French women don't get fat. Why do the French eat everything but don't get fat?

Mireille Guiliano

French women don't get fat

French women who don't get fat

What could be more important than food? Isn’t the creation of dishes and the ritual of serving them akin to a religious rite for the most carefree lover of life? Is not an entire culture reflected in these meticulous preparations, illuminating the victory of the spirit over the frantic appetite?

Published by arrangement with The Robbins Office, Inc.

Table of weights and measures

1 pound………….. 453.6 grams

1 quart…………. 0.95 liters

1 ounce………….. 28.3 grams

1 ft……………. 30.48 centimeters

1 inch………….. 2.54 centimeters

Introduction

No matter how Franco-American relations develop in the future (at times indeed on the verge of breaking), we must not lose sight of the remarkable achievements of French culture. We have to admit that one glorious conquest remains in the shadows to this day, although the anthropological law has long been known: French women do not get fat.

I am not a doctor, not a physiologist, not a psychologist, not a nutritionist, not any other “logist” who studies people or provides them with professional assistance. However, I was born and raised in France and have looked at the French with both eyes all my life. Besides, I love to eat. There are exceptions to any rule, but in general, French women behave the same way as me: they eat whatever they like and don’t get fat. Pourquoi?

For recent years ten Americans have made useful progress in understanding the French way of eating and drinking, avoiding unpleasant consequences. Thus, the cautious recognition of the “French paradox” prompted numerous core and supporters healthy image life to rush to liquor stores for a bottle of red. Nevertheless, the wisdom of the French diet and lifestyle, especially the mysterious ability of French women to maintain their figure, is still shrouded in fog and few people have adopted it. Having become a living example, over several years I successfully brought sense to dozens of American women, including those who worked for me in the New York representative office of the company Veuve Clicquot("Veuve Clicquot") Thousands of times I have discussed the topic of nutrition with different acquaintances. “When will you write your own textbook?” – American friends and colleagues teased me.

And so Le jour est arrivé!

Is it really all about nature? Is it possible that during the gradual rotation of the wheel of evolution a completely special genotype of slender women was born? J'en doute. No, French women just stick to the system, that is, they remember the tricks - a series of well-practiced tricks. I was born among them and owe my happy childhood and adolescence to the lessons I learned from my mothers, but in my youth I suddenly lost my way. I came to America as an exchange student to study, and here I was struck by a catastrophe for which I was completely unprepared - a catastrophe weighing twenty pounds. Because of her, despondency took over me, and I made a lot of efforts to return to my previous state. Fortunately, I found an assistant - our family doctor, whom I still call Doctor Miracle. Thanks to him, I rediscovered the gastronomic wisdom of the French passed down from generation to generation and regained my figure. (Yes, yes, this is a real American story - a parable about the fall and salvation.)

I have lived and worked in America most of my life. (I like to think that I took the best from the French and Americans.) I moved here a few years after graduating from university, worked as a translator for the UN, and then, as a representative of the French government, popularized domestic food and wine. I married a wonderful American and eventually found myself in business. In 1984, I climbed the career ladder so high that since then my environment has become two cultures. The venerable Champagne House of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, founded in 1772, ventured to open a subsidiary in the United States to import and distribute the champagne of the same name and other excellent wines. I was hired first, and soon became the highest-ranking woman in the company since Madame Clicquot, who died in 1866. I am currently the CEO and President of the company. Veuve Clicquot, part of the LVMH group, which specializes in the production of luxury goods.

All this time I did not change the habits that most French women follow without blinking an eye. Meanwhile, now I face much more serious dangers than in my youth. I will say without exaggeration: the business requires me to eat restaurant food three hundred times a year (I know, it’s not an easy job, but someone has to do it). This has been going on for twenty years now, and in my case there is no question of any glass of wine or champagne (business is business). Lunches and dinners are full - I can’t get away with a portion of endive salad or a glass of mineral water. And yet I repeat: I am healthy and in great shape. The book will explain how I succeed and, more importantly, how you can achieve the same result. Learn and experience the time-tested French approach to food and life, and then tasks that previously seemed impossible will become possible for you. What's the secret here? First I will say something that everyone knows.

