Health Tips

The biggest health problems today are heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes. Many of these problems are caused by an our unhealthy lifestyles.

For optimal good health for your heart, mind and body here are some recommendations, supported by international health experts. If you have any concerns about making lifestyle changes, consult your physician.

Daily exercise

Creating a habit of daily exercise is important for good health. A daily routine of at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise where your heart beats a bit faster and you get a little breathless is as important as daily brushing your teeth.

Aerobic exercise is good for the heart and it’s simple to introduce into your life. Walking, jogging, cycling, rowing machine, elliptical machine, swimming are all good options. If you don’t want to buy special equipment, a brisk walk10 minutes here and there during the day counts towards your daily quota.

Start simply: park further away from the supermarket or your office entrance. Take the stairs one or two flights instead of the elevator. If you take public transportation, get off one stop early and walk the rest. Go for a walk at lunchtinme, or walk with your family or friends after work. This will give you a chance to talk, de-stress and have fun.

Healthy diet

Many diets contain too many saturated fats, sugar, salt and cholesterol. Ditch your fast-food and ready meals and replace them with home-made meals to include fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts and olive oil. There are plenty of easy recipes online that don’t take much time or money to prepare. Creating healthy meals is a skill that you can improve and share with your family and friends. You will feel the benefits within your body within days. You’ll feel fitter, less tired and more comfortable in your clothes. You’ll probably also sleep better and feel less stressed.

Congratulations on your engagement. You’re not only getting used to the idea that you’re about to spend the rest of your life with your beloved, but you may also be feeling like you’re drowning in all your wedding planning decisions. All this is going to push you to your mental and physical limits at times.

Research shows that getting fitter and eating healthily can help reduce stress. Instead of following a fad diet and short-term exercise programme, lose weight and tone up so that you’ll look fabulous and feel confident on your wedding day, your honeymoon and into your married life.

Getting Started

Be realistic with your goals. Aim for being healthier rather than picking a specific dress size. If you can, meet with a nutritionist or personal trainer to get support to start a healthier lifestyle that you can maintain after the wedding.

Expect to lose between 4 and 8 pounds in a month. Unrealistic goals will set you up for failure and may lead you abandoning any plan to get healthier. Even if you lose weight on a starvation diet, you won’t look good because you’ll be losing metabolism, power, strength and energy — all of which you need as it’s such a stressful time.

The 4 main principles to reach your goal of losing weight and toning up are cardiovascular exercise, good nutrition, strength training, and stretching.

Top 10 Tips

1. Treat each workout like an important appointment. Start training ten weeks before the big day so that you can peak two weeks before the wedding and then maintain until the wedding day. Ask your bridesmaids to join you at the gym, this will help you keep appointments and will help you all look fabulous in the wedding photographs.

2. Save time by working out at home. Combine strength training and high-intensity cardiovascular exercises three times a week. Completing a workout you’ve already scheduled time for will give you a sense of accomplishment.

3. Design a workout around your dress: focus on your arms, shoulders and back if they’re on show, or tummy toners, legs, thighs and butt workouts for fitted dresses.

4. Walk or cycle four times a week. Even at low intensity this keeps you in the fat-burning zone.

5. Schedule in downtime to keep the stress – and Bridezilla – at bay.

6. Research recipes and plan meals in advance. You must continue to eat, particularly when you’re stressed.

7. Try and cut down on foods such as white rice, white bread and white pasta. Replace them with quinoa, brown rice and sweet potatoes to keep your blood pressure balanced.

8. For brides who have a sweet tooth, try and cut out the cakes and pastries in the 10 weeks before the wedding. If you really struggle, eat some dark chocolate as a treat after a workout.