French Women Don't Get Fat
by Mireille Guiliano
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Book Reviews of French Women Don't Get Fat
Book Review: An American who lived this as a teen and learned from it
Summary: 5 Stars
At age 55, people often tell me that they envy the way I can apparently eat anything I wish and stay slim. That isn't true, of course, any more than it is for anyone else.
But when I was 19, I went to Paris and worked as an au pair for a year, and after the initial culture shock (no eggs and bacon for breakfast?! supper late and small? Lunch big and SLOW?), I learned that I felt healthier and stronger when I ate in the classic French manner: exactly the diet and routine outlined in this book. For the past 35 years, whenever I feel a little sluggish or put on a few pounds, I return to eating in the French manner to the extent that this is possible in the United States.
That is the real crunch, as mentioned by a number of other reviewers. What is easy in France is difficult here. I live in an urban community where a nice grocery with fresh produce is a short walk away, and I can easily walk to the post office, library, movie theater, etc. I rarely go to a restaurant that is not within a 5 minute walk from my house, and I have a large variety to choose from. A small minority of Americans live in this context.
But I did not always live here. When I have lived in more suburban areas, I thought about ways to simulate a similar life. Some things are easy: park at a small distance from your destination and walk the rest of the way. Get in the habit of stopping on the way home from work to purchase those few fresh fruits or vegetables that will make dinner special. Eat a smaller and later dinner, and do change plates between courses, even if only once. Those four extra plates per family of four are irrelevant, and the difference in eating habits is worth the little effort.
Some things are hard: portion size in restaurants in the US is huge. Good produce can be hard to find and expensive. A smaller and later supper is not appropriate for a child or teen who had to wolf down a quick school lunch in the allotted 25 minutes. Ready-prepared food (usually caloric and bland, and often pumped with preservatives and unpronounceable ingredients) is prominently displayed in the grocery store and very tempting! In suburban areas without sidewalks, any walking at all is risky to one's life and limb. And most of us work more hours than the French and see the preparation of meals after a long day at work as a burden and not a creative process. That is even more true when we take into account that the average family dinner takes less than 15 minutes to devour, and that allows for little sense of pride in the meal that was prepared.
Still, I have found over the years that it is worth the effort to emulate the traditional French lifestyle to the extent possible, even if that is sometimes limited to the weekends. When I get too far away from it for too long, I definitely can tell the difference; I have less energy, I feel bloated, and even my skin and hair look dull. A week of consciously living more like the French will revive me.
Several reviewers have pointed out that the French themselves are getting away from these traditions and putting on weight as their lives become more like ours. This is true. It is also true that the French government and health care community see this as a cultural and health crisis, and serious efforts are taken to guide the French back to their traditional lifestyle. Alas, we Americans are held up as a bad example, and (also alas) this is entirely appropriate. Exporting our lifestyle has also exported the health and diet issues that are inescapable and unfortunate by-products.
A final anecdote: two years ago, I was helping the children of an expat French family to make the transition to the English language in an American school system. I met with the daughter to discuss her studies, see what she needed help with, what she did not understand. Her immediate concern was the food pyramid. She simply did not understand the concept. We discussed it at length (in French), and suddenly a light bulb went on: "Oh! Is it to teach Americans how to eat? But why would a person need to learn how to eat? It is so easy! I learn from my family by seeing what is served every day, and I will do the same for my children, of course." Later that week, she was very distressed. The children had been told to keep a food diary, and then to compare it to US dietary guidelines, and to write a short paper on how they could improve their daily diets. Charlotte was nonplussed...there was nothing to change. She asked me if she should eat badly for a day or two so that she would have something to write. This experience really put the whole issue into focus for me. A ten year old French girl knows how to eat well. A ten year old American snacks on junk food and often eats dinner out of a bag. We CAN stop the madness, but our society makes it very difficult. This book can be just the inspiration needed, if approached with an open mind.