Many women bear a double burden, working tirelessly both inside and outside the home, which is hardly familiar to the majority of men. On top of that, to look attractive, we need to manage to stay healthy. But let's get this out of the way: most of us fail to maintain a stable, healthy weight, even at the cost of self-restraint. Sixty-five percent of Americans are overweight: diet books, sometimes written like biochemistry textbooks, are selling out instantly. It doesn't matter what their number is at the moment, and a new dozen of their kind are already on the way. Is dietetics really developing as rapidly as trade? In any case, demand does not decrease. Why? Why don't millions of copies of miracles put an end to our troubles once and for all? Frankly, all this is nothing more than “unfounded extremism.”

Most diet books are based on radical methods. The French have never supported extremism, except for the brief reign of the Jacobins in the 18th century. America, on the contrary, is attracted to other belief systems, quick solutions and emergency measures. As in all other areas, this approach has long been reflected in diet issues, but you can’t live like that. You are guaranteed a new clothing size, getting rid of a pyramidal figure and the specified number calories. Why not? C'est normal! No one is alarmed by the fact that one radical instruction often contradicts the next. Who doesn't remember the days spent on a high-carb diet? Or life on grapefruits alone? And now we eat only fats and proteins, and away with carbohydrates. First, dairy products are our worst enemies, and then they are the only thing we can afford. The same goes for wine, bran and red meat. The unspoken law seems to be that if you torture yourself with foods of a certain type, you will gradually lose interest in food and extra pounds will certainly disappear. In some cases, this is exactly what happens. But what then, after the radical program is over? You know the answer. Attention, there is only one conclusion! Diets away! Neither ideology nor technology will help. You need what French women have - a harmonious and time-tested attitude to nutrition and life. And finally, the decisive argument against extreme methods: they lose sight of the peculiarities of our metabolism. As a rule, such instructions are written by men, and it rarely occurs to them that female physiology is something completely special. After all, women's metabolism changes over the years: a twenty-five-year-old woman struggles with overweight different from a lady of forty-five years old.

Diets and healthy eating 23.03.2012

French women eat bread, love chocolate, and after a good dinner they enjoy dessert. And they don’t get fat. Why? Let's talk about this today.

I was inspired to write an article about this by several events:

Not long ago I read Mireille Guiliano’s book “Why French Women Don’t Get Fat.” I even dared to take the title of the article exactly the same...
I watched it myself (admittedly, it was quite a long time ago, but I still have vivid impressions).
Conversations with my friend, who married a Frenchman and now lives in France.

The author of the book, Mireille, went to America for an internship in her youth. She didn’t even have time to blink an eye before she turned into a fat woman. Her father, who met her at the port of Le Havre a year later, could not contain his disappointment: “You look like a sack of potatoes!” Can you imagine what your father needs to see to say that?

Both genetics and centuries-old traditions were powerless against the American food system. Only the family doctor, whom Mireille calls Doctor Miracle, helped the girl regain and survive her former figure and taught her how to maintain it throughout her life. Mireille Guiliano now lives most of her life in the United States. But looking at her portrait, there is no doubt: she is French.

When I was in France, it was impossible not to notice and not note the slenderness of French women. The figures of fifty-year-old French women are not much different from the silhouettes of thin girls. And seeing how at lunch they gobble up a salad of sheep’s cheese, a good chop, and then a decent piece of chocolate cake, all washed down with red wine, you involuntarily think: “Genetics...” But after reading Mireille Guiliano’s book, I realized that I was wrong.

French women don't exhaust themselves in the gym. Instead they prefer Walk as often as possible and avoid using elevators. They don't like shocks. Diet is generally something indecent from their point of view. They don't talk about this out loud. Yes, there are little secrets, and they use them.

Mireille Guiliano warns: do not store harmful products at home or at work. You are unlikely to go specifically to the store for a pack of chips. But no, there is no trial. Eliminate your, we call them “the usual suspects” - everything that is not healthy, high in calories, etc.

To test yourself, there is a very simple, fairly well-known and effective method: keep a diary for 3 weeks. Note in it very precisely (just don’t sin!) what you ate. And then analyze everything. Usually 1 week is enough to understand why you cannot lose weight. This macaroni with cheese and butter, various goodies in tea - all this is deposited, unfortunately, on the sides and hips of many.

