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.

11 Ways to Look Like You, Only Better, On Your Wedding Day

You want to look and feel your best when you slip into your wedding dress, and sometimes that means switching up your routine a bit. Before you start walking down the aisle, consider these small beauty tweaks—a professional teeth whitening, a tough-as-nails manicure, and even a salt-free diet—that work with, not against, your natural assets.


1. Start Self-Tanning
Lots of brides want a touch of just-back-from-Ibiza radiance. But while a spray tan can be fraught with peril (streaks! spots! pumpkin-colored palms!), liquid and powder bronzers put you firmly in control of your beauty destiny. Start your self-tanning regime at least one month before the wedding day so you grow into your glow.


2. Choose a Signature Scent
Sniffing out a pretty wedding-day perfume will be one of the most delicious parts of your journey. You'll want to try plenty of options (plus you'll need leave enough time to see how they wear through the day) so it's best to start experimenting at least four weeks before the big day.


3. Whiten Your Smile
If you really want a radiant smile in your wedding photos, whitening your teeth can make a big difference. If your dentist offers an in-office whitening procedure, book an appointment at least two weeks before the big day to avoid post-bleaching gum sensitivity. At-home whitening treatments like strips and gels can also work wonders. To maintain a bright smile, avoid stain-causing foods and drinks like blueberries, black coffee, and red wine.


4. Get a Gel Manicure
While we don't advocate making them a weekly habit, gel manicures, when done correctly, give your nails a near-perfect shine and are almost 100% guaranteed not to chip. That means you can grab your favorite shade of polish, head to the salon for a pre-wedding day color fest, and forget about it. No touch-ups required.


5. Touch Up Your Hair Color
For color that looks fresh but still natural, a quick touch up is all you need. Covering your roots will boost your confidence and a few highlights will instantly lighten your look. Nothing major, mind you.


6. Add an Extra Set of Lashes
Appear bright eyed in your wedding photos by extending the length of your lashes. Applying a set of false lashes takes some practice, so plan accordingly. Start with an inexpensive pair and build up to a professional-quality set. Soon you'll be batting your lashes like a pro.


7. Wax One Last Time
Swap shaving for regular waxing treatments to reduce hair growth, and book a final wax treatment one week before the wedding. Sun can irritate just-waxed skin, which could put a damper on your tropical honeymoon.


8. Catch Some ZZZs
Your body and skin repairs itself while you're sleeping, so make sure you're logging at least eight hours a night in the days leading up to your wedding. A good night of sleep not only leads to a better complexion, it helps with destressing too.


9. Ditch Salty Snacks
Salty snacks are notorious for causing water retention, and even the slightest bit of bloat can wreak major havoc on you expertly-tailored wedding dress. Instead, add more water-rich fruits and fresh veggies to your diet.


10. Drink Buckets of Water
Keep a water bottle with you in the days leading up to your wedding and guzzle your way to glowing skin. Studies show water works wonders for both your complexion and energy level.


11. Squeeze in a Massage
Book a last-minute massage to ensure a blissed-out trip down the aisle.

Eat, weigh, love? Why pre-wedding diets can lead to unhappily ever after.

By Kjerstin Gruys

Kjerstin Gruys, the author of “Mirror, Mirror Off the Wall: How I Learned to Love My Body by Not Looking at It for a Year,” is a sociology PhD candidate at the University of California at Los Angeles.

 
After a bride-to-be says yes to the dress, she often starts saying no — to carbs, desserts and other high-calorie foods.

When I was planning my 2011 wedding, I felt the pressure to do all I could to look my most beautiful on my wedding day. In our culture, beautiful usually means thin. Indeed, a glance at the top three national bridal magazines published this month found an abundance of weight-loss advice, including “clever ways to shed those last few pounds,” tips for choosing a low-sugar juice cleanse and lists of “bloating” foods to avoid.

