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Carol Cottrill
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The French Twist: Twelve Secrets of Decadent Dining and Natural Weight Management Kindle Edition

by Carol Cottrill (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 out of 5 stars 117 ratings
Lessons from the country that knows how to savor delicious food—and still stay slim and healthy.

With wit and wisdom, this book explores the attitudes of reverence and respect for food and dining in France—where the average citizen is slimmer and the average life expectancy is longer than in the United States. What does the land of croissants and creamy sauces know that calorie-obsessed Americans don’t?

Exposing the shortcomings of quick-fix fad diets, The French Twist encourages you to examine your unique connections to food, abandon your fears about eating, and reject common myths about weight loss. Among the secrets the book reveals are the importance of eating authentic and high-quality food, and the role of pleasure and balance in proper nutrition and successful weight management. The French approach is validated by up-to-date science on metabolism as it relates to the psychology of eating—and offers a delightful new way to live.
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  1. Print length
    224 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Morgan James Publishing
  4. Publication date
    February 29, 2012
  5. File size
    3.3 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The French Twist is a charismatic revelation of how Americans can learn to live more balanced lives without sacrificing their taste buds! With a "Practicing Your French" section at the end of each chapter, author Carol Cottrill ensures that readers digest and retain her tasty tidbits of wisdom. Full of positive encouragement and recipes, Cottrill guides readers on a journey to find their inner and outer beauty, free from diets and denial!"-David L. Hancock, Founder, Morgan James Publishing

From the Author

The very act of dieting is a set up for failure. 45 million Americans are on a diet right now--and as a nation we are fatter than ever before.

Dieting does more long-term harm than good by teaching us to ignore our body's natural internal cues around eating--about hunger or fullness, taste and preference while replacing these instincts with the external dictates of a diet.
 
My desire to unravel this obsession was sparked by my own two-year stint with an overzealous fitness trainer who preached a low-carb regimen. What began as an innocent attempt to improve my diet and fitness level ended in unwarranted restrictive eating and extreme exercise.  I didn't know how to get off the treadmill- literally and figuratively.

As a nutritional consultant I've spent years studying dieting and the negative effect it has on hundreds of women. Every day in my practice a woman tells me that she can't be trusted to make the right food choices for herself.  What she really can't trust is the dieting that required her to abandon her freedom, choice and happiness for a craze.  A craze that left her heavier mentally and physically than when she started.

I've helped many people come to terms with the futility of fad dieting.  It can be done, and while there is no silver bullet, there is a natural, tried and true approach to weight management, that dare I say is pleasurable- even decadent!

Can it be? Is this notion of living better, feeling in control of our lives and eating naturally without being subjugated to someone's diet plan simply too good to be true?

There are many examples of people around the world whose culture supports an authentic lifestyle with the added benefit of longevity.  In my book, The French Twist: Twelve Secrets of Decadent Dining and Natural Weight Management I zeroed in on the French way of eating as a case in point; the French adhere to a centuries old philosophy, a value system of reverence and respect around food and dining.  And let's not forget about the red wine, bread, cheese and pastries.

I hope that by adding a little French Twist, you will join cultures around the globe who enjoy a peaceful relationship with food and a longer, slimmer and healthier life to show for it!

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B007QTO2CA
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Morgan James Publishing (February 29, 2012)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 29, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.3 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 out of 5 stars 117 ratings

About the author

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Carol Cottrill

Carol Cottrill

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Carol Cottrill is a nutritional consultant with a taste for all things French and author of the book, The French Twist: Twelve Secrets of Decadent Dining and Natural Weight Management. In addition to being a regular guest on FOX 35 News and The Daily Buzz, she has contributed her expertise to CNN, Shape Magazine, Working Mother Magazine, sheknows.com and numerous others. Carol guides viewers and readers away from deprivation diets and instead encourages each individual to follow an authentic eating plan based on enjoyment, relaxation, balance and inner cues. She practices nutrition splitting her time between New York City and Atlanta with her husband, John, and one very spoiled dog.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
117 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book to be a practical guide to healthy eating, written by a nutritionist, and appreciate its easy-to-follow advice. They describe it as a well-written, witty, and enjoyable read, with one customer noting how it puts meaning back into meals. The book receives positive feedback for its French twist approach, with one review highlighting its lovely story about French lifestyle qualities. Customers value the book's focus on pleasure over pain, and one mentions how it has given them freedom in their eating habits.

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40 customers mention "Information quality"40 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's practical approach to healthy eating, written by a nutritionist, and its plain common sense about food choices. One customer notes how it explains the French attitude to diet, while another mentions how it helps develop a healthy relationship with food.

