sometimes I get bored of drinking plain old water (even sparkling). I also do not drink sodas. What do you guys drink?

Vitamin Water has too much crap and calories in it.

Gatorade is unnecessary, you have to literally run a marathon to need that much electrolyte replacement


Has anyone tried this Metro Mint stuff?



Apparently it doesnt have any calories or other junk like sugar or artificial sweeteners, and uses natural ingredients for flavor like mint

there's even a chocolate mint flavor

anyone tried this or anything else?

4/10/2008 4:36:47 PM

that seems like it would taste like swallowing after brushing my teeth....

4/10/2008 4:38:05 PM

i'm a big fan of beer

4/10/2008 4:38:22 PM

Have you tried adding a splash of lemon or lime juice in water? Or they make some stuff called TrueLemon (and Lime and Orange) now that I have heard people praise, but I haven't tried it.

It's still water, but it's less chemical-laden and cheaper than bottled drinks.

[Edited on April 10, 2008 at 4:40 PM. Reason : or the little packets of Crystal Light or the like ...]

4/10/2008 4:39:52 PM

koolaid is good...its only 2 ingredients...sugar and water....no caffenine- have you looked into a drink called gatorade or "powerade" yet?

4/10/2008 4:41:44 PM

i make iced green tea with lemon/lime/orange juice in it, as well as a bit of honey for sweetness...it has antioxidants, doesn't taste like straight water, and it fights scurvy

[Edited on April 10, 2008 at 4:43 PM. Reason : iced]

4/10/2008 4:43:02 PM

I hated drinking water as well. Now I drink 32 oz. at work with Crystal Light. It's really not bad.

4/10/2008 4:46:04 PM

Propel has a bit of flavor and electrolytes without the sugar/calories of sports drinks.

Crystal light lemonade is a decent call. I have also switched from having an afternoon soda to a cup of green tea in the office. Bigelow Green Tea with mint is pretty good.

4/10/2008 4:47:31 PM

on the serious though

i do the iced green tea and also water with lemon juice

they're both much better than DC tap water

NOW WITH LEAD!

4/10/2008 4:48:49 PM

i do not enjoy drinking plain water either. at all. i drank way too much soda in college. I now have it maybe 1x a week.

i enjoy rescue green tea vitamin water. Only like 90 calories per full bottle if i recall, less than 10g of sugar. Both very little amounts if you are even the least bit active.



[Edited on April 10, 2008 at 4:50 PM. Reason : ]

4/10/2008 4:49:47 PM

I did iced green tea for a while but it would get weird in my kleen kanteen

4/10/2008 4:50:26 PM

yeah for serious... i actually love a nice glass of ice water. when i'm super thirsty (like now, after cutting grass) i would take water over anything without hesitation.

then my grandma's tea.
then chick-fil-a lemonade.
but first an orangeade from some place in greensboro which i can't remember.

4/10/2008 4:50:47 PM

^^ did you make it yourself, or buy it in large amounts and pour it in there for portability?

[Edited on April 10, 2008 at 4:51 PM. Reason : .]

4/10/2008 4:51:10 PM

^^see i guess im weird, water does nothing for me on the enjoyment side even when ive been extremely thirsty playing sports. But even a splash of lemon turns that around.

[Edited on April 10, 2008 at 4:51 PM. Reason : ]

4/10/2008 4:51:44 PM

Target - Archer farms water
Peach Ginger is my fav, but there is a berry one that comes in a case instead of 4 packs.

Very tasty.

Also, the water filters with flavor-adds aren't bad either.

4/10/2008 4:52:08 PM

^^ qft

^ also good

[Edited on April 10, 2008 at 4:52 PM. Reason : .]

4/10/2008 4:52:19 PM

store bought

I only use my own stuff for hot green tea

4/10/2008 4:53:24 PM

meh, i buy kroger-brand green tea (it's only like $3.50 for 100 bags) and it's not bad...but then i usually add a few bags of tazo or some other "nicer" brand that has flavor to it (orange bergamot has a been a favorite as of late)...throw in a splash of citrus and some honey, and it SHOULDN'T really get funky...the citrus can go off if it gets warm and sits at room temperature for a day or two, but honey doesn't spoil, so it shouldn't grow mold or anything...i make a gallon at a time and it lasts for 1-2 days (before i drink it all, i mean)

at least, nothing grows in my nalgene

[Edited on April 10, 2008 at 5:05 PM. Reason : .]

4/10/2008 4:56:28 PM

Flavored waters are gay.