But dieting is exactly what brides shouldn’t do if they want to be happy, healthy, calm and confident on their wedding day. Sure, there are plenty of great reasons to be more mindful about your diet and exercise habits, but looking like a twig for your nuptials isn’t one of them. In addition to not working 95 percent of the time, dieting makes us poor decision-makers, depletes our willpower, darkens our mood and can be toxic for our intimate relationships.

Let’s start with the most obvious issue: Diets don’t work in the long run. Numerous studies show that those who diet are more likely to gain weight in the future than they are to lose weight and keep it off. In terms of weight loss or maintenance, we’re generally better off if we never diet in the first place.

Of course, weight gain or loss isn’t the only thing at stake when dieting. Focusing obsessively on our looks makes us dumber. Psychologists have found that the human brain can do only so much at one time, and thinking self-consciously about our looks steals brainpower from other tasks.

In my favorite study on this topic, 72 men and women were required to try on a bathing suit or a V-neck sweater in a dressing room with a full-length mirror. They were then asked to take a math test. Women wearing the bathing suit had significantly lower math scores than those wearing the sweater, presumably because they were too busy thinking about their thighs to contemplate trigonometry.
Thankfully, obsessing about weight or appearance doesn’t dull our minds permanently, but it does leave us less able to perform at our mental best. Choosing a DJ and caterer who fit your budget and drawing up a seating chart are difficult enough on a full stomach, let alone a deprived one.

In a similar vein, activities that require willpower are further brain-draining. Take, for example, an experiment in which one group of college undergraduates was given a two-digit number to remember, and a second group was given a seven-digit number. The students were told to walk down a hall, where they were presented with two snack options: a slice of chocolate cake or a bowl of fruit salad.

The students with seven digits to remember were nearly twice as likely to choose the cake as those who were given two digits. Willpower is finite; all it takes is a few extra bits of information before the brain starts to give in to temptation.

Hot Yoga, Veal and Birthday Song

Hello my Blogger Loves.. Here is my weekend recap.

Friday night after work, My Yoga buddy Jessica and I went to Hot (Birkam) Yoga for the first time....

Ok... So I will admit that I was SCARED AS HELL when I first went in there... But after a few Thank You Jesus (Out loud) and some water... We Thrived (Instead of Survived). I was so proud of myself and never wanted to take a bath so bad in my life. It is a good way to sweat away toxins and feel great afterwards.

Oh... Marlene (MIL) got her flowers we ordered her for her birthday and she LOVED them!

Saturday Morning I got up and went to the hair shop to get this hair done. Scott and I were going to go to breakfast, but we decided to head out to the farmers market for goodies and a nice walk. He got to try Twist Potatoes and as you can see... It was a hit! 

I came home to do a few things at the house and take a nap after a busy and early morning out. Afterwards, Scott and I took Auntie Bunnie to dinner at Maggiano's for Veal Parmesan. It is one of her favorite dishes and she has not had it in 15 years! It was a successful and great dinner with her and Lenora. Its always fun times with them and we are glad to have them be apart of our family.

After dinner, We went and met up with one of Scott's friends from High School...Roxanne and her partner Robyn for drinks at The Wellsbourne. This place was cool and a little crowded. They had great drinks but the seating was limited. We had a good time with them.

Sunday we got up to do our hike at Runyon Canyon but hit so much traffic because of the Oscars... Boo. I took Scott over to The Griddle Cafe for HUGE French Toast and a good morning. We did get a little workout in as well and laundry and our taxes! Nothing like Tax Season to add some cash to your pocket. I am debating if I should buy a new computer with my return or not... I do need a new computer and its been awhile since I bought something for myself... I also need to get our June Family Reunion stuff paid for and some new clothes for work. So many things, so little time.

Later that night, we went out to celebrate our friend's Aireah's Birthday at Lucile's Barbecue. I was proud of my husband and I for making smart food choices. Instead of grubbing down on high calorie food, we chose dishes to share and not have too many calories....YAY!!

