Drinking water

[Rich]

All the doctors today say you should drink at least eight glasses of water a day.
Well I don't but I do drink decaf ice tea by the gallons.
When I went to my PCP not long ago the young nurse asked how much water I drink daily. I told her not a lot but I do drink lots and lots of the ice tea.
Well she very curtly told me THAT'S NOT WATER !!
Then somwhere I read that it doesn't have to be water and other things like I do also count towards the daily total.
I can't remember where I saw that but if I get ahold of it I want to stick in front of her nose!

Rich

 

[tommy]

A 400 lb friend once went on a doctor supervised diet. He was told to drink 2 liters of anything each day. At that point he didn't even care about caffeine. That's one end of the spectrum.

At the other end is the fact that there is nothing purer and more cleansing than water. I try for 60-100 oz of water each day.

In the middle of the spectrum is a lot of healthy ground. I would think that 64 oz of decaf would be great. Better than nothing. Better than soft drinks.

 

[Creed3]

Hi Rich!
I once heard from someone that said their doctor told them that drinking iced tea actually dehydrates you.???? I'm not really sure if this is true considering the source. This person isn't very reliable. I just thought I would throw it out there. I remember when I was pregnant my doctor told me to take in a certain amount of fluids a day. They always would ask me what I drank and how much of it I had. I was always told water is the best and should make up most of your fluids, but other fluids are good too.

Take Care!
Gail

 

[Bryan B]

During my endocarditis my home nurse kept on me about drinking plenty of fluids. He actually suggested varying them so I wouldn't get sick of drinking the same thing. I think that caffeine does dehydrate you some, but he said everything counted. I alternated between water, gatorade and juice. Plus I always have a couple of cups of coffee every day, although since I quit smoking it's just not the same...lol.

 

[bvdr]

I think I read or heard the same report that Rich did. It is the fluid amount that is important. Of course alcohol and fluids with alot of salt are counterproductive so you can't count them in my book.

I think the same article mentioned that Americans on the whole get more than enough fluids. I usually carry a bottle of water with me but I watch it a little now since my cardio warned me not to overload myself with fluids since I tend to go into CHF. Does anyone else have this problem?

 

[Nancy]

I just read an article in the paper a little while ago refuting the huge amounts of water thing. It seemed to say that people get more fluid than they realize and drinking fluid when you're thirsty was the right thing to do.

Water is nice, but fluid is fluid. I can't imagine that if you're drinking large amounts of iced tea, that you will also need to drink large amounts of water.

When I have some time, I'll do a search to see if I can find the article. You might be able to pull it up using Google News.

 

[Harpoon]

Nancy's right...


It doesn't matter what you're drinking as much as you're getting enough every day and most people are doing that, and then some.


There are things in common beverages that can dehydrate you though or cause other problems.

Obviously sugar in most soft drinks and such could be cut back for some people.

Caffiene can be problematic for some people, but it's really an individual thing I guess.


Alcoholic beverages will dehydrate (makes your kidneys work more to expunge the "poisons") however some things, like red wine, seem to have certain benefits towards heart disease...



Add to this people on fluid restrictions.....

It's a mess.


Unless you're doctor has you restricting your intake, drink what you want as much as you want and use common sense. Too much sugar and caffiene will keep you awake and or hyper. Alcohol can have some undesired effects on medications you may be taking, plus the driving impairment and such if you drink too much, we all know that...

The tanic acid in black tea (it's in other teas too, but not all) is a natural diuretic. If you have a cup of tea before going to bed, you may be up in an hour visiting the bathroom...


I like italian sodas from the coffee shop.

I also usually have a 20oz bottle of water with about half a teaspoon of lemon juice for sipping at through the day, works well on the tickle cough from the lisinopril I'm on.

 

[LoriSue]

Hey you guys, you now have a Physiology Professor amongst your ranks remember? You guys are all on the right track. Fluid is fluid. Where ever you get it from it is still fluid. Lots of fluid is found unsuspectingly in foods that we eat. Lettuce for example has a high water content and there is many more foods that also fall in this category but getting to the ice tea thing......
caffeine has diurectic properties which cause the body to lose fluids, it doesn't necessarily dehydrate you but an extensive loss of fluids will obviously lead to dehydration. Alcohol also acts as a diuretic because it inhibits the absorption of water in the Intestinal tract (that is were water is absorbed by the body, not the stomach) so if the water isn't absorbed where it needs to be it will be excreted in the form of loose stools.
Most fruits and vegetables contain up to 90% water while meats and cheese contain at least 50% water. Water is also generated within our body during normal metabolism (the breakdown of nutrients).
The body MUST excrete a minimum of 500 milliliters of water a day as urine in order to carry away the waste products generated by our body during digestive processes. If someone's intake of water is greater than that the urine is just more dilute. In addition to urine, we lose water through respiration, sweat, and feces. The total loss of water per day is around 2 1/2 liters.
A handy thing to know is a few examples of water content of some foods:
Percentage of water in Food
100% water, soda
90-99% nonfat milk, strawberries,watermelon
lettuce, cabbage, celery, spinach,
Broccoli
80-89% Fruit juice, yogurt, apples, grapes,
oranges, carrots
79-70% Shrimp, bananas, corn, potatoes
avocado, cottage cheese,
69-60% Pasta, salmon, ice cream, chicken
breast

59-50% Ground beef, hot dogs

49-40% Pizza

A little surprising isn't it?! Most people don't realize that they consume a larger amount of water than they think. We find it in unsuspecting places.

I must still be teaching mode, I just got home after doing a lecture on the nervous system and this thread sent me right back into the nerdy science mode again! Sorry for the length of the post, Sometimes I get on a roll and find it difficult to be concise.
Thanks for you patience,
Lori

 

[Guest]

Thanks Lori!

