhaustion, and mental disorders may all prevent you from feeling thirsty when your body needs water. If you are diagnosed with any of these chronic conditions or another disease, your doctor or physician should inform you about the potential for dehydration without feeling thirst.
Fruits and vegetables definitely help hydrate the body, and with its electrolytes can hydrate the body more quickly, which can help athletes or those working in the sun. But the claim that fruits contain more water than a glass of water, and that it stays in the body longer than normal drinking water, is FALSE.