Here are a few more foods that prevent women from staying slim: buns, pizza, anything fried, packaged juices, beer and hard drinks, chips, candy, ice cream, soda. I won't continue further. This is the main thing.

Lunch in France is a ritual that is anticipated with slight excitement. At 12 - 13 o'clock the whole country sits down at the table. Lunch is serious business! Production issues are not resolved here, like ours. They don’t sort things out, they don’t argue about politics. And of course, no TV or newspaper in front of your eyes.

You need to look at the food, dishes and tablecloths. Mireille Galliano writes about it this way: “You eat a skillfully served tuna carpaccio with more pleasure than the same portion of food heaped on a plate, as if for a dog.”

Lunch should consist of 3 courses... Surely, many of you will think that you can’t fit through any door like that... But the fact is that the French have small portions. It's the tourists who are being fattened up.

But, perhaps, the main thing that Mireille Guiliano calls for is: is to eat quality foods. “Trash will only turn into rubbish” - her words. It will be a little more difficult to read my thoughts further. The fact is that Mireille advises buying everything only from manufacturers, in trusted stores. We have a very difficult time with this. But still, make it a rule that it’s better to buy less, but best quality. Don't skimp on yourself.

Use seasonings to enhance your dishes. I write a lot about this. I use everything all the time. AND try to diversify everything. What is the connection between variety and weight loss? The fact is that if we limit ourselves to only one taste, for example, eating a plate of pasta, then we seek pleasure not in quality, but in quantity. We strive to fill the stomach as tightly as possible and get the desired relaxation.

Mireille Guiliano is sure that she needs to drink more. I mean water. Neither tea, nor coffee, nor carbonated drinks can satisfy the body's needs as well as plain water. Drink 5 or more glasses of clean water per day, and you will soon get rid of excess weight- that’s what she advises. You should drink it in the morning, during the day, half an hour before meals, especially for those who have crossed the 50-year mark.

But when it comes to wine, the poet in the author of the book awakens. But I won't talk about it. There are a couple of reasons for this. I don’t quite share these views myself. I also run a health blog. And what doesn’t make me feel good or comfortable, I try not to do it. So this is for your consideration.

So, let me summarize what Mireille Guiliano advises for slimness:

Keep a food diary for 3 weeks. Write down when, what time and what you eat. See above in the article.
Analyze your notes. Choose foods that you enjoy. Don't give them up completely. Just skip the big portion. Become a taster, not a consumer of everything...
Be sure to diversify your menu.
Monitor the quality of the products. Avoid cheap and tasteless food.
Each meal should be leisurely. At least 20 minutes.
Set the table elegantly. No newspapers or TV.
Don't use processed foods.
Drink at least 1.5 liters of clean water per day.
Move more. Squats and dumbbells (light) are good in the morning. At work, while you are sitting, you can do exercises (strain your stomach, etc.). Walk more. Don't use the elevator.
Buy fresh food.
Don't eat fast food.
Include onions and garlic in your diet. Necessarily.
Don't plop down on the couch right after dinner. Instead, French women walk around Paris at night. Well, you and I can also afford to take a walk along our own route.

These are my tips for all of us today. Try to live like French too. Perhaps this best way understand why French women don’t get fat? Health to everyone, slimness and spring mood.

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French women who don't get fat

What could be more important than food? Isn’t the creation of dishes and the ritual of serving them akin to a religious rite for the most carefree lover of life? Is not an entire culture reflected in these meticulous preparations, illuminating the victory of the spirit over the frantic appetite?

Valerie

Published by arrangement with The Robbins Office, Inc.

Table of weights and measures

1 pound………….. 453.6 grams

1 quart…………. 0.95 liters

1 ounce………….. 28.3 grams

1 ft……………. 30.48 centimeters

1 inch………….. 2.54 centimeters

Introduction

Over the past ten years, Americans have made useful progress in understanding the French way of eating and drinking, while avoiding unpleasant consequences. Thus, the cautious recognition of the “French paradox” prompted numerous heart patients and supporters of a healthy lifestyle to rush to liquor stores for a bottle of red. Nevertheless, the wisdom of the French diet and lifestyle, especially the mysterious ability of French women to maintain their figure, is still shrouded in fog and few people have adopted it. Having become a living example, over several years I successfully brought sense to dozens of American women, including those who worked for me in the New York representative office of the company Veuve Clicquot("Veuve Clicquot") Thousands of times I have discussed the topic of nutrition with different acquaintances. “When will you write your own textbook?” – American friends and colleagues teased me.

