French Women Don't Get Fat - Explained Fully

Mireille Guiliano Reveals the Secret of Eating For Pleasure

Mireille Guiliano gives advice on how to eat, be happy and not get fat. The secret to her eating success is eating for pleasure, not guilt. A must read for everyone.

Author and CEO Mireille Guiliano's 2005 best-seller, French Women Don't Get Fat (Vingage Books of London) is full of wonderful, healthy recipes from blueberry smoothies to pumpkin pie.

Mireille entices her readers with such foods as pizza with ratatouille toppings and salads of duck a' la' orange. Mireille will make all her readers think of food in ways no other author has in the past, but she does it with a flair. Not only does she teach portion control, but she shows how to enjoy what is being eaten. Her goal is to teach how the French think, live and what they love the most.

 

Mireille Guiliano's Advice for Staying Thin

1. Look at the offenders and get rid of them completely or eliminate them slowly.
2. Shop often at the grocery store, avoiding the need for stock-piling.
3. Eat at regular times.
4. Portion controls imperative.
5. Diversify meals and foods.
6. Try new recipes, so you don't get bored.
7. Make all the meals homemade, avoiding eating out so much.
8. Have a real breakfast.
9. Eat slowly

Mireille includes more advice, like drinking fresh sparkling water and exercising. Her plan for staying thin and being happy is inspiring and this book will make all her readers smile at her concepts of dieting.

 

Chocolate Lovers Rejoice

Is there anything wrong with eating chocolate? Can a woman eat chocolate and still remain thin? According to Mireille, "A recent survey reveals that 9 out of 10 people loving chocolate ..... and the tenth one is lying." French women love chocolate and they average around five kilos a year.
Mireille states that trying to ignore that these wonderful pleasures don't exist will probably lead to weight gain. She feels that both bread and chocolate are good for you. French women eat then and yet they don't get fat. In other words as she states, "maximize the rewards but minimize the cost." (portion control).

 

Water - Why is the Cooler Full in America

Mireille compared French water coolers to American water coolers and it was funny to hear how Americans prefer coffee and cola to a small glass of water. This simple fact helps you understand the mentality of French women. Mireille drinks a glass of water when she wakes up and before she sleeps - and another one 30 minutes before she eats.

In her French office, the water cooler is changed almost daily. In America the water company is sad - the same bottle of water is still on the water cooler after one whole week. Americans will run to get giant colas and many pots of coffee, but rarely think of drinking clear sparking water.

Mireille suggests that one reason women avoid drinking water is due to the fact that the water is too cool and hurts the stomach and the digestion. For this reason she never drinks water with her meals. She does not drink cold water either.

Oh, the dream of a French Restaurant and being able to taste over one hundred different types of water. That is exactly what happens at a restaurant called Colette, where between 80-100 waters from all over the world are available for tasting. France is second only to Italy in being sparkling water drinkers.

 

About Mireille Guiliano

Mireille Guiliano is French - from Alsace-Lorraine and Provence. She lives in New York with her husband most of the year, but does travel to Paris, France. She is the President and CEO of Cicquor, Inc. and she is the Director of Champagne Veuve Cicquot in Reims. You can find out more information about Miereille at her website: Mireille Guiliano.

In addition to French Women Don't Get Fat, Guiliano has also written:

1. French Women for All Seasons:
2. French Women for all Seasons Engagement Calendar for 2010
3. Women, Work and Art the of Savoir Faire

 

Final Thoughts on Eating for Pleasure

Mireille has taught her readers to love their chocolate and their wines and she has taught them to be happy and enjoy some of the most wonderful recipes she has lovingly added to this book. She has let them see how French women think, eat and live also. Don't think of this book as a diet, but as a way of life.

Read More:

French Women Don't Get Fat 
French Women Don't Get Fat - Magical Leek Soup
French Women Don't Get Fat - Chocolate Recipes
French Women Don't Get Fat - Croissants
French Women Don't Get Fat - Easy Desserts 



Photo courtesy of Photobucket/abuelowolf

French Women Don't Get Fat - Recipe for Croissants

Step-By-Step Instructions on How to Prepare France's Favorite Bread

Croissants are to the French as apple pie and ice cream is to Americans. It is a part of their diet and their life and it is allowed on the recasting diet.

French Women Don't Get Fat was first published in 2004 and has been translated into 40 languages. It has sold over 3 million copies and the main premise is that it is okay to eat and enjoy, but to eat slowly. French women do eat bread and this book teaches the dieter to learn to eat for pleasure.

When eating bread there are some rules attached though. The slices are counted and they do not eat before the first course is served. The art of making croissants can be mastered rather quickly, but they do take time to make. It will take several days to complete.

Mireille suggest that you start on a Friday evening, so that they can be enjoyed on Sunday for breakfast. This step by step guide will teach how to make these croissants simply and easily and then the entire family will be so happy. This recipe is reprinted with permission from Mireille Guiliano's website.

How to Make Croissants the French Women Don't Get Fat Way

Ingredients

• 260ml milk plus 2 tablespoons to brush over croissants
• 250 grams sifted plain or strong white flour plus 3 tablespoons (measure and reserve in separate bowls)
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 180 grams unsalted butter

 

Directions on Preparing Croissants

1. On Friday evening (day 1), heat 65ml milk to lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in the lukewarm milk, stir in about 6 tablespoons of flour (from the 250 grams of flour), and whisk until there are no lumps left.
2. Cover with cling film and let stand at room temperature until doubled in volume (it will take about 20 minutes).
3. Mix sugar and salt into the remaining flour.
4. Heat the remaining 195ml of milk to lukewarm. Transfer the raised dough to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add lukewarm milk, with the mixer at high speed, start adding the sugar, salt and flour mixture, a little at a time. Lower the speed to low-medium on the mixer and continue to mix until the dough is sticky soft.
5. Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate overnight.
6. On Saturday Morning, bring the butter to room temperature and work with the heel of hand to incorporate the 3 tablespoons of flour until smooth and shaped into squares.
7. Sprinkle the working surface (marble is best) with flour, shape the cold dough into a 38 x 15cm rectangle and spread the softened butter square on the upper 2/3 of the rectangle, leaving a 1cm border around the sides and top.
8. Fold the dough like a letter in thirds, folding the bottom third up first. Turn the dough anti-clockwise (it will look like a notebook with the open flap on your right). Then again roll out the dough into a 38 x 15 cm rectangle and fold as before.
9. Transfer the dough unto a baking pan and cover with cling film. Refrigerate the dough overnight for 6 hours.
10. On Saturday afternoon (day 2), roll out the dough two more times, wrap and refrigerate overnight.
11. On Sunday morning (day 3), about 1 1/2 hours before baking time, remove the dough from the refrigerator and sprinkle flour on the working surface. Roll the dough into a 40cm circle, working as quickly as possible. Using a knife, cut into quarters and then each quarter into 3 triangles.
12. With both hands, roll the base of each triangle towards the remaining corner. Do not curl the ends in a croissant shape. Transfer to a baking sheet and brush with 2 tablespoons of milk. Let stand at room temperature for about 45 minutes or until the croissants have doubled in volume.
13. Preheat oven to gas mark 6 or 200 degrees C. Brush croissants with the glaze and bake for 15-20 minutes. If the croissants brown too fast, cover them loosely with foil. Let cool 20 minutes before serving.

The first time this recipe is tried, it may seem daunting, but with practice the art of making croissants will be second nature. It is a pleasure very few can actually enjoy daily or even yearly, but it is indeed more satisfying than a stale diet cracker.

Photo courtesy of Photobucket/Soggy_waffle