5 pre-wedding health hints

Sarah Richardson has some additions for your mile-long to-do list. But before you start panicking, be assured that these suggestions will help preserve your health – and your sanity! Pick your favourite hints to see you through the wedding-planning frenzy.

Eat right

You’ve heard it all before but eating a balanced diet in the run-up to your wedding really will reward you richly. If an all-out whole-food regime seems intimidating, start with one of these small steps:

'3 apples a day…' Apples are rich source of dietary fibre, help maintain a steady blood-sugar level, and contain wrinkle-busting antioxidants. Eat one before each meal to help fill you up and stop subsequent over-eating.

Soup yourself up. A home-made soup is a tasty, low-fat way of consuming those all-important vegetables. Make a huge pot and freeze some in individual portions for convenience. You might also be surprised at how filling soup can be! If you’re not convinced of its appeal, try adding pasta or noodles for added interest.

Fish for compliments. Try having a fish-based dinner twice a week – and not the battered chip-shop variety! Steamed, baked in foil or microwaved, fish can be the perfect healthy fast food, yet many people rarely eat it.

Exercise

It’s been said a million times but regular exercise will calm you down as well as shaping you up! Whether it’s a brisk 20-minute walk every day or a more serious fitness regime, you’ll feel calmer and more in control after you’ve exercised. Be realistic about the activities that will fit into your life – sure, it’d be great fun to play tennis three times a week, but this requires more organisation than walking or running, where you’re less reliant on other people.

Use your head

Looking after your hair in the run-up to the wedding can have more than just a cosmetic benefit.

Professional head massage. Going for a professional head massage once in a while will help relax you as well as stimulating your hair follicles.

Flaxseed oil. Many brides-to-be swear that taking daily flaxseed-oil supplements helps their hair grow quicker and promotes glossy locks. Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseed oil is also believed to be helpful in the treatment of skin ailments, and good for your immune system and your nervous system.

Hot-oil treatments. Dry, brittle hair can benefit from regular hot-oil treatments. Buy the oil from the haircare aisle of the chemist or try a home-made version: Mix 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp coconut oil in a plastic sandwich bag. Warm the mixture by holding the bag briefly in a cup of very hot water. Apply the warm oil to dry hair, working from scalp to ends. Cover your head with a towel or shower cap and leave for 15 minutes. To rinse the mixture out as thoroughly as possible, apply shampoo directly to scalp at first (only adding water later).

Sleep!

A well-rested bride-to-be is a healthier, more relaxed bride-to-be. Get a decent night’s sleep and you’ll be better able to cope with the demands of planning your wedding. Many people tend to get a ‘second wind’ in the evenings, and this can mean late nights and bleary eyes the next day.

Early night. Make a conscious effort to go to bed earlier, winding down beforehand by reading or listening to relaxing music.
Everyones different. Find out what helps you to get to sleep, whether it’s a cup of camomile tea or a lavender-filled pillow.
Don't obsess. It’s easy to get fanatical about sleep. Try not to start obsessing if you don’t get your eight hours – most people can function perfectly well on less than this.

Heaven scent

Natural scents can aid relaxation, and many believe that the benefits of aromatherapy go much further than this. An aromatherapy massage is a stress-busting treat, but you can also harness the power of fragrance in smaller ways. Try burning an aromatherapy candle, adding a few drops of lavender oil to your bath, or even putting a couple of drops of ylang ylang oil on a hot light bulb to scent the room.

NB Those who suffer from epilepsy or an allergy, or those who are pregnant, should seek advice professional advice before using aromatherapy oils.

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Radiance the raw-food way

Skin becoming clearer, energy levels at an all-time high, excess weight dropping off… What more could you ask for in the lead-up to your wedding day? Many people worldwide choose to live on what’s known as ‘raw food’ – uncooked vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and sprouted grains. It may sound drastic but the health benefits are quickly apparent, explains Andrew Davis, co-founder of the Raw Food School, who insists that this way of eating can be delicious, innovative and fun.

Why eat raw?

Different people eat a raw food diet for different reasons. For some, the principal reason is ease of weight loss. For others, it’s just an easy way to eat healthily. Many raw food eaters witness a marked change in appearance, developing a clearer complexion and radiant skin that glows from the inside out. And still more experience a significant increase in energy levels, feeling as well as looking years younger. No matter who you are, you can experience all these changes on a raw food diet.

In addition to these general health benefits, raw food is known to have healed or helped a wide range of illnesses, conditions and symptoms, from the minor to the severe. These include diabetes, skin diseases, bloating, depression, anxiety, high blood pressure and even cancers.

Eating raw and living food will enable you to enjoy delicious, guilt-free meals and treats whilst shedding excess weight quickly, efficiently and healthily. Switching to a raw food diet is often the first time that one will truly experience real change, and the benefits are amazing to see. Changes happen fast – not in years or months but in weeks or, in many cases, days. Why do these changes happen? The answer is simple chemistry and relates to the enzymes and acid/alkaline balance.

