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February 6th, 2005
 
BOOK REVIEW: 'French Women Don't Get Fat' is a Delightful Way to Read Yourself Thin; Monsieurs: There's No Reason Why It Won't Work for You!
 
Reviewed by David M. Kinchen
Huntington News Network Book Critic
 
Hinton (HNN) — French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille (pronounce it "meer-ray") Guiliano (Knopf, $22.00, 272 pages) is not only a delightful, insightful self-help book; it's also a publishing phenomenon.
 
Since it was published at the beginning of 2005, the book has gone into its 11th printing of 60,000, bringing the total number of copies in print - as of the end of January - to 534,000, according to the Knopf publicity department. The latest USA Today bestseller survey of 150 books had it at 6th place as of Jan. 30, 2005
 
This is a remarkable record for a nonfiction book by an unknown author. French-born Guiliano is the CEO of Champagne maker Clicquot Inc., based in New York City, and a director of Veuve Clicquot of Reims, France.
 
Subtitled "The Secret of Eating for Pleasure," this beautifully designed little book - it's a perfect gift -- is actually a collection of many "secrets" for keeping fit, including simple things like walking, using the stairs instead of elevators, drinking plenty of water and avoiding fad diets like Atkins, South Beach, Zone, etc. ad nauseam. Europeans, especially the French and the Italians - from her married name, her husband's an Italian-American - need their carbs the way we need 350 horsepower SUV's - or think we need them.
 
One overriding "secret" imparted by Mireille Guiliano concerns portion size. The French eat at least three meals a day, she reminds us, but the portions are tiny compared to our "super sized" servings. Think "Nouvelle Cuisine" of a dozen or so years ago, with minuscule portions arranged by a food stylist as if they were about to be photographed for a food magazine.
 
She touches on the French paradox - how the French have far fewer heart attacks while still eating red meat with heavy sauces and plenty of butter, followed by a cheese course, washed down by wine ranging in price from the stratospheric to the affordable, but more often the "cheap red wine" of the famous New Yorker magazine cartoon showing a tanker truck so labeled. Vin ordinaire has the heart-healthy antioxidants, along with just the right amount of alcohol. She emphasizes that a healthy French diet always includes wine, but rarely hard liquor - spirits and always with meals.
 
An integral part of the book are recipes for everything from soups - the French can't live unless they manger ta soupe (eat your soup) - to entrees to desserts. Anyone who saw the movie "Chocolat" knows how much the French love their chocolate. The problem in this country is that we don't have ready access to real chocolate - unless you live in the Parkersburg, W.Va. area, for instance, and can drop in on the Holl's Chocolates retail outlet on Grand Central Avenue in Vienna. Holl's is the real deal in chocolate, made since the 1940s according to Swiss recipes. You can order it online at www.holls.com.
 
Americans also have problems obtaining fresh vegetables and fruit, something that's an integral part of Mme. Guiliano's regimen. The situation is getting better, thanks in large part to winter importation of fruit and veggies from places like Chile, but supermarket tomatoes invite invidious comparisons with the tomatoes I raised in a garden plot in my childhood home in northern Illinois. Avocados - I like the kind from Florida - are shipped rock hard. Still, you can approximate the results if you shop carefully, or if you have a farmer's market in your town.
 
Even little towns like Hinton have seasonal farmer's markets - and I recall them being a big deal in Santa Monica, Calif. and the San Fernando Valley, when I lived in Los Angeles. There's even a landmark shopping center on the west side of L.A. called Farmer's Market which actually started out in the 1930s as an open-air farmer's market.
 
OK, so you're eating your vegetables, in the right portion size, of course. You're passing on the bread basket when you're eating out, saving yourself for a small piece of real bread (try finding that in the U.S., good luck!) with an equally small topping. Your day is full of water and walking everywhere. You're on the way to emulating the good part of the French culture - regardless of your view of their foreign policies.
 
The key message of French Women Don't Get Fat is that food is meant to be appreciated, not shoveled in while you're on the run. Food in proper portions, followed by gentle exercise that doesn't require expensive health club memberships. Stay away from tanning beds and you'll save on botox later on, she advises. Also, you don't need expensive skin moisturizing lotions, she says: The bargain brands at the discount stores are just fine.
 
Men will find her advice works for them, too. I see no reason why it won't. I've been following many of her suggestions for years, especially the walking and stair climbing. I wear hats year round to fight skin cancer - and because I like hats. I need to drink more water and less coffee-the curse of journalists everywhere. I can't stand hard liquor and love good wines - if only I can find a decent Merlot or Zinfandel without sulfites. I need to cut down on processed foods, which are loaded with too much salt, sugar and preservatives. I'm a big fan of soy milk and rarely drink regular milk. Like just about everybody, I can afford to lose a few extra pounds, especially around the middle.
 
Did I mention that French Women Don't Get Fat is fun to read? Well, it is, reminding me of Peter Mayle's books on France, including A Year in Provence. It's a rare combination of excellent advice, along with anecdotes of life in her native land as she was growing up and when she returns on a regular basis.
 
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More Book Reviews by David M. Kinchen
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— 11/15/04 BOOK REVIEW: Roth Envisions a Frightening 'What If?' in 'The Plot Against America'
— 11/24/04 BOOK REVIEWS: Bush, Blair and Iraq; A Shrink at Nuremberg; Updike's Sexy Geek; Potomac Fever Smites an Academic
— 12/15/04 BOOK REVIEWS: 'Past Imperfect' Covers Complexities of History, Plagiarism Issues; 'His Excellency' Reveals George Washington's Accomplishments
— 12/29/04 BOOK REVIEWS: ‘de Kooning’ Chronicles Rise of American Art Supremacy; ‘Adams vs. Jefferson’ Shows That Controversial Presidential Elections are Nothing New
— 01/17/05 BOOK REVIEW: Max Hastings on Germany's 'Armageddon' as Allies from West, East Conquer Third Reich
— 01/24/05 BOOK REVIEW: ‘Images of America: Huntington’ Displays Glorious Architecture of West Virginia’s First Planned City
— 01/29/05 BOOK REVIEW: ‘Auschwitz’ Personalizes Horror That Should Never Be Forgotten
— 01/31/05 BOOK REVIEWS: ‘Election 2004’ Shows How Bush Won; ‘Santa Cruz’ is Captivating Picture History of California’s Laid-Back Resort town
— 02/13/05 BOOK REVIEW: ‘Irish Milwaukee,’ ‘Italian Milwaukee’ Capture Flavor of One of America’s Best Cities — And Best Kept Secrets

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