"...lifestyle that might make it more conducive to living longer, healthier lives without eating iceberg lettuce with bottled, fat-free dressing and a..." Read more

"...engrossed with Carol Cottrill's book The French Twist: Twelve Secrets of Decadent Dining and Natural Weight Management as I turned each page because..." Read more

"...She crams a lot of information and insight into this book, making it a manual for anyone wanting to try out the French methods without an expensive..." Read more

"...French Twist offers twelve secrets--and much more, including meaningful "insider" tips easily added to any daily routine...." Read more

30 customers mention "Readability"27 positive3 negative

Customers find the book engaging and well-written, describing it as an enjoyable read.

"...but the manner in which the author tells the story is lovely and engaging, and despite my vast experience with this genre, I didn't want to put the..." Read more

"...In spite of the small concerns I mention above, this is a great book...." Read more

"...The book is fun and well written by a knowledgeable nutritionist, which gives the book heft...." Read more

"...cited in The Slow Down Diet but in a much more professional and well-written manner...." Read more

9 customers mention "French twist"9 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy The French Twist, with one review highlighting its lovely story about the qualities of French lifestyle and another noting how the French paradox works.

"...It is a lovely story about qualities of the French lifestyle that might make it more conducive to living longer, healthier lives without eating..." Read more

"...I genuinely enjoyed The French Twist, and while it is full of findings from studies, it is also full of French lifestyle descriptions, details and..." Read more

"...beguiling book, nutritionist Carol Cottrill delivers a loving meditation on French values, French culture and, front and center, French cuisine...." Read more

"...Now that I am living in Paris, I live by these rules, and it is working. My focus is not on deprivation and food anymore!!..." Read more

8 customers mention "Ease of use"6 positive2 negative

Customers find the book's advice easy to follow, with one customer noting it's down to earth and another mentioning it combines common sense with discipline.

"...It was wonderfully organized, easy to follow and I look forward to returning to it repeatedly for a reminder of why deprivation is never going to be..." Read more

"...For those who wonder about the target weight. It is simple and allows the body to adjust the set points downward without triggering the whole..." Read more

"...of narration, evidence and references are sufficient, albeit not extensive or academic (this is not a dissertation), provokes thought and..." Read more

"...The author makes a very convincing argument that, combined with a soupçon of discipline, pleasure can lead us from self-destructive misery to the..." Read more

6 customers mention "Pleasure"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book pleasurable to read, with one customer noting it makes them more relaxed with their eating habits, while another mentions feeling full after reading it.

"...treat can regulate appetite, help slow digestion, and make the stomach feel full...." Read more

"...In fact, after a very peaceful and rather tasty week of practicing Carol's "little trucs" my scale decided it was in a good mood too and registered..." Read more

"...My focus is not on deprivation and food anymore!! It is pleasure and being healthy. I eat what I want, in reasonable amounts, and enjoy every bite...." Read more

"...Quality is favored over quantity, pleasure over pain and so forth...." Read more

5 customers mention "Wit"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book witty, with one mentioning its fun and forgiving tone.

"...The tone is fun and forgiving, rather than pretentious, which I have found to be the problem with other French "diet" books...." Read more

"...The book is witty, and I will have to read it over and over to pick up new lifestyle changes...." Read more

"...With wit, warmth, keen observation and solid scientific evidence, she leads her readers down the path of freedom French men and women have..." Read more

"...The writer is smart and witty, and she brings a great perspective to how we view and respect (or do not respect) food and how it fuels our bodies...." Read more

4 customers mention "Story quality"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the stories in the book, with one mentioning the author's lovely narrative style and another appreciating the client anecdotes.

"...but the manner in which the author tells the story is lovely and engaging, and despite my vast experience with this genre, I didn't want to put the..." Read more

"...The book is rich with insights, anecdotes, and nutritional science - all playfully interwoven within a tale of personal discovery...." Read more

"...The book is sprinkled with personal reflectons, client stories,facts and statistics to get her point across...." Read more

"...Worth reading! It has different stories that you can learn from!" Read more

3 customers mention "Freedom of speech"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the freedom of speech in the book.