4/10/2008 4:58:20 PM

thx for the advice quagmire

4/10/2008 5:05:52 PM

i use those single packet crystal lights

4/10/2008 5:55:02 PM

i go get the 24-pack case of san pellegrino at harris teeter

i love that shit

http://www.beveragesdirect.com/detail-1297-San_Pellegrino_Sparkling_Water_24_Pack.asp

http://www.beveragesdirect.com/detail-1299-Perrier_Sparkling_Water_24_Pack.asp

either that or perrier... although i much prefer the san pellegrino

4/10/2008 6:31:52 PM

Quote :

"Vitamin Water has too much crap and calories in it. "

What the hell are you talking about? It has calories from real sugar, which is GOOD for you. You shouldn't be drinking 3 gallons a day of vitamin water, but a couple of them a day is a hella lot better than gatorade or Metro Mint would be for you.

It's got no artificial sweetners and tons of water soluble vitamins for you.

4/10/2008 7:06:14 PM

You can just get the concentrate pak that goes into the water filter and add a drop to your water.

You don't have to spend $1 per bottle to have something with a little bit of taste (which is the reason I don't like just water - never have been able to knock drinking something with no taste that should be free out of a bottle & pay for it)

4/10/2008 7:21:28 PM

Quote :

"Target - Archer farms water Peach Ginger is my fav, but there is a berry one that comes in a case instead of 4 packs. Very tasty. Also, the water filters with flavor-adds aren't bad either."

ewww artificial sweeteners

[Edited on April 10, 2008 at 8:02 PM. Reason : d]

4/10/2008 8:02:39 PM

^my thoughts exactly.

4/10/2008 8:18:42 PM

Quote :

"Gatorade is unnecessary, you have to literally run a marathon to need that much electrolyte replacement "

that's an over stepping, but I will agree that you shouldn't be drinking it when you are just sitting around.


Green tea and crystal light are both good ideas.

4/10/2008 8:31:33 PM

i make iced green tea (in addition to hot tea 3-4x/day)

i buy loose tea from the lady at the flea market (thyme for tea)
The iced green tea I'm drinking right now is called "triple berry" and I sweeten all the tea I drink with honey (from the farmers market).
Traci the owner is very very knowledgeable about teas.

my favorite teas are triple berry (green), white peach fuzz, madagascar vanilla (black), victorian earl gray, yerba mate and rooibos chai,

http://www.tearificspices.com/teasmain.htm

I also buy fresh lemons and use them to flavor water

4/10/2008 8:37:55 PM

+

4/10/2008 8:47:23 PM

Me and mine use this FulFill stuff from Sturm Foods. It's pretty hard to come by around here and ordering from the few places that stock it online is actually more expensive than getting it retail (unless you buy bulk) but it's pretty good stuff. They have a version with and without artificial sweeteners (or more accurately I should say with or without real sugar) but the stuff with real sugar tastes the best and is pretty cheap.

http://www.sturmfoods.com/minisite/fulFill/nutritional.html

4/10/2008 9:27:21 PM

Quote :

"What the hell are you talking about? It has calories from real sugar, which is GOOD for you. You shouldn't be drinking 3 gallons a day of vitamin water, but a couple of them a day is a hella lot better than gatorade or Metro Mint would be for you. It's got no artificial sweetners and tons of water soluble vitamins for you."

If by "real sugar" you mean "crystallized fructose," which is condensed out of high fructose corn syrup, then yeah, I guess it's good for you.

[Edited on April 10, 2008 at 10:29 PM. Reason : in other words, it's all artificial sweetner]

4/10/2008 10:27:28 PM

I'll have to agree there

to suggest its better for you than metro mint is a bit crazy

and all those water soluble vitamins are probably the easiest ones to get from a normal diet anyways, let alone if you take a daily multivitamin

Quote :

"vitamin-fortified drink may sound like a swell idea, but there are two caveats to keep in mind. First, most Americans aren’t vitamin-deficient, according to Marion Nestle, a nutrition professor at New York University. A government survey in 1999 showed that the median American adult man or woman already consumes more than the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6 and B12, and three-quarters of the RDA of vitamins C, B9 and A (including carotenes). "

Quote :

"vitaminwater might have trouble living up to its image as a salubrious alternative to sugary soft drinks: Each bottle of vitaminwater contains 32.5 grams, or two heaping tablespoons, of crystalline fructose. Fructose is a simple sugar that sweetens many fruits, although the crystalline fructose in vitaminwater is produced from cornstarch, not fruit, by crystallizing the fructose in fructose-enriched corn syrups. As one would expect, nobody needs these extra sugars, according to Nestle, the NYU nutritionist. One research team has even indicated that the intense sweetness of sugary drinks may be addictive. "

http://scienceline.org/2007/12/03/ask-intagliata-vitaminwater/

http://www.metromint.com/ is where you can check it out, i think i'm going to order a case and report back my findings

4/10/2008 11:00:55 PM

strawberry kiwi is really good

4/11/2008 3:33:02 AM

Rainwater!

