Book review – FRENCH WOMEN DON’T GET FAT
Captain's Log, Supplemental
I know I’ve already gushed about my latest favorite diet book, French Women Don’t Get Fat, and yes, I know the title is strange/misleading/slightly insulting to Americans, but indulge me.
I just love food. Food is my reward, often, when I finish a book or a critique job. There’s nothing as satisfying as a bowl of Bing cherries to celebrate typing The End on a manuscript.
Other diets have been hard for me because they treat food like the enemy and say I shouldn’t make food my reward. That I should go for a spa day, or shopping, or a soak in the tub, or read a book.
I’m sorry, I get ten times more pleasure from a Beard Papa cream puff than a bubble bath. Shopping and spa-ing are too expensive, and I read all day for my job, so it’s nothing special. If I want to indulge, I go for something that will make my taste buds squeal.
My biggest problem has always been portion control, and this has been the best book I’ve ever read to teach me how to control the amount I eat at each meal.
Her principle is that you are more likely to be satisfied with eating less of something if it’s something that’s super tasty and that you really enjoy eating.
She teaches you to savor your food so you eat slower, and savoring is more likely to happen when the food you’re eating is super good.
She encourages really fresh and ripe veggies from farmer’s markets because they’ll just taste better, and this is something I have discovered in the past year.
Captain Caffeine and I joined an organic co-op farm, and I pick up a huge basket of fresh veggies every week. You don’t get a choice in what you get, but it’s always a huge variety, and the veggies are also very young and tender, since they don’t need to worry about long transport to a supermarket.
Price is about the same as we used to spend at Safeway each week for veggies.
The stuff at Safeway is always more mature and also tough, but the lettuces and green beans are so tender they’re amazing. The flavor of the veggies is also more intense. I can’t wait for tomatoes to start arriving in our baskets.
Anyway, the book points out that if you start with really good produce, your veggie dishes will be tastier. You’ll enjoy them more and not feel deprived if you eat less or if you’re eating an entrée that’s low in fat.
Next week Monday I’ll talk about how I’ve been losing weight while eating pasta, rice, and bread!
Hi, Camy, I blogged about this book, too. Because when we went over, I was the Second-Fattest Woman in Paris! Seriously.
ReplyDeleteMy weight in this country is just "average."
They walk to the grocery almost every day. And they smoke a lot, too. They also may eat rich sauces, but not every day, and after a feast, they eat soup the next day or two.
A family friend married a beautiful Parisian and brought her over here. Alas, she packed on the pounds, picking up our bad habits.
Good for you, teaching about their good habits.
This sounds like an interesting book. I'll probably look into it.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of organic food = but alas, in East Texas - if there is such a creature I've never heard of it :(
Ah, but we don't live in France, and when in Rome do as the Romans do. So I say, "eat up!"
ReplyDeleteI lost five pounds in my semester in France, and then put them back on when I came back. It's true about the difference of fresh vegetable. I've always eaten tomatoes, corn, and zucchini right out of my dad's garden. We make zucchini muffins that are really good :)
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