Book Review: French Woman Don't Get Fat. By Mirielle Guiliano. Reviewed By: Lisa Panetta-Sawaya, MA, Michigan, USA
Summary: 5 Stars
French Women Don't Get Fat is a memoir that is also a cookbook and a guide for American woman on weight control. Written by Mireille Guiliano, a French American woman born in France and raised both in France and America, the book uncovers the reasons that French woman are not fat yet they eat things that are seen as unhealthy by American woman, such as bread, butter, chocolate and wine. The book explores the cultural differences between French and American woman and how these translate into the weight problem many American woman have. Filled with rich stories, recipes and French cultural wisdom, the author unravels the mystery of the "French Paradox." Guiliano suggests that the answer to the question, why French Woman Don't Get Fat, lies in the fundamental differences between how French and American woman view food and life.
For the French woman, eating is part of a ritual and the preparation and the presentation are as important as the eating. This is not so for many American woman. In this way, French woman are burning calories through the shopping as they walk to the market and as they prepare the meal from quality ingredients in their own kitchens. The foods they eat are fresh that day from the market. They do not eat poor quality food or drink. "...the great majority of Americans are conditioned to demand and accept bland, processed, chemically treated, generally unnatural foods, which through packaging and marketing have been made to seem wholesome. I have no doubt that any people made to eat this way would in time grow fat. Among the French, by contrast, a love of good natural food is part of the universal patrimony. Not that French don't pay more for quality. On the average, they spend a much greater proportion of their income on food. But what seems like a luxury to Americans is a necessity to the French. The key to cooking, and therefore living well, is the best ingredients."(77) The author goes on to explain how indulging in pleasures is important to maintaining a healthy weight and life. "Too often, American women eat on the sly, and the result is much more guilt than pleasure. The tendency goes with an attitude that should be changed. Nothing is sinfully delicious. If you really enjoy something, as I adore chocolate, there is a place for it in your life. Only with cultivated pleasure can you enjoy chocolate in the clear light of day."(182) As for exercise, the author shares that the American view of all or nothing is far from the French view of slow and steady. "American woman seem to have two modes: sitting or spinning. French women prefer the gentler, more regular varieties of all-day movement--"the slow burn," in American terms."(207)
Living in two cultures has given Guiliano great insights that she shares almost lyrically. Her French way of living is wonderfully wise and romantic. She has created a notable memoir, that can enrich and empower all woman with a healthier view of food and life.
Book Review: Balanced food for balanced weight
Summary: 5 Stars
Part healthy living guide, part memoir, this non-diet book is chock-full of great advice for weight control. I have lost over thirty pounds since reading this book almost two years ago, which has also been reread when I've felt myself slipping back into an American standard of eating. Even if you don't want to buy a yogurt machine or eat leeks for a weekend, this sage advice is well worth your time.
As Madame Guiliano teaches us, the biggest "secrets" to maintaining a healthy weight are portion control and balanced eating. The "trick" is not deprivation, but indulgence in fine foods in portion-controlled amounts. Deprivation only leads to overindulgence later. Tantalize your taste buds! Yes, you can have the wine, the champagne, the rich food, and the few pieces of (high-quality) chocolate too! The biggest lesson on portion control: French women eat until they're satisfied. Americans eat until they're stuffed. You must learn to read the signals that tell you when you've had enough.
As she shows us, both when and how are important for balance. If you had the bread at lunchtime, skip it at dinner. If you had the croissant for breakfast, balance it with vegetables at lunch and a piece of fruit mid-afternoon. Eat three healthy meals a day. If you eat well throughout the day, you will lose the need to gorge all night long.
Madame Guiliano advises us that the most delectable portion of a course is in the first three bites. Go for the cup of soup, not the bowl. She also advises us to cultivate an appreciation for fresh foods that are in season, and to use them. As she notes, there is nothing more flavorless than a winter tomato, so why torture your taste buds by eating them? Other useful "rules" include: NEVER eat standing up, pay attention to presentation (every meal should be an experience), and don't rush through meals - pay attention to your food!