Gotta protect them precious bodily fluids.

4/11/2008 4:15:21 AM

Quote :

"Propel has a bit of flavor and electrolytes without the sugar/calories of sports drinks. "

yea I drink like a case of those a day

i piss a lot.

4/11/2008 5:18:04 AM

Quote :

"If by "real sugar" you mean "crystallized fructose," which is condensed out of high fructose corn syrup, then yeah, I guess it's good for you."

its crystalline sugar. doesn't matter if it comes from cane or corn. the reason High Fructose Corn Syrup is bad for you is because its a processed syrup and not a simple crystal sugar.

Your body can easily burn crystallized sugar as energy, it can't do so with corn syrup.

And you are all being fucking stupid saying that the 100 SIMPLE SUGAR calories in a Vitamin water is bad for you somehow.

You get the about the same amount of calories, ALSO FRUCTOSE, from eating a fucking ORANGE. I guess we should all stop eating fruit now too, because it has simple sugar in it, OMG SUGARRRR IS BADD.

I'll bet you retards were all about the Atkins diet, the South Beach diet, and all other stupid fucking nonsense too.

---------------

Propel uses artificial sweeteners. Crystal Light uses Artificial Sweeteners. Artificial Sweeteners are ABSOLUTELY IN NO WAY GOOD FOR YOU. You can argue the point of having too much sugar, but there's no way you can tell me putting aspertame or nutrasweet in your body is somehow better.

[Edited on April 11, 2008 at 5:27 AM. Reason : .]

4/11/2008 5:25:30 AM

Five Myths About Drinking Water

Quote :

"Is bottled water better for you than tap? Or should you choose vitamin-enriched water over sparkling? Experts say, skip it all. None of these products are likely to make you any healthier. Below, we look at five major myths about the benefits of drinking water. But first, how do you know if you're drinking enough water? Experts say there's an easy way to judge. If you're not thirsty, you're fluid intake is likely 'just right.' Myth No. 1: Drink Eight Glasses Each Day Scientists say there's no clear health benefit to chugging or even sipping water all day. So where does the standard advice of drinking eight glasses each day come from? 'Nobody really knows,' says Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, a kidney expert at the University of Pennsylvania. Myth No. 2: Drinking Lots of Water Helps Clear Out Toxins The kidneys filter toxins from our bloodstreams. Then the toxins clear through the urine. The question is, does drinking extra water each day improve the function of the kidneys? 'No,' says Goldfarb. 'In fact, drinking large amounts of water surprisingly tends to reduce the kidney's ability to function as a filter. It's a subtle decline, but definite.' Myth No. 3: Lots of Water Equals Healthier Skin The body is already 60 percent water. So, if you take a 200-pound man, he's 120 pounds of water. Adding a few extra glasses of water each day has limited effect. 'It's such a tiny part of what's in the body,' says Goldfarb. 'It's very unlikely that one's getting any benefit.' His full editorial is published in the current issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. One study published in 2007 on the cosmetic benefit of drinking water suggests that 500 ml of water increases capillary blood flow in the skin. 'But it's unclear whether these changes are clinically significant,' says Goldfarb. Myth No. 4: Drinking Extra Water Leads to Weight Loss A more accurate statement may be: Drinking water is a helpful tool for dieters. 'Water is a great strategy for dieters because it has no calories,' says Madeline Fernstrom of the University of Pittsburgh. 'So you can keep your mouth busy without food and get the sense of satisfaction.' But water is not magical, she adds. Other zero-calorie options such as diet sodas are fine, too. Myth No. 5: It's Easy to Get Dehydrated During a Workout Dehydration sets in when a person has lost 2 percent of his or her body weight. So for a 200-pound man, this means losing 4 pounds of water. Marathon runners, bikers and hikers all need to recognize the signs of dehydration. 'It is also obvious that individuals in hot, dry climates have increased need for water,' says Goldfarb. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that athletes drink 16 ounces of fluids a couple of hours before starting sports practice. But for a stroll in the park, no water bottle is necessary. Goldfarb's advice: Just drink when you're thirsty."