And so Le jour est arriv?!2
The day has come! (French).

Is it really all about nature? Is it possible that during the gradual rotation of the wheel of evolution a completely special genotype of slender women was born? J'en doute3
I doubt (French).

No, French women just stick to the system, that is, they remember the tricks - a series of well-practiced tricks. I was born among them and owe my happy childhood and adolescence to the lessons I learned from my mothers, but in my youth I suddenly lost my way. I came to America as an exchange student to study, and here I was struck by a catastrophe for which I was completely unprepared - a catastrophe weighing twenty pounds. Because of her, despondency took over me, and I made a lot of efforts to return to my previous state. Fortunately, I found an assistant - our family doctor, whom I still call Doctor Miracle. Thanks to him, I rediscovered the gastronomic wisdom of the French passed down from generation to generation and regained my figure. (Yes, yes, this is a real American story - a parable about the fall and salvation.)

Many women bear a double burden, working tirelessly both inside and outside the home, which is hardly familiar to the majority of men. On top of that, to look attractive, we need to manage to stay healthy. But let's get this out of the way: most of us fail to maintain a stable, healthy weight, even at the cost of self-restraint. Sixty-five percent of Americans are overweight: diet books, sometimes written like biochemistry textbooks, are selling out instantly. It doesn’t matter what their number is at the moment, but a new dozen of their kind are already on the way. Is dietetics really developing as rapidly as trade? In any case, demand does not decrease. Why? Why don't millions of copies of miracles put an end to our troubles once and for all? Frankly, all this is nothing more than “unfounded extremism.”

Most diet books are based on radical methods. The French have never supported extremism, except for the brief reign of the Jacobins in the 18th century. America, on the other hand, is attracted to different belief systems, quick fixes and emergency measures. As in all other areas, this approach has long been reflected in diet issues, but you can’t live like that. You are guaranteed a new clothing size, getting rid of the pyramidal figure and the specified number of calories. Why not? C'est normal!4
This is fine! (French)

No one is alarmed by the fact that one radical instruction often contradicts the next. Who doesn't remember the days spent on a high-carb diet? Or life on grapefruits alone? And now we eat only fats and proteins, and away with carbohydrates. First, dairy products are our worst enemies, and then they are the only thing we can afford. The same goes for wine, bran and red meat. The unwritten law seems to boil down to the fact that if you torture yourself with foods of a certain type, you will gradually lose interest in food and the extra pounds will certainly disappear. In some cases, this is exactly what happens. But what then, after the radical program is over? You know the answer. Attention, there is only one conclusion! Diets away! Neither ideology nor technology will help. You need what French women have - a harmonious and time-tested attitude to nutrition and life. And finally, the decisive argument against extreme methods: they lose sight of the peculiarities of our metabolism. As a rule, such instructions are written by men, and it rarely occurs to them that female physiology is something completely special. After all, women's metabolism changes over the years: a twenty-five-year-old woman struggles with excess weight differently than a forty-five-year-old woman.

The cases and recipes I have described may benefit anyone, but this book is intended primarily for women and is based solely on my experience as a woman. It will serve not only American women, but also women throughout the developed world who are busy at work, live in conditions of stress, globalization, and depend on the various problems inherent in 21st century society. My book is not for those whose excess weight directly threatens their health and who need a medical diet. I am addressing those who need to lose fifteen kilograms, and there are a lot of them. However, like cartoons about Tintin, my work is suitable for all ages, from seven to seventy-seven, and I would advise you to contact it at different periods life. Since French women do not live by bread alone, and certainly not by high-protein foods, I propose a multifaceted system of life, behavior and worldview that can be mastered. Everyone can use my quick menus and recipes and plus, bien s?r5
Of course (French).

Learn to move. I also console myself with the thought that men of any nationality will find useful information about the opposite sex in my book.