About enzymes

Enzymes are required for the digestion and absorption of food into your body. They are your life force. We depend on enzymes for everything – from walking, talking and breathing to cellular division and energy production.

When we are born, we are given a limited reserve of enzymes that are necessary to keep our body system in working order throughout the duration of our lifetime. The only additional source of enzymes we can get comes from the food we eat. Problems arise when food is cooked above 44ËšC (112 degrees Fahrenheit), when enzymes are completely destroyed by heat during the cooking process.

When eating cooked food, the body needs to draw essential enzymes from the limited natural pool supplied at birth in order to digest the food. Imagine drawing money out of a bank account that is never topped up. Eventually, it will run out. It’s exactly the same with enzymes.

If we continue to eat cooked foods and do not replace enzymes by eating raw food, we eventually begin to use up our bodies’ enzyme reserves. Without these enzymes, cooked food is stored in our bodies as toxins, which can lead to all kinds of diseases and illness.

Ageing is really nothing more than the body running out of enzymes. Stop withdrawing enzymes and instead start depositing them to build, cleanse and heal your body.

Acid/alkaline balance in a nutshell

There is plenty of information online about the importance of a healthy acid/alkaline balance, so here is just a summary of the main points:

• Our body’s acid/alkaline state is measured on a ph (potential hydrogen) scale. The ph scale ranges from the most acidic state (0) to the most alkaline state (14). It is believed that an ideal ph level for optimal health is an alkaline ph of around 6.5.

• The food we eat is a major factor causing our bodies to be in an acidic state. Acid-forming foods are high-protein flesh foods, high-sugar, high-fat, low complex carbohydrates. This includes meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy, white sugars, flour products, pasta, breads, most cooked grains, most beans, most nuts, sweets, soft drinks, coffee, tobacco, alcohol, chemical additives, preservatives, drugs, and synthetic vitamins.

• Cooked and processed foods cause acidity in the body because they lack the oxygen and the enzymes necessary for the food to be absorbed into the bloodstream. This is due to them being destroyed in the cooking process. When the food is not absorbed, it is left to float as waste products in bloodstream, causing acidity levels to be raised.
  

• Here is what then happens. Alkaline minerals are robbed from our bones, tissues, and body fluids in an effort to neutralise our internal acidity and to try and keep us in an alkaline state. This then leads to a whole host of problems, including arthritis, osteoporosis, depression, headaches, gastritis, brain fog, fatigue, muscle stiffness, stomach aches, chest pain, constipation, irritability, sinusitis and sleep problems.
  

• It has been demonstrated that most people suffering from acute and chronic diseases are found to be in an overly acidic state. Cancer sufferers, for example, are generally found to be in an acidic state and their blood too low in oxygen. Cancer cells thrive in an acidic/oxygen-depleted environment.
  

It stands to reason that in order to balance your body into the optimal ph range, you should eliminate acid-forming foods. The most effective way to do this is to enjoy a diet of raw vegetables and fruits, nuts, seeds and sprouted grains.
The incredible benefits of raw food are becoming more widely recognised by dieticians, doctors and health professionals. Why not find out more and see what raw food could do for you?

The Raw Food School offers classes introducing people to raw and living food in a relaxed and friendly environment.

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Get me to bootcamp on time

A FITNESS-SAVVY wedding planner has launched a 'bridal boot camp' to whip women into shape for their big day.

Katie Birch, who runs Surrey-based Belle Wedding Coordinators, employs two personal trainers to work for Belle Bridal Boot Camp, who take brides-to-be through a three or six month programme to help them fit into their wedding dresses.

Katie decided to offer the service after identifying a need amongst her existing clients. She said:

As soon as a bride has decided on her perfect dress, almost every time I hear them say 'I'm going to lose weight before the final fittings'. The look on their face tells me they're not looking forward to the challenge, along with all the stress that comes with the wedding planning process itself.

So the main idea behind my bootcamp is a chance for the bride to have some time out, de-stress and concentrate on themselves looking and feeling their best on their beautiful day.

By having a personal trainer who has a tailor made programme to guide them through that process, itís a great way to keep them focused and get them the results they want.

Training sessions take part either at the clients home or in a local park, and there is also the opportunity for brides and grooms to exercise together.

Over the summer, Katie is planning to arrange group workout sessions, bringing together all of the brides and their bridal parties to take part in running sessions and group games, designed to be a social events as well as exercise sessions.

She added:

I think that UK wedding planners still have a challenge ahead of them in terms of generating the idea that wedding planners are a necessity for a well planned wedding.

There are so many positive aspects of having someone there to deal with all the issues that may arise and I think that by adding these extra services we are again, showing brides how valuable we are and how hard we do work towards ensuring their lives are stress-free in the lead up to their wedding.

Katie Birch runs Surrey-based Belle Wedding Coordinators

Story taken from Wedding Professional, June/July issue

www.weddingprofessional.co.uk

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Comments - Latest by: aimzlou:
If it involves drinking lots of cider then I\'ll sign up