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89323934

4/11/2008 7:37:04 AM

Quote :

"Propel uses artificial sweeteners. Crystal Light uses Artificial Sweeteners. Artificial Sweeteners are ABSOLUTELY IN NO WAY GOOD FOR YOU. You can argue the point of having too much sugar, but there's no way you can tell me putting aspertame or nutrasweet in your body is somehow better."

I don't think anyone is arguing that artificial sweeteners have some great nutritional benefit. They don't have the calories found in simple sugars. This guy is obviously looking for limited calorie alternatives to water. Obviously some sugar isn't going to hurt anyone, but limiting sugar and caloric intake is not a bad idea.

Are you suggesting that there is some hidden danger posed by artificial sweeteners that poses substantially greater health risks than obesity? What is it that you think you know better than everyone else?

4/11/2008 10:26:17 AM

Bottled Water Vs. Tap Water
Chemicals, contaminants, pollution, price: new reasons to rethink what you drink and beware of bottled water.

Quote :

"Most bottled water comes in polyethylene terephthalate bottles, indicated by a number 1, PET or PETE on the bottle's bottom. (No, it's not the same phthalate mentioned earlier.) The bottles are generally safe, says Ken Smith, PhD, immediate past chair of the American Chemical Society's division of environmental chemistry. But scientists say when stored in hot or warm temperatures, the plastic may leach chemicals into the water. Brenda Decker, 45, of Lake Stockholm, New Jersey, used to buy bottled water in bulk and store it in the crawl space under her house, where it was exposed to high temperatures. But a friend who owns a natural food store recently warned her that the plastic could leach chemicals into the water. So Decker has stopped buying bottled water and is going back to the tap. 'It's a process, but I'm willing to go with it to make sure my kid is healthy. That's my biggest drive.' High temperatures in your storage space aren't the only potential risk; so are the other things you keep there. Experts advise against storing water in the garage, near gas fumes, pesticides and other chemicals that could, at the very least, affect the smell and taste of the H2O. It's not just where you store your water, but what you do with it as you carry it with you. Many people sip from a bottle that's been sitting in a hot car, a potentially dangerous move. 'Leaving bottled water out in the car changes the chemical equilibrium so that the materials from the plastic go into the water faster,' says Smith. When 22-year-old Amy Dowley, a senior at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, heard about these risks, she was worried. 'I never drank bottled water, because I knew the water from my tap was clean and healthy, but I used to fill used plastic soda or juice bottles with tap water to carry around,' she says. Now she uses a stainless steel Klean Kanteen portable container or fills a cup from the sink. 'Any way we can cut back on plastic is a good thing.' 'Are there hazards associated with these chemicals?' asks James Kapin, a chemical safety consultant in San Diego. 'Absolutely.' But as with many debates on chemicals, the exact health risks are unknown. 'We very rarely get black-and-white answers for the health effects of long-term exposure. At some point, I hope, there will be a scientific consensus.' In the meantime, experts have raised a warning flag about a few specific chemicals. Antimony is a potentially toxic material used in making PET. Last year, scientists in Germany found that the longer a bottle of water sits around (in a store, in your home), the more antimony it develops. High concentrations of antimony can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. In the study, levels found were below those set as safe by the EPA, but it's a topic that needs more research. Last summer, a National Institutes of Health (NIH) committee agreed that bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical found in polycarbonate (used to make watercooler jugs, sport-water bottles and other hard plastics, but not PET), may cause neurological and behavioral problems in fetuses, babies and kids. A separate NIH-sponsored panel found that the risk was even greater, saying that adult exposure to BPA likely affects the brain, the female reproductive system and the immune system. The FDA has reviewed these reports and says it will keep monitoring the data to see if the agency needs to take regulatory action."

http://www.rd.com/special-reports/the-environment/rethink-what-you-drink/article51807-2.html

4/11/2008 10:32:11 AM

Quote :

"Aspartame is blamed for a number of health problems, including headaches, seizures, chronic fatigue syndrome, memory loss, and dizziness. It has also been associated with an increase in multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and cancer. "

http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/artificial-sweetener6.htm

4/11/2008 10:33:47 AM

.

[Edited on April 11, 2008 at 10:54 AM. Reason : .]

