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

From the Publisher

The million copy, ultimate #1 bestseller that is changing the way Americans eat and live



Don’t Diet
Eat Chocolate
Drink Wine
Take Long Walks
Enjoy Life
Stay Slim
the French way
Experience the joie de vivre
of French Women Don’t Get Fat
by Mireille Guiliano

Julia Reed

At the very least, we would all do ourselves a favor to make like Colette, for whom the table was ''a date with love and friendship '' instead of the root of all evil.

The Washinton Post - Lilly Burana

Grilled peaches with lemon thyme, tartine au cacao, chicken au champagne and halibut en papillote -- have we heard the "indulge within reason" spiel before? Oui. But not lately with such élan and joie de vivre. It's hard not to be enlivened by a "diet" book that celebrates both chocolate and bread, and espouses such wisdom as "Life without pasta? Perish the thought."

Publishers Weekly

Guiliano's approach to healthy living is hardly revolutionary: just last month, the New York Times Magazine ran a story on the well-known "French paradox," which finds French people, those wine- guzzling, Brie-noshing, carb-loving folk, to be much thinner and healthier than diet-obsessed Americans. Guiliano, however, isn't so interested in the sociocultural aspects of this oddity. Rather, befitting her status as CEO of Clicquot (as in Veuve Clicquot, the French Champagne house), she cares more about showing how judicious consumption of good food (and good Champagne) can result in a trim figure and a happy life. It's a welcome reprieve from the scores of diet books out there; there's nary a mention of calories, anaerobic energy, glycemic index or any of the other hallmarks of the genre. Instead, Guiliano shares anecdotes about how, as a teen, she returned to her native France from a year studying in Massachusetts looking "like a sack of potatoes," and slimmed down. She did this, of course, by adapting the tenets of French eating: eating three substantial meals a day, consuming smaller portions and lots of fruits and vegetables, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, drinking plenty of water and not depriving herself of treats every once in a while. In other words, Guiliano listened to common sense. Her book, with its amusing asides about her life and work, occasional lapses into French and inspiring recipes (Zucchini Flower Omelet; Salad of Duck a l'Orange) is a stirring reminder of the importance of joie de vivre.(Jan.) Forecast: Guiliano, a champion of women in business who has been profiled in numerous magazines, will promote the book-with a 100,000-copy first printing-on an 11-city author tour, which should result in plump sales. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Think of French cuisine: the buttery croissants, the decadent pastries. Yet French women manage to remain svelte. What is their secret? Guiliano, CEO of Clicquot, Inc., insists that it's cultural. French women don't snack, eat fast food, eat hurriedly, drink hard liquor, flavor their food with sugar and fat, or weigh themselves. French women do eat three meals a day, eat until they are satisfied but not stuffed, drink lots of water, savor wine, walk everywhere, take the stairs, consider the presentation of food as important as the taste, and regard dining as a sensuous experience. Guiliano, who gained 20 pounds as an exchange student in the United States (and took them off when she got home), celebrates her French heritage and gives the reader a glimpse into the French way of food shopping and preparation. Each chapter offers mouthwatering recipes that are easy to prepare. Recommended as a unique addition to health and nutrition collections; expect demand following an 11-city author tour. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/1/04.]-Florence Scarinci, Nassau Community Coll. Lib., Garden City, NY Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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