It’s just 7-months to go before our May 2015 wedding. Where has the time gone? I know some couples go a little diet and fitness crazy in the run-up to their big day and I can see why. With the endless planning that a wedding demands, it’s only fair that some thought goes into thinking about how you would like to look and feel on the day.

I’m not one for dieting to lose weight. However, I am someone that is willing to try something new in order to improve how I look and feel - mentally and physically.

I was asked by the guys at Lactofree to try out a few recipes designed by celebrity nutritionist and consultant dietitian Lucy Jones to literally Beat the Bloat. After all, how often do you get the opportunity to fill your empty fridge with healthy goodies and follow a specially devised meal plan.

Lucy Jones’ general tips to help avoid bloating…

• Eat slowly – aim to make your meal last 20 minutes 
• Chew well 
• Don’t talk too much whilst eating (makes you swallow air) 
• Avoid fizzy drinks 
• Avoid large portions of beans, onions, and cruciferous veg e.g. broccoli, making sure you still eat plenty of vegetables and fruits. 
• Limit your salt intake 
• Avoid over-indulging with alcohol 
• Avoid chewing gum 
• Avoid over eating – eat smaller meals with small, healthy snacks between if needed. 

JMG and I kick-started our bloat-free week with a tofu smoothie made using banana, tofu, blueberries, strawberries, almonds, and Lactofree milk whizzed up in the NutriBullet. It was actually a really creamy and filling breakfast alternative.

Throughout the week we made things like home-made polenta chips with rump steak and tender stem broccoli, a tuna nicoise or butternut squash and mozzarella salad for lunch (a healthier alternative to the pies I often buy) and home-made mediterranean soup,  a veggie chilli and tasty curry. we literally cooked up a storm in our new Tefal Ingenio pans - they even have detachable handles and plastic lids that turn the saucepans into containers that are easier to stack or store in the fridge.

We ate omelettes with tomato - swapping out our usual semi-skimmed milk for Lactofree skimmed milk - I even had it with my granola and in my cups of tea and couldn’t taste any difference. However, we definitely did feel less bloated, but I guess that’s what you get when you eat well and cut of stodge like bread and white potatoes. 

Neither of us is knowingly Lactose intolerant, but was willing to try the product to see whether it would make us feel any different.

Snacks that won’t make you feel bloated… 

• 1 portion of fruit. 1 portion is about the size of a tennis ball, eg one slice melon, one orange, 8-10 grapes, 2 dates 

• 1 glass of lactofree milk. Could make into a smoothie with 15g chia seeds, tablespoon oats and 2 handfuls of chopped fruits 
• 180g/ pot of live natural yoghurt with handful pineapple chunks and a teaspoon cinnamon 
• one small handful of nuts (25g), ideally raw in skin and unsalted. Good examples include almonds or walnuts 
• Popcorn flavoured with cinnamon (easy in the microwave)

Over to you… Have you tried Lactofree milk or do you have any other great recipes that we should try at home? Interested in food and lifestyle posts - check out my Alpro AM experience, Ilumi gluten-free challenge and Nutribullet review.

Photography © Lucie Kerley