Indian Weddings have become an example of royalty and elegance across the globe. The dazzling beauty of the ambience, the gorgeousness of every stupendous or minute decorative piece, the dreamy theme for the beautiful bride and groom and an incredibly well-planned set of professionals to cover every department, the list goes endless. Couples today are leaving no stone unturned to make their wedding the best from the best of attire, the best of food and the best of everything! Forget the lovebirds, don’t you get excited and go on a shopping spree to buy an elegant piece of gown or show your dapper self in a stylish pair of suit?
Weddings, especially in India, are all about days of merrymaking, breathtaking themes and most importantly, lots and lots of delicious and exquisite cuisine! Mughlai, street food, Asian or Italian, let your stomach name the type and you can go on a heavenly food journey. But, what next? Filling your plate with every salad, snacks and even dessert after a complete meal will definitely leave you with an upset stomach the next day, or maybe even more. So, here we bring some really simple yet effective nutrition tips that will have you not just enjoy a wedding, but also help keep you manage weight:
- Skip a meal? Never! : Now this is a popular idea practised with utmost confidence by people who are to attend a wedding. Whether to fit into a dress or to avoid calories for the time being, the reasons to skip meals can vary according to people. But this shouldn’t be the practice and you should plan your day ahead whenever you have a wedding to attend. Have a balanced meal during the day comprising of fruits and vegetables to get your share of fibre. To get your macros, include protein along with complex carbohydrates such as eggs, roasted or grilled chicken, whole wheat chapatti/bread, oats, porridge, lentils, fish, brown rice, black chickpeas (kala chana) and sprouts. So, if you are still on the verge to skip meals, think about it once again and save yourself from the terrifying trigger to overeat and binge eat.
- Healthy Snacking: Weddings dedicate a complete area just for food where tables are neatly set with a plethora of cuisines for various course. If you have skipped your meal (which you shouldn’t) and have entered this heavenly aromatic room, you are sure to make an attempt to gobble all the oily snacks that comes your way and end up gaining weight! But if you instead get attracted towards healthy appetisers like 3 beans salad, roasted chickpeas, greek salad, cheese nachos, tossed asparagus and mushroom, potato patty, corn flour chapatti, tacos, hummus or ranch dip with veggies, masala corn and you are sure to fill yourself up with every nutrient required to keep you fuller for longer and avoid oily snacks.
- Befriend Water: Make water your best friend and make it a point to sip whenever possible to keep yourself well hydrated and avoid unwanted calories. A glass or two of your favourite drink will not harm when at a wedding, but you should keep in the mind the need to drink water at the same time. Those not up for hard drinks can make their way for coconut or lemon waters and also coffee (as it increases metabolism by 3-11% and helps burn fat) instead of soft drinks because aerated drinks increase the chances of dehydration and make your body store them as fat.
- Plan Your Workout: Maintaining weight is a simple calculation of what you invite in your body, what you do not invite and then finally, how you burn the ones invited! There is nothing to be confused here. The food you eat works as a fuel for the body and therefore, it is important to use the fuel for activities to burn calories. There are no restrictions on the activities you wish to indulge in and ensure that you do not skip it for a wedding. Instead, you can plan your work hand beforehand, be it running, gymming, cycling, swimming, yoga or aerobics. This will work to not only help you burn off calories but to also help your body balance the hormones as well as appetite.
- The Significance to Rest: Whatever may the occasion be, weddings, birthdays or a simple family get-together, rest is a necessity for your body to do the daily chores without hassle. In fact, if it is an Indian wedding you are supposed to attend, you must definitely take some time out to take rest for they go long and tiring. Lack of sleep triggers the levels of stress hormone cortisol which makes a body accumulate more fat in the body. 7 to 8 hours of sleep a day is a must to easily manage the hormones and appetite. If you are lacking in sleep, then you better take some time out to rest or get ready for a rollercoaster ride of lethargy and binge eating at a wedding!
Food and celebration goes hand-in-hand in an Indian wedding, but taking care of your body is necessary and should be a priority. Therefore, these above nutrition tips will definitely help you in being fit and healthy. Planning your meal and workout schedule beforehand will prevent you in putting on extra and unwanted inches around your waist line. Also, ensure that you give your body enough rest so as to stay at bay from feeling lethargic and uneasy during the occasion. With adequate sleep, your stress hormone shall stay in control and prevent you from overeating and binge eating.