4/11/2008 10:41:20 AM

^ well, common sense says that ingesting anything that's not found in nature (in a natural form) has the possibility of risks associated with ingesting it...i say that's common sense because logic dictates that if our bodies did not develop to utilize certain chemical compounds, it's reasonable to assume that they MAY not handle them well or safely

am i saying that ANYTHING not found perfectly in nature is going to kill a person? of course not...but aspartame is a good example of something that is considered safe by most people, but MIGHT actually have negative effects that are not well documented or researched

first, everyone's seen the phenylalanine (sp?) warning on foods containing aspartame...IIRC, phenylalanine occurs naturally in other foods, but is detrimental to those with special genetic condition that makes them allergic to it (it messes with their blood somehow...i don't know the specifics and i'm too lazy to look it up)...okay, no big deal - it only affects a very small portion of the population, and, as mentioned, it's found naturally, so no worries there

second, aspartame is broken down by the body into methanol (and then into formaldehyde), both of which CAN cause damage...of course, the amount found in aspartame is relatively small...some argue that although both of those chemicals can be handled safely by the body (especially in such small amounts), when they are found in other foods (naturally), those foods contain blocking chemicals (like ethanol) that prevent the production of formaldehyde (which is much more damaging than methanol)...while a drink and now and then won't kill you, consistently drinking aspartame-sweetened drinks COULD cause chronic neurological issues...and, from what i've read (i'll find references if anyone cares), it doesn't take that much to do it...it's not like drinking 24 cans of diet coke every day, but something along the lines of 3 (again, that's only one or two studies, but still...i'm a bit cautious about drinking something that may or may not be a neurotransmitter inhibitor)

third, there's a lot of aspartic acid in aspartame...aspartic acid can cause brain damage in higher-than-average amounts, at least in mice...i'm not a mouse, but it's something to consider

fourth, carbonation speeds up the rate at which aspartame breaks down into DKP (i don't remember what that stands for...it's been a while since class ), but i DO remember that DKP also causes problems in the brain

there's a boatload of research that says aspartame is safe, and a statistically significant amount of research that shows that it COULD be hazardous to your health in too-large amounts (what that amount is is the subject of debate, i suppose)...either way, given the option, i'd rather drink 100 calories per drink (which is much more easily metabolized) than chug chemicals that have the potential for damaging my brain, just because i'm too lazy to work off the sugar

*shrug*

[Edited on April 11, 2008 at 10:51 AM. Reason : DKP]

4/11/2008 10:51:11 AM

I've always been an advocate for straight-up tap water. Or, if you're fortunate enough to live out in the country, well water can be quite tasty (provided you test regularly.)

4/11/2008 11:23:11 AM

^^That's reasonable. I'd say the evidence is mixed at best regarding artificial sweeteners, but it clear that too much sugar (depending on how many calories you burn) is not good for you. I just don't buy the "it's natural" crowd that sits there and guzzles Coca-Cola like it's nothing. Obviously when making this consideration you are already choosing against other healthier, perhaps less tasty beverages. And anyone that won't drink ANY fruit juice due to sugar is an idiot.

4/11/2008 11:45:02 AM

Quote :

"phenylalanine...is detrimental to those with special genetic condition that makes them allergic to it (it messes with their blood somehow...i don't know the specifics and i'm too lazy to look it up)...okay, no big deal - it only affects a very small portion of the population, and, as mentioned, it's found naturally, so no worries there"

4/12/2008 1:29:21 PM

ENOUGH ARGUING, STICK TO THE TOPIC


ALTERNATIVES TO DRINKING WATER

* Iced Green Tea

* Propel or Crystal Light powder added to water

* Metro Mint

* Splash of Lemon or Lime juice


continue with productive suggestions

4/12/2008 1:50:11 PM

look, if you're "bored" of drinking water then you are drinking too much, dumbass

when you're actually thirsty your body will let you know, and then it won't be a matter of "OMG i want something that refreshes me but is gayer than rainbows"....you'll just drink some fucking water.

/thread

4/12/2008 1:53:30 PM

not enjoying drinking water to the point that you avoid or discontinue drinking it

is a mental illness

and I'm not trying to be funny

you people are sick in the head



if you die earlier than you should because of your insane dislike of water, you'll deserve it

4/12/2008 2:16:19 PM

not sure if it's new or not, but I found these drinks called Tava at Walmart today. Theyre sugar free and calorie free. They're also sparkling which is a plus since I love soda but try to stay away from it...they're really not bad.

4/12/2008 3:04:21 PM

Quote :

"Me and mine use this FulFill stuff from Sturm Foods. It's pretty hard to come by around here and ordering from the few places that stock it online is actually more expensive than getting it retail (unless you buy bulk) but it's pretty good stuff. They have a version with and without artificial sweeteners (or more accurately I should say with or without real sugar) but the stuff with real sugar tastes the best and is pretty cheap. http://www.sturmfoods.com/minisite/fulFill/nutritional.html"

That stuff is pretty good. If you have a Super Walmart near you, you should check there. I buy it at the Super Walmart in my area.

4/12/2008 7:41:28 PM