by Sandra Piddock

Created on: September 07, 2010   Last Updated: September 08, 2010

Sassy water is a key ingredient of the Flat Belly Diet Plan, and it's a major feature of the 4 day Anti-bloat Jump Start to the diet. Named after Cynthia Sass, the nutritionist who came up with the recipe, sassy water is supposed to guard against water retention and constipation. There's also a psychological element to it, as the act of making up the water each night reminds you that things are going to change, and you're going to achieve the flat belly you want.

Sassy water is made from 2 litres of water, into which grated ginger, sliced cucumber, sliced lemon and mint leaves are infused overnight. Each day, you drink the whole pitcher of sassy water. It has more flavour than regular water, but can it actually help you lose weight?

Well, the ginger and mint in the recipe will soothe the digestive tract, and the combination of ginger, lemon and cucumber can reduce cravings for sweet things and carbohydrates, which is handy if you're about to embark on a reduced calorie diet, which the 4 day Jump Start definitely is. And the extra water will hydrate the body and cleanse the system of toxins, in preparation for a healthy eating regime.

In addition, the three main ingredients are natural diuretics, while the sulphur present in cucumber will help the kidneys to function effectively. In other words, sassy water is as much about getting stuff out of your body as putting it in. So sassy water is a good detoification for the body, made from healthy ingredients. It won't do any harm, but it's debatable whether it will do any good.

Of course, the 4 day Jump Start will produce a loss of weight, as calories are restricted to 1200 a day, but this weight is likely to be water weight, not belly fat weight, and you may feel tired and lethargic as a result of the rather low calorie count.

When you embark on the Flat Belly Plan proper, you'll be eating 1600 calories a day, and including specific foods designed to combat belly fat. Most people will lose weight on 1600 calories a day, and it's a better long term plan than the sassy water 4 day Jump start, as you should learn about healthy eating if you want to lose weight and keep it off.

Regular water will also help fight fluid retention and guard against bloating. Sassy water may taste better, but it's probably no more effective as an aid to weight loss than plain old tap or bottled water.

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