We have entered into the second week of the new year and by now, if you haven’t already, you are realizing your continued lethargy, puffiness and weight gain caused by excessive eating and drinking, in addition to sleep deprivation from the oh so joyous holiday season – a recipe for disaster in my books. I kid you not, I need an extra pair of hands and copious amounts of olive oil to squeeze into any pair of jeans in my closet. Let’s just be honest, most people have raced to their nearest Goodlife gym and signed up for a membership, vowed to quit smoking/cut down on drinking/eliminate carbs, etc soon as January 1st  hit as part of their New Year’s “Resolutions”, which I am now calling New Year’s “Delusions”. We have all heard it over and over again, that these things MUST be lifestyle changes not quick fixes and I have learned over the years, the hard way, that going full throttle by cutting all the bad stuff right away and immediately adding a ton of exercise (especially if you have not seen a gym for the entire previous year) you will just end up right back here at the beginning of 2014. One of things I would like to focus on is maintaining better health through my diet (I once used to be a Vegan and was at my healthiest during that time).  Take a time out and think about some of your lifestyle goals for yourself, not only for this year but for the rest of your life. Write them down so you are accountable and don’t get discouraged if you have a bad day and fall off track. Just make sure the next day is better.

Based on feedback from some of my followers, I have decided to share some of my healthy choices in hopes to inspire you to try something new and would love for you to share with me some of the things you are doing. Taking things slow, I am adding a 4 day detox this week, while still eating food… so nothing major. I don’t want to shock my system or doing anything too drastic just yet. This is basically a jump-start or rebound, if you will, from the last month of mayhem. Enter the So Sasha Detox Water recipe.

So Sasha Detox Water

Not only does this concoction act as a detox but it also helps you maintain a flat belly…

What you will need:

8 1/2 cups of filtered water

1 Teaspoon of grated ginger

1 Medium cucumber (thinly sliced)

1 large lemon (thinly sliced)

12 mint leaves

Mix all ingredients into a pitcher and refrigerate overnight

The next morning, strain and drink all 8 1/2 cups. Repeat 4 days in a row

Why this works? Cucumber is a natural diuretic and helps release stored excess water. Lemon is a natural detoxifier  and ginger boosts metabolism while soothing the GI tract.

XO,

S