On the diet, you get to enjoy potatoes, bread and wine. However, the first tip is quality, not quantity… and smaller portions, with less snacking means fewer calories.
Natural yoghurt, eggs, low-fat cheese, cod, salmon, halibut, scallops, chicken, veal, beef, lamb, lean ham, Portobello mushrooms, artichokes, beets, parsnips, fennel, broccoli, cabbage, whole wheat bread, soy sauce, mustard, vinegar, olive oil, herbs and spices, chocolate, tea, coffee, wine, diet soft drink.
It is not all that suitable for those with limited time, those who are diary intolerant, or athletes/pregnant women who require more calories than what the diet offers.
Also, diet soft drinks are recommended, which is a HUGE no-no in my opinion (they increase appetite, mess with our bowel flora, and increase the risk of type-2 diabetes). Above all of this… it’s another ‘diet’ which I fear many people will only do transiently, giving them short term weight loss rather than long term health.
I love the fact that mindful eating is encouraged, and it’s all about QUALITY not quantity. The French eat 3 meals a day with 20 mins allotted to each. I also think any ‘diet’ that recommends fresh, REAL, local and unprocessed foods has got to a good start.
I can see the merit in this approach, and think that in Australia, we snack WAY too much. In France, people only eat THREE to FIVE times a day; in Australia however, we eat SEVEN to FOURTEEN times a day! Yikes!
Being on a ‘diet’ generally signifies ‘restriction’ for people. Rather than putting yourself on a diet, simply adopt a few Parisian habits… Crowd out the unhealthy stuff with the healthy stuff, snack less, slow down, exercise often, and reduce your portion sizes.