"...Until now. The French Twist has given me freedom, flexibility-really, its given me my life back...." Read more

"Liberté!..." Read more

"Liberation!..." Read more

Francophile loves it!
5 out of 5 stars
Francophile loves it!
This is an entertaining, insightful, and life changing approach to the obsession we all share with our health, but more specifically weight management. Actually, I think it's spot on. I've spent enough time in France with close French friends, and can say yes, yes and yes to the writer's thesis. The French do it differently... Meals are savored, never experienced as drive byes. The ingredients are fresh, lovingly prepared, and beautifully presented. Last summer I traveled to Corsica with my friends on holiday, and we set the table, used real linens, fresh, local ingredients.. It seems like a dream now, remembering sitting on the upstairs porch overlooking a valley of fragrant fruit trees, enjoying every day's repast...always interacting with each other. There's no describing the lemon cake made with freshly picked lemons... or the salad made with that days catch: a speared octopus.. No calimari ever tasted better. I digress. This book is one I will read and reread, to remind myself that I'm not the only one who knows these things. It's a treasure!
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Kathleen
    5.0 out of 5 stars A true stand-out in a sea of French-themed "diet" books...
    Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I have read and followed numerous "diet" books and programs, and what I have learned is that any plan that increases your calorie output to a level greater than calorie input on a consistent basis can be a successful means of dropping pounds. At least for a short period of time. Enter Carol Cottrill and "The French Twist." First, this is not a diet book - the author would cringe at that suggestion. It is a lovely story about qualities of the French lifestyle that might make it more conducive to living longer, healthier lives without eating iceberg lettuce with bottled, fat-free dressing and a diet soda and then rushing off to the gym to do a power hour of intervals on the elliptical trainer. Did you know that the average French woman is 5'3" and weighs 137.6 pounds, and the average American woman is 5'4" and weighs 164.7 pounds? Or that the average life expectancy in France is 81 and in the U.S. it is 78.1? These are just a few of the interesting facts and tidbits skattered throughout this book that make you question the American addiction to gyms, deprivation, fat-free, fake sugar and cars. This book lays out the French lifestyle qualities in an informative and entertaining manner, highlighted by the author's personal stories from her visits to France as well as experiences in her nutrition counseling business. The tone is fun and forgiving, rather than pretentious, which I have found to be the problem with other French "diet" books. And while there are only a few recipes (this is not a cookbook), there is good advice on which "real foods"are healthiest and why (think apples rather than canned applesauce; potatoes rather than potato chips). In the end, none of the advice is new or innovative - eat whole foods, in moderation, exercise regularly but not to the point of obsession, etc. - but the manner in which the author tells the story is lovely and engaging, and despite my vast experience with this genre, I didn't want to put the book down and I feel like I can really take something valuable from it. 5 stars.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • The Simply Luxurious Life
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Sound & Convincing Argument to Live Well & How to do It
    Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I began to become more and more engrossed with Carol Cottrill's book The French Twist: Twelve Secrets of Decadent Dining and Natural Weight Management as I turned each page because while most books focused on helping the reader lose weight preaching restrictive, non-commonsensical prescriptives, Cottrill through her knowledge as a certified nutritionist prescribes a permanent lifestyle enhancement based on understanding how the body communicates with food. And it is the French lifestyle that is her muse.

    Having traveled to France multiple times and then returned to apply their pleasure and balance focused principles to her way of living, she offers through first-hand experience coupled with science based research why the French paradox does indeed work and even more specifically why the American's approach to weight management is less likely to have one's good health as a top priority.

    A few of the many insightful, aha tips found in the book:

    *The women of France are nurtured and encouraged to embrace their individuality and eccentricity
    *The intense restriction of calories actually has the opposite desired effect
    *Logical arguments for how the body processes certain foods and how it responds or is unable to respond to other so-called `foods'
    *French women don't follow mass movements, as they are individuals (i.e. the latest diet craze)
    *Food is not the enemy, our perception and irrational understanding of food's power is the problem
    *Balance of stress and pleasure, between indulging in wonderful food and burning calories is crucial
    *Fresh, high quality food prepared and enjoyed with passion rather than eating processed "food" on a schedule that doesn't listen to what your body needs
    *Your body doesn't recognize fake; it can only metabolize that which it can identify - real, whole food
    *The benefits of making lunch the largest meal of the day
    *Use a body brush to dry scrub your body and improve circulation helping skin to shine and lessen the appearance of cellulite
    *The real reason red wine has been found in studies to be healthy (hint, hint - it has more to do with lifestyle, mindset and values, than just drinking a glass or two of wine)
    *Exercise regularly as a way of saluting the day - so something you enjoy rather than dread
    *There is not one plan for weight management - it is individualistic and it requires each person to truly pay attention and respect their bodies for all that it can do
    *Differentiating between real, quality chocolate and the other stuff
    *Drink water
    *Eat fruit with breakfast in the morning and never forget your vegetables in the evening and afternoon
    *Invest in yourself - quality food, quality clothing (fewer items)
    *Wine is a precious gift to enjoyed and not abused and to awaken the senses to the enjoyment of food.

    I genuinely enjoyed The French Twist, and while it is full of findings from studies, it is also full of French lifestyle descriptions, details and insights. One of my favorite sections is chapter 10 where the author along with a handful of women who live or have spent time in France share the rituals they follow when it comes to good eating and living.

