5 Food Groups to Avoid the Day Before Your Wedding

Photo: Getty Images
 

You've juiced, you've spun, you've mastered the downward dog — and now the day is finally here. Well, almost here. The days and hours leading up to your wedding are bound to be full of excitement: The rehearsal dinner! The morning of! With an eye towards helping you rock your dress with maximum confidence, we asked a few nutrition experts what food groups you're better off avoiding in the day (or days) before your wedding — plus what you can do in the eleventh hour to reverse any unintentional damage.

1. Salty Food
According to celebrity nutritionist Keri Glassman, MS, RD, CDN, the number one food brides should avoid is sodium. "When you're looking to get rid of every last ounce of unwanted bloat under the skin, steer as clear from salt as possible," Glassman recommends.

2. Fried Food
Even though you might want to bury your nerves with French fries and onion rings, it isn't going to make slipping into that dress any easier. The problem with fried food, Glassman explains, is that it can cause bloating and inflammation — also noting that, "inflammation is bad for everything from hair to skin."


3. Packaged Food
Packaged foods are often full of sugar, salt and preservatives — none of which have a particularly fabulous effect on your bod — or your gut. Your best bet is to avoid highly processed foods altogether, but in a pinch you can try counteracting any unpleasant symptoms with potassium. Laura Iu, the registered dietician behind the health-inspired Instagram account @dowhatiulove explains: "While sodium makes the body retain water, potassium helps the body shed water." The best part? Your options are pretty delicious. Mango, avocado, papaya, kiwi, dandelion greens and bananas are all high in potassium.

4. Cruciferous Vegetables
"Some superfoods should be super avoided when looking to de-bloat," quips Iu. That list, unfortunately, includes cruciferous vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. Emily Cope, MS, RDN, explains: "while vegetables are typically part of a healthy diet, these vegetables contain a unique sugar called raffinose, [which] feeds the methane-producing bacteria found in the colon." The result? Gas and bloating. Cope suggests filling your plate with other veggies instead. "Lettuce, cucumber, zucchini, spinach and peppers are all composed of more than 90% water," she says, which along with helping you de-bloat and stay hydrated, aids in the elimination of toxins from the body.

5. Carbonated Beverages
We're crushed to report that carbonated beverages — yes, that includes bubbly — also made the naughty list. "Soda, seltzer, beer and champagne all have carbon dioxide, which travels through the intestines and can make your belly feel distended and gassy," explains Iu.