Of course, French women walk everywhere, too, but we Americans don't need to be told we aren't moving enough. We all know it. We don't want to hear it, but we don't have an appreciation for how small things add up to big changes. Park your car at the furthest space away from the store, take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk from a store to the one next door instead of driving across the parking lot. It all adds up! I know some of this doesn't sound new, but what Madame Guiliano teaches us is a new attitude toward food.
This book has given me a renewed interest in cooking, and an appreciation of the freshest seasonal foods available. Whole Foods has become a staple for my produce and chocolate. I have dusted off my favorite cookbook and found dozens of easy recipes using spices I had never tried (I found her recipes a little too difficult, using ingredients I don't readily have at hand). Best of all, put these suggestions into action and enjoy a "joie de vivre" you've never experienced before!
Book Review: A TRUE Lifestyle Change for Longtime Dieters-- Stop the Diet!
Summary: 5 Stars
I strongly recommend this book for anyone who is constantly "dieting" (and is sick it) and is ready for a true lifestyle change.
I am a female in my late twenties. In my teens, I was overweight. I lost about 20 pounds prior to going away to college and kept it off; however, I remain unhappy with my weight. I am considered in the "normal" range, but at the high end, and am unhappy with my appearance. These stubborn 10-15 pounds drive me crazy. I have tried Weight Watchers, South Beach, diet pills, and have always given up quickly and feel frustrated by being restricted and knowing I am on a diet (which of course implies a temporary state and punishment). I love food and appreciate it, but know I have an unhealthy relationship with it, for I am inundated with feelings of guilt and frustration almost every time I eat. I am definitely an emotional eater. I eat primarily out of boredom or stress and know when I am doing it, which only makes me feel worse. I keep going back to Weight Watchers, but don't stay on it long because I feel counting points is aggravating, I find myself eating low points foods that are highly processed and not nourishing, and being hungry and eager while on it. (I know WW is great for some people, just not for me).
Why French Women Don't Get Fat is a book that truly provides perspective that can inspire and guide a lifestyle change. It is right for someone who wants to reinvent his or her relationship with food AND eating. Although some have critiqued Guiliano for being "snotty," I find her points valid. I have learned so many tips that I will actively make a part of my life. For example, savoring food one bite at a time, cutting items you eat for no good reason and could live without (for me, pop--although, I drank diet, and chips), cutting back on those delicious foods we don't want to live without (chocolate, wine), and controlling or portions and responding to hunger. Most importantly, eating real food in reasonable amounts (ie. No processed food at all).
I strongly recommend to read Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food to accompany Guiliano's book. While I feel Guiliano gives fantastic advise on how to change our perceptions of food, eating, and our lifestyle, Pollan's book does a wonderful job discussing what we should be feeding our bodies.... Food, not food products that are factory made and filled with chemicals. Pollan's book will give you insight into what you are eating (without feeling you are stuck with French food).
I feel uplifted and truly excited to make a real change--to look at food and eating as something to be "respectfully savored," nourishing, and to begin fueling my body with real food in appropriate quantities for the right reasons.
I wish everyone the best of luck!
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto
Book Review: French Women Don't Get Fat
Summary: 4 Stars
As many of you who know me personally are aware, I have lost since July 2009, about 40 lbs. following the Belly Fat Cure program by Jorge Cruise. I recommend that program, but was also interested in this book, primarily because my wife has not had similar experience on BFC. 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. 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. She takes us through the thoughtful and kind prescription of her "Dr. 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. Guiliano speaks of an approach based in self awareness, understanding foods, wine, and "offenders" and what makes the needle move for you. 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. 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. I would still recommend the Belly Fat Cure by Jorge Cruise over this book, if you were to buy only one. 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.