Dr Anjali Hooda Shares Tips On How To Banish The Bloat

You have found the man of your dreams—and the wedding lehenga of your dreams. But saying yes to the dress is just half the battle won. The next step is to ensure that you look and, more importantly, feel your best on the biggest day of your life. While there is no dearth of pre-wedding crash diets and unverified internet hacks promising flat abs within weeks, the real secret to a slimmer waistline needs you to go with your gut—in the most literal sense of the term. Experts are in agreement that the key to outer beauty lies in inner well-being.

And for brides looking to banish the bloat, gut health plays a crucial role in the months leading up to the big day. After all, there’s something about planning a wedding that can stir up a toxic cocktail of stress, sleep deprivation and poor dietary choices—all of which conspire together to cause imbalances in the gut-brain axis. “This two-way communication network between the central nervous system (CNS) and the enteric nervous system (ENS) of the gut is influenced by brain activity as well as the gut. When we experience stressful episodes, such as planning for a wedding, our gut responds with increased inflammation and the occurrence of symptoms such as bloating,” explains Dr Anjali Hooda, an American-certified internal medicine specialist.

Food For Thought

A bit of bloat won’t derail your wedding, but it helps to develop certain dietary habits and lifestyle measures in the months leading up to the wedding. “Eating a balanced diet rich in whole grain foods and including complex carbs, such as quinoa and millets, is important,” says Dr. Hooda. Fibre-rich carbohydrates, such as quinoa, are known to promote healthy gut bacteria and dial down inflammation. She also favours foods with a low glycemic index (GI) for brides-to-be, such as apples, oranges, and strawberries. Low GI foods are known to be digested more slowly, which causes a slower release of glucose in the bloodstream and prevents erratic spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels.

You May Also Like: Should Creatine Supplements Be A Part Of Your Wellness Routine?

The slower digestion of these foods also influences gut microbiota by promoting the growth of healthy gut bacteria. Even as you load up on gut-friendly foods, certain foods are unwelcome in any bride’s quest for better gut health. In Dr. Hooda’s rulebook, sugar is the worst offender. “As a common ingredient, it is present in almost every food item. By activating the brain’s reward centres and releasing the feelgood hormone known as dopamine, it tends to be addictive,” she cautions.

Excessive consumption of sugar can lead to changes in the gut microbiome and influence gut immunity, which is why she recommends avoiding sugar in your pre-wedding diet. If you feel the munchies coming on while popping between bridal shops and dress trials, you can always reach for healthier alternatives to processed foods. Your options include fresh fruits as well as nuts and seeds, like pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, and chia seeds. As a potent source of dietary fibre, these seeds promote a healthy gut. “Whole grain crackers are also rich in fibre and can be consumed with guacamole or unsweetened almond butter spread as a worthy snack option,” she adds.

Blessed Not Stressed

At the end of the day, there is no avoiding stress when attempting to reconcile your dream wedding within the demands of extended Indian families. Dr. Hooda recommends prioritising tasks and creating a manageable to-do list for each task— taking care to set realistic expectations and saying no when necessary. “Through this process, remember not to compromise on your sleep and ensure that you get sound, restful sleep for at least 7-8 hours each day,” she adds. Whenever life feels overwhelming, it helps to zoom out and take a look at the bigger picture. The year is 2025, and bridal beauty is no longer limited to arbitrary shapes and sizes. The goal is not to look like a certain version of you, but to take care of your gut health with proactive measures to feel like the best version of yourself.

This story appears in Manifest India’s Issue 02. Subscribe here for more stories like this.