5 Benefits of Drinking Detox Water

Detox water has been known to have both negative and positive effects. Some benefits of detox water include; it gives a stronger immune system, it boosts your energy, it improves your skin, it gives healthier hair, and is a good weight loss aid.

1. Stronger immune system

Drinking detox water helps freeing your organs of waste to allow them to properly function. Ridding your organs of waste means nutrients, such as Vitamin C, will be able to be absorbed better, giving your immune system a huge boost. Most of the herbs you take that is in your detox water will help the lymphatic system, which plays a big role in keeping you healthy and firing on all cylinders. Many detox programs also focus on light exercises which help to circulate lymph fluid through the body and helps it to drain, strengthening your immune system all the while.

2. Boosts energy

Research has show that many people who drink detox water feel more energetic. This is obvious and reasonable as detoxing causes stopping the influx of the things that caused you to need a detox in the first place. By cutting out the sugar, caffeine, trans fat, saturated fat, and replacing them with fresh fruits and vegetables, you’ll be getting a natural energy boost, one that comes without a resultant crash. It is crucial to stay well hydrated while on any detox program, and that can also be a source of increased energy if you don’t get enough water throughout the day.

3. Improved skin

Skin being the largest organ of the human body, it only makes sense that it would show positive results from drinking detox water. Taking a sauna to help the body sweat out additional toxins is one way to help with detoxing efforts. Clearer, smoother skin can be expected at the end of your detox plan. It is also been reported that detoxing can help with acne, although the condition may worsen before it gets better as the toxins are released. You may find that your skin itches or gets patchy before clearing up, but this is part of the process and is a sign that you’re on the right track with your program.

4. Healthier hair

By the time you can see your hair, it’s already considered dead, as all of its growth occurs within the hair follicle. This is why it’s important to keep your body functioning at its full potential through a regular detoxing strategy. When your hair is able to grow uninhibited by internal toxins you’ll see and feel the difference in your hair. In many instances hair gets shinier, and feels softer to the touch. Detoxing isn’t enough to stop male pattern baldness, but many report that their hair grows more quickly, a sign of healthier hair.

5. Weight loss aid

It is easy to see how a detox diet would cause you to lose weight in the short term, but a healthier way to view it would be to establish long-term eating habits, and rid yourself of unhealthy habits. Many times it is the drastic reduction in calories and rapid weight loss that is focused on, especially in the media. But these short-term results won’t last if you don’t make it a point to replace bad foods with good, and use your new-found energy to exercise more and be more active overall.

DIY~ S’mores Cupcakes

Ingredients:

GRAHAM CRACKER LAYER

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker, crumbs
• 7 tablespoons butter, melted

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE

• 1 cup (4.5 ounces) all purpose flour
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (7.3 ounces) sugar
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) SCHARFFEN BERGER Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and warm
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoon instant coffee (recommended: Starbucks Via)
• 1/2 cup of hot coffee

MARSHMALLOW FROSTING

• 5 large egg whites
• 11/2 cup sugar

CHOCOLATE GLAZE

• 2/3 cups dark chocolate
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
• 4-5 tablespoons water, warm

Directions:

PREPARATION

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

TO MAKE GRAHAM CRACKER LAYER

Reserve 2 tablespoons of crumbs. Place remaining graham cracker crumbs in a bowl with butter and mix to combine. Add approximately 1 tablespoon of mixture to each cup and firmly press crumbs down. Bake for about 10- 12 minutes.

TO MAKE CUPCAKE

1. Add flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and mix thoroughly to combine. Add in the butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for one minute. Add in coffee granules and hot coffee, beat for 20-30 seconds until the batter is smooth. The batter will be thin enough to pour. Divide it evenly among the graham cracker crusted cups. Bake 18-22 minutes just until a toothpick inserted into a few of the cupcakes comes out clean. Set the pan on a rack to cool. Frost the cupcakes when they are completely cool.

TIP: For light tender cupcakes, spoon flour and cocoa lightly into measuring cups (instead of dipping the cups into the flour or cocoa) and then sweep the measures level without tapping or shaking them.

TO MAKE MARSHMALLOW FROSTING

1. Combine egg whites and sugar in a bowl placed over simmering water. Bring mixture to 160 degrees F while whisking constantly.
2. Transfer mixture to stand mixer bowl, fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on medium high speed (speed 8 on a KitchenAid stand mixer)until mixture cools and doubles in volume and forms stiff peaks; about 10-12 minutes.

TO MAKE CHOCOLATE GLAZE

Place chocolate and heavy cream in a bowl over simmering water. Let chocolate and cream sit for 2-3 minutes to melt without stirring. Then slowly stir mixture to combine. Add powdered sugar and mix to combine. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition until pouring consistency is reached. Set aside chocolate glaze in a bowl to cool until warm.

ASSEMBLY

1. Place 1/4 of the marshmallow frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Place remaining frosting in a second pastry bag fitted with Wiltons’s 2D tip.
2. Using the pastry bag fitted with the round tip, hold bag at a 90 degree angle above cupcake and pipe frosting around the perimeter of cupcake. Hold frosted cupcake directly above chocolate glaze, dip until frosting is covered. Lightly dust chocolate glaze with reserved graham cracker crumbs.
3. Using the pastry bag fitted with the 2D tip, hold bag at a 90 degree angle above cupcake and pipe frosting moving in a spiral motion upwards into a peak.
4. Using a kitchen torch lightly toast marshmallow frosting.

A few notes:

• The cupcakes are best consumed the day they are made.
• If you don’t have a kitchen torch, skip toasting the marshmallow. Alternately, you can also toast mini marshmallows in the oven and then place them on top (to do so place mini marshmallows on a bake sheet and broil for 1-2 minutes checking every 30 seconds for doneness).
• Bear with me on the photographs as I learn to find my lighting in the new place. It’s actually something I considered as we were looking for a place, but evidently I completely misjudged it. For now I’m shooting in the garage and still looking for my pacing with the new set-up.

The Throne of Glass by Sarah.J.Maas

Overall Rating:    5 / 5

Author(s):    Sarah J. Maas

Publisher:    Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books

Genre(s):    Young Adult High Fantasy, Young Adult Romance

Age Range:    12+

Synopsis:

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king’s council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her… but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead… quickly followed by another.

Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

 

What I liked about it:

I really enjoyed the way Sarah.J.Maas managed to flawlessly blend heartbreaking drama into the grim situation of Celaena and the intriguing mystery of who was behind all the gruesome deaths of the competitors. But everything about The Throne of Glass appealed to me, from the strong female lead to the fascinating fantasy world Maas created to the deep and spellbinding story-line full of political plotting and betrayal, all with a sweet dash of humor and romance. Though I do have to greatly compliment Maas’s highly appealing and alluring style of writing.

 

What I didn’t like about it:

There was really nothing for me to criticise in this remarkable tale, as it had everything good books normally have; an array of unique and incredible characterizations, a thrilling plot-line, and a distinctively engaging style of writing. I don’t like giving books five star ratings as I feel a book can always do with a bit of improvement, be it characterizations, be it the plot-line, but Throne of Glass will always remain one of my favorites as I find it appeals to everything I like. I can’t fault it.

 

Overall,

I think it’s a really good read and it definitely deserves a place on the best seller shelf. I would recommend this to anyone 12+ interested in a real taste of high fantasy and young-adult romance.