Thanks for the heads up. I’m hopefully heading back to Chicago in August for a visit so I’ll probably try to fit in a dentist visit then.

I guess none of my students visit the dentist. My teacher asked a class and 3 out of 30 had been. They’re “scared”.

Crazy.

Geez, so judgmental.

And it’s free!

I just returned from a 4 years stint in Japan. One consideration for you – Japanese drinking water doesn’t contain the same levels of fluorine that US drinking water contains. That’s not to imply that the drinking water is unsafe – as the Japanese have very acceptable drinking water quality levels in urban areas – but the addition of fluorine in US water systems help keep our teeth clean and healthy and prevents cavities.

Be sure to visit a dentist regularly while you’re there. And enjoy your time! Living in Japan as a foreigner is a truly wonderful experience.

Ja mata!

Regrettably, we still buy plastic-bottled water occasionally when we’re out and about. When you live in a desert, you do what you gotta do.

That’s not a very accurate analysis. Thirst is a sign of dehydration, and you should actually aim to never be thirsty. Preemptive measures can ensure your health and safety. Dehydration is not something to fool around with, I know this from personal experience.

“Water that isn’t sterile will always grow junk in it, given a day or so.”

How exactly are you defining “sterile”? I’ve left unboiled tap water out in glass jars, sometimes for over two weeks, and nothing has grown in it.

“those “reuseable” bottles are typically full of mold and bacteria.”

That’s not true – at least not if you restrict your bottle use to plain tap water. I have several plastic “Platypus” water bottles I use. Sometimes, I don’t wash and dry the empty ones – just put them away with the cap on and some residual water left inside. They’re perfectly fine the next time I bring them out (I do a quick rinse before refilling).

I suppose if you’re drinking questionable water bacteria can grow and mold can develop but for normal everyday tap water that should definitely not happen.

They gave us a water bottle at the beginning of the year as well.

I wish all work places would offer free “spring water.” True, tap water is free but it does have a taste to it is you are in a town.

For home use, we have one of those cooler systems and we refill our own at a local mountain stream.

Great blog-good thoughts!

I am not one of those poeople who constantly needs to be guzzling something (I just wait until I get home), but my kids are likely to suddenly demand something to drink when we are out running errands and now I can just say “there’s water in the car”. I also grab a bottle for my purse when we go to the movie theater–so we skip buying soft drinks there, too.

I like how bottled water is sterile and super convenient. It’s clean if unopened, even if it’s been sitting in car for days.

Unless you wash and dry it thoroughly every night, those “reuseable” bottles are typically full of mold and bacteria. Just like those public drinking fountains you are hyperventilating about! Water that isn’t sterile will always grow junk in it, given a day or so.

Also, I must note that plastic bottles are one of the easiest things to usefully and cost-effectively recycle from an industrial standpoint. My deck is in fact made from recycled plastic bottles (its made of trex boards).

Why do I drink water/carry a bottle, a lot of the reasons mentioned above, headaches, keeps me from being tempted to buy drinks while out, keeps my skin hydrated. I am often thirsty, even on days when I don’t give a lecture, but on days when I do, I definitely want it with me. I’m a frugal Scot, just this side of too tight, so I hate to spend money unless I have to and with bottled water I also see it as wasteful to use something once and then throw away/recycle.

I’m so not a tree hugger, but they do have a great article, about Sigg and the “did they have BPA” debate here: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/08/sigg-bottles-now-bpa-free.php

I got a small 16 oz bottle because it fits easily in my car cup holder or purse. I refill it often during the day and also gives me a reason to get up a lot at work, or else I’m sitting all day!

I cannot remember the last time I had to buy a drink at lunch. Not only does it save me money, but it is healthier too!

PS: I read somewhere that a cheap way to clean reusable bottles is with denture-cleaning tablets.

Here’s a post I did on my blog about that: http://uncommonlybrilliant.blogspot.com/2010/02/recommended-water-intake-myth.html

BTW, not trying to drive traffic to my blog. Truth is, I don’t care.

At the gym I see guys carrying around 1 gallon water bottles with them, and I laugh. The gym has 3 water fountains, no farther than a 10 second walk, and of course a men’s and women’s bathroom.

I don’t usually carry a water bottle with me everywhere, but if I know I’m going to be in my car for an hour+ or out of the house for a couple of hours I’ll put one in the car. It’s refreshing, especially if you live in a hot climate. Many of the people who make fun of water bottle carriers apparently don’t live in a climate where the heat index can be 100+ for over a month straight.