Prantslannad ei vaja iluoppe

by Mireille Guiliano

Kui teil on ette tulnud, et vananemisvastased kreemid lähevad ühtekokku maksma kopsaka summa, kui olete vahel eakohatult riides olnud, taljest pisut ülearu juurde võtnud või te ei mäletagi enam, kuidas käib väike flirt, siis on see raamat mõeldud just teile.

Rahvusvahelise menuraamatu «Prantslannad ei lähe paksuks» autor jagab oma värskes raamatus lugejaga salanippe ja elutarkust, kuidas vananeda väärikalt, rõõmuga ja iluoppideta. Ehtprantslannalikult stiilselt ja enesekindlalt pakub ta särtsakaid nõuandeid ja inspiratsiooni õige mitmes valdkonnas: mood, nahahooldus, jumestus, tervis, kehaline koormus, toit, huumor ja seks.

Mireille Guiliano raamatuid on tõlgitud kolmekümne seitsmesse keelde. Meedias on teda muu hulgas nimetatud «prantslannade elutarkuse ülempreestrinnaks» (USA Today) ja «Prantsusmaa ja elamise kunsti suursaadikuks» (Le Figaro).

Genres: Nonfiction, France, Health, Self Help, Lifestyle, Audiobook, Fashion

250 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Internationally best-selling author Mireille Guiliano was for over 20 years the spokesperson for Champagne Veuve Clicquot and a senior executive at LVMH as well as CEO of Clicquot, Inc., the US firm she helped found in 1984 and was its first employee. Her first book, French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure, became a runaway best seller around the globe in 2005. She followed up this book in fall 2006 with French Women for All Seasons: A Year of Secrets, Recipes and Pleasure. In both, through her personal stories and illustrations, she espouses living life to the fullest by embracing quality, sensitivity, seasonality and pleasure while maintaining a healthy equilibrium.

In September 2008, Hilary Swank's production company bought the film rights to French Women Don't Get Fat; the plan is to make a romantic comedy with Mireille's famous French lifestyle message. The script is being adapted and should be ready soon. Stay tuned!

Please visit her book's website at:
http://www.frenchwomendontgetfat.com

Reviews

[Carmen · Rating 1 out of 5]

There's no good opening quote for this.

This is a boring book full of bromidic advice. Don't read this expecting anything you haven't heard a thousand times before: eat healthy, exercise, dress well, stay active mentally, blah blah blah.

This book actually has nothing to do with France. Guiliano could have easily called it The Secret of Aging with Style and Attitude but then she wouldn't earn the extra money that mentioning France brings.

As usual, she's is hyper-focused on people's appearances and very judgmental about anyone who doesn't meet her high standards. This can be depressing. She sees people who don't try hard to keep up appearances when they are elderly as 'letting themselves go' - something she even considers breaking up a friendship for. She's 71 FYI. IMO if you have worked hard and long all your life dieting, coiffing, primping, wearing high heels, doing makeup, working, etc. etc. you deserve a break when you are seventy! Jeez Louise. If you can't be comfortable and eat what you want when you are older, and you couldn't be comfortable or eat what you wanted all your life, than what the hell is even the point of life?!!?!?!? That's just my two cents. She seems to think you have to keep toiling away at your appearance even into your nineties. I'm not exaggerating, NINETIES. It sounds exhausting, honestly.

I really have nothing to say in this review since that book was SO boring and SO predictable. Only read it if you have never ever seen a magazine article about how to age gracefully and healthily.

After reading Callan, Guiliano isn't bad, actually, but this doesn't deserve more than one star.

[Fani *loves angst* · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

"French women don't get facelifts" is my second book about French women's tips and tricks towards style and nonchalance, and I have to say a great improvement on the first one I read. While this book was mainly geared towards a more mature audience, the first three quarters contained tips and tricks that also apply to younger women (as in their thirties). Because, as the author briefly mentions at some point, starting a new diet or beauty routine in your sixties... well is a little too late to achieve any drastic results. As I'm now entering into my forties, I found most parts of the book to be rather useful to me; it was only the last 2-3 chapters that deal just with older people's issues, like menopause.