I hope that you all have a GREAT week!

XOXO,

Mrs. Cameron



Coffee Talk

So it has been awhile since I have done a Coffee Talk and today I thought I would give it a try and work on some questions of my own.. Today's Topic: Health and Fitness

1. What are you doing to make your life healthier?

Since I have had issues with my Thyroid since I was 15, I am working on ways to eat smarter (Choices and Portion Control) and some Fitness. My weight usually goes all over teh palce because of it and I want to take hold of it.

2. Speaking of Fitness.. How is that going for you?

Right now I am still a little sore from Yoga after god knows how long but it is Awesome... I highly recommend it. I am also talking daily walks and maybe a hike this weekend.

3. What food are your "Bad Foods"?

I am a Sugar Queen so I have cut out all the sweet treats I LOVE. I am also a HUGE fan of Pasta... I believe in my past life I lived in an Italian village and cooked for everyone.

4. What will be your biggest obstacle?

I am a total stress eater and I admit it. If I ever feel any kind of stress, more the chips away from me...

5. What is your Overall Goal?

Its honestly to just be better at eating. I want to be able to eat, be comfortable and be happy.

Marriage Weight Gain: Reasons You've Gained Weight Since The Wedding

When the honeymoon is over, it's not unusual for newlyweds to notice their waistlines expanding.

A 2011 Ohio State study found that weight gain of about 20 pounds is average among people who get married (especially for women), and according to Texas health care professional Judy Gaman, there are lot of good explanations for the increase. She explains that after the wedding, lifestyle patterns change, leading to more food consumed and less activity.

One major culprit is television. Gaman said married people tend to watch more T.V., since they're not just watching the shows that they personally want to watch.

"You watch your show, but then you have to sit through your spouse's favorite show, and then you usually have one you watch together," Gaman said.

Moving in with a spouse who is a good cook can also lead to more lavish meals, and the cook will often ask his or her spouse, "Do you want some more?"

"Saying no might be taken as, 'I didn't like the meal,' so they'll continue to eat even after they're full," Gaman said.

Another recent study found that the quality of your marriage also affects weight gain; couples in happy marriages were found to pack on more pounds than those in unhappy marriages. Fitness magazine recommends being aware of how your eating habits have changed to match your spouse's and to make sure to get a workout in whenever possible.

The Newlywed 9 will disappear...

So I have read articles on how after the wedding is over, Husband and Wives usually get impacted by the Newlywed 9. Well, I think it has hit me a little and it is time to adjust.


Scott and I have started today with healthier choices and exercises. I made us Salads and Detox water for lunch today, healthy snack (Chobani Yogurt is so BOMB) and we are both going to work out (He at LA Fitness, Me at 24 with Yoga)

We are excited to get back on the road to healthy and to be able to do it together... Wish us LUCK!

The 10 Best Fitness DVDs for Brides

Clear some space in your living room and crank up the speakers—these 10 at-home workouts are going to get you in the shape of your life, and just in time for your wedding day.

Your wedding-day beauty checklist is filled with dress fittings, hair trials, spa treatments and more—at this point in the game you may not have time to head to the gym until midnight. Why not get your daily workout done at home? These 10 fitness DVDs will help you strengthen, tone, improve flexibility, and slim down your bridal body—most in as few as 20 minutes a day. Whether you want to dance, lift weights, or tackle Pilates for the first time, we've found a great way for you to get in shape for your wedding.                    

Pop Physique

 

This sexy ballet and Pilates-inspired class was only available in select California and Maryland locations, but now you can get the lean, toned body of a dancer at home. Grab a yoga mat, a sturdy chair, and two different sets of dumbbells (one heavier, one lighter) to complete the core- and lower-body focused workouts, which improve endurance and flexibility while toning lean, strong muscles. You'll be doing plenty of challenging isometric holds under the careful guidance of Pop Physique's awesome instructors, each of whom provides clear instructions, pointers about where you should feel each exercise, and suggestions for making the moves easier or more challenging depending on your skill level.

