French Women Don't Get Fat (The Secret of Eating for Pleasure) by Mireille Guiliano

A few years ago now I was browsing the ex-rental bookshelf in my local library (yes some people do still go there) when I came across this rather intriguing title - which I snapped up because I can't resist anything a little French!! The idea that a whole nation of women manage to stay svelte for their whole lifetime seemed like a far fetched concept but after reading this charming (definitely not a diet) book it doesn't seem all that unattainable.

Mireille is not a woman who spends all day everyday telling her colleagues how many calories are in the chocolate bar they're tucking into or regaling the whole office with tales from the latest diet club, weight-loss program or exercise regime, she is remarkably un-obsessed with everything DIET.

In fact I think even if she wanted to Mireille Guiliano would not have time to tirelessly count the calories, fat and sugar in every morsel which passes her lips as President & CEO of Clicquot, Inc (the lux Champagne brand) so she simply doesn't! This book was a revelation to me and since I read it I really have stayed at a comfortable weight and learnt not to obsess over but to enjoy my food, light exercise and most of all to inject what the French call Joie De Vivre! I recommend this lovely book to all my friends and so it seems a good idea to spread the word further on my blog.

My battered, well read copy

Here is what the blurb says:

Irresistible, chic, convincing, funny, wise, and very timely, this is the ultimate non-diet book, which nonetheless could radically change the way we think and live - showing us how to eat with balance, control and above all pleasure.

Throw away all the radical diet books, think about what you eat and why, and then enjoy eating the right things (and some of the wrong ones) intelligently, and in smaller portions. Eat, like a French woman, with your head not your stomach, so advises Mireille Guiliano.

French born and bread, Guiliano combines just the right balance of delightfully written memoir, wisdom, wit, delicious recipes, and Gallic common sense. As a student, she went to America and came back fat... That taught her a lesson about culture and eating habits that she has never forgotten.

Here she brings years of experience, practical advise and inspiration to women's lives, emphasising the virtues of freshness, variety, personal taste, enjoyment and- her watchword- portion control. Hers is an age-old philosophy of food and living recast for the twenty-first century, for women across countries and cultures: and includes a programme for those who want to lose weight as well as for those who simply want to eat better and maintain a healthy shape. And it's packed with wonderful recipes- from ultimately slimming leek soup to croissants and courgette flower omelette.



If you are tired with the same old routine of constantly being on a diet and never really losing any weight then please give this a try, even if it doesn't work for you (unlikely!) then you've still had fun reading a warm and engaging book.

Love
Lorraine
Lacroix x