So, what is the secret of French women? How to explain why middle-aged ladies with the figures of twenty-five-year-old girls walk along the Parisian boulevards? The following chapters compare observations made during my stay in Paris (I spend about three months there each year), in New York, in different parts of the United States and throughout our planet. I invite readers to reflect on the differences and choose their own path to a healthy lifestyle.

To begin with, I note that French women do not know anything at all about those kilograms that their American sisters suffer over. The diet chatter I heard at parties in America would have horrified a French woman. In France, it is not customary to talk about “diet,” especially with strangers. We'll just share a couple of new recipes with a very close friend - education based on the old French rule. We usually discuss pleasant topics: impressions, family affairs, hobbies, ideas and views, politics, culture and, of course, nutrition, namely nutrition, but in no case diets.

French women are happy to eat as much as they want and stay slim, but American women usually see this as a contradiction - and attach too much importance to it. French women do not skip a single meal and do not replace them with weight loss cocktails. Their breakfast consists of two or three dishes, and they eat another three (sometimes four) dishes at lunch. And certainly with wine, bien s?r. How do they do this? Well, that's quite a story. A completely special story. Just one note: French women “eat with their heads” and do not leave the table with a feeling of a full stomach or with a feeling of guilt.

The main thing is to understand that “a little” can turn out to be “a lot”, and learn to eat everything in moderation. You should also be more careful about the amount of calories you consume and drink plenty of water. We no longer work eighteen hours a day in a mine or on a farm, and the Paleolithic era, marked by hunting and gathering, is long gone. Yet Americans on the whole consume at least 10 to 30 percent more than they need, not to survive but to satisfy psychological hunger. The secret is to control and tame your appetite by choosing how, when and what to deny yourself. The wonderful feeling of satisfaction you experience from your new diet (even more pleasure, even though you eat less) will motivate you to continue on the path to health. First of all, learn the most important rule of French women: you need to outsmart yourself.

Many nutritionists and expensive therapists offer sensible programs but charge a fortune to explain how to follow them. The money spent on losing excess weight is not commensurate with the results. Most women can't afford to see a doctor or nutritionist, join a health club, go to a spa, or stick to a specific diet. How much will the secrets of French women cost you?

It's actually quite inexpensive if you don't consider the cost of the book. My personal method requires only what any woman has at her disposal. The only device you need is a scale to check the weight of your food during the all-important first three months. You might consider purchasing a yogurt machine if you want to eat le vrai yaourt6
Real yogurt (French).

The key element of my program. If you are over forty, buy dumbbells to keep yourself in shape. C'est tout7
This is all (French).

I'll start with my childhood in France, and then I'll tell you how I faced the problem of excess weight in my youth. The body's first alarm signal forced me to seek help in time-tested French rules. Sharing not only your own personal experience in terms of nutrition, but also with a “comprehensive approach” to a healthy lifestyle, I strive to ensure that any reader finds her own balance. It’s balance, or more precisely, you can’t say it, because our bodies are mechanisms, and no two of them are absolutely alike. From time to time they require a “re-start”, and a nutrition program that does not change with you will very soon turn out to be useless. I offer a menu that you can follow religiously, but your job is to develop your intuition and look for what works for you. We present to your attention not recipes, but examples. Use them according to your own preferences, not forgetting about your figure, regime, environment and others individual characteristics. In general, my main principles are simplicity and the opportunity to experiment and be rewarded for doing it yourself. Neither a doctor nor the author of a diet who has never seen you will ever offer anything like this.

I will tell my story, starting with a youthful disaster, followed by salvation and a new food system that has never failed me for several decades. This is how I will show you the right path. The complete program for readers is as follows.

The first stage is awakening: within three weeks, make a meticulous inventory of all the foods you consume.

A sober look at your diet in a couple of days may make you start a new life.

The second stage is change: getting acquainted with French school portions and varied nutrition. You will learn to recognize and temporarily isolate the main food “intruders”. Most likely, this stage will take three months, although some will be able to overcome it in a month. This is not like a diet course for a young fighter - it just gives your body the opportunity to adjust to a new way. You can’t do without discipline, but it’s much more important to be able to adapt, especially at the key stage of addiction: the point is to avoid monotony in diet and behavior and give preference to quality over quantity. You shouldn't eat pizza three days in a row, but three hours at the gym on Sunday is also too much. You will adapt to the new gastronomy (this word, now perceived as French, comes from Greek and means “laws of the stomach”) using your own five senses. Three months isn't a short period of time, but it's not a long time for something you'll never have to do again. Of course, it will take longer to rebuild your body than it will to get rid of seven pounds of water, which is what many radical diets insist on. Here you are offered French method, and therefore expect pleasures, and in considerable quantities.

