7 Diet Mistakes to Avoid the Week Before Your Wedding
By Kayley George, RDN, LD
Let’s set the stage: It’s the week before you tie the knot. Excitement is in the air, nerves are jittering, and sleep is nonexistent. With the buzz of people coming into town, last minute appointments, and all of the other activities leading up to your wedding, it’s easy to turn to last-ditch diets to ensure that you fit seamlessly into your white dress. To avoid making the same mistakes of past brides, let’s clearly lay out the 7 diet mishaps to dodge during wedding crunchtime:
Salty + Greasy Foods
Salty foods can be addictive and oh-so delicious, but you’ll want to cut back on salty treats this week. Sodium, the main element in salt, causes your body to cling onto water and bloat. Greasy foods tend to have the same effect. The extra fat in greasy dishes swells up your stomach as it takes longer to empty out of your stomach. Instead of being uncomfortably stuffed, eat lighter foods until you are about 70% full.
New Food You Have Never Tried Before
Being adventurous is fun, but hold off until the honeymoon to try new or exotic foods. Especially if you have a sensitive stomach, lay off of new dishes since you don’t know how your body will respond. It’s best to not gamble with your stomach this week, and instead stick with the food you know your body thrives on!
High Carbohydrate Meals
Being adventurous is fun, but hold off until the honeymoon to try new or exotic foods. Especially if you have a sensitive stomach, lay off of new dishes since you don’t know how your body will respond. It’s best to not gamble with your stomach this week, and instead stick with the food you know your body thrives on!
Added Sugars or Dairy
No bride wants to panic over pimples and breakouts leading up to the most photographed day of her life. Cutting back on added sugar and dairy products can keep the red spots at bay. The oxidative properties of sugar can trigger breakouts, while the hormone in dairy, IGF-1, is also a known culprit in acne. Eliminating your intake of these triggers will give you that perfect “bridal glow”!
Alcohol
Planning your wedding can be overwhelming, but it’s wise to turn down the alcohol. Alcohol’s wide-ranging effects can throw you off mentally, not to mention more bloating and breakouts. Spend time with friends and loved ones to take the edge off before you exchange your vows.
Last Minute Detoxes
While it may sound trendy and tempting, don’t succumb to those last minute detoxes. Overhauling your diet will put your body into a physiologically stressed state coined “fight or flight” mode. Even worse, many detoxes are reported to make your skin irritated, eyes bloodshot, and leave you with a lingering foul smell. For a more natural detox, focus on drinking a gallon of water per day and bumping up to 5 servings of cruciferous veggies in your diet.
Skipping Water
Water is your friend this week (and every week!). It’s easy to get distracted during your final days, but don’t let hydration fall onto the back burner. Water is essential to looking and feeling like the best bride you can be! Your body is composed of 60% water which supports nearly every bodily function from metabolism to energy. Aim to drink at least half to all of your weight in ounces and you will be aisle-ready.
While it’s easier said than done, don’t agonize over last minute fixes. Acknowledge and appreciate all of the hard work you've put in up until this point. Focus on gratitude and positive thinking to get through this stressful week. And when your friends ask you how you were so calm and blissful on your wedding day, point them to these seven common mistakes and save your girls some trouble!
Set up a FREE discovery call with Kayley today for more nutrition and health guidance!
Published on Apr 13, 2020 at 9:06 am