Beauty bites

from Love Our Wedding - May/June 2023

HALLOUMI, POTATO AND AUBERGINE BAKE

What to eat to GLOW from within on your wedding day & beyond - The GLOW Coach, Victoria Morgan, gives her top nutrition tips...

When it comes to Nutrition for glowing skin, hair & nails, it’s key to focus on a mostly whole-foods diet, with a good balance of Macronutrients. Add in lots of colourful, fresh foods to ‘eat the rainbow’, because our bodies love getting a wide variety of nutrients. The six key whole-foods categories span vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts & seeds, wholegrains and herbs and spices, so there is plenty of variety and opportunity to experiment and get creative with flavours and trying new things. Also remember that keeping your hydration levels topped up daily is important for that glow from within.

Although it can be tempting as a bride, there’s no need to go on an extreme diet or skip meals, even if weight loss is your goal and nutrient density - the amount of beneficial nutrients contained in foods, is now widely recognised as being more important than counting calories, or resorting to cutting out whole food groups. A sudden reduction in your calories can slow your metabolism and increase hunger levels - something I see regularly in clients who come to me. Focusing more on what you’re adding in, rather than restriction, means you can still achieve your goals but in a healthier, more enjoyable way, through focusing on including more whole-foods on your plate, whilst minimising processed foods, refined white carbs and sugar, which can cause havoc with our skin-health and general wellbeing.

Gut Health

Nourishing your gut better is an important first step for increased skin-glow, weight management, better metabolism, brain & hormone health, and so much more! By eating more nutrient dense, colourful fibre rich whole-foods, we feed the gut microbiome (the bacteria that lives there) plenty of the goodness that it needs to thrive. Fibre is our gut’s best friend and slows the release of glucose from the food we eat, so that we produce less insulin - the hormone that can lead to inflammation and cause skin issues and breakouts. Probiotics (fermented foods such as kimchi & sauerkraut) will add more good bacteria, whilst Prebiotic foods will help them flourish (for example, onions, garlic, artichoke) Vitamins and minerals, plus the colourful compounds from plant based foods called Polyphenols, are essential for a healthy microbiome, for the production of healthy cells and for glowing from the inside out.

A Good Balance Of Nutrients

A balance of the three types of Macronutrients - Protein, Fats & Carbohydrates is key to getting everything your body needs to feel and look healthy. I often share with my clients a visual guide of a balanced plate of food that’s roughly made up of one half colourful vegetables, a quarter protein and a quarter whole-grains, with a little bit of fats added from olive oil for example, a sprinkling of seeds, or a side of avocado. Our skin loves these healthy fats, especially combined with protein - so this would be my number one nutrition skin-glow tip as together, they keep our skin cells healthy, hydrated and bouncyavocados & eggs combined is a very nutritious example, or oily fish with legumes. Try to have protein with healthy fats at every meal, this will also keep you feeling full for longer, reducing those afternoon sugar cravings.

Load Up On Superfoods For Glowing Skin

There are many foods that are rich in antioxidants and bursting with Vitamins and Minerals (Micronutrients) that are essential for glowing skin and good health. Boost your Vitamin C intake to increase collagen production in your skin, by adding in more portions of fruit and veg. Cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cauliflower and leeks will support hormone health, whilst avocados, red peppers and beetroots will boost your skin’s radiance. Go for antioxidant rich foods like tomatoes, spinach and carrots, plus fruits like berries, apples, pears, kiwis and pomegranates. Sweet potatoes are rich in copper, a mineral that boosts collagen production in the skin and has antiageing properties. Zinc is another key mineral for skin-health, which can be found in seafood, poultry and also in pumpkin seeds. For brighter eyes and to help with dark circles, drink warm water with lemon, add in herbs like parsley and ginger and start juicing, especially a few weeks before your wedding for that extra glow. Beetroot juice is excellent for detoxification - try my favourite skinglow boosting juice recipe below.

1 serving, juice the following:

2 beetroots

2 medium carrots

2 oranges

A thumb size piece of ginger

Small Changes Over Time

Making changes to your diet doesn’t need to happen over night, so give it time and start making small, achievable adjustments a few months ahead of your big day. Remember that our skin regenerates every 28-30 days on average, so by nourishing your body better from within, it will take some time for those healthier, radiant skin cells to show up on the surface. We are all different and unique, so when it comes to your diet, things that worked well for others, might not suit you, or your body. It all comes down to balance and leaving room for the foods you love!

If you would benefit from some support to work out what a personalised pre-wedding Nutrition plan could look like for you, reach out to an expert who can tailor a plan to your goals, preferences and lifestyle and also be there to support and guide you through any changes to your diet, whilst keeping you motivated and moving forward.

Victoria, The GLOW Coach offers personalised Nutrition & Wellness plans for Brides-to-be, through online 121 coaching sessions. To get in touch, email: victoria@theglow.coach/ Instagram @theglowcoach www.gucci.com www.ronaldjoyce.com