The third stage is stabilization: now all the foods you love are combined in the optimal ratio. You have already achieved “balance” and are at least halfway to slim figure. It’s paradoxical, but at this stage you can allow yourself even more indulgences, without ceasing to decrease in size or fixing the desired shape that you have already achieved. I share tips on how to use seasonings, how to eat according to the seasons, and how to use effective means without exerting excessive effort. Almost all proposed recipes are based on the French ability to fantasize on a given topic or the ability to make three dishes out of one dish, saving time, money, calories and getting excellent results.

The fourth stage is the rest of your life: you have reached the desired weight, nothing threatens your figure, and only small adjustments remain. Knowing your body and inclinations well, you will take control of the situation in case of unforeseen circumstances, especially when drastic changes occur in life. Your way of eating and living now matches your tastes and metabolism, fits you just like a classic Chanel suit, and will remain with you forever, only slightly changing over the years. From now on, you will have a completely different attitude towards food, gifted with intuition no less than that of any French woman. A special respect for fresh products and an interest in taste sensations will open up a world of sensory pleasure for you, and you will experience it from the appearance, color and variety of dishes. Food will become a pleasure, not a punishment. Chocolate and a glass of wine with lunch will bring you joy. Pourquoi pas?8
Why not? (French)

In addition to the rules of nutrition, and this is what the book is dedicated to, I will talk about the principles of a healthy lifestyle - they should also be enjoyable. Like nutrition, they exclude radical measures (physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual or financial) - only a sense of harmony is needed. These principles are manifestations of French Zen (as I call it), they can be quickly and easily learned and practiced everywhere (most French women don't go to the gym, but if you're a fan of physical exercise – a chacun son go?t!9
Whoever likes it! (French)

). Even the French understand that life is not all about food, so here you will get to know the French attitude towards other aspects of life, such as love and cheerfulness. From the very beginning to the end, you need to remember Montaigne’s saying, which is more relevant today than ever: “A healthy mind in a healthy body.” To preserve both, there is only one way - joie de vivre10
Joy of life (French).

(Americans do not have an exact equivalent for this expression).

I bring to your attention several stories - I must admit, there are quite a lot of them. I enjoy being a storyteller as much as I enjoy eating and drinking. These stories will introduce you to the basic laws of nutrition, but I hope you enjoy them and comme?a11
Zd. on their own (French).

Unlike ordinary diet books, my book does not impose a mandatory plan - you just have to read it. Learning to eat right is like learning a language: the ideal result is only possible when immersed in the environment.

Chapter I
Vive l'Amerique 12
Long live America (French).: it all started with my extra pounds

I love my new homeland. However, before that, when I came to Massachusetts as a student exchange student, I fell in love with chocolate chip cookies and brownies. So I gained twenty pounds.

My love affair with America began with my love for English language: We met him at the Lyceum (high school) when I was eleven years old. After French literature, English became my favorite subject, and I adored our teacher. He had never been abroad, but spoke English without French or even a British accent. He learned the language during World War II, when he ended up in a prisoner of war camp with school teacher from Weston, Massachusetts (I imagine they said quite a bit). Not hoping to survive, they decided, if they were lucky, to organize an exchange program for high school students. Every year, one high school student from the United States would come to our city, and one of us would go to Weston. The exchange program continues to this day and is still competitive.

In the last year of the lyceum, I received good grades and could participate in the program, but it did not interest me. Dreaming of becoming a teacher, an English teacher, I intended to enter a local university. At eighteen, I convinced myself that I was madly in love with a boy from my city. Of all the people I knew, he was the most handsome, although not very smart, young man, coqueluche- girls' favorite. I couldn't imagine leaving him, so I never thought of going to Weston. However, during breaks in the schoolyard they only talked about America. Among my friends, the most likely candidate for an exchange was Monique. She really wanted to go and was also the best student. This, of course, was taken into account by the selection committee, headed by our English teacher. Among the high-ranking members of the commission were representatives parent committee, teachers, the mayor and the local Catholic priest along with his Protestant colleague. And on Monday morning, when they were about to announce the name of the candidate, we were informed that the decision had not been made.

