By Dr. Renu Garg

Homoeopathic Physician & Nutritionist

Wedding is the most important and special day of life. With all eyes on the bride one wants to look nothing short of a celebrity on the big day. Amidst the hustle-bustle of picking the right venue, flowers, menu, wedding trousseau and other works, one might just forget the most important thing of all – the bride. However, a good figure and glowing skin cannot come in a day. Planning should start at least three months prior to the wedding date and follow a healthy lifestyle to look flawless on the D-day. Here are some healthy guidelines for pre-wedding programme that will help one looking confident and radiant (without starving) on the wedding day.

Never skip breakfast – Ensure a healthy breakfast to kick start the day that can be a missi roti, poha, sandwich, eggs, oats in milk with nuts and fruits, fruit smoothie. 

Healthy snacktime cravings – When craving for snacks or feeling hungry in between meals, have almonds and walnuts, fresh fruits, salads or coconut water or lemon water, roasted chana, murmura, roasted makhane.

Healthy dinner – Have last meal at least two hours before sleep. It takes longer to digest food at night, so keep it light and finish it off early. And if possible, try having dinner by 7 pm. It does wonders to the body! True, that makes waking up really hungry, but that is good! Eat when the metabolism is at it's highest. 

Mom's cooking – Stay away from processed and frozen foods as much as possible. Stick to homemade foods.

Plain water – Three bottles of one litre water a day to flush out toxins and keep hydrated. Water also keeps the metabolism running high and keeps the skin healthy. 

Say no to sugar. Sugar is all empty calories. Do not substitute sugar with artificial sweetness. Give sugary foods a break at least till the wedding.

Go easy on salt. Excessive salt consumption may lead to water retention while a low salt diet may flush out extra water from the body and fuel in glow and sheen in the skin. 

Last but not the least, always remember to be happy and stay positive. Staying positive will increase 'feel-good' hormones and ensure more pumping of blood in turn resulting in a glowing skin. Never go for a crash or fad diets before wedding just to reduce weight. It will not only affect the skin and hair but will also lower  energy levels. Stay energized on the wedding day. There is no one food which will predominantly boost energy levels. One should keep a balance of carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fat in all meals. Basically, the more colour and variety that is included, the more antioxidants one gets to fight that stress and keep energised as well as glowing.Never skip any main or mid meal no matter how anxious, excited, stressed or nervous. Happy brides are the prettiest!! 

Sample diet plan for brides to be: Early Morning – One seasonal fruit; Breakfast – 1 bowl of oats porridge / poha / upma / idli; Mid Morning – 1 fruit + 4 almonds/walnuts; Lunch – Big plate of salad + 2 chapatis / 1 bowl of brown rice + veggies + dal + curd; Evening – Whole wheat bread sandwich / bhel (no sev) / sprouts; Dinner – Soup + salad + veggies / chicken / fish; Bedtime – 1 cup skimmed turmeric milk.