There's a little bit of everything here: style for starters. The author claims that women after 40 shouldn't wear too short skirts, quality in shoes and coats pays off in the long term, or that torturing oneself with super high heels is just not worth it, because in the end, a stylish woman is a woman that feels well in her clothes. On the other hand, she insists (as many doctors already have) that spending hundreds of dollars on super serums every year, is not going to make that big of a difference (if any) and a simple hydrating cream is all you need. There are articles on makeup, exercising as a part of your life, hobbies, socializing, diets, anti-aging food recipes, supplements that you might need as you get older and whether to stop working completely or not after retirement.

I didn't always agree with everything she wrote; that would be impossible I believe. But I did find some great ideas about what to do in certain areas (like which clothes to invest money in), was convinced of how right(!) I am in others (avoid diets, just eat healthy foods and reduce portions to stay in shape), was motivated to add a few tips in my daily life (drink more water), and all in all, had a great time. It's apparent that the writer is a woman that's vibrant and very active, full of love for life, and that alone makes the reader see life in a positive, empowering light too. I liked reading the stories about her friends, her own life, which made the book feel more like a personal conversation between reader and writer, than a cold manual, or even a series of anecdotes sewn together just to show how popular and well connected the writer is (which is exactly the case with that other Francophile book I read).

I wish this book also came out in Greek too; I'd love to gift it to my mother who doesn't speak English. I do believe that most ladies of a certain age would find things that concern them here, or just benefit from its uplifting aura. However, if you're in your mid-thirties, I do think there're a few tips that wouldn't go amiss either, because healthy eating and lifestyle are things that interest everyone. This would make an excellent gift for most women, and something that you'll open and read more than once, checking on different chapters every time. Personally, I'm looking forward to reading her other books, as I could use a little bubbly champagne in my life and that's exactly what this book feels like. (Note: The author used to be the CEO of Veuve Cliquot. Coincidence? I don't think so).

Free ARC provided by NetGalley. This did not influence my review.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the book that has defeated me in my quest to survey the totality of the French Do It Better genre. I actually enjoyed her other two books that I read much more than I was expecting to, but about halfway through this one I realized that I wasn't getting anything at all out of it, not even the amusement at the genre itself that I've gotten from the other ones (and, like I said, my other reads in this silly mini-genre have actually ended up being more interesting than expected). Maybe part of it is that I'm not really quite in the target demographic yet, but this seemed like she was really reaching to find something to say, throwing out platitudes that everyone has already thought of in prose that needed at least one more once-over, while occasionally hinting at some actual French Woman's Secret that she was going to keep to herself.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked her other book "French Woman Don't Get Fat" so I was hopeful with this one. Unfortunately, it was a disappointment. I alternated between thinking that what she said was very obvious or it did not contain enough details to be useful or I flat out disagreed with her. Some examples...Yes, it's best to have a good attitude. Duh. I could use some hints on dressing better for my age but I needed more details please! Don't agree with her position on vitamin D. In fact it made me question her credibility on everything else! I was so relieved when I got to the portion with the recipes because I could skip those pages without feeling like I was cheating. Anyway, I would have been happier if I passed on this entire book.

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh, this book was ho-hum. Nothing I didn't already know, except that my idea of "dressing for one's age" is not the same as the French. No bright orange or red? No black?! That would eliminate 3/4 of my closet! No cleavage? Stilettos frowned upon. Does not sound the slightest bit fun to me! I agree that women of 70-80 years look silly with their breasts hanging out, tottering around on 4" heels, I don't think the same applies for the 50 - 60 year old set. At least, I hope not, of I'll have to accept being woefully un-chic. So be it.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ho-hum. I meant to read it all, I tried, but it really is not my thing. I sampled and scanned my way through and found it to be pretty much common sense with an emphasis on being comfortable in your own skin and finding joy in life. Don't need to read a book for that. A few of the personal anecdote stories were mildly entertaining. Back to the library you go..

[Amelia]

This book would be great if you were 50+ and have spent the last 10 yrs ignoring beauty magazines and "letting yourself go". Otherwise, there isn't much in the way of new information. But I do like the idea of a book that encourages women to try to age well and with a healthy attitude, instead of fighting it tooth and nail or just giving up completely.

