The proposal might have been one for the history books, but unless you stay healthy, the big day certainly won’t be. Planning a wedding is among the most memorable and busiest times in your life. Between cake testing, gown shopping, and dress fittings, you don’t have time to get sick. Unfortunately, the stress that most brides feel while wedding planning can seriously impact your immune system, leaving you vulnerable to catching bugs and viruses. Few disasters compete with the horror of getting ill before tying the knot. This guest post explains sixteen essential tips to stay healthy.
- Eat A Balanced Diet
Wedding planning is a very stressful experience. While a bride might hope to lose a few pounds before her big day, most find themselves craving comfort food. Although you shouldn’t starve yourself to drop a dress size, you can’t gorge on junk either. Instead, you must nourish your body with a balanced diet. Make sure you eat meals rich in whole grains, lean protein, fruits, and vegetables. Incorporating probiotics into your diet as supplements or fermented foods/drinks can help to support digestive health too.
- Throw Out Junk Food
Along with three healthy meals, you might decide to eat a snack or two throughout the day. Munching on a packet of chips or cookies now and then won’t do much harm, but if it’s the only food available to snack on, it’s all you’re likely to eat. That is why you should throw this junk food out of your home. Make sure you instead have plenty of nutritious options to choose from, like mixed nuts and popcorn. Kale chips are another snack you could eat in place of regular chips.
- Be Careful When Cooking
Everyone knows that cooking for yourself is healthier than eating out. However, the task of preparing a meal can certainly be a dangerous one. While there are countless obvious risks to be aware of, like burns and cuts, it’s especially important that you don’t poison yourself. Food poisoning is never enjoyable but can cause chaos for your wedding. That is why it’s best to avoid raw eggs, meat, and fish the week leading up to your big day. The risk just isn’t worth it.
- Wash Your Hands Often
Washing your hands often is an important step in keeping harmful germs at bay. If you have loved ones or colleges around you who are unwell, it’s especially crucial that you get into a handwashing routine. When washing your hands, make sure you always use soap. It’s the soap that works to remove bacteria and viruses from your hands before they can make you or someone else sick. You must lather the soap into your hands for at least twenty seconds for it to work.
- Hire A Wedding Planner
Weddings involve many elements, many of which couples often overlook. While you may have chosen your wedding band and found a dress, you might have forgotten to send out save the date cards. The stress caused by forgetting just one essential can easily make you sick. That is why it helps to have professional support. A wedding planner might be an additional cost, but they’re a worthwhile one. Having an expert by your side will allow you to take a small step back.
- Enlist Friends To Help
Although a wedding planner certainly helps, this is one expense that many couples can’t afford. Thankfully, that doesn’t mean you must organize your entire wedding singlehandedly. Make sure you ask your bridesmaids, groomsmen, and other wedding party members to lend a hand where possible. Your loved ones won’t be able to carry out every task on your to-do list, but there are certain smaller details they can help with. Like having a planner this will allow you to relax a little.
- Speak With An Expert
Making a meal plan can be almost as difficult as arranging a wedding. Eating right sounds easy enough until you start thinking about vitamins, minerals, and calories. Speaking with a nutritionist can clear up any confusion you might have. They will not only point out your bad habits but help you to adopt healthy ones. A nutritionist can also help you to create realistic meal plans for the weeks running up to your wedding. These plans will not only keep you healthy but energized too.
- Drink Plenty Of Water
Our bodies are mostly made up of water, so it should be no surprise that you require plenty of it to live healthily. The symptoms of dehydration are far from enjoyable but will make life even harder on days like your wedding. If you struggle with drinking enough water, then carry a reusable water bottle with you wherever you go. This will serve as a constant reminder to stay hydrated. Some people like to add fruits or vegetables to their water to give it some flavoring.
- Limit Your Alcohol Intake
Bachelor and bachelorette parties can see your typical alcohol intake soar. Along with being packed with empty calories, alcoholic drinks impact your immune system, leaving you vulnerable to illness. Alcohol is also severely dehydrating, which is what causes hangovers. Because of this, you must watch your alcohol intake. Make sure you never drink on an empty stomach and remember to offset the alcohol with water and soda. This will keep you from getting too drunk.
- Plan Weekly Date Nights
Planning a wedding is overwhelming, but few people realize how much of a strain the process will put on a relationship. The little details can quickly grate on your nerves, leaving yourself and your partner fighting like cat and dog. Spending some time away from all things wedding will give each of you a breather, allowing you to manage your stress. A weekly date night will take you both away from wedding central, allowing you to have fun and enjoy one another’s company.
- Adopt Healthy Sleep Habits
Staying up all night researching wedding decor might sound fun, but it’s bad for your health. Numerous studies have shown that the blue light emitted from computers and phones harms sleep patterns. That is because it suppresses melatonin. Unless you allow your body and mind time to recharge, it will eventually burn out. For this reason, but must adopt healthy sleep habits, like sticking to a bedtime. Make sure you keep your devices out of the bedroom from now on too.
- Get Active Every Day
A regular exercise routine is essential for more than simply dropping dress sizes. There are numerous benefits to working out every day. Exercise is known to reduce stress because it triggers the release of endorphins, which relax the body and mind. Along with this, regular workouts can improve your immune system, making it easier for your body to fight off illness. There are many ways to be more active every day, even when busy with wedding planning.
- Clear Out Any Clutter
When there’s a wedding, there will surely be presents. The only trouble is, you might not have any room for all your new goodies. Clutter can make a home look messy, but also affects the mind. Even if you don’t notice it, the junk inside your house is causing significant stress. The best way to eliminate this stress is to clear out that clutter. This won’t be an easy chore but can be made much simpler by tackling one room at a time. Start with the messiest room first.
- Kick That Smoking Habit
Smoking is one of those habits that everyone knows is unhealthy. What’s worse, it’s incredibly expensive to keep up. With an entire wedding to pay for, you can’t afford to shell out hundreds every few months on cigarettes. Although kicking a smoking habit isn’t easy, there is much more support available these days. Not only can you purchase aids, like nicotine patches, but there is advice online too. If you need further guidance, your doctor can also offer reliable information.
- Make A Doctor’s Appointment
Even if you aren’t quitting smoking, your doctor still has advice to give. Booking regular check-ups will help your GP to monitor your overall health and offer healthy tips. Depending on your age and circumstances, they might also suggest getting certain vaccinations, like the flu jab. If you’re getting married during flu season, this jab can prevent you from getting sick before your big day. Most check-ups last no longer than thirty minutes, so there’s no to book yours.
- Take Time To Yourself
While spending so much time together is enjoyable, planning a wedding can put pressure on an otherwise loving relationship. There is only so much time together a couple can take, especially when tackling such a complicated and stressful task. That is why you should each spend time alone occasional. You could run yourself a bath or go for a run, while your other half reads or meditates. This allows each of you to recharge your batteries, allowing you to work happily together again.
Sickness is the last wedding gift you want, so keep yourself healthy by following the advice above.