There are a ton of strange and weird fitness/health products out there. You have probably seen them, in local stores, TV programs, and maybe even in your own gym.

As consumers, by now we have learned to tune this all out and focus on what matters, living a healthy life and sticking to our exercise routine.

What really makes you turn your head though is when you see a picture so out of the ordinary that you have to do a double take. I have come across Diet Water. Yes, you read that right. Bottled water with a diet label on it. As you can see from the picture to the right, this H 2 O “supplement” is created by a Japanese company and is really cashing in on the weight loss beverage industry. The product goes by the name of Sapporo Diet Water, and as much as I would like to believe this to be fake, it is a real product.

Diet Water For Americans?

America is one of the fattest nations on earth. From this issue comes the marketing magic. Here are a few different products that were created and marketed for the sole purpose of taking your money and giving nothing nutritional in return.

Fitness Water: Created by Propel, this bottle of water claims to give you better hydration when working out. I have personally tried these, and while they do taste good, the artificial sweetener is never going to be a healthier choice over water from the fountain.

Really Propel?

Mio: This has become very popular in the last few years and no doubt you have seen it on the grocery store shelves. Marketed as a “water enhancer” Mio contains no calories but does contain Propylene Glycol, Acesulfame Potassium, and Red 40. While these may not dangerous to consume, there is controversy around these ingredients and you would be better off avoiding it.

Skinny Water: Another money pull here. Does it taste great? Of course it does! That being said, just take a look at their amazon page. “Formulated with Super Citrimax, a natural fruit extract that supports a healthy body weight”. That fact that people see this combined with “skinny” and then put down more than $2 per bottle of flavored water is frightening.

When it comes down to it, you can get water for near free without needing to put money down for a product that will do nothing for you!

Anything Decent?

If you really say you do not like the taste of water, I would say that you need to take a month or two and reevaluate your life. In the meantime, you should be drinking:

Sparkling Water: Not all sparkling drinks are created equal, and that goes for the sparkling water. If you find a water that has just been carbonated without the use of any sodium, sugar, or flavors, then you have found a good product. If you simply must throw your money away, this is the way to go. After all, this is created just by adding carbon dioxide to create the bubbles.

Is Plain Water Not Good Enough?

Consider for a moment what regular old water is made from: two Hydrogen atoms (H), combined with one Oxygen atom (O) to create H 2 O.

When was the last time you consumed calories from Hydrogen or Oxygen? NEVER is the only answer.

Regular old water has:

ZERO Calories

ZERO Fat

ZERO Carbs

ZERO Protein

When it comes to drinks, “diet” is often referred to a product that either has a reduced fat, or a reduced sugar content. Water by itself is the perfect solution for a diet. When it comes to diet water, you are actually getting something that is not as pure because of added ingredients, and that still has zero calories.

To make “Diet Water” stand out from the crowd, the company that produces it takes a few different nutrients and mixes them into the water, turning them into a vitamin water. Do these taste good? They might! Some of the related products above sure do, but that does not mean that they are healthy for you. For this particular product though, it really never became popular outside of Japan so there is not that much information out there. This is a good thing because everything about this screams scam!

Vegan Water vs Normal Water

So before I wrap this up, maybe you came here because you want to stick to your vegan diet. This is something else I stumbled on lately and I have heard claims that only certain water is vegan friendly because certain products are filtered through a bone charcoal.

While this is a practice that is very rare these days, lets take a moment to examine Vegan Water.

Are you ready for it?

There is no such thing!

You see, the same amount of water has been on this earth since the beginning. The water you drink, use to water your garden, or take a shower, was used by Animals billions of years ago. You are drinking the same H 2 O that the dinosaurs died in. Does that sound Vegan to you?

How Much Water Should You Drink A Day?

Hopefully at this point you take notice that diet water is nothing but a scam but you do need to get a good intake of H 2 O every day. How much should you be consuming?

It will depend on the person. Mayoclinic.org recommends 13 cups (3 liters) per day for men, and 9 cups (2.2 liters) for women. You should be drinking enough throughout the day that your pee is clear and not yellow. If you are attempting to lose weight, I would recommend drinking at least a gallon of water a day. The more you drink, the more room it fills in your stomach, the less you will eat, and the better you feel.