5 Wedding Wellness Tips for Brides

Written with love, by Kathy Patalsky

Every bride wants to be on top of her wellness game for her big day. Here are five tips to help get you glowing and feeling amazing by the time you walk down the aisle .. and beyond!

Add a Smoothie-a-Day.

Most brides struggle to juggle work, friends, family, and all the tasks that go along with planning a wedding. Don’t let your nutrition suffer because of your hectic schedule. One easy solution: Add a smoothie a day! Try a green smoothie for breakfast, or a berry protein smoothie for lunch, or even a delicious protein chocolate shake for dessert. This is an easy, fast and delicious way to boost your nutrition so you’re in tip top shape for your big day.

Pro Tip: Add super foods like chia seeds, maca powder, protein powder, cacao powder, spirulina and more to supercharge your blend. My book 365 Vegan Smoothies has some great recipes!

Workout to Soothe Stress.

Working out is a great way to soothe your wedding planning stress. Cardiovascular exercise, strength training and even activities like stretching and yoga not only help you combat stress, but may also help you with any pre-wedding weight loss or tone-up goals. If you are not used to working out, schedule an appointment at a local gym with a personal trainer who can, even in just one session, give you some tips on how to work out to prep for your big day.

Pro Tip: Be sure to try yoga - it can help keep you calm, focused and limber in the midst of stress!

Wedding Day Nutrition.

Start your wedding day with something light and revitalizing, like fresh fruit. But do not try any new foods, keep in simple with your personal faves. Berries, melon or bananas are great options.

Also, drink plenty of water early-on in the day to help with hydration for the rest of the day. Hydrated skin appears more glowing, supple and radiant, so you don’t want to risk being dehydrated.

Be sure to eat something moderate in the middle of your day, a light meal with some protein, maybe a whole grain salad with tempeh bacon, light greens or even a protein shake. The best tip I can give is to listen to your body, if you are hungry: eat. Just practice portion control. Small meals throughout the day will keep you from being ravenous at any point.

Pro Tip: You might want to skip that first thing in the morning cup of coffee and replace it with water, coconut water, herbal tea or a tall hydrating smoothie. 

Healthy Snacks.

Prepping for a wedding requires a lot of energy. Be sure to practice smart snacking. Again, listen to your body...when it is hungry, eat. Some brides suppress their hunger cues and turn into starvation queens, hoping to drop a few pounds before the wedding. But skipping meals is not the answer. Restrictive eating will lead to ravenous hunger, mood swings and fatigue, hindering your precious productivity!

Pro Tip: A few fave healthy snacks include nut butter, hummus, fresh veggies, fresh fruit, bean salads, avocado toast, smoothie bowls and smoothie sips, healthy raw nuts, oatmeal, grain salads, healthy homemade muffins, light soups and more. My website lunchboxbunch.com has plenty of healthy recipe ideas!

Keep it Going!

I see a lot of brides acquire healthy new habits while they are prepping for their big day. Well, after the day is done, this is your opportunity to keep the wellness going. Keep up those healthy habits you acquired. This is the perfect opportunity to embark on your new journey in life with a healthy happy spirit.

Fall in love with Fresh Fall Stir Fries

Written with love, by Rebecca Ewing

It's time to embrace the flavors of fall! And it's my favorite time of the year to enjoy new flavors and textures of different combinations in comfort food stir fries that nurture your spirit and give you that much needed nutrition and vitality to be ready for your big day!

The beauty of the classic stir fry is that you can use what you probably already have and add in a little extra to give you a meal that can be enjoyed over a couple of days!

What You Need

- Your choice of protein (chicken, shrimp, steak, turkey) or keep it vegetarian and add in some pre-cooked lentils or beans (I love garbanzos!)

- Assorted Veggies (use a heaty amount of any combination of your favorites)

---> Choose dark green, leafy, hearty greens like Rainbow or green Chard, Kale (TIP: cut out the middle stem and rinse well) and if you use spinach, add into the pot last!

--->Bell Peppers (the best source of vitamin C ever! And you can buy these sliced and frozen to save time) - choose yellow or orange for more color!