[Diem · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I had much enjoyed "French Women Don't Get Fat" I had high hopes for this book. I'm the target audience, being of an age when facelifts become a very real possibility. No more perching primly upon the high horse of youth and elastic face-skin. From way up there it is easy to claim that no cosmetic surgeon's scalpel will ever slice along the planes of your face.

The first knock of that horse might come as you sit astride it in front of the mirror and realize that there is skin on your head that has gone entirely unnoticed in previous years, tucked away, as it was, firmly in the recess of the back curve of your chin. It suddenly makes its existence known as a quiet droop by way of guerilla tactics so stealthy and patient that you had no time to brace yourself and down you tumble.

But, Guiliano barely discusses plastic surgery except to kind of grimace at it. That didn't bother me. In spite of the way that all things collagen seem to be abandoning my skin-ship (that's a really disturbing image that I'll come back and correct later) I have no inclination to fix it by means of surgery. I'll take the face I deserve. I've even let my hair go grey to the undisguised disgust of many of my peers. Maybe a little bit because of it, I don't know, I'm never convinced that my motives don't still carry a soupcon of that sort of surly adolescent seasoning.

Guliano's focus is on diet, fitness, health and wellness, aging with vigor, going not gentle into that good night, and the importance of cutting your hair during a full moon. There is a brief and not entirely dismissive mention of bon#r pills although I do not believe she referred to them that way but I only mention brands in my goodreads reviews when I am compensated for it. There are some recipes and frank discussion of hormone therapy. However, there is scant science (though many mentions of 'studies') and I would redirect your attention to the full moon thing I just mentioned.

And none of it is particularly groundbreaking. Eat lots of different colors. Avoid sweets. Lay off the booze, Grandma. Don't park next to the door of the gym. Take the stairs. Have a purpose. I mean, really nothing new here. I confess I skimmed a good portion of the book.

What I did get out of the book was a look into the next 20 years. I got a wake up call regarding weight creep which I am already experiencing. A pound a year isn't a big deal the first year. But by year 5 you're in a constant struggle, not to lose 5 pounds but to just not gain another 5 pounds. Her assertion that it continues to get worse at an alarming rate right into your 60s is making me take the issue a bit more seriously. I'm not sure that was worth the cost of admission. This would have been a perfectly reasonable book to borrow from the library.

And that is my recommendation to anyone interested in giving this a whirl unless you've been oblivious to all nature of health and wellness for the past 15 years.

[Bess · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried and tried - but I just couldn't get through it. Having read "French Women Don't Get Fat," and accepting her writing style for what it is, I thought I would enjoy this one, too. Sadly, it was just too too pretentious.

[Erica Wagner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well only a few nuggets here. Repackaging of her Fat book.

[Ariadna73 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is some sort of a spin-off from the author's very successful "French women don't get fat". She has the ability to communicate well, and her writing is somewhat entertaining. I would recommend this for a very short flight.

Here is the book I read:


I loved the illustration with the thin woman (a wink to her previous book), the poodle (I hope I got that right this time, last time I tried to spell that breed, an alligator full of teeth bit off half of my virtual face). Very french.



It was published in 2013, when the author was 67, and she surely had already developed a very thick skin. So I feel like I can say anything in this review.



One thing that caught my eye is that she does talk about facelifts, and does not rule out the procedure entirely. She is very french, and she would never impose her views on anyone. She even describes some of the benefits of the available treatments:



She then goes on to -once again- give some culinary advice, which coming from a french person, will always have some value:



And then, there come the breathing exercises. Absolutely interesting and basic. Again, this book is more about having a fun non-trascendental conversation with a person who knows her way with words, than to learning anything new:



She gives us a list of foods to feeling better -mostly common sense, again:



She devotes a number of pages on tellin us how laughter is good an important:



And finally she ends this nice entertaining chat by citing Voltaire, and gardens, and optimism:



Again, I found this book very nice to read, non-stressful and entertaining.


