Cooking methods are often talked about and some simple ways to keep you trimmed for the big day include steaming your vegetables, potatoes and rice.  Steamers are also widely available at reasonable prices, so get steaming to seal in your foods natural vitamins and minerals and retain the fullness of flavour.  Seriously, it works and no messy saucepans to scrub afterwards...great for the new manicure!

 Grilling meat and fish is the next best alternative and also limit the calories induced from roasting or frying.  If the Saturday morning fry-up is a must, then try grilling that bacon tastes much better and without the same guilt.

Making simple adjustments to food types can seem like a chore, but as with many things in life, a little goes a long way.  Replace white bread with brown, even just a few times a week.  Choose whole-wheat rice and pasta for extra nutritional goodness or eat some raw vegetables, which are at their best before cooking drains them of some of their mineral-rich goodness.  When eating out, go for tomato or red wine-based sauces with your main course and avoid creamy, rich sauces that are usually fat-laden.  For dessert, choose fruit-based rather than ice cream of heavy chocolate mousse.

When it comes to the cuppa, we Irish love quite a few every day.  Although tea has its natural herbal goodness, this can be lessened with generous milk or sweet sugar.  Try having a glass of fresh fruit juice for a couple of your tea breaks.  If coffee is your thing, then cappuccinos and mochas should be scaled back in place of the plain cup of black. 

If you love your chocolate, then try choosing dark varieties of 60% or higher cocoa content as these varieties boost serotonin, the `happy` chemical in the brain, and are better for you than the sugar-laden regular milk chocolate.  For the snack-happy, try to work in some nuts, dried fruits or some raw vegetables and hummus - all delicious, low in fat and interesting. Fad diets don`t work in the long-term as all dieticians and health-experts have widely proclaimed.
Everything in moderation is a sensible approach and as with life in general, balance should be at its core.  If you don`t have carbohydrates you will have no energy and your body needs them for digestion and absorption of vitamins and minerals.  Cutting out dairy can mean cutting our calcium, magnesium and vitamin B, so again, be careful. 

Making simple changes and making a minor commitment to being a slightly better person in the build up to your wedding will help you to be radiant and flawless.  Not a big commitment when you think about the one you will be making to your beloved ...food for thought!