On Thursday morning (there were no classes on Thursdays then, but we studied for half a day on Sunday), an English teacher appeared on our doorstep. He came to talk to my mother, which seemed very strange, since I was a good student. After he left, the satisfied mother called me and smiled broadly without saying a word to me. Something happened tr?s important13
Very important (French).

Mireille Guiliano

Why don't French women get fat?

Mireille Guiliano

FRENCH WOMEN DONT GET FAT:

The Secret of Eating for Pleasure

Translation from English by A.B. Bogdanova

Are diets of no use? Don't fit in old clothes, refused a trip to the south and, oh my God, do you pop pills from time to time? Food lovers, here is a book that, having overcome the difficulties of translation, will become a good adviser on the path to a slim figure.

Arriving in America on a school exchange, Mireille Guiliano fell in love with this country, but inexplicably gained twenty pounds in weight. Returning to her homeland, France, she suffered because she was fatter than her peers, until a benevolent family doctor (Doctor Miracle) came to her aid. It was he who introduced the upset girl to the rules of French cooking, that is, to the secrets of a proportionate combination of those food components. Doctor Miracle returned Mireille to her former figure, simultaneously opening her up to a completely new understanding of food and drink. Mireille realized that slimness and happiness do not depend at all on restrictions - they are the reason for the failure of any diet, but on the ability to have fun without losing a sense of proportion. She learned this ancient wisdom and since then began to preach it with joy, enjoying a life that allows her to indulge her many weaknesses without excesses and go towards her desires without fear of gaining extra pounds. And now simple tips Mireille, seasoned with fascinating stories from real life and dozens of recipes, seemingly dangerous for your figure, will teach you to eat, drink and move like French women.

Wine, bread, even chocolate - and no torment and weight loss belts? Why not?

Mireille Guiliano - CEO of Veuve Clicquot Champagne (Cliquot, Inc.); lives in New York.

French women who don't get fat

Valerie

Introduction

I am not a doctor, not a physiologist, not a psychologist, not a nutritionist, nor any other “logist” who studies people or provides them with professional assistance. However, I was born and raised in France and have looked at the French with both eyes all my life. Besides, I love to eat. There are exceptions to any rule, but in general, French women behave like me: they eat whatever they like and don’t get fat. Pourquoi ?

Over the past ten years, Americans have profitably advanced in understanding the French way of eating and drinking, while avoiding unpleasant consequences. Thus, the cautious recognition of the “French paradox” prompted numerous heart patients and supporters of a healthy lifestyle to rush to liquor stores for a bottle of red. Nevertheless, the wisdom of the French diet and lifestyle, especially the mysterious ability of French women to maintain their figure, is still shrouded in fog and few people have adopted it. Having become a living example, over the course of several years I successfully brought sense to dozens of American women, including those who worked for me at the New York company Clicquot. Thousands of times I have discussed the topic of nutrition with various acquaintances.

When will you write your own textbook? - American friends and colleagues teased me.

Is it really all about nature? Is it possible that during the gradual rotation of the wheel of evolution a completely special genotype of slender women was born? J"en doute. No, it’s just that French women stick to the system, that is, they remember tricks - a series of well-practiced techniques. I was born among them and owe my happy childhood and adolescence to the lessons learned from my mothers, but in my youth I suddenly lost my way I came to study in America as an exchange student, and here I was hit by a catastrophe for which I was completely unprepared - a catastrophe weighing twenty pounds. Because of it, I was overcome by despondency, and I made a lot of efforts to return to my previous self. fortunately, I found an assistant - our family doctor, whom I still call Doctor Miracle. Thanks to him, I rediscovered the gastronomic wisdom of the French passed on from generation to generation and regained my figure (Yes, this is a real American one. history is a parable about fall and salvation.)

