The French have a much lower obesity rate than Americans, reports "USA Today;" 11 percent to 30 percent. The reason is simple, hypothesizes French-born Mireille Guiliano, author of the diet book "French Women Don't Get Fat." The French have a healthier attitude about food, using the best ingredients, indulging occasionally and enjoying their food. Uncovering some of the best French diet secrets can have you whittling your waist back down to size while you eat better and say goodbye to restrictive fad diets.
Enjoy and Savor Your Food
The French typically linger with company around their plates, enjoying every bite of food that they eat. Taking time to eat and savor your food as a diet tip isn't just hearsay; a study published in the "Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism" found that those who ate slower felt more satisfied with less, heightening their body's response to food.
Fresh Ingredients
Mireille Guiliano notes that the quality of food in the United States leaves much to be desired. While the French typically indulge in cream sauces, wine and champagne and plenty of butter, they use good, fresh ingredients. Americans tend to rely on preservative and prepackaged food, prepared with sodium, saturated fats and artificial flavorings. Choose better ingredients and cook from whole foods like the French for better weight loss.
Smaller Portions
Ballooning portion sizes can be blamed for the obesity epidemic in the United States. instead of using a large dinner plate filled with food bad quality food, eat smaller portions of high quality food. Aim for every portion to be roughly the size of your palm and feel satisfied with better food.
Skip Fad Diets
You won't find the French testing out the latest in restrictive fad diets; no watermelon only, liquid exclusive or carbohydrate banning ways of eating. Instead, sensibility rules when it comes to French dieting. You don't need a book to tell you that eating a pan of brownies isn't a good diet choice, and the French use their own judgment when it comes to dieting. Cutting back here and there is all it takes.
Indulgence
The French diet is based on indulgence within reason. Chris Rosenbloom, a nutrition professor at Georgia State University in Atlanta applauds the French way of enjoying food, indulging in favorite treats and eating a balanced diet. Restricting yourself from your favorite foods may cause you to slip off of the wagon when presented with it. But indulging in a square of chocolate each day like the French can have to feeling better about your diet offers.
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