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Miracle" who helped her gain control of herself, recognize her "petits demons" and take charge over her eating, her pleasures, and her life.I found the book to be an enjoyable read with sound advice for men and women of all ages and nationalities. As many of you who know me personally are aware, I have lost since July 2009, about 40 lbs. I recommend that program, but was also interested in this book, primarily because my wife has not had similar experience on BFC. She takes us through the thoughtful and kind prescription of her "Dr. I would still recommend the Belly Fat Cure by Jorge Cruise over this book, if you were to buy only one. Also, I am aware that generally speaking, it seems for difficult for women to lose weight than men, and wanted to see if this book has any insight about that.
She does not advocate dieting as Americans understand it (deprivation for a limited period of time with short term dubious results) or excessive exercise (three hour gym poundings on machines that resemble weaponry; but instead promotes a systematic, incremental approach to reducing and eliminating the foods that cause weight gain, and adding regular walking, water, and self dicipline to your routine. following the Belly Fat Cure program by Jorge Cruise. Guiliano speaks of an approach based in self awareness, understanding foods, wine, and "offenders" and what makes the needle move for you. Also, having begun to learn French at the age of 9 in elementary school, I am still somewhat of a francophile, especially when it comes to wine, food, and pleasure.I read this book in two sittings, one long and one short, because I wanted to finish it quickly so I would not interfere with my wife's "getting on with it". The author, Mirielle Guiliano, former CEO of Clicquot, Inc.(LVMH)recounts her personal story about how as an adolescent came to look like a "sack of potatoes" in the eyes of her father. At the same time, she favors allowing yourself the basic pleasures of food and wine (including champagne, of course) with the awareness that indulgence today will have a cost of reducing or abstaining tomorrow.The version of the book I read is chocked full of recipes to assist people in converting themselves from fattening, unfulfilling junk food eaters into conneiseurs of what is best for you: real, good food properly prepared.With the exception of the fact that her recipes and approach likely contains a little too much sugar for those who are serious about losing weight regularly, I found this book to be basically sound and consisten with the principles that have enabled me to successfully lose weight.
That said, I think this book is a good supplement to the BFC program and especially offers a woman's perspective that many (men and women) will find useful.Enjoy this book.
But, hey, if they have a secret and are willing to share, why not let them dish.Mireille Guiliano clearly underlines that when eating there are no extremes necessary. The bottom line is to keep all things in moderation. And this adhearing to no extremes takes less time out of your day. Instead get one truffle and savor it. When one considers all this delivery of common sense, Americans in general will agree that this advice is a no-brainer.
Savor life's little pleasures. And boredom, we have all found, has the potential to lead to over eating, over sitting and generally going backwards in our efforts to live a healthier, more productive lifestyle. No boredom has the potential to getting out in the world, thinking ahead, considering others, not just your own needs.An underlying theme of "French Women Don't Get Fat" is to leave positive lasting impressions with people you come into contact with. Walking more and drinking more water, however, are both key to enabling oneself to eliminating extremes.
Then binge exercising leads to binge couch sessions. Guiliano's first book annoying and self-promoting of the French culture. Enjoying little treasures and savoring them allows a person to look forward to the event. Americans may find Ms. If you love chocolate, don't eat a plastic Snickers Bar. It's an easier resolution to follow, she insists, than going to the gym three times per week.
Posture is a sure-fire way to help you feel better and you are going to look taller when you aren't slouching. Actually, it's easier done.Etiquette encourages not just the hostess but the human being to consider others and their needs. Changing your gastrominal point of view, insists the author, will enhance your life and pare down your size. One example is an heirloom tomato when picked at its peak of ripeness. They are so sweet they resemble a strawberry rather than a beefsteak tomato, which when compared to its contemporary, tastes like water.
This vision and excitement fights boredom.
It's about taking your eyes off yourself and focusing on the rest of the human race around you.
It's also a way to bring more oxygen into your system which leads to positive effects.
First and foremost binge dieting leads to binge eating.
"French Women Don't Get Fat" goes so far beyond weight issues.
Easier said than done.
Much like etiquette encourages one to cater to others and appreciate manners and style, "French Women Don't Get Fat" directs the reader to enjoy the pleasures of life and not short change yourself.
This encourages freedom of thought, poise and posture.
It's about life lived at it's fullest and well worth the read.
We know when we're being talked down to. and was delighted to see it was a foodie book (I must admit they're my favorite especially if there's recipes included). And this book is rather patronizing for someone who claims to be half-American. The first half of the book went great. Yes, it may be true, but stop with being so surprised every few seconds. Twinkies and Doritos do add up over the years. and how she seemed to look down at us "slovenly Americans" (my words, not hers).
something I've discovered in the past few years. It boils down to common-sense really. So this book didn't show anything new under the sun. and like I mentioned before, the recipes look simple enough to follow and delicious enough to try.
I picked this book up thinking it was a novel. and I finally did get that sense after awhile, especially when she's scornful of the people living in her apartment building who were exhausted during the great blackout a couple of summers ago. they were exhausted just after climbing a few flights of stairs. we Americans are not stupid. If you're a serious foodie, I would suggest reading Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle," which goes into more details about food, politics and more (and includes some really yummy recipes) or read any of Michael Pollan's books. This book can be fun to read about Paris and the French countryside (though I do not believe that all French women are perfectly slim.). I found myself nodding in agreement and while I don't necessarily believe in starting off a cleansing diet with leeks but I do agree that we need to be more active, pro-active and drink lots of water and get more sleep. Not only that, the French are not the only country in the world that have good recipes.
