Wedding Week Immunity Boosts

Last week we mentioned some foods to avoid on your wedding day, so what should you be eating in preparation for the big day? If it's getting close, anxiety, lack of sleep, and other stressors that usually tag along with wedding planning can dramatically effect your body. These super foods give a major boost to your immune system so a nasty cold or flu bug doesn’t creep up when the day finally arrives. Before your wedding, load up on them to ensure you're looking and feeling radiant!

We hear the word antioxidants a lot but which foods exactly contain antioxidants? Vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene all contain high levels of antioxidants. Usually colorful fruits and vegetables contain the most antioxidants. Vitamin C is probably the easiest to satisfy. They are in most citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits. Try a grapefruit or other citrus fruit with honey for breakfast. Citrus fruit not your thing? Brussels sprouts and tomatoes also pack a ton of vitamin C. (Brussels sprouts pack a whole bunch of other beneficial vitamins too; they really are a SUPER food!) Tomatoes are easy to prepare in everyday food and like all foods contain the most nutrients when eaten raw. When cooking most vitamin rich vegetables, boil slightly so that most of the nutrients remain in the food. If you prepare foods raw and under 108 degrees, more of the natural nutrients remain within the food rather than being rendered out by high heat.

Mustard greens, mangoes, and spinach all pack high amounts of vitamin E. In any season, mangoes mixed with apples and a few types of leafy greens tossed with a sweet vinaigrette make a refreshing salad. Spinach is also a very versatile vegetable. It can be tossed in any type of salad or slightly steamed and served with pasta, meat, or poultry.

Purple and blue colored foods are also nutritious favorites. A handful of blueberries in a smoothie or red cabbage (which is actually colored purple) tossed in a salad with blue cheese and apples will easily satisfy your antioxidant intake for the day. Boosting your immune system will help keep nasty cold and flu viruses at bay. After all, you don’t need another thing to worry about with all the excitement that is already going on in your life!

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Foods to Avoid on Your Wedding Day

We often stress-eat or over-snack when we experience anxiety. Fatty foods trigger the production of serotonin, which is partially responsible for your body’s natural anxiety reduction mechanism. Carbohydrates and high fat foods also stabilize sugar levels in the blood, which soothes irritability. Snacking is your body’s natural way to cope with stress, but you might want to rethink what you put in your mouth. Certain foods you eat on the big day will greatly effect how you feel. Below are a few items you should avoid to ensure that you feel at your best because let’s face it, who wants to deal with an upset or bloated tummy or indigestion?

Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners (like sorbitol) are found in foods labeled as “diet” or “sugar-free.” Many brides-to-be who are dieting might not be stranger to these foods, however on your big day, it’s better to stay away. These ingredients are not easily processed by the body. A frequent side effect of artificial sweeteners is diarrhea. They can have a laxative effect, sometimes even in small quantities simply because your body might not tolerate it as well as the next person.

(Too much) Caffeine
Yes you need the energy to keep going, and a cup of coffee will help get you there. However, don’t have a coffee, an espresso, and a Redbull! Not only will this make you jittery, restless, and irritable, it can also make you sweat profusely. Another culprit in causing overactive sweat glands is capsaicin. This is the ingredient responsible for giving spices and chilies its spicy or “hot” component. Consider staying away from spicy foods and caffeine to avoid over-perspiration.

Salt
Avoiding salt in foods should really be something that you consider doing weeks before your wedding. Not only are overly salted foods bad for your health, but it will also make you retain a lot of water. Ever wonder why some girls can never shake those last 5 lbs? You can probably attribute the bloating to water retention. By avoiding salt and increasing your water consumption you can lose those extra pounds in just a few days!

Soda/Carbonated Water
Carbonation in drinks can give off gas in your stomach and that will end up coming out one of two ways or get trapped in your intestines and cause bloating. Moreover, if you’re opting for a diet Coke, well, remember what we said in #1?

Heavy Cheeses
Heavy or fatty cheeses are not very easy digest thanks to something called casein. Casein becomes a rubbery curd in your stomach and is tough to break down. While a cheese plates are an easy option as a quick snack, make sure it’s a light cheese. Alternatively, fruit plates are just as easy.