Bloating: Foods and Drinks to Avoid Before and During your Wedding

After all the work you’ve put into your wedding day, the last thing you want is an upset stomach, bloating, or a gas problem. Nervousness, excitement, and all the other emotions you’ll experience on your big day are enough to deal with – you don’t want to add to the problems by eating the wrong foods. We have listed a couple of foods to avoid before the wedding, take a look.

Caffeine

Water is the best thing to drink before your wedding. Avoid coffee, tea, sodas, energy drink, and other caffeinated products as much as possible. If you’re a daily coffee or soft drink consumer, at least limit the amount you have that morning. Caffeine reduces the amount of water in the body and can lead to dehydration during the ceremony – often a cause of fainting at the altar. 

Salt

Staying a safe distance away from the salt shaker is a good way to reduce the amount of sodium in your diet, but salt is a sneaky ingredient that hides in common foods, like hamburger, canned soups, frozen meals and processed cheese.

Consuming too much salt means you'll retain excess water, making you feel heavier – a problem that no bride wants to deal with. Aim to stay under 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day throughout your engagement, and eat fresh vegetables and other organic foods as much as possible.

Sugar

No matter whether you're into real sugar or artificial sweetener, neither is very good for you, especially in large quantities. Consuming too many sweets can alter blood sugar levels, not to mention add girth to your waistline. It's especially important to avoid sugar-free candy, diet soda and artificial sweeteners; the body has a difficult time digesting the sugar alcohol found in these foods, leaving your body bloated and uncomfortable. Satisfy any cravings for treats in moderation with natural alternatives like raw honey or maple syrup, and unleash your sweet tooth when you cut the cake at the reception! 

Starchy foods

Starches are also foods associated with bloating and gas. Stay away from potatoes, pasta, and rice on the day of and the day before the wedding. Corn and breads can have similar effects – try wraps or pita bread for sandwiches if you need a snack before the wedding. 

Alcohol

Too much toasting before the wedding can leave you puffy, along with a sour stomach and pounding head, so steer clear of alcohol until the champagne toast at your reception. Most alcoholic beverages are high in calories and have the uncanny ability to increase your appetite, resulting in added pounds before you say, "I do." Avoid drinking alcohol in the two weeks leading up to the big day, but if you must, order a cocktail that's low calorie, like a gin and tonic, and resist partaking in a second round!

Spicy food

Eating red-hot foods like peppers before the wedding is a bad idea; spicy food can make you feel flushed, break you out in a sweat and give you heartburn, indigestion and bad breath. Curry is perhaps the worst offender -- a tasty ingredient found in many Indian-inspired dishes, curry is almost guaranteed to leave your pearly whites with a dingy, yellow tint.

Fast food

While fast food may be a quick, convenient meal for a busy bride on-the-go, it's important to stay away from the super-size menus. Since the majority of fast food is processed, it's low in nutrients and high in sugar, salt and fat, which can slow digestion and add weight to your frame. Cut fast food from your diet in the months before the wedding as much as possible, and eat healthy foods high in monounsaturated fats instead, like avocados, peanut butter and raw nuts.

Diary product

Dairy doesn't affect everyone in the same way, but it can give some people a terrible case of cramps and bad gas. To ensure you feel your best on the big day, steer clear of cheese, yogurt and milk, especially if your stomach is already tied in knots with nerves! Dairy products are likely to only make a sensitive tummy feel worse. However, before you turn your back on the dairy aisle at the grocery store, consider adding Greek yogurt to your diet; it contains active cultures known as probiotics that help digestion and boost your immune system.

Onion

Onions are anti-inflammatory and fight bacteria and infection, and they're high in polyphenols, meaning onions could help prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease. Red onions are even believed to improve the memory because they contain flavonol quercetin, an antioxidant that benefits the brain.

However, even though onions are good for your health and lend salads, sandwiches and other foods a tasty kick, they can also leave you with an offensive odour and very bad breath. Avoid this potent vegetable two to three days before the wedding to ensure you walk down the aisle smelling like a rose -- with fresh breath in anticipation of your first blissful kiss as man and wife.