Eating with the seasons
Five years after divulging the stay-slim secrets of her compatriots in French Women Don't Get Fat, Mireille Guiliano is back with even more delicious recipes, delightful anecdotes and hush-hush advice in her second book, French Women For All Seasons, (Vintage Canada, 2009).
The first book encapsulated the French woman's core philosophy: "Change the way you think, and the way you eat will follow. Change the way you eat, and the pounds will take care of themselves," Guiliano restates in the introduction to the new book.
This time around, however, the focus is on how "seasonality" plays an important role in the French diet and culture. "Seasonality is what is in season, nature's best from month to month," she explains in an e-mail interview. "Far more, seasonality is a manner of being that is responsive to all conditions and stimulations of our environment throughout the year."
Eating with the seasons
When it comes to diet then, Guiliano advocates eating what's best at a particular time of year in your particular area. Forgo tomatoes and strawberries in winter months even if they are available from foreign lands and opt for local winter produce, like apples and pears.
"Granted, cold climates don't have the greatest range of fruits and vegetables in winter, but you would be surprised by the delicious dishes one can prepare with winter vegetables, from soups to stews to steamed; and served with eggs and cheese," she explains. "There is no limit once one is familiar with what is out there."
The trick then is to educate yourself on what is in season, in your part of the country. Visit the websites of local agricultural organizations such as Foodland Ontario or getlocalbc.org. By eating in-season foods, she explains, you're eating better-tasting foods, you'll be satisfied more quickly and therefore you'll eat less.
Click to continue for advice on healthy living year-round...
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