SubscribeFrench Diet: Do We Need Another One?
Hot on the heels of the huge popularity of book French Women Don't Get Fat comes another French Diet. This book is called The French Diet: The Secrets of Why French Women Don't Get Fat, by Michael Montignac (released 2 May 05).
While other diets focus on the "can'ts" and the "don'ts", THE FRENCH DIET encourages readers to savor eating and to discover new flavors, tastes and textures in addition to the ones they already know and love. This positive approach will prove a welcome reprieve to readers who've suffered through the predictable backsliding of food-restricting diet plans. Montignac writes, "you can maintain a slim figure and still enjoy artfully prepared, delicious gourmet fare in your own kitchen every day."
Michael Montignac is well known in Europe where he has already authored two diet books. The French Diet appears to be based in the Glycemic Index, but with some gourmet French flair.
I do my best to hold back on cynicism, but, to be honest I can't help myself here. Mireille Guiliano's book French Women Don't Get Fat has done remarkably well in the US - currently holding the number 3 spot in the NYT bestsellers. It only makes sense that another publisher would want to take advantage of the momentum - in this case DK Publishing.
As for French women not getting fat, unfortunately the statistics tell us otherwise. The book also follows on the growing trend of the popularity of the glycemic index.
What's sad is that this could still have been sort of true 20 years ago (I say sort of, because there's no perfect world, of course). But there's no mystery about the reasons why... we're now having just as many fast-foods and processed foods than in the USA, so yeah, we French people are getting fatter. People simply prefer go to McDonald's rather than to a decent restaurant, and even real restaurants themselves are starting to throw bigger servings in their patrons' plates now.
On the other hand, I can say that the glycemic index thing has been working well for me, both for my health and weight loss. Even if it wouldn't work regarding weight, at least I don't see anything harmful in it, as long as (like anything else) it is taken with the grain of salt that is called "moderation".
ReplyThe GI is useful, but I wonder if it will be (or has already been) blown out of proportion. It helps us to understand blood sugar and insulin response, but I don't think it's THE answer for weight loss.
It's growing in popularity in the US, but once the marketers start catching hold of it - who knows?
You're right about moderation.
ReplyHI.
I SEE THAT THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT IDEAS ABOUT HOW LOW OR HIGH gi A SPECIFIC FOOD HAVE.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN ME WHY- FOR EXAMPLE
WHITE RICE; gi 70, gi 56, gi 68.
WHY AND THANX FOR YOUR ANSWER..
ANJA
ReplyThis seems to me yet another fad in the series. There is South Beach, Atkins, Slim-Fast, diet pills and now French? As a former dietetics student the tried and true method remains one of simplicity. You must burn more calories and create a calorie deficit. This is accomplished via a simple combination of proper eating habits and exercise. I have read the book by Guiliano and while she makes some good points others I would take with a grain of salt, or better yet a glass of good french wine. For information on proper food and nutrition that is backed up by medical science time and time again the following website is helpful.
http://nal.usda.gov/fnic
ReplyHello,
I want to make some small corrections to some things that were said here. First of all, M. Montignac is one of the pioneers of the glycemic index, at least in the weight losing area, so it is absolutely wrong and unfair to suggest that the book is following a trend. Secondly, I can testify that his method works, it is still working for me at least (I lost 44 lbs so far, and this is eating well - and still got some road ahead)!
ReplyAt least I won't say a thing about other dieting methods which I don't know about, but I expect people to be the same: never tried this - refrain from speaking.
Indeed I have no interest to convince anyone of anything, other people's weight is of no concern to me (really, I don't care anymore), but I wanted to do a bit of a good deed, so I say you can trust this dieting method; if you learn to follow it accurately, you won't be disappointed!
Thank you,Sergiu.
I just finished reading his book "the Montignac method just for woman" and I'm headed to whole foods after work today to buy the food I'll need. I'm exicted and from what I've read I know this will work for me.
Reply1,035 McDonald's in France? What happened to the art of savoring and enjoying gourmet French cuisine? Perhaps French women *will* get fat? ?
ReplyYeah...McDonalds in France...ever heard of tourism? Whenever I've been to Europe it is the American tourists that eat the fast food (eg. Starbucks, McDonalds..etc) not the people who live there..so its geared twoards people from other places, mostly America, given that a lot of American's don't realize how awful that crap is for them and that some of the worlds best food is all around them. I met a lot of people in Italy, but I'm sure its true of France as well, who flat out laughed at the idea of bringing Starbucks there because none of the native people would go there and that it was all of stupid tourists.
ReplyI don't think it's statistically accurate to state that this idea is bad because some French women are fat. No shit. I'm sure somewhere in the country there has to be a few fat people, thats life. But if you look overall at the comparison between America and Europe, we have a serious problem here. We're the ones who are dealing with a record number of obese people, banning coke machines and fried foods from schools because children are getting too fat eating the crap they do, and going to such extremes as making reality shows about obesity problems
Any tips about Montignanc stage 1 carb recipes. Can I fry onions in a small amount of olive oil before I add beans or brown rice? (the oil and carbs shouldn't mix strictly, but how can you NOT fry onions at the beginning of most recipes, is it all boiled?)
ReplyFirst of all, please allow me to correct you: his name is "Michel" and not "Michael" because he is French.
Second, I totally love this method (please note, that i did not said "diet"). You eat as much as you feel like and lose weight.
Third, Alex, I know this is late, but, NO. You cannot put any oil in a carb meal. If you want to fry onions, use a non stick pan and squeeze a lemon in it. ;)
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