Maybe it does for other readers, but not for this one. This book is fluff in comparison, though it does have some good recipes that I cannot wait to try.Other reviewers here have complained about how condescending the author's writing style is. They're just more vocal about it than the other countries in the world.If you can ignore all that, this book can be quite fun to read especially the lavish descriptions of meals and wine. So if you can ignore the author's smug tone, then you'll have a fun book to read.1/9/10
I love France just as much, if not more, than the next person but I don't think the French are better in every regard. SummaryThis book is a quick, easy read, and is interesting - even if you aren't trying to lose weight. They eat smaller amounts but more variety.They eat what is in season to ensure maximum flavor. This is something I was never able to do and I feel like I am slowly getting better at this.What I Didn't LikeAs I mentioned before, the author has a tendency to sound smug. She talks about:French women eat at regular mealtimes, never standing up, never in the car, never in front of the TV or with a book. We should be cooking more at home. This means butter instead of margarine, full fat milk instead of skim, sugar instead of Splenda. I used to eat just a small breakfast and be starving for a snack an hour later.
They drink water and walk all day long. I don't need her to tell me that when my brother/mother/husband would be happy to tell me what I'm lacking any day of the week.The author is Mireille Guliano, President and CEO of the champagne company Cliquot Inc. Now, I eat something filling enough to get me to lunch.We shouldn't be exercising so we can eat more. French women eat real foods in moderation. She discusses eating 3 course dinners (small portions of course) unhurriedly.
Maya is fairly adventurous and will try most anything, but what child will eat Red Mullet with Spinach en Papillote without putting up a fight. i.e. She is not a doctor or a nutritionist, but rather, a person who learned through her own experiences how different Americans and French view food. They sit with proper utensils and a place setting. How to enjoy food, especially good quality. With the help of a doctor - who she refers to throughout the book as Dr.
Now I actually prefer to do so because I can control the portion size, the oil, the salt, and the sugar content. I actually read this book a while back and after falling off the eating wagon a bit, I reread it again recently. I disagree that the gym or some type of formal exercise is not necessary. The breezy nature of the book, the anecdotes of the author's childhood, and the delicious sounding recipes make me recommend this book.
She also introduced a lot of foods I hadn't really thought of trying before and I now regularly consume.This book isn't just about what to eat or not eat, it is also about how to savor life by eating with friends instead of in front of the TV. We shouldn't be eating chemically altered food. Whereas I used to need a ton of brownies to feel satisfied, now I just need a bite or two and I'm done. What I learned:Our meals should be filling enough that we can go a few hours without a snack. just because Trader Joe's carries strawberries in February doesn't mean they will be flavorful.They don't feel guilty about food the way Americans do because they believe in indulging on occasion but cutting back slightly the next day to make up for it. After a stint in America as an exchange student, she returned home to France needing to rethink her newly acquired eating habits. I can't remember the last time I had a brownie.This book contains lots of recipes and while I've only made a few of the easier ones, I was inspired to start making a lot of my own food.
I also managed to avoid her 3 page list on what French women are and what American women are lacking because honestly. I was "recast" I guess. No gyms, no 30 Day Shred DVD's, no spin classes.French women eat chocolate and drink wine.Obviously a lot of what the author talks about is common sense. Can most people really afford to buy a $15 piece of wild salmon for dinner. The author obviously has money.
Oddly enough I gleaned a lot more from this book the second time around, possibly because I was able to overlook the author's slightly condescending nature this time. Besides, I often wondered why she settled in New York if she believes France is THAT much better.As a vegetarian I found it a bit difficult to utilize a lot of her recipes/menus. It is much easier to eat meat and feel full but feeling full with vegetables can be challenging.As far as I know she has no children and apparently her husband isn't picky which makes eating the French way about 100 times easier for her. And last but not least, anyone who can recommend dark chocolate as part of a healthy diet must be on to something.Ameena Din Freelance Reviewer Fancy That.Fancy This[.]. While I didn't make her famous (infamous).
leek soup, I did go 2 weeks with no sugar and suddenly I just don't crave it anymore. Miracle - the author is able to return to her normal size and kick all her bad habits to the curve. Yes I agree that we shouldn't be spending an extra 10 minutes on the stationary bike so we can eat a vat of fries, but in my opinion a regular person needs to be active for at least 45 minutes a day for their overall health and mental well-being, not specifically just for weight maintenance/loss. We should be drinking more water and walking more. This was a tough one for me as I would be in the gym at 5 am every day running like a crazy person so that I justified eating an extra cookie or 5.Her ideas about recasting did wonders for my sugar habit.
Especially not these days, in this economy. It has that same old world charm that I associate with being in Paris and I am totally sold the things she emphasizes - luxury, quality, variety, freshness, and balance.
I'm reading this for the second time. I now make my own yogurt, walk more in little ways and drink seltzer and lemon and easily get 65 - 70 ounces a day.Great advice and humor.
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