    Trust me, you'll enjoy this book, and be sure to have your pen or pencil out as I was highlighting, underlining and writing all through its contents as many suggestions were ones I don't want to forget.

    And to those few reviewers who called the book a "hot mess", I must wholeheartedly disagree. If you have traveled to France as I have multiple times and fallen in love with the culture, you will understand why she must dispel the American diet myths with science, and then focus on the overall approach of the French lifestyle and why it works.

    It was wonderfully organized, easy to follow and I look forward to returning to it repeatedly for a reminder of why deprivation is never going to be successful.
    26 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Judith Brewer
    1.0 out of 5 stars The book pages were loose and upside down
    Reviewed in Canada on September 21, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Book fell apart as soon as I opened it.
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  • Sonja
    2.0 out of 5 stars Stellenweise sehr interessant, aber naja...
    Reviewed in Germany on August 25, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Nachdem ich The French Don't Diet Plan: 10 Simple Steps to Stay Thin for Life, gelesen hatte, wollte ich mich noch etwas mit dieser Thematik befassen und bestellte mir dieses Buch. War wohl so etwas wie eine affirmative Handlung.

    Prinzipiell stimme ich den Aussagen der Autoren dieser beiden Bücher zu.
    Nach jahrelangem Jo-Jo-Dieting habe ich die Nase gestrichen voll von Diäten und Verzicht. Ich bin jetzt Mitte fünzig und habe einen 30-jährigen Kampf gegen die Pfunde, mal mit mehr, mal mit weniger Erfolg (die Analogie zum 30-jährigen Krieg kommt nicht von ungefähr...) hinter mir. Nichts half langfristig, kein Weight Watchers, kein Low-Carb, mit dem ich zwar sehr schnell 40 Kilos verloren hatte, aber unter nächtlichen Wadenkrämpfen litt. Eine Zeit lang ernährte ich mich vegetarisch und dann sogar vegan. Ist nichts für mich - dafür bin ich viel zu sehr Genussmensch.

    Und immer wieder fiel mir auf Reisen in Frankreich auf, wie schlank die meisten doch sind - und das bei den vielen guten Sachen. Allerdings hat sich das Bild inzwischen auch dort verändert. Viele Franzosen kämpfen heute mit ihrem Gewicht. Die Supermarktregale sind gefüllt mit 0% Fett Produkten, abgespeckte, aber zu Tode verarbeitete Lebensmittel überall. Tja, und wo man etwas rausnimmt, muss man auch etwas hinzufügen, damit es überhaupt noch nach irgendwas schmeckt und auch das Mundgefühl passt. So wie das in den USA schon lange der Fall ist, stecken in vielem, was wir essen, ob in Frankreich, in Deutschland oder in der Schweiz, viel zu viele Zusatzstoffe.

    Da ist doch weniger mehr, lieber kleinere, aber dafür leckere Portionen - scheint auch zu funktionieren. Ein bisschen habe ich schon abgenommen und lasse dabei jeden Bissen auf der Zunge zergehen. Was will man mehr?!

    THE FRENCH TWIST ist informativ, wird aber in der 2. Hälfte, die ich dann im Schnellverfahren durchlas, sehr langatmig, mit vielen Wiederholungen. Das meiste hatte schon Dr. Clower in seinem Buch gesagt, ich fand nur wenig Zusatzinformation. Vielleicht hätte ich es mehr genossen, hätte ich es als erstes Buch zu diesem Thema gelesen.

    Meine Empfehlung zu diesem Thema ist ganz klar The French Don't Diet Plan: 10 Simple Steps to Stay Thin for Life von Dr. William Clower.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars End the dieting and restriction
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 31, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I don't know that I can recommend this book enough! Cottrill's mix of anecdote and sound, research backed nutritional advice is the perfect combination in this French tinted guide to eating for mental and physical wellbeing.
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  • WodehouseFan
    1.0 out of 5 stars nothing new -- same information as several other books on this topic.
    Reviewed in Canada on May 19, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    A mix of autobiography (which seemed rather narcissistic), lists of various stores, and some of the usual French stereotypes. The book didn't seem to have any type of logical organization and the majority had nothing to due with dining or weight management.
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  • Kat B
    4.0 out of 5 stars Sensible stuff.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 8, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed this. France is not some kind of nirvana, where every woman is chic and slim, but there is much to be said for traditional French eating and shopping habits. Speaking as one who visits France regularly (we have a holiday cottage in Normandy) I can testify that, by and large, the French do not eat on the hoof, they shop in markets and local stores for meat, bread and veg, shops close for a 2 hour lunch break, and people seem much happier and more relaxed than in the UK, even in Paris. With a little thought and planning it can be done, and you don’t have to look like the girl on the cover!
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