With your background and knowledge you are definitely a fine addition to our "heart family". I never imagined that we get so much water from other sources. I've been eating my breakfast while reading your post and feeling pretty good that I'm starting my day out with a good amount of fluid!
Thanks for sharing......I think I feel a "potty break" coming on!
LOL!!

 

[epstns]

Betty - I am not (to my knowledge, or my cardio's) prone to CHF, but I do notice that when I drink unusually large amounts of water during the day (tried the "advice"), I feel waterlogged and full in the abdomen. Probably means I didn't need all that fluid, and it took a few hours to absorb/pass it, I guess. Not looking for new symptoms, just realizing that too much water can make you feel bad, too.

 

[tommy]

Water Water Water

Water Water Water

I subscribe to the 8 glasses of water per day concept. That is in addition to the natural sources of foods that we eat. The trick is that if you are going to drink 8 glasses of fluids each day, that everything other than water can have side effects in those quantities. 64 oz everyday is a lot.

For example (for me):
Milk gives me cramps.
Caffeine palpitates my heart and dries me out.
Soft drinks give me back aches and bloating.
Green tea...isn't it a "nono" for coumadin?
Re wine irritates my prostate.
Fruit juices and sport drinks have a lot of calories.

Bryan's point about varying the source is well taken. I can drink any of those in small amounts and in moderation, but 64 oz every day would not be good. And "moderation" does not get me to 64 oz each day.

64-100 oz of water everyday has been a very positive experience for me, with no downside, except frequent trips.

Also, if you get your water from a bottle, you are missing the flouride that has been very helpful in dental health.

 

[Harpoon]

It's not the green tea, it's the ginko biloba sometimes found in green tea.


Or other herbals sometimes found in green tea.

I drink green tea from time to time and I check the labels very closely for what's in the tea. if it says it has somethign that I know affects the coumadin, I don't buy it.

Some packages don't have a very good listing of ingredients so I just skip those outright.


I drink a lot, always thirsty. Part of that is the diuretics running through my veins.

When I left the hospital I was suppoed to keep under 53oz a day. I'l admit I don't usually do that now, but I haven't noticed any problems from water retention in a VERY long time and more importantly, my doctors say there isn't any fluid backing up at all in my lungs which should mean I'm not retaining at all. It would be there first in me before the extremeties.

Remember, TGV folks have a "backwards" circulation system so signs of CHF such as fluid retention show up in irregular places as opposed with someone who does not have TGV. Took us a while to figure that one out unfortunately...

 

[Abbanabba]

Hi Rich,

If you're drinking decaf ice-tea, then I can't see you'd be having a problem with the dehydrating effects of caffeine and it should, therefore, be every bit as relevant as straight water. The only thing you might need to check is the sugar content.

As far as the "8 glasses a day" thing, it's such a relative statement. Obviously people engaging in hard physical activity who are losing more body fluids through sweat would need to drink more than someone relatively inactive. Again, someone eating lots of fruit, veges and salad probably wouldn't need to drink as much as someone eating foods with a lower water content. And surely someone who is only 5ft and 90lb wouldn't need as much as someone twice their size...?!!

I read something the other day that said you only really needed to physically drink 1 - 1.5 litres of water a day because the rest comes from our food. It also reiterated that any sort of beverage (..except alcohol..) went toward making up the required amount, even tea & coffee - although these should be interspersed with other beverages.

Personally, I like a squeeze of fresh lemon juice in water, or fresh lime in soda water for something cool and refreshing. For something warmer, I love my herbal teas which are generally caffeine free and come in a wonderful range of flavours.

Cheers
Anna :

 

[Marge]

Rich -- I read an article quite recently that said that it's now thought that it is perfectly OK to include fluids other than water -- including coffee, tea, etc., -- in one's recommended daily fluid intake. I wish I knew how to find the article, but I am positive I saw it. I distinctly remember reading it because it made me feel so guilty! Before my mother died, I was constantly badgering her about, among other things, the fact she wasn't drinking enough water. She'd say, "But I had ice tea with my lunch!" and I'd say, "Mother, ice tea doesn't count ..." and we'd both end up feeling miserable. If I run across the article again I'll post a reference.

 

[Raverlaw]

I used to drink diet Pepsi like it was going out of style. I don't drink it anymore, and prefer cold water, with ice is best, or like Anna says, with a lemon twist

I do love iced tea (brewed, not instant) and like to make sun tea in a big jar out on the deck using a combination of herbal teas and regular Orane Pekoe, so I suppose the caffeine level isn't too bad.

I don't count how many ounces I drink in a day, but I know I feel better on the days I drink a lot. I think it keeps me flushed out.

 

[bethanne]

I remember reading something one time that when you drink anything other than water it still takes water to "dilute" enough for your cells to absorb, if you are not drinking enough pure water then when you drink that soda, tea etc. water is being pulled from within your body to dilute...etc.

I have wondered if this was correct or not... Lori what is your opinion of that? We don't mind the science lectures at all. ...Maybe it's because we don't have to worry about a grade.

Steve - Since my bout with cold or whatever I had in February I am experiencing the same thing. If I drink too much at one time I feel swollen and miserable in the abdomen... This is a new phenomenon (sp?) for me...

 

[Harpoon]

Every beverage has water in it....


Well, almost all of them anyways I guess.

Your digestive system does most of the filtering with the water being absorbed and moved to where it's needed (thirsty cells)

Some things will keep your body from absorbing as much as it should like sodium or caffiene, and some things, like alcohol, will make your body expell more water than normal, but just about everything you drink has water in it.

I can't think of anything off hand that you can drink that doesn't have water.

'Cept maybe motor oil....

Oh wait, you can't drink that can you?