Baltimore Bride – July 2019

BALTIMORE | BALTIMORE | 3838 | WEDDINGS| WEDDINGS

10 easy life hacks for feeling your best

on the big day... and beyond.

You Are What

You E at

WELLNESS

RISE AND SIP

It’s the simplest step, but it

makes the biggest difference.

Down at least 16

ounces of filtered,

room-temp H2O

as soon as you

wake up to help

kickstart your

metabolism,

rehydrate your

organs after a

long night’s fasting, and ban-

ish grogginess. Bonus points

if you squeeze in half a lemon

and use warm water. Not only

will the lemon juice boost your

immune system, but it aids

digestion, acts as a skin purifier,

and assists your body’s natural

detox processes, too.

TRUST YOUR GUT

Research has shown that

chronic stress totally throws off

your gut microbiome and alters

the integrity of your intestinal

BY JESSICA D’ARGENIO WALLER, MS, CNS, LDN | ILLUSTRATIONS BY KIM SIELBECK

lining, which can lead to inflam-

mation and food sensitivities

down the line. The best method

to combat the negative effects

of stress? Partnering up with

a daily probiotic. The most

effective formulas boast both

prebiotics and probiotics (aka

synbiotics).

MAKE PREP

A PASSION

Self-care is a buzzy topic right

now, and for good reason.

Changing your thinking

about food preparation as

a chore to viewing it as

a personal investment

in your wellbeing can

do wonders for

your emotional

relationship with

food. Reinvigorate

your meal prep by try-

ing out a new cook-

book, signing up for

a cooking class with

your bridal party (like balti-

morechefshop.com or schola-

cooks.com), or gifting your

fiancé(e) with a bound book of

compiled family recipes.

SAY H EL LO

TO SEEDS

Seeds such as pumpkin, sun-

flower, sesame, flax, and chia

are like a secret weapon. Not

only do they add crunch and

dimension to salads, soups, and

snacks, they’re packed full of

minerals and hormone-

balancing phytonutrients.

Seek out sprouted seeds,

which are even easier

to digest and metabo-

lize—but any raw,

unsalted variety

will do. Try toast-

ing in a dry skillet

for a few minutes,

then sprinkling with

abandon over all your

favorite dishes to

really boost the flavor factor

(and nutritional benefits).

TRY BROCCOLI

FOR BREAKFAST

An often overlooked opportu-

nity to meet your five-a-day?

The humble

breakfast.

Try adding

peas and

parmesan

to your oat-

meal, zuc-

chini to your

smoothie,

mushrooms

and kale to your egg sand-

wich, or broccoli with walnuts

and blue cheese to your toast.

You’ll increase your fiber,

vitamin, and mineral intakes

and start the day off feeling

energized—plus you’ll inspire

yourself to keep up with those

better choices for the rest of

the day.

Y

ou’ve perfected your playlist, selected your signature

cocktail, and finalized the favors. The remaining item on

your to-do list? Reaching your health goals before the big day.

But forget the crazy workouts or restrictive cleanses: The secret

to more energy, glowing skin, and a toned shape is actually in

what you eat. And we’re not talking about a demanding detox

diet, even if you’re the type of person who’s regularly jonesing

for green juice. Instead, simply start making smarter swaps and

introducing easy lifestyle hacks that’ll help you look and feel

amazing by the time you walk down the aisle.

AISLE STYLE

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