Bridal Body Bonus: The workouts also improve posture, a must for gorgeous wedding portraits, especially if you're wearing a strapless gown.

Canyon Ranch Strong & Sculpted

 

Can't make it to the luxurious Canyon Ranch for a week of wellness? You can still enjoy three of their amazing fitness classes without booking a flight. The 20-minute routines—one focused on core, another on total strength training, and another on yoga—are specially designed to help you get a leaner body and stronger bones and muscles using only a workout mat and a pair dumbbells. Instructors all provide helpful direction while you perform strength training basics like squats, lunges, planks, shoulder presses, and biceps curls—but if you're relatively new to lifting weights, tackle the strength training workout first, where the instructor provides an even more detailed breakdown of each exercise.

Bridal Body Bonus: Don't miss the guided savasana (or corpse pose) at the end of the yoga DVD, which is perfect for stressed-out brides-to-be who are having trouble getting into a relaxed, meditative state on their own. (And to head off stress before it starts, avoid these 11 things before your wedding!)

Rhythmica Cardio Dance Party

 

Even the most fitness-loving brides will admit that cardio can be a bit boring—especially if you're spending a half an hour or more trudging away on the treadmill. Shake things up with Rhythmica Cardio Dance Party's three, fast-paced workouts. The Latin-inspired routine is packed with hip-swiveling moves that attack the core, while the sharp, hip-hop style sculpts your arms, abs, and lower body. The final workout, called the "Get Fit House Party," feels closest to the type of choreography you'd see a pop star perform—a fusion of club dance styles with lots of plyometric hops. Some of the combinations are challenging, but there's enough repetition that you'll have 'em all down by the last round. And the routines are really no more difficult than the dance classes you'd take at the gym—you simply get the benefit of sweating, shimmying and shaking it in your own living room sans an audience. Plus, who cares if your technique isn't perfect? Just keep moving as fast as the enthusiastic instructor and you're guaranteed a sweaty workout session.

Bridal Body Bonus: Keep practicing—you might pick up a few moves for your reception!

Mari Winsor's Lower Body Pilates

 

You don't need to be a seasoned practitioner, or a star on the spring-loaded reformer, to get a great Pilates workout. Three 20-minute mat-based routines devoted to slimming your hips and thighs and sculpting your derrière will make slipping into that honeymoon bikini a whole lot less daunting. (And if you're worried about a little extra around your middle, the DVD also comes with a free abs workout you can download online!)

Bridal Body Bonus: We mentioned you're going to look amazing in a bikini, right?

Zumba Fitness Exhilarate

 

This fully loaded fitness program gives you everything you need to go from a beginner to a booty-shaking Zumba pro. The 7-disc set devotes an entire DVD to breaking down the rhythm and moves—which incorporate merengue, salsa, reggaeton, calypso, cumbia, and belly dance styles—into easy-to-follow steps. The videos even offer the option to flip your view of the instructors so you can mirror their movements while facing them, or follow from behind like you would in a traditional dance class setting. Most DVDs also have two soundtrack options: One featuring verbal directions and another music-only option for the more experienced exerciser who just wants to dance along without extra instruction. The only equipment you'll need is a sturdy chair and the Zumba Toning Sticks included with the program. (Oh, and the toning sticks rattle like maracas. Sold.)

Bridal Body Bonus: For brides with just a handful of days left before the big day, Zumba Exhilarate comes with the "Tight-on-Time" plan as well as a guidebook featuring a stretching regiment and an accelerated 10-day fat loss program complete with healthy recipes. The program also features a "Super-Sculpting" plan and a beginner plan.

