Sassy Water is a drink introduced by Prevention magazine's nutrition director Cynthia Sass. It's mostly water, but includes ingredients, such as herbs and fruit, to make it taste better and have a little zing. In fact, some claim that drinking Sassy Water can even help a person to work toward a flatter belly, and dieters are supposed to consume it as they get ready to follow the Flat Belly Diet.
To make Sassy Water, a person starts with a base of plain drinking water, which can be spring water or right from the tap. He then adds ginger; sliced, peeled cucumber; thinly sliced lemon; and spearmint leaves. This concoction is usually allowed to sit in a pitcher overnight. By morning, the blend is said to be very flavorful.
Sassy Water is part of the Flat Belly Diet. This diet, created by Prevention's editor in chief Liz Vaccariello, with help from Cynthia Sass, is said to help a person achieve a flatter belly and lose as many as 15 pounds (6.82 kilograms) in a little over a month's time. The basics of the diet include eating 1,600 calories per day and following a Mediterranean-style eating plan, which includes lots of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts. Lean protein is consumed on this diet as well, though dieters are only supposed to eat red meat about once per month.
Sassy Water plays a role in this diet before a person even gets started following it. Four days before starting, a dieter is supposed to restrict himself to eating 1,200 to 1,400 calories daily and drinking about 2.11 quarts (2 liters) of this water on each of these "jumpstart" days. The goal of this pre-diet plan is to minimize bloating and ensure the dieter is in the right frame of mind for beginning a healthier eating routine. This drink is supposed to not only help to kickstart the Flat Belly Diet, but also prevent constipation and help dieters to feel more energetic.
Those following the Flat Belly Diet are supposed to drink a whole pitcher or jug of Sassy Water each day. To make this amount of Sassy water, an individual may start with a little more than 2 quarts (2 liters) of water and add 1 teaspoon (4.92 milliliters) of ginger; a sliced, peeled, medium-sized cucumber; a sliced lemon; and about a dozen spearmint leaves. There's no blending required to make this drink. A person may give it a gentle stir if he likes and then just allow it to sit in the refrigerator overnight.
While many people drink Sassy Water as they begin the Flat Belly Diet, some non-dieters may enjoy it well. Many people do not enjoy the taste of plain water, and added fruit, herbs, and spices may make it more palatable. Additionally, the ginger in this drink is said to have a soothing effect.
