Every bride wants to look her best on her wedding day and it starts with the foods you put in your body. Last week we talked about the worst foods to eat, so naturally today is all about foods that give you glowing skin and make you feel good on the inside and out.

Glowing Skin

Mix chia seeds in your oatmeal or a natural fruit shake, or sprinkle them on your salad on your big day. These little black seeds are the highest natural source of omega-3s, and when your cells are nourished, your skin glows.

Staying Hydrated

Not getting enough fluids can leave you feeling lethargic. Tropical Fruits are a natural hydrators. Melons, papaya, and mangos are especially good because they also contain potassium, which helps regulate your body’s balance of fluids and minerals. Cut a cantaloupe in half, scoop out the seeds, and fill with sliced papaya or mango for a quenching treat.

Ease Water Retention

Waking up with puffy eyes can make you look less than photogenic and swollen feet can keep you off the dance floor. You can trick your body into letting go of excess liquid by eating natural diuretics, such as salad.

All-Day Energy

A great way to kick off your big day is with a bowl of oatmeal. You will be fueling your body with food that lets blood-sugar levels rise slowly and stay even for a long period of time.

Lastly, if your looking for a hotter wedding night, consider snacking on some oysters during the champagne toast. Oysters are packed with the mineral zinc, which apparently works as a libido-enhancer

TGIF!

Photos courtesy of Taste Spotting, thekitchn.com, my recipes, and food channel.

Every bride experiences nervousness, excitement, and all those other crazy emotions on their wedding day. You’ve put a lot of time into planning your day the last thing you want is an upset stomach, bloating, or gas problems. To avoid any kind of stomach issues we’ve put together a list of foods to avoid the day of your wedding.

Starchy foods

Foods such as potatoes, pasta, and rice are associated with bloating and gas. On the day of and the day before the wedding try and stay away from them if at all possible. Great alternatives if you need a snack before the wedding are wraps and pita bread for sandwiches.

Artificial Sweetener

Artificial sweetener found in some diet drinks, gums, and hard candies, is difficult for your body to break down and can cause bloating and indigestion. Plan ahead and have naturally sweet options on hand, such as frozen fruit like grapes or blueberries.

Caffeine

Water is the best thing to drink before your wedding. Avoid coffee, tea, sodas, energy bars, and other caffeinated products as much as possible. If you’re a daily coffee or soda drinker try to limit the amount you have that morning. Caffeine reduces the amount of water in the body and can lead to dehydration during the ceremony – often a cause of fainting at the altar.

Carbonated drinks

Carbonated drinks, such as sodas and seltzers, contain carbon dioxide which makes your stomach expand so you look and feel bloated and may cause belching. Its best to avoid these at least until after the ceremony. Try reaching for a fizzy drink or water flavored with cucumber slices.

Spicy foods

Spices can do all sorts of strange things as they’re eaten and digested. Spicy food can heat up your body and could cause extra sweating; some spices may irritate your stomach. There’s also a chance of bad breath or food getting stuck between your teeth!

Milk & dairy products

Limit the amount of lactose you eat on the big day. Yogurt, cheese, milk, and other dairy products should be fine in moderation but could irritate your stomach if you’re already anxious.

Powerhouse vegetables

Although cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower are nutritional powerhouses, they also tend to be difficult to digest and can cause gas. Its best to steer clear of these vegetables (as well as beans) on your wedding day.

Think healthy, high protein, and low fat when you’re selecting foods to eat before your wedding day. Avoid the foods listed above and also stay away from foods and drinks that contain a lot of sugar – sugars are good for short-lived energy, but usually leave you feeling tired and sluggish soon after. Also stay tuned for next week when we share with you the best foods to eat on your wedding day!

You’ve found the perfect dress now it’s time to make sure you’re wedding day ready! We have 8 moves that will get you that rockin’ body.