Core Fusion 30 Day Sculpt

 

This DVD, based on the popular class at Exhale Mind Body Spa, features 30 different workouts and tells you exactly which routine to do, when to do it, and even when to take a rest day. (Yes, you get rest days!) Drawing from Pilates, yoga, and the Lotte Berk Method, Core Fusion focuses on building dancer-like strength and technique. And each session is only 20 minutes long. That means there's no excuse to knock out a workout every day! To be able to complete all of the routines you'll need a yoga mat, a sturdy chair, and a wall but it's also recommended that you have dumbbells, a Pilates ball, and a Pilates strap if you're not very flexible.
Bridal Body Bonus: Working your behind off now, means more wedding cake later!

Yogalosophy

 

One look at Jennifer Aniston's yoga instructor, Mandy Ingber, and you know exactly where Jen's enviable bikini body comes from. Her unique—and totally effective—yoga-meets-strength training style couples traditional poses with stretching and toning exercises that target every muscle group. Mandy's moves make the workout a fat burner, but it's her empowering attitude that makes it fun. (This is a yogi who, as she sinks into a squat, asks you to repeat with her a NSFW version of "I have a great backside.") She's also quick with reminders to listen to your body and do what feels good to you. The DVD features a 35-minute express routine as well as an intense 55-minute workout that adds sun salutations, a strength challenge, and a cool-down stretch on to the shorter session. Once you've mastered the workout, you also have the option to turn off the verbal cuing and follow Mandy's moves to music alone—perfect for exercisers who complete the routine regularly and prefer not to break their flow.

Bridal Body Bonus: Just like Jen, your long, lean physique will look great in a sheath wedding dress.

Xtend Barre Lean & Chiseled

 

Created by a former professional dancer and choreographer, Lean & Chiseled is a flowing, feel-good workout that's just as set on helping you tone your body through ballet- and Pilates-inspired floor work as it is on developing dancer-like grace and poise. You'll only need a sturdy chair and a pair socks to complete the hour-long routine, which can also be broken down into separate upper body, barre, and core workouts if you're crunched for time. And don't worry if you don't have a childhood ballet class to fall back on for the basics. The DVD also comes with a quick video guide that walks you through dance terminology if words like relevé, passé, and arabesque are literally a foreign language to you.

Bridal Body Bonus: This core-tightening workout cinches your waist for an hourglass figure.

Addicted to Sweat

 

Based on the class offered exclusively at Hard Candy Fitness, Madonna's signature fitness club, this dance-heavy program is not for the faint of heart—or for the beginner in search of an easy-to-pick up workout. Already-fit brides, however, will love challenge of the super unique routines. Two of the four discs feature intense dance cardio combinations that test your stamina and agility (and, to some degree, your dance skills) while the remaining two offer more traditional follow-along workouts that require only towels and a sturdy chair to hit every muscle in your body. Each DVD also features a helpful tutorial option. On the dance DVDs, tutorials serve as an opportunity to get familiar with the steps sans music. (You may want to run through them a couple of times before heading into the fast-paced "performance.") And with the workout DVDs, the tutorials provide safety tips and step-by-step instructions for correctly completing the exercise elements, a great feature for brides who want to complete the routine regularly without being interrupted by the instructor throughout the workout.

Bridal Body Bonus: Addicted to Sweat is based on the actual workout Madonna performs several times a week, so her enviable arms are as good as yours. Hello, sleeveless wedding dress!

This is Yoga

 

Perfect for yoga-lovers or anyone looking to add a ton of awesome flows to their at-home workout repertoire, This Is Yoga aims to be "the complete yoga encyclopedia." Featuring the amazing instruction of yoga expert Tara Stiles, the four-disc set is packed with a workout for nearly every goal or occasion whether you want to build strength, boost energy, relax, wake up refreshed in the morning, or settle into bed at night. The collection also includes three workouts devoted to beginners and well as a comprehensive pose library with how-tos for every category of posture from seated to inversion.

Bridal Body Bonus: Tara's do-anywhere yoga flows are perfect for traveling so you can keep up with your workouts while on your honeymoon.