Good Day Atlanta viewer information: December 20, 2021

Christmas week off to sweet start at East Point’s Sammy Cheezecake: 

You think you’re busy this time of year? Try being Samuel "Sammy" Smith, Jr.!

Right now, the Atlanta native and Westlake High School graduate is up to his ears in Christmas cakes, which — let’s be honest — isn’t a bad place to be.

Smith is the owner of Sammy Cheezecake, an East Point bakery that specializes in decadent cheesecakes and cakes. We first featured the business back in February 2021 (click here to watch), when Smith shared his story of falling in love with baking at Le Cordon Bleu and initially selling his cheesecakes out of the back of his Chevy Tahoe. 

Since taking over an old Point pizza joint a decade ago, Sammy Cheezecake has become renowned as one of the best bakeries in metro Atlanta, and the owner says business continues to grow each and every year.

Of course, the holidays are a busy time for bakeries around the world, and Sammy Cheezecake is no exception. The team there has been taking pre-orders for Christmas cakes online, with a menu including the top-selling New York-style cheesecake, Oreo cheesecake, red velvet cake, German chocolate cake, and vanilla cupcakes.

Sammy Cheezecake is located at 3875 Washington Road in East Point, and regular hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays. For more information on the bakery, click here — and click the video player to check out our morning behind-the-scenes as the team there prepares for one of its busiest weeks of the year! 

Dr. Neil Winawer gives the latest on the COVID-19 omicron variant and other recommended vaccines from the CDC:

 Dr. Neil Winawer from the Emory School of Medicine joins us live with the latest COVID-19 news. For more information on Dr. Winawer's live COVID-19 Q&A on Instagram follow him @neilwinawer.

Aria Brooks will next star as the female lead in the highly-anticipated Disney+ Original Movie "Better Nate Than Ever" and talks about her debut EP: The cast also includes Lisa Kudrow, Joshua Bassett, Rueby Wood, Michelle Federer, and more. Aria is best known as one of the leads in the reboot of the popular Nickelodeon series "All That." She also appeared in the critically-acclaimed and award-winning film "Harriet" as Cynthia Erivo’s niece, Anger. Adding to her already impressive resume, Aria is making her mark on the world of music as an accomplished singer and songwriter. She released the first installment of her debut EP castles under the moniker ARIA earlier this year.

Dr. Taz Bhatia gives tips for managing the holiday bloat: For more information on Dr. Taz Bhatia click here. See tips from Dr. Taz below.  

Holiday parties, gifts, alcohol and lavish dinners have even the most health-conscious indulging in foods that they would otherwise shun, or run away from. The end result is always moments of sheer joy, usually followed by regret, tight clothes, and of course, a resolution to start fresh in the New Year. You can beat the dreaded holiday bloat and weight gain by adopting a few easy tricks and not waiting until a New Year to shed unwanted pounds.  Here are a few tips to beat the Holiday bloat but still enjoy the week ahead.

Prevention Tips: To prevent bloating in the first place, try these holiday party hacks:

  • Eat before you hit the party. If you are full at a party, you are less likely to munch and graze mindlessly.  Load up on high-protein foods, lots of veggies, and water before you head out for the night.
  • Minimize your alcohol. On average, an alcoholic drink has 200 calories- allowing you to do some serious damage before the night is over. Limit your drinks to under 3 per week to prevent holiday weight gain.
  • Stay away from the food table. The longer you stand by the holiday treat table, the more you are likely to indulge in foods that may not be the best for you.  

Debloating Tips: For those that have overdone it, here are some simple debloating tips to follow:

  • Stop eating after 6 pm. On non-party nights, allow your gut to rest and clean up your digestive tract by not consuming too many calories after 6 p.m.  
  • Drink at least 100 oz of water per day.
  • Visit or jump into your local steam room or sauna to help improve your circulation and eliminate toxins.
  • Green Smoothie Cleanses- Spend the 24 hours after a party just drinking green smoothies. You can make your own or buy them, but green smoothies give the liver and gut a boost of antioxidants and fiber, helping to clean up from the night before and giving you a burst of energy.

Dr. Taz's Holiday Debloat Smoothie

Recipe:

  • 2 ½ cups of water
  • 3 small celery stalks
  • 1 green apple, cut-up
  • 1 lemon cut in half and freshly squeezed
  • ½ cucumber

Celery: Celery is a great remedy for stomach bloat because it is full of minerals that aid in digestion. Its high percentage of water and electrolytes help prevent dehydration while acting as a diuretic and reducing water retention. It is packed with flavonoids, potassium, vitamin K, and vitamin C—all great minerals for recuperating during a bloat flare-up.

Green apples: From the help of its skin, green apples contain insoluble fiber, which is most effective in progressing digestion. They are also a good source of potassium, which is an excellent de-puffing agent.

Lemon: Lemon is a natural detoxifier and acts as a cleansing agent. This helps to eliminate unwanted bloat and toxins from the body. I recommend sipping on hot lemon water in the morning to get your digestive system revved and going for the day.

Cucumber: Cucumbers are an excellent source of quercetin, a flavonoid antioxidant that helps to reduce swelling. It’s no mystery why we use them to de-puff under our eyes! They are also high in silica, caffeic acid, and vitamin C, which aid in the prevention of water retention.

Pet of the day from the Humane Society of Cobb County:  For more information on how you can adopt today's pet of the day click here.