Spa Water (for Less Belly Fat?)

Sassy Water

The past few weeks I kept stumbling upon "Sassy Water" (literally, through the StumbleUpon app on my iPad). Sassy Water was made popular by the Flat Belly Diet (here is WebMD's take on the diet). I'm not a dieter, and never will be, but I was curious about this phenomena.

Sassy Water that helps reduce belly fat, Really? I think not, but I can see the added benefits of making some tasty water to encourage hydration during these hot months. Add natural diuretics and anti-bloating agents in a season where I'm retaining salt like a puffer fish, even better. I drink tons of water everyday, anyway. And, since I work from home, I have the benefit of my entire fridge on hand all day. Was this stuff really worth it? I decided to try it out and see what all the fuss was about. After a couple of days, here are my thoughts...

1. It smells great and tastes pretty good. I loved the scent and enjoyed the flavor, so that is an added bonus. Sometimes water can be a bit boring, so it was nice to jazz it up a little. My mom found the flavor too strong. Tastes vary from person to person.

2. It is more satisfying than plain water. The flavor seemed to make me feel more full (though that could completely be in my head). I felt refreshed and lighter just by nature of having consumed more water for the day. Which leads me to point three.

3. Having "special water" in the fridge reminds you to drink more water. This is important for healthy eating anytime, and is a helpful cue to stay hydrated in the hot summer months. I will admit, I don't drink sodas or anything sugary (other than juice) so I didn't have to give up anything. I just had better water - my standard daytime drink. But I definitely drank more water with this on hand, about twice as much.

4. I made an effort to exercise for the first time in months. Was this due to the water? Probably not, but hey who knows. I've been like a slug in this heavy heat, and tonight I had the energy to get outdoors and get moving. Maybe the better hydration helped.

5. I'm not convinced of any weight loss or medical benefits other than the benefits of better hydration and the natural by-products of the ingredients. However, I will keep making this on a fairly regular basis because I enjoyed it. On that note, here is the recipe if you want to try it, too. In my opinion, it is worth making and toting to the office. I just call it "Tasty Spa Water" because it reminds me of that lemon-cucumber water at a nice, relaxing spa.

TASTY SPA WATER

• *1/2 Gallon of Filtered Water

• 1 Lemon, washed and thinly sliced

• 1/2 Large Cucumber, washed and thinly sliced

• 20 Spearmint/Peppermint Leaves, rinsed and pulled from stem

• 1 Tbsp Fresh Grated Ginger

*Note: Volume of ingredients slightly altered from the diet version which you can find on eHow Health.

Mix all ingredients in a large, liquid friendly container for easy pouring. Let sit in the fridge overnight to infuse. Use until the next night, then make a fresh batch.

Drink-up and enjoy!