The 6 tricks of French women to not get fat

Here I am, on the Thalys, slightly hungover from last night's cocktails (okay, the first one went down at 1 PM) and four kilos heavier.. The lunch consisted of four (!) courses, then there was a box of Ladurée macarons waiting for me in the hotel room and we ended with a cocktail or three, a bottle of white wine, plus a table filled with charcuterie, steak tartare, and fries. The average Frenchman lunches and dines like this every day, which leaves me wondering one thing: how do those Françaises stay so thin?

Fortunately, a ‘diet book’ has been written called ‘Why French women don’t get fat’, in which all the secrets of the traditional French lifestyle are revealed. And as I read this list, this is the first diet I could easily stick to. Curious to hear what you all think.

A glass of wine a day, keeps the doctor away

According to the French woman, a glass of wine is simply part of the meal. Small note: the health effect of alcohol is only measurable in middle-aged people. And only with moderate alcohol consumption, so ladies: stick to one glass during the meal and you’re good.

Eat healthy fats

According to the book, a Frenchman will never serve a salad without a handful of nuts to finish it off. Moreover, they fry almost everything in olive oil. It is important here: just like the French woman, don’t eat handfuls of peanuts from a bowl at the bar, but buy fresh ones (like hazelnuts) and eat them mindfully, one by one.

Chocolate

French women even use it as a verb: ‘I am depressed, so I chocolate’. They eat about five and a half kilos of chocolate per year, which I could never manage. Unfortunately, this tip does not apply to chocolate bars, milk, and white chocolate. Only pure, dark chocolate of good quality is allowed.

Eat at the table

With nice dishes and a napkin, and avoid plastic and cardboard ‘quick bites’. In other words: take your time for each meal.

Never skip a meal

Your metabolism gets completely confused if you don’t eat for too long: make sure to keep your ‘fuel’ up by having a good meal three times a day.

Eat consciously and enjoy

Go for quality, not quantity. Enjoy a delicious cheese platter of good quality and savor every bite. This way, you ultimately eat a lot less and are consciously engaged with what you eat. I know what dessert I’m putting on the table tonight!