Naturally, water gives you the most bang for your buck when it comes to hydration (unless you're spending a lot of bucks on fancy bottled waters), but what about the rest of the beverages out there?
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has just published Healthy Beverage Guidelines, and while they urge 20 to 50 ounces of water per day, the rest of the guidelines are limitations, so that we're not drinking too much. Tea and coffee? Not more than 40 oz of tea and 32 oz coffee because the caffeine dehydrates you. Lowfat and soy milks are good for hydration, but make sure that you're not relying solely on them for calcium. The guidelines say that up to 32 oz of sugar-free drinks are acceptable, and that juice and sports drinks are next, limited to 8 oz a day. Last on the list? Starbucks Frappuccino and Red Bull. Really now, no one should be depending on those for hydration.











