Les Petits Bonheurs, Champagne, & Other French Things

French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano is more of a French culture book than a diet book. No major secrets for weight loss are revealed, but I received a lot of très Français tips on life.

Guiliano suggests jump starting your weight loss by spending 48 hours eating and drinking nothing except water and leek soup. The recipe in the book is very basic, but I am not 100% convinced this is a good idea. She does suggest replacing meals with soup regularly. A good soup can be filling, healthy, and contain minimal calories. She emphasizes, and overemphasizes, staying hydrated. The author preaches moderation, eating foods that are in season, and savoring small pieces of everyday life.

On the subject of alcohol, she is pro wine and champagne. “We drink wine not to dull our senses, but to awaken them.” She praises champagne and opportunities to celebrate. Guiliano would rather have no party than a party without champagne. She mentions Pops for Champagne in downtown Chicago, a champagne bar which she has been frequenting for more than 20 years. I’m definitely adding this to my list of things to do next week (Chicago in T – 8 days! #ASDAnet). There are recipes throughout the book, including one at the end of this section for Chicken Au Champagne.  Copyright law is the only thing preventing me from putting the recipes right HERE. Note: Guiliano is president and CEO of Clicquot, Inc., and a director of Champagne Veuve Clicquot in Reims.

She also tackles the American concept of working out at the gym. French women prefer sport. They play tennis, they swim, and they are constantly taking the stairs. They incorporate activity into their life. Any actual gym you find in France was built for an American. As an exercise she brings our attention to breathing, an activity we all do “22,000 times a day”. Do it properly, and be mindful of it.

French words are scattered throughout the book, giving the authors voice authenticity. By the time I finished the book, I wanted to be French. I even decided my upcoming birthday party in November is going to be French themed. If anything, all of the tips I learned are healthy ways to bring a little France into my everyday life.

Rating: 4 Teeth

This was an enjoyable read. I got a few good tips, but it didn’t change my life or anything. This, on the other hand, will change my life.