It’s a New Year! Proponents of the Keto, Paleo and Mediterranean diets (plus many others) have tried to help you see the light this month. Just like Dorothy was petrified of lions and tigers and bears, many women are afraid they won’t be able to stick to their 2019 plan to get and stay healthy.
What if we didn’t ‘diet’ but instead embraced the concept of “mindful eating?” How about adopting a new philosophy instead of a new diet (eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full)? What if we ate for pleasure, instead of over-eating to suppress pain?
It is the 15th anniversary of French Women Don’t Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure. Do you remember this one? Author Mireille Guiliano recommends bread, Champagne, chocolate and romance as key ingredients to a balanced diet and lifestyle. Don’t be turned off by the F-word. When I first read this book in 2004 I loved it! Last weekend I downloaded the iBook for a refresher course.
Mireille Guiliano takes you through her personal journey, which is as much about an approach to healthy and joyful living as it is about food. As she says, “Even the French know there is much more to life than eating.” She encourages women to focus not on an ideal or fashion weight, but a well-being weight. This is the one at which you feel comfortable in your own skin. Nobody but you knows what that is, and it will vary at different times in your life.
Even if you opt not to read (or re-read) the book, visit her site The Secret of Eating for Pleasure and begin to move away from focusing on new diets to focusing on a pleasurable & healthy lifestyle. Honestly, you could spend hours on this site. In addition to healthy eating tips and recipes, you will find articles on beauty, fashion, business, travel, and even “The Art of Doing Nothing,” which we certainly all need from time to time!
Admittedly, there are elements of the book which aren’t entirely practical for most of us. Madame Guiliano is a big believer in sitting down to a 3-course lunch and a 4-course dinner. She explains we should not eat quickly and mindlessly in front of the TV, but we should savor the food and the conversation that goes along with a lingering meal. If you are like me, you don’t have the luxury of a lingering meal during the week. In fact, I usually eat my lunch at my desk while I am working – primarily because I don’t want my 11 hour workday to become a 12 hour workday.
For this reason I try and follow the healthy-ish philosophy and stay away from fad diets. There are days where I have the time to eat healthy, beautifully prepared food and linger over a wonderful conversation and a glass of wine. But, there will also be times I quickly throw together a healthy-ish meal at the end of a long day and (I admit it), eat it in front of the TV.
Explore The Secret of Eating for Pleasure and read how in addition to pleasurable meals, the French believe in embracing and celebrating the other important aspects of daily life, like love and laughter. How fabulous is that?! Be strong!
