Neera's Get The Dish: Foods that Fit the Dress

Your big day is almost here and after all the hard work you’ve put into planning it, the last thing you want is an upset stomach, bloating, or a gas problem. Don’t add to the butterflies in your stomach by eating the wrong foods. Here are a few foods to steer clear of to keep your belly looking flat, and foods to load up on before saying “I do” (or just so you can look fabulous in that knockout dress!).

Here are a few foods to steer clear of to keep your belly looking flat, and foods to load up on before saying “I do” (or just so you can look fabulous in that knockout dress!).

Don’t Be Ghastly

Ironically, the healthiest foods often are the ones that cause the most gas. The top offenders are broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, radish, green peppers, asparagus, beans, celery, artichokes, legumes, and high fibre cereals. So while these are foods you should try to eat more often, you can avoid them for a day or two (at most!) before your wedding.

Some people find that eating dairy produces unwanted gas. The sugar found in milk and other dairy products (called lactose) isn’t always easily digested by all of us, resulting in some gas—so have these foods in moderation a day or two beforehand.

Carbonated bubbly bevies like soda/pop also give you gas—not to mention a belching effect, so take a vacay from them. Gassy foods generally contain sugars like fructose, raffinose, and sorbitol, which are found in fruits like pears, apricots, and peaches. These sugars are also found in chewing gums and candies so it’s best to freshen your breath with mouthwash.

Gloat, Don’t Bloat

Too much salt causes your body to retain water because it needs the water to dilute all the salt. As a result, you urinate less because your body wants to hold on to the water and you become bloated. This can mean swollen ankles, face, and belly. Eating really salty foods can make a fitted dress trickier to zip up, especially a week prior to your period.

We should all be eating a lot less salt these days anyway, so avoid high-salt foods like savoury snacks (chips, pretzels, nachos, popcorn), pizza, spaghetti sauce, mac-and-cheese, fast foods (cheeseburgers, hot dogs, tacos, french fries), condiments (ketchup, soy sauce, pickles), luncheon meats (bologna, salami, bacon), canned soups, vegetable drinks, dehydrated instant-packet pastas, crackers, bread and certain breakfast cereals. A bowl of cornflakes can have as much salt as a small bag of potato chips. Pretty much most processed foods have loads of salt!

Skip the Sweet and Buzz

It’s also a good idea to avoid foods and drinks that contain a lot of sugar—sugar is good for a quick jolt of energy, but usually leaves you feeling tired and sluggish soon after. Avoid coffee, tea, pop/soda, energy and chocolate bars, and other caffeinated products as much as possible. Caffeine can lead to dehydration (often the cause of fainting at the altar!) so drink a glass of water for every serving of caffeine.

Load Up

Before the big day (be it a wedding, gala or any event you need to look fabulous for!) think healthy, high protein, and low-fat foods. Choose foods that are filling, like fish, lean chicken, tofu and probiotic yogurt (the healthy bacteria reduces gas). Eat fruits and veggies like raw tomatoes, peas, lettuce, melons, and oranges. And remember, you can still eat the gas-producing veggies above—just consume them frequently in small amounts so your stomach makes less of the gassy bacteria.

Plan a solid breakfast the day of, pack a few healthy snacks, and drink plenty of water.You’re going to need the nutrients and energy to keep up with the day’s events—dancing and photo ops, for example! Keep in mind that following a healthy diet plan all along is what’s going to make you look the most radiant on any special day.

Neera Chaudhary (MHSc PhD (c) RD) is a registered dietitian, foodie, culinary goddess and all-around fabulous girl in the kitchen. www.dietitian.ca [1]

In a dish dilemma? Email her: neera.chaudhary@anokhimagazine.com [2]