Foods To Include On Your Pre-Bridal Plate
'You are what you eat', they say. Brides Today asked Dr Geetika Chopra, Health consultant and Nutritionist, Magic Dietitian; Dr Shikha Nehru Sharma, Nutri-Health Systems Pvt. Ltd and Dr Tina Sapra, a Registered Dietician with the American Dietetic Association, to elaborate on the same.
The healthier you eat, the better you look, and this is especially important for brides-to-be. Dr Shikha Sharma says, 'We pay less attention to what we are eating, but it might be visible on our skin.' And unhealthy skin is not something you want to be dealing with on your big day. A good diet improves the quality of the skin, helps you to maintain a healthy weight, and also impacts you emotionally. As per Dr Geetika Chopra, what we consume in our diet, largely determines both, how we feel on the inside and look on the outside. Besides achieving the flawless skin you wish to on your wedding day, consuming a healthy diet and maintaining good dietary habits helps brides keep up their energy levels, something they desperately need on the day. 'Eating healthy provides the body with micronutrients which are important for both skin and hair health. Healthy eating also boosts our immune system, to ward off unwanted tiredness and other minor ailments, which shouldn’t come in the way of celebration,' says Dr Geetika Chopra.
Keeping the bride in mind, we asked the following health experts to elaborate on the foods that the bride must include in her diet, a few days prior to her wedding.
FEEL FRESH WITH FRUITS AND VEGGIES
While Dr Geetika Chopra advocates including lots of fresh fruits and vegetables in your pre-bridal diet, Dr Tina Sapra recommends consuming lemon water diluted fruits and fruit juices, coconut water, and salads with a mix of fruits and vegetables. Including these items in your daily diet, prior to the wedding, are a must to ensure high energy levels and glowing skin. To maximise the hydration of our skin, Dr Shikha suggests adding foods like watermelon, lettuce and broccoli.
DRIED FRUITS AND NUTS
Dried fruits and nuts such as figs, dates and almonds, provide the essential nutrients to the body, according to Dr Shikha.
WATER, WATER AND MORE WATER
Water is probably the most important element to include in your diet. It helps flush out the unwanted toxins, and ensure a clean and healthy system. Dr Geetika Chopra suggests mixing in lemon, mint leaves and cucumber, incase one is bored of drinking water. If you want that skin to glow, drink up!
HIGH FIBRE CARBS
To keep your energy levels high on your big day, consumption of pulses, whole grains and legumes is essential. Carbs like oats, quinoa, jowar and bajra keep you light on your feet and are low on calories as well, says Dr Geetika Chopra.
BE PRO-PROBIOTIC
Don't want to feel bloated and uncomfortable? Inclusion of probiotic and fermented foods aids digestion and helps keep the system balanced.
Our entire body and skin can be transformed by focusing on our diet. A healthy and balanced diet make skin glow, nourishes hair and help to maintain a healthy weight. If you are overweight and consume large amounts of white bread, cookies, ice cream and packaged food items, there are chances of developing a condition called insulin resistance. Insulin, a hormone that unlocks your cells so glucose can get in, doesn't work very well. All this glucose builds up in your bloodstream instead of disappearing into cells. This reacts with the skin's collagen and other proteins that make the skin resilient. This can cause wrinkles, allergies, acne and some skin diseases. The consumption of processed foods and extra sugar can cause your skin to lose its elasticity and become more vulnerable to wrinkling, sagging and damage from ultraviolet rays, says Dr Shikha. So, in order to avoid this gamut of problems, and remain holistically-healthy, fixing your diet before you d-day, should be your first concern.