I am coming to believe that much of our problem is not drinking enough water. We drink fluids that do not have the net effect of actually hydrating us and helping flush out toxins. Fats are one of the ways our bodies deal with less-soluble toxins--it's like an oyster secreting mother of pearl around an irritant to wall it off. It's something to think about. 80% of Americans are clinically dehydrated much of the time--we've literally short-circuited our thirst reflexes by quenching our thirst with fluids that do not hydrate us.
Just one theory. No matter what diet you're on, you have to give your kidneys the tools to get rid of the crud you don't need.
I tend to agree with you about fluids. Having had kidney stones, water (and Allopurinol) is a good thing. What I don't understand is the emphasis that plain water is better than other drinks.
I drink water, but also Crystal Lite and Diet Rite sodas for flavor. Since the latter are almost all water as well, I consider them part of my water intake. I've never seen any reason why I shouldn't, but have seen people say not to count them.
I also drink black coffee, mostly in the form of double-espressos (I roast my own beans; kinda picky about my coffee). I can see the caffeine there screwing with my metabolism a bit, and there's not much water content, so there's good reason not to count *that* water.