Heath Commitment - Day 38 + 2 Warm-up Recipes

So.  I was so happy last week, basking in the loss of 8 pounds.  I felt inspired to eat less and more healthily.  I did not exercise as much, but I did something almost every day.  Then the day of reckoning.  Yesterday (Saturday), one week later, I weighed in again.  My reward:  I gained 8 pounds!

Is my scale wacky?  I don't think so.  It is a Health-O-Meter (the big one you step on), and it zeros very nicely after use.  It's me, just me.  I do suspect it has to do with water retention, since my legs, ankles, and feet remain really, really swollen no matter what I do.  It is rather discouraging, but I will plunge on, hoping to get in decent enough shape to actually do some major walking once the sidewalks are clear of snow.

I came across an interesting little recipe for a warm-up drink today.  To see the recipe and watch the video on how to prepare it, click here.  I thought the video was charming.  It's from the Mercola.com website, and features raw milk and spices.

In the comments on the recipe, one person did say that Ayurvedic tradition suggests one should never cook or bake with honey, as it changes it into a somewhat toxic substance, but offered no documentation to back that up.  You may want to research this on your own.

 Cinnamon is reported to be good for diabetics.  Also, could one use the garnish bag over again (in milk, of course, not mixing hosts) if saved in the fridge?

Another type of warm (or cold) drink recipe is offered on the web page.  It uses pure cranberry juice, which is not from concentrate or with added juices or sugar.

Cranberry Cleansing Drink

Mix 2 oz of pure cranberry juice with 14 oz of water, put the same spices (3 broken cinnamon sticks, 1 teaspoon whole cloves, 1 whole nutmeg with surface cracked) into a garnish bag.

Bring to a light boil, then simmer 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

You can drink as is or add 3/4 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice and 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Drink this at night and in the morning with a tablespoon or two of freshly ground flaxseed and you have an incredibly healthy, alkalizing, organ supporting drink.

( You can actually use 8 oz of cranberry juice with 56 oz of water and store in a glass jar in fridge if you want to make more/minimize time)

This actually sounds more appealing to me than the mulled milk drink, but the milk might be helpful for relaxation at bedtime.