---> Cherry tomatoes

---> Add in sliced purple cabbage at the very end

---> Asparagus, green beans, or broccoli - thinly sliced

---> Carrots too!

Add in color and make it pretty! And to get the most nutrients out of your meal, buy organic and as fresh as possible!

Directions

- Stir fry your protein on medium high heat with a spritz of olive oil or coconut oil until it's thoroughly cooked through and remove from the plan.

- Spritz the pan again and leave on medium high heat.

- OPTIONAL: Add in a handful of chopped onions (red, yellow, or white) until they begin to smell fragrant

- Add in your favorite hearty greens and vegetables along with a tablespoon of chopped ginger and as much garlic as you like.

- Add your protein back in and heat through.

- The last step is to stir in your favorite sauce. My "go to" sauce is 2 tbsp Braggs Liquid Aminos mixed with 2 drops of Sesame Oil, 3 drops of Sriracha Chili Sauce and 2 tbsp of water.

 - Let everything summer for 1 minute

- Top with chopped cilantro

- Serve with steamed brown or wild rice.

Want to make your rice less boring?

Add in chopped ginger, garlic, and chopped cilantro and let it cook into the rice. No need to add oil or butter!

Use your stir fry for breakfast!

For an easy frittata-style breakfast, scramble your eggs with some leftover herbed rice and 1/4 cup of stir fry. Sprinkle on a little cheese and sliced avocado. That's the way to start off the day!

Bon Appetit from FlavorLA!

Sauteed Pork Chops

Written with love, by Sarah-Elizabeth Labelle

There is a chill in the morning air as I pull myself out of bed and walk my equally reluctant dog. I dress her in a fall sweater and excitedly pick my scarf-of-the-day. The leaves have begun to change, and my drive home from work has gotten dark. Date nights with my fiancé turn into warm nights in with blankets and a glass of wine. The air smells like pumpkin spice and ginger bread. Autumn is upon us and that means so are hearty, warm meals that keep you full way past dessert!

Fall comes with its own selection of seasonal food. Squashes, potatoes, dark meat and gravies are all delicious reminders of the changing seasons. I love cooking with hearty food; the colours just mirror the season and keep us healthy. October calls for just that – a meal that looks fabulous and like it took you hours to make, when really you can do it all in under an hour! Ready, set, go!

P.S. Remember you can always substitute butter for margarine to keep things healthy!

Ingredients

Potatoes
Broccoli (or any other vegetables)
Pork Chops (4-6)
Salt
Pepper
Parsley
Thyme
Oregano
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Butter
Garlic Cloves (roughly 3-4)
¼ cup of wine
½ teaspoon of flour

Sautéed Pork Chops

1.       Preheat Oven to 350F

2.       Spice pork chops in zip lock bag by adding salt, pepper, parsley, thyme and a touch of oregano, set aside

3.       Chop potatoes (or squash) and bring water to a boil, prepare any vegetable sides at this point as well

4.       Pour 4 tbs of extra virgin olive oil in a sauce pan and bring to a medium heat 

5.       Lay pork chops in the olive oil for roughly a minute each.  This process is just to brown them and to give them a crispy coating, once browned lay them aside on a plate

6.       In a separate pan melt 1 tbs of butter (or margarine) and diced garlic cloves

7.       Cook pork chops in this mixture until everything begins to sizzle (or until the outside is almost completely white in colour) it should take roughly 3-5 minutes

8.       Place in an oven safe casserole dish with butter-garlic mixture, and bake for 7-10 minutes, make sure to flip pork chops half way through to allow for even cooking

9.       Mash your potatoes, butter your veggies add everything to the plate

If you would like to make a wine reduction sauce

1.       Take pork chops out of the casserole dish

2.       Using a spoon angle the dish sideways and skim off the top layer of fat

3.       Add ¼ cup of wine

4.       Bring mixture to a boil while stirring constantly

5.       Stir in a ½ teaspoon of flour for thickening

6.       Let cool for 1 minute before serving