Side Plank

For great looking ads lie on your left side, with your legs and feet stacked; your knees, hips, and shoulders should be in alignment. Prop yourself up with your left arm while keeping your shoulders, neck, and spine relaxed. (Your abs should be tight.) Push upward with your hips and glutes. Hold for 30 seconds, then return to the start position. Do two repetitions on each side.

Table Crunch with Ball

Lie with your back neutral (not arched). Your feet should be in the air, your legs bent, your hands holding a four-pound medicine ball above your head, your elbows slightly bent. Use your abs to come up into a crunch position; avoid relying on momentum from your arms. Return to the start position. Do two sets of 15 reps.

Zottman Row

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees, and angle your torso forward from your waist. Holding five-pound weights (palms down), extend your arms forward. Rotate your palms up as you bring your hands to your hips. Tuck your elbows, and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Return to the start position. Do two sets of 15 reps.

Scaption

Holding five-pound weights with your palms facing in and your hips aligned, bend one knee so the foot is three inches above the ground. Extend your arms forward into a V shape. (Don’t raise them above the shoulder.) Return to the start position; repeat with the other knee. Do two sets of 12 reps.

Overhead Tricep Extension

Stand with your knees slightly bent and your right foot on one end of a resistance band. Holding the other end with your right hand, bend your elbow, creating an angle. Keeping your shoulders down, straighten your right arm until it’s almost fully locked. Return to the start position. Do four sets of 12 reps on each side.

Archer Press

With your feet shoulder-width apart, hold five-pound weights with your elbows bent and your palms in. Take a step forward with your right foot while slowly extending diagonally upward with your left hand. Alternate hands and feet. Do two sets of 12 reps.

Prone Back Kickback

One-Legged Bridge with Overhead Press

Lie with your back slightly arched, holding a four-pound medicine ball an inch above your chest. Bend your right leg, and lift your left leg three inches. Raise your lower body three inches, using your glutes, as you extend your arms up. Return to the start position. Do two sets of 12 reps.

Photos courtesy of Brides, Discovery fit & health, Brides, endurogirl.com, womans day, {next 3} Brides.

Source: Brides.com

I’ve been asked several times when are you going to add a Health category? Well, today’s the day. I’ve shared many of my favorite recipes, planning ideas, and everything else to do with weddings, but I haven’t touched on the very subject EVERY bride wants to know about… How to lose weight!

All of us have wanted (or needed) to take off a few pounds and now its time to share some of those secrets to looking great in your dress or any other day of the week.

So, as you sit there at your desk here are some easy ways you can cut 500 calories today!

Breakfast

• Measure portions. Its really easy to eat a whole cup of cereal rather than a 1/2 cup serving. Granola may sound really healthy, but it can have up to 600 calories, while a cup of high-fiber cereal has about 120.
• Make a trade. Swap your bagel for an English muffin to slash 220 calories, a glass of whole milk for skim to save 70 calories, and a three-egg omelet for one egg and two egg whites, or pork sausage for turkey sausage to cut about 125 calories each.

Lunch

• Get moving. A brisk 15 minute walk will burn around 100 calories and will give you less time to eat. You can also try wearing a pedometer to measure out 10,000 steps a day, or about 5 miles—you’ll automatically burn 500 calories without even hitting the gym.
• Order wisely. Skip the mayo! Try hummus or mustard on your sandwich. Instead of fries go for the side salad. Both these options will have you saving 500 calories easy!
• Slow down. Did you know it takes 20 to 30 minutes for your body to register that you are full, researchers believe eating more slowly allows you to get to the point where you feel satisfied on fewer calories than if you’re shoveling it in.

