A Half Gallon Water Bottle with a Straw

Hydration isn't always easy. You might not always remember to drink water, and when you do, you may not be near a water fountain, water dispenser, faucet, or even a shop to buy a single-use plastic bottle of water. In desperation, you could settle for soda from a vending machine or just ride it out until you can find somewhere to have a drink.

As the popularity of single-use plastic bottles is dropping, more and more reusable drinking bottles are being used. They are environmentally friendly, safer for you, and a better way to carry your water with you as you go about your day.

 

How much water do I need in a day?

You may have been told that the average adult needs at least around eight glasses of water each day for proper hydration. However, considering that our bodies are up to 60% water, we may need more than that.

The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies recommends that adult women need to drink around 91 ounces (0.7 gallons) or 11 cups (2.7 liters) of water a day. It is recommended that men drink 125 ounces (0.98 gallons) or 15 cups (3.7 liters) of water each day.

These amounts could vary depending on where you live, the season, and your lifestyle. If you stay in warmer climates and during summertime, you will likely need to drink more water every day. Similarly, suppose you regularly do high-intensity workouts and sweat a lot. In that case, you will need to replace the fluids you lost while working out or sweating.

Some experts recommend calculating the amount of water you need to drink each day by using your body weight. Set the goal to drink an ounce of fluid for every pound of body weight. You can get this amount by dividing your weight in half and drinking that number of ounces of fluid each day. Remember that this is still just a guideline and that you may need more fluid (or less) depending on your unique situation.

Although drinking may be the primary way you consume this amount of fluid each day, it is not the only way. Around 20% of your daily fluid intake can come from foods and other drinks. For example, water-rich vegetables and fruit, as well as beverages like tea, coffee, fruit juices, and even milk, can all contribute to the amount of fluid you consume every day.

Persons with certain medical conditions like heart failure, kidney issues, pregnant women, young children, and the elderly will likely have different daily fluid intake requirements. Therefore, it is best to speak to your doctor or medical professional to establish how much water you need to drink daily.

 

Signs of dehydration

Drinking too little fluids could affect how well your body functions. If you do not drink enough fluids during the day, your body may become dehydrated. Side effects of this could include headaches and swollen feet and could even lead to potentially life-threatening conditions like heat stroke. Common signs of dehydration include:

• Urine that is darker than usual
• Urinating infrequently or not at all, even while you are drinking water
• Bad breath
• Fatigue
• Muscle cramps
• A dry mouth or skin
• Elevated heartbeat
• Irritability
• A fever or chills
• Drowsiness
• Confusion

 

Can I drink too much water too quickly?

Being well-hydrated does not only have to do with water. It also has to do with the amount of sodium in your blood. Sodium usually comes from salt (NaCl). Sodium is an electrolyte - a dissolved mineral in your blood and other body fluids that carry a positive or negative electric charge and conduct electricity. They are essential in keeping your body functioning optimally.

Sodium, in particular, maintains a balance of fluids in and around your cells and tissues. Too much or too little sodium in your blood could lead to either dehydration or overhydration.

The scientific term for overhydration is Hyponatremia. More commonly, it is known as water intoxication. This occurs when your kidneys cannot get rid of the excess water quickly enough, leading to an imbalance of sodium and other electrolytes in your body. When this happens, water moves from your blood into your cells, causing them to swell.

The swelling of your body cells, especially your brain cells, could lead to serious medical complications. Ironically, the symptoms of water intoxication are similar to dehydration, heatstroke, and heat exhaustion. These symptoms include headache, confusion, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and forgetfulness.

If left untreated, these symptoms could escalate. Symptoms of untreated water intoxication include slurred speech, hallucinations, muscle cramps, weakness, seizures, impaired brain functioning, and comas. In extreme cases, and without timeous treatment, it could even be fatal. The mortality rate for individuals with water intoxication is around 7.1%.

Persons suspected of having water intoxication should be taken to the nearest medical emergency facility. They will likely need intravenous electrolyte solutions and other medications that will help raise the sodium concentration in their blood to more normal levels.

How much water is too much? There is not a specific amount. Anything between one and a half liters (0.4 gallons) and four liters (1.06 gallons) of water per hour could cause water intoxication. Similar to the amount of water you need to keep you hydrated, the amount of water that could become dangerous depends on various factors. These factors include your age, overall health, sex, the climate, and the period over which you consume a certain amount of fluids.

 

Is it safe to drink two half gallon bottles in a day?

Although potentially severe, water intoxication does not occur in average adults very easily. Instead, most cases of water intoxication happen when athletes like marathon runners drink too much water in a very short amount of time to stay better hydrated. It is also more likely to occur in individuals with specific mental health conditions like schizophrenia or psychogenic polydipsia (compulsive water drinking).

Two half gallon bottles of water a day is just more than the recommended fluid intake for the average adult.

