Sassy Water

So I used to hate water. Absolutely detest it.  I swore I would never be one of those people who drank 8 cups of water a day, it seemed like an impossible feat. I hated the test... or lack thereof. It killed me.

Then, one day a friend of mine was telling me about "Sassy Water."  I'm not quite sure where it originated, but my friend told me that after drinking 8 cups of that a day, she lost about 10 pounds in a month from 'water weight.' I don't know how true it is, but what got me was the taste. It is VERY refreshing, and even I, a proclaimed water-hater, was able to get in at least a few cups a day.  A few cups grew to 8 cups within a few weeks, and before I knew it I was preparing the Sassy Water every night for the next day and had a fancy new water bottle to keep me in track of my intake.

This was 2-3 years ago, and I've been drinking around 8 cups of water a day ever since.  I always carry a water bottle with me wherever I go, and I feel much healthier now that I've made the switch. I don't really drink soda (unless I'm out drinking) or juice (unless I put it in a smoothie), and I never really crave either.  I know my mother is currently trying to make the switch (she used to drink around 4-6 cups of soda a day, maybe more) and she is having cravings, but last I heard they were slowly going away! Its worth it, I promise!

I realized when looking up the recipe online that I apparently haven't been following it 100%. I use about 5-6 slices of cucumber, 1 sliced lemon, some grated ginger, and 2 sprigs of my mint that I grow myself.  I prepare it the night before and let it steep overnight.  I love the taste as is, so its probably a personal preference type thing, but its worth experimenting :)

~ Sassy Water ~

• 8.5 cups water
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 medium cucumber, sliced thin
• 1 medium lemon, sliced thin
• 12 spearmint leaves

Now, I think its worth mentioning that I think how you go about drinking the water is very important.  If I didn't carry my water bottle around with me everywhere, I don't think I'd ever be able to get in the 9 cups a day that I do.  You need to find a water bottle that a) you like, b) is easy to travel with, & c) that has measurements.  I've experimented a lot with water bottles; my first was a Camelbak that I absolutely loved. 

 After a year or two, it began to not work as well, so I went out looking for another.  I found a Contigo water bottle (I had never heard of it prior) on sale, and decided to give it a shot. I fell in LOVE (or as much love as someone possibly could with a water bottle).  I carried it with me everywhere, and it was just the simplest and most amazing water bottle ever. I started searching out the brand and I now am the proud owner of a Contigo coffee/tea mug and a new version of the Contigo water bottle. I HIGHLY recommend it.

My current Contigo water bottle I found at Costco in a pack of 3 for about $20.  I split it up with my mother and, with tax, it came to about $7 per water bottle. Not too shabby. For me, it seems very similar to the Camelbak that I had originally with the spout, but it has this handy mechanism where you can push the spout down and have it covered completely.  It also holds 3 cups of water (vs. my previous Camelbak that held 2 cups), which means that instead of having to refill it 4 times a day, I only have to refill it 3 times (and I get that extra bonus cup of water in!).  I highly recommend Contigo, and they have a bunch of different varieties to suit your needs :)