Dinner

• Downsize your plates. Rather than depriving yourself of food to drop pounds, simply use smaller plates. “People eat as much as is on their dish rather than the amount that their body actually needs,” says Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, author of Beat Sugar Addiction Now! “If you shrink the size of your dishes by a quarter, such as going from a 12-inch plate to a 9-inch plate, you’ll cut 500 calories without feeling deprived.” The research backs it up: People serving themselves ice cream in larger bowls ate 31 percent more than their counterparts eating from smaller bowls—and both groups reported feeling full, according to the American Journal of Preventative Medicine.
• Wait to have seconds. This advise is perfect with the Holiday’s coming up. Since our bodies take around 20 to 30 minutes to register that your full wait before you go have that second helping. I promise your body will thank you later.
• Slim your sides. Instead of dipping chips in fat-packed sour cream, try serving baked tortilla chips or whole wheat pita wedges with low-fat refried beans and chunky salsa. It’s a tasty way to sneak in an extra serving of veggies and cut 109 calories. Or trade a side of traditional potato salad for sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions tossed with fat-free Italian dressing to cut 258 calories.

Dessert

• Make over your sweets. Save up to 400 calories by making grilled fruit kebabs: Slice one peach and one small banana into quarters, thread four pieces fruit each onto two skewers, and brush with one tbsp honey each. Grill each side for about 4 minutes, or until flesh is tender but still firm. Sprinkle on cinnamon. Are you a cake lover? Cut a thin slice of pound cake and top with berries and light whipped cream for a decadent-tasting dessert for less than 150 calories.
• Skip the oil. Replace oil with applesauce when baking to slim down. Two tablespoons of oil is about 200 calories, while 4 tablespoons of applesauce is only 40—you have to double the applesauce to oil ratio in recipes. Trade the vanilla ice cream for light whipped cream and you’ll be saving another 220 in calories.

Dining Out

• Leave something on your plate. Skip the extras, such as the bread basket, to keep from breaking your calorie bank. If you’re at a Mexican restaurant, forgo the tortilla chips—they can equal more calories than your entire meal. Since restaurant portions are twice the size as normal portions leaving a quarter of the meal on your plate will save you around 500 calories.
• Know before you go. Check out the nutritional information online (if its available) before you go. You’ll make smarter choices at chain restaurants if you do!

At Work

• A little H2O. It’s no secret that swapping water for soda can save you hundreds of calories—about 300 a day if you drink two cans.
• Have a ball. Trading your desk chair for a stability ball helps you burn extra calories because you’re forced to use your core muscles to stay stable. You could burn up to 350 extra calories over an eight-hour workday while helping to tone your stomach and boost circulation.

Watching TV

• Turn off the TV. They say that people who snack in front of the television consume around 300 extra calories a day because they’re eating mindlessly, so turn off the TV and pay attention to what your putting in your mouth!
• Try commercial cardio. Doing some kind of cardio, such as jumping rope or jogging in place, burns about 10 calories a minute. If you watch an hour of TV a night and add cardio moves during the 10 commercial breaks that typically air, you could blast up to 300 extra calories without missing your favorite shows.

On a Saturday

• Sleep in. If you don’t get less than 6 hours of sleep each night you run the risk of eating 300 calories more than people who get a full night of sleep. So, don’t set your alarm on Saturdays and each extra hour of sleep could save you 100 calories.
• Cleaning house. Spend 2 hours getting organized by cleaning your garage or vacuuming and dusting the house to slash about 408 calories. Wear extra layers and switch the hands you use to sweat even more.
• Go for a ride. One hour of biking at an easy pace blasts 272 calories—pedal just twice a week, and that’s more than 6 pounds dropped in a year.
• Run some errands. Spend an afternoon food shopping and unloading groceries to burn close to 500 calories. Cook dinner to burn 136 more.

During Your Workout

• Switch it up. You can burn up to an additional 250 calories in a half-hour, or 500 in an hour, by incorporating intervals versus exercising at the same pace. Start with a 5-minute warm up, repeat your 30-second intervals eight times, and then recover for 10 minutes.
• Take 15. We all have busy lives, but if you find just 15 minutes a day to get your heart rate up you’ll be doing yourself a favor. The key is to get your heart rate up while using as many muscle groups as possible to torch up to 250 calories in just 15 minutes.

Source: fitbie.msn.com.

Photo courtesy of fitsugar.