Although there are guidelines on how much water you need to drink, these recommendations are generalized. You need to drink enough water for yourself in your unique circumstances. On some days, you will need to drink more water, while you will need less on other days. A good rule of thumb is to drink according to thirst. This recommendation means you drink when you are thirsty and drink enough to quench your thirst.

Bear in mind that thirst is the first sign of becoming dehydrated and an accurate indication that you need to consume fluids relatively soon. Ignoring this signal from your body could lead to you experiencing more serious symptoms of dehydration.

 

How can I make sure I am staying hydrated?

While some experts recommend that you drink water when you are thirsty, others suggest that you do not wait until you are thirsty to drink. This is because you are already slightly dehydrated by the time you feel thirsty. They suggest that you sip small amounts of water throughout the day and increase your fluid intake when the weather is especially hot or if you are very active.

 

Add some flavor to your water

While staying hydrated, you may become bored of drinking plain water. Although other beverages like sodas and fruit juices can contribute to your daily water intake, they may contain lots of sugar.

Try adding fresh fruit or a small amount of fruit juice to your water to give it some flavor. Grapefruit, strawberries, lemon, and apple work really well. Vegetables like cucumber, ginger, and celery can add a hint of freshness to your drinking water. You can even add some herbs like basil, lavender, or mint. Berries like blueberries or raspberries are another fun way to spruce up your water.

Sports drinks can also help you stay hydrated because it replaces fluid and essential electrolytes. This is especially important if you sweat a lot or doing intense exercise. However, keep in mind that some sports drinks and energy drinks can contain high amounts of sugar and caffeine. These are best consumed in moderation.

 

Have a drinking schedule

Even if you have the best of intentions, you may not always remember to drink water during the day. A good way of building a habit of drinking more water is to pair water drinking with other activities that you regularly do throughout your day.

For example, you could drink a glass of water every time you go to the bathroom or before every meal.

Drinking water at this time still may not be enough. If this is the case, you could consider using an app that reminds you to drink water at specific intervals all throughout the day. Most apps allow you to set how frequently you would like to be reminded to drink water. The app will then send a notification to your phone and maybe even set off an alarm to notify you that it is time to take a drink.

 

Have water handy

Carrying your waterways with you throughout the day will make it easier to sip frequently as you go about your business. It avoids moments when you realize you are thirsty, but there is no faucet or shop in sight. More than that, having a bottle of water close to you could be a visual reminder to drink more water each time you see it.

The trick is to keep your water bottle full. While it is full, it will remind you to drink. Once it is empty, however, it could stay like that for ages before you remember to fill it up, much less have a drink. Even so, you might think about refilling your empty water bottle whenever you see it; chances are you are just not doing it the moment it is empty. That could mean that you spend long, more extended periods than you would like without sipping water.

Having a gallon or even half gallon water bottle nearby will remind you to drink up. Better yet, these large water bottles mean that you won't be running out very soon and require fewer trips to the drinking fountain.

You could have one favorite water bottle that you take everywhere with you. If you are a bit forgetful or do not always want to carry a water bottle with you, consider having water bottles in convenient places. You could keep full water bottles in your briefcase, handbag, or workout bags. Keep one in a diaper bag, in your car, on your desk at home, or next to your favorite seat in front of the TV. The idea is to make drinking water as easy, accessible, and convenient as possible.

 

Use a water filtering system

Drinking filtered water may not always be necessary, especially if the tap water in your area is good. Still, some people prefer the taste of filtered water then water straight from the tap or water fountain.

For some, simply going through the effort of the purchasing and installing a water filtration system could encourage them to drink more water. A water filtration system can be installed on the faucets of your home. You can also get water filtration systems or devices specifically designed for water bottles.

Another water filtration method involves adding specifically produced activated charcoal products directly to your drinking water. Here, essentially bits of food-grade coal are placed in a water container, filtering out any impurities in the fluid.

 

Set small water drinking goals

Drinking nearly a gallon of water a day might seem overly ambitious, especially if you are just starting out with creating the habit of drinking more water every day. Instead, try to drink a quart by midmorning, another one by midday, the third quart by dinnertime, and the rest before bed. By breaking up the amount of water, you drink per day into manageable goals, you are less likely to be overwhelmed and more likely to meet your daily fluid consumption targets.

 

How much water is in a half gallon bottle of water?

A half gallon bottle of water holds just under around 64 ounces. That is the equivalent of around four 16.9 oz water bottles.

 

What are the advantages of a half gallon bottle instead of a gallon bottle?

Large drinking bottles are great. They help you stay hydrated while reducing the times you need to fill up your water bottle. The more water you have around you, the more likely you are to step throughout the day, keeping you well hydrated.