It's easy to skip breakfast

In the morning, a French woman would rather spend time choosing a jacket to match her jeans than preparing a full breakfast. “All the charm of a new day will come to naught if you hang around the stove before work,” says Parisian Juliette Mercier. “My family always had a morning ritual. Dad put on his robe, opened the windows in the dining room and brewed great black coffee. He poured some cream on us schoolgirls and gave us cookies. There was never a cult of sharing breakfast in the family; it was much more important to get together and sip a hot drink. Since then, coffee and bread in the morning have been my habit, which I have been following for 20 years.” At work, the coffee ritual is repeated several times. Before lunch, French women regularly have 2-3 coffee breaks, and they never buy sandwiches or buns to go with it.

For lunch choose salads and vegetables

Most often, working French people have lunch in cafes. In this case, women usually order salad or grilled vegetables. Some chicken or fish, a square of goat cheese and pieces of fried olive oil the bread gets lost in a heap of lettuce leaves with basil and arugula. “Sometimes I think I look like a big sheep,” says stylist Véronique Aboué. – I eat a bush of lettuce every day. But this has its own charm: I prefer to be a slender sheep than a ponderous puma.”

You might think that French women eat a lot of flour, because in every restaurant, before ordering, the waiter brings a free basket of fresh white bread, butter and a carafe of water. But this is only an appearance: before dinner, a French woman will actually cut off a piece of bread, spread it with butter, but only take 1-2 bites. During lunch, she will take, twirl in her hands, crumble bread, but just not eat. But he will be happy to drink 2-3 glasses of water.

They spend a strictly defined amount on food

“Madam, we have a fresh leg of lamb. Would you like it?" - “Oh, I would love to, but I only have money for ratatouille and some fish.” This kind of dialogue can often be heard in a restaurant surrounded by offices. It doesn’t matter that her income allows her to take out a full dining card at the best restaurant in the area. When leaving for a break, a French woman will not take her wallet, but will take a certain amount, usually not very large. If salads and hot dishes are more expensive, she will order an appetizer. The main thing is not to go beyond the allotted budget.

“Work off” the calories eaten

“It seems like the roast and mash was unnecessary yesterday. I hope it cost me no more than 600 kcal. Well, today and tomorrow – no dinner” – such thoughts out loud can often be heard in the workplace. Some people keep special notebooks where they write down the calorie content of their daily menu. If in the corporate canteen a French woman languidly touches her vegetables with a fork and refuses a night party, everyone nods understandingly: what to do, Madeleine is working off yesterday’s pork.

Choose seasonal fruits for snacks

“Colleagues, my aunt Amel sent nectarines from Spain. Who wants to try? Usually such a proposal is met with shouts of approval and a break in work for 15 minutes. Everyone drops what they’re doing and eats everything they had in a matter of minutes. The next day everyone will still eat apples from Provence and pears from the Loire. At the end of an impromptu break, someone will definitely ask: “Friends, does anyone have an aunt with vineyards in Bordeaux? It seems that the season of new wine will begin soon.”

They eat little at parties

A French party looks like this: dim lights, open balconies and a few boxes of wine. No food. “We come to socialize, have fun, and not fill our bellies” is a generally accepted attitude. Each glass of wine is usually washed down with several sips of water. It is not customary to drink alcohol.

Don't eat desserts

“The Napoleon cake was invented for tourists and foreigners. Real French women are cool about sweets after the main course. If I still order dessert, I’ll just try a few spoons,” says Véronique Aboué, whom we already know. That is why in Parisian restaurants the dessert menu is brought only upon the client’s request.

They talk a lot at the table

One of the unspoken rules of a French woman is to eat slowly, prolonging the pleasure. Each bite into your mouth will be followed by questions about the weather, the health of your mutual friend Luke, or a discussion of the upcoming elections. Sometimes food is just an excuse to discuss things that really matter, such as a wealthy relative's will or a promotion.

They walk a lot

French women believe that all streets hometown you need to know perfectly. Using ground transport is the lot of tourists or those who cannot walk from home to work due to illness. Many are ready to go out an hour and a half to two hours before the start of the working day to walk around their area and say hello to their neighbors. Many Parisians only go down to the metro when it rains. It is known that to keep fit, you need to take about 10 thousand steps a day. Well, French women certainly score that much!

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