14 DAY TRIAL // As far as dieting goes, the French are probably one of the biggest lifestyle paradoxes around: they drink red wine regularly, have a high-fat diet and yet they have the lowest heart-attack rate in Europe and only 7% of the population is obese, compared to a staggering 23% in Britain, for example. The obvious question is, then, how do they do it? Studies show that it's all down to eating small amounts of food at regular intervals, combining fat with a high amount of fresh food and working out quite a lot. Also, the French always eat breakfast and generally avoid skipping meals.
"Quality, not quantity, is the French approach", nutritionist Lyndel Costain explains to the Daily Mail. "They eat high-fat foods, but in small portions. They snack less and consume a healthy mix of fats in the form of heart-healthy unsaturated oils and nuts. Their diet is rich in fresh fruit and vegetables, grains and a wide variety of nutrients", she added. Another secret is rigorous portion control. "A recent study found that French portions were, on average, 25 per cent smaller than those in the US, and meals were eaten more slowly [...]. The French are more active, too, which keeps their calorie balance in check", she said.
Below is a sketch of a three-day basic eating plan that combines some of the principles mentioned above. It's not a diet as such, but rather a taste of the French-style cuisine and of what "going French" permanently would feel like. Combine with at least an hour of exercise every day (swimming, jogging), half an hour of aerobics and regular weekend hikes for even more satisfying results. Enjoy!
Day one
Breakfast Organic home-made yogurt, granola (combination of rolled oats, nuts, seeds, honey, rice and dried fruit), fresh chopped fruit, coffee (no sugar)
Lunch Vegetable soup, smoked chicken, goat's cheese and walnut salad, yogurt, honey and strawberries
Dinner Fresh vegetable salad, veal shanks sprinkled with parsley, garlic and lemon juice, two small glasses of red wine
Day 2
Breakfast Yogurt, granola, fruit, coffee, water
Lunch Aubergine soup, Thai chicken and noodles with peanuts and bean sprouts, slice of pineapple
Dinner Green salad, chicken casserole with vegetables, yogurt and strawberries
Day 3
Breakfast Yogurt, granola, fruit, coffee, water
Lunch Vegetable soup, green salad, grapes
Dinner Green salad, spicy fish in tomato soup, beef curry with organic basmati rice