A gallon bottle with straw is fantastic and convenient if you want to keep all the water you need to drink each day close to you. On the other hand, a half gallon jug holds half the amount of water you need each day. While this means that you will have to refill your reusable water bottle at least once per day, there are some benefits to using a half gallon reusable water jug instead of a gallon jug.

A half gallon reusable water bottle is smaller than a gallon water bottle. That might make it slightly easier to carry around with you. It also does not take up as much space and could fit into bags and other nooks and crannies (maybe even your cup holder) with more ease than a gallon water bottle could.

Because a half gallon water bottle holds half the amount of water that a gallon bottle could, it is also lighter than a more giant bottle. Again, this makes it more convenient to carry around and could make it more comfortable to drink from. This is especially true if you are not using a straw and need to tilt the bottle to drink. Even so, you might find it more enjoyable to pair your half gallon water bottle with a reusable drinking straw.

If you are fond of flavored or infused water, using a half gallon reusable drinking bottle will ensure that you do not get bored with any particular flavor combination as the day progresses. You won't have to stick to one type of flavored water for the entire day since you will likely need to refill your water bottle about halfway through.

 

What are the advantages of drinking with a straw?

Let us be honest: sometimes drinking through a straw is just more fun. Some believe there is something about the sucking motion that helps your body and brain calm down and distress. Besides this, there are numerous benefits and advantages to drinking with a straw.

 

Convenience

When you drink from a cup, glass, or the mouth of a bottle, you need to tip the bottom of the vessel up. You may accidentally tilt the bottle too far, resulting in spills. This is especially true if you do not have a lot of strength in your arms or if the water bottle is heavy and you are trying to drink with one hand. Using a straw can also avoid those uncomfortable experiences of ice cubes slipping out of your bottle and onto your face while drinking that last sip.

 

Hygienic

In general, drinking through a straw is more hygienic. It avoids the need to touch your mouth to the rim of your bottle, where bacteria can collect, especially if you do not wash your bottle between each use.

 

Faster

You will likely drink faster and more when drinking through a straw. This is simply because it is more convenient to drink with a straw. You can even drink completely hands-free. More than that, a straw can bypass the ice cubes in your bottle, glass, or a cup to help you get out all of the cool liquid at the bottom.

 

How quickly can I drink a half gallon with a straw?

If you are using a straw, you will probably work your way through a half gallon of water much quicker than if you weren't using a straw. This could mean that you are drinking more water throughout the day and potentially managing to hit your (almost) one gallon goal each day.

On the other hand, because you are drinking faster, you may possibly increase your chances of over hydrating. This is especially true if you drink too much water over a short time.

It is key to finding the best balance between staying well hydrated while avoiding water and toxication, especially while drinking fluids from a half gallon water jug with a straw.

 

Choosing the best water bottle and straw

As with most products, the best water bottle and straw combination is the one that meets your unique needs. You may want to take a look at some reviews to see what works or doesn't work for others.

Luckily, there is a wide variety of drinking bottles and straws on the market. Reusable, simple modern water bottles can be made from stainless steel, aluminum, glass, and even durable, reusable plastic. They also come in different sizes (anything from small to large water bottle). A vacuum insulated bottle may keep cold or hot water at its temperature for longer, and strong BPA-free borosilicate glass is a handy way to help the environment and eliminate that chemical taste.

The straws you use with your reusable water bottle can also be environmentally friendly. These can be made from glass, silicone, stainless steel, and other renewable resources like bamboo—just make sure yours is BPA-free!

Each reusable bottle and straw combination has its own unique benefits and, in some cases, drawbacks. The combination that works best for you will depend on your personal preferences, where and how you will use your water bottle and straw.

A half gallon water bottle with straw, like the HydroJug reusable water bottle, can help you stay better hydrated throughout the day. The straw makes it easy to drink water (even one-handed or no-handed), while the size of the jug will require less frequent trips to fill it up.

If you use a straw with a reusable drinking bottle, you will need to insert the straw through the mouth or drinking spout of the bottle. If the straw is slightly shorter than the height of your drinking bottle, you will need to fish it out with your finger every time you want to take a drink.

On the other hand, a drinking straw that is longer than the height of your drinking bottle will stick out from the top and is in the right position for drinking immediately. This does pose a problem, though. It might be difficult or impossible to close your drinking bottle if you are using a rigid straw that is longer than the bottle is high.

A flexible drinking straw can be bent to fit into your drinking bottle when it's not in use and straightened when you want to drink. The HydroJug straws, for example, have an adjustable bottom piece that will allow you to adjust the height of your straw to accommodate the bottle with which you are using it.

To wrap up

A reusable half gallon water jug with a straw is not only better for the environment. It can help you drink more water throughout the day, avoiding dehydration.

Staying hydrated doesn't need to mean a crazy dash to a faucet or drinking fountain because you are parched. Having your half gallon water bottle and straw near you throughout the day will make sipping water easy and convenient with no hands, one hand or two.