Every bride-to-be wants to look her absolute best on her wedding day. This is the time when most girls try to commit to strict diets and intense cardio workouts with the hopes of losing a few extra pounds and toning up. And while there’s nothing wrong with wanting to look your best, it is more beneficial to strive for better health rather than trying to starve yourself on a juice cleanse. Focus on making smart choices with food, hydration, and exercise before obsessing about your looks.
Follow our health and wellness tips below and skip the dieting to look and feel great on your wedding day.
Fill Up On the Right Carbs
If you’re trying to lose some weight, then you probably already know to cut back on the refined carbohydrates like pasta, rice, and bread. But that doesn’t mean all carbs are bad or that you have to go hungry to achieve your weight loss goals. Instead, fill your plate with healthy carbs like vegetables which will satisfy you and nourish you with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and loads of antioxidants. The antioxidants are what deliver the power punch of nutrients to your body and what will make you glow from inside and out. Focus on dark leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables for more energy and clear skin.
Sprouted is Best
The sprouts of vegetables are the most nutritionally dense part of the vegetable and include broccoli sprouts, Brussel sprouts, sprouted beans, nuts, and sprouted wheat bread. Sprouting is when a plant, nut, legume, or grain has been allowed to grow to germination. They are living foods; if you want more vitality in your life, eat living foods! To reap the most benefits from sprouts, eat them raw and sprinkle them into salads, smoothies, or blend them with avocado slices and yogurt to make a yummy vegetable dip.
Cleanse Your Body with Food
Detoxes are quite trendy in all health, wellness, and beauty magazines right now, and chances are, you’ve heard numerous celebrities crediting juice cleanses for their weight loss and glowing skin. But juice cleanses can leave you nutritionally depleted, constantly hungry, and fatigued. You don’t have to starve yourself or miss out on eating yummy foods with friends and family to cleanse your body and rid yourself of toxins. To do this you simply need to eat whole, unprocessed foods. Detox by cutting out junk food, soda, processed snacks, and sugar. And eat only whole foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, water, and high-quality animal products. The whole foods will provide a powerful shot of nutrition to your body, will help you naturally detox anti-nutrients, and will provide more oxygen to your cells.
Watch Your Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol dehydrates your body, depletes the oxygen in your cells, and leaves you more vulnerable to dull skin, fine lines and wrinkles, and since it is an anti-nutrient, will build up the toxins in your body. But not all alcohols are totally bad. Red wine does contain antioxidants and flavonoids which are healthy in moderation. Wine isn’t as hard on the liver as other types of alcohol, making it the option you want to choose if you want to treat yourself. To avoid sugar imbalances and bloating, avoid beer, rum, and tequila. And stick with vodka if you really want a cocktail.
Follow our skin care tips and start your beauty care regimen at least six months before your big day, and you’ll be a glowing bride.