I hoped you liked this entry. If you feel like viewing more of the books I read, you are welcome to visit my blog: http://lunairereadings.blogspot.com

[Shannon Rochester · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because many years ago, I read the French Women Don't get Fat book and a lot of what I read in that book stayed with me. It was a story but told with lessons so I stayed interested the entire time I read it. The same goes for this book...I will most likely read all of her books because I really like her writing style. She very must tells it like it is but throws a little bit of sass and flair in there as well...she says things that we all think and she doesn't seem to care what comes from it. I know some people don't like it because they feel it doesn't say anything new...well, some of it IS new to me. I turned 51 last year and much of what I read I can turn right around and apply to my current life. What colors actually make you look older but you still wear, which makeup you can ditch...how NOT to be an overweight middle aged American woman who has let herself go, essentially. :) It's true, we can all say it. As I read the book, I was sitting there in my leggings and tennis shoes with my hair in disarray and no makeup on. Yes, it is a pandemic but let's be real. I was doing the exact same thing before it all started. All in the name of comfort, like she said. Well, I had already decided I didn't want to be that person anymore and this book definitely gave me some ideas.

[Kathryn Bashaar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Pretty clear that this author was urged by her publisher to write a follow-up to French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure and she pretty much phoned it in. 200 pages of vague fluff and mediocre writing. If you want a really good book about how to continue to look presentable into middle age, read How Not to Look Old: Fast and Effortless Ways to Look 10 Years Younger, 10 Pounds Lighter, 10 Times Better

[Mayine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Next time I'm feeling kind of low about myself I'll pick up this book again! Less is more, believe in yourself, take the time to take good care of yourself, be informed, widen your horizons, read and learn; appreciate the natural, stand tall, move, eat right, don't overdue or overindulge, love, laugh, work, enjoy the outdoors (yes with a sun hat and sun block), pamper yourself, think preventative, be proud of your lines and wrinkles (be proud of yourself and your life), age with attitude, change the way you dress, make up, stand, sit if you're not happy with yourself - you can always improve; define old (US American: hang-ups + medicine + surgery + quantity vs. French = ATTITUDE; freedom, security, confidence, style, quality!) = wonderful.

[Kathe]

The question is, why did I finish this book? In my own defence, I started it because... I was working on a gruelling project and wanted something "light" to read when my brain was tired, and I quite liked the first book in this franchise, French Women Don't Get Fat, which I read for a foodie discussion group several years ago.

The trouble with franchises is that sometimes the author says everything she has to say in the first book. If the first book is a best-seller, the publisher sees dollar signs in front of their eyes and sits down with the author to see how far they can milk the concept. I thought there might be a few gems in this one, which is subtitled "Aging with Style and Attitude." Reader alert: not really. The book is pretty much an off-the-top-of-her-head rehash of her life and several of her friends'. Every so often she remembers to substantiate one of her blanket statements, and then launches into some heavy-handed research. Very odd. And then there was the 264-word sentence (yes, I had to count)...

Well, there are discussions of plastic surgery (no - I agree), high heels (not after a certain age - I say never), drinking (she says cut back), wearing unrelieved black after a certain age (she says no - I agree), but no blinding insights, alas. Eat less, move more, sleep more, feel "bien dans sa peau" - I'd pretty much figured those ones out for myself.

She thanks her editors at the end, but I can assure you no competent copyeditors were involved in the production of this book. "Tenant" for "tenet," "adverse" for "averse"... you get the picture.

Luckily, the book is short, and a quick read because there are whole swathes of pages you can skim. I leave you with a sample sentence: "And, on my part, a weird added element has been that I remain a bit intimidated by my man's super intelligence."

[S · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another of those "French do it better" books but a lot of this advice can be gained from any blog and it not really French. French have just made this a marketing tool 'a la francaise' but a lot of it applies to Europe as a whole.

I did not find this book witty or funny as the cover described but rather high handed like 'I am French and therefore, I know better' way.

It is interesting how all these books talk about how healthy French eat but conveniently do not even mention how women skip meals and smoke away. Smoking and coffee and alcohol - How come these books never mention that? Especially smoking. Not one word in this book.

p.82 - No one, except me, ever saw my mother's long hair because she always put it in a bun and she never let her hair down for others to see. This just sound to me to be old fashioned and over stiff.

She talks about yoga and pranayama which is totally unFrench and would actually be considered hippie. These are trends that became popular in the USA. What's so French about that?

Yes, it is true, you walk a lot more in Europe compared to USA and that adds to your exercise quota but really, is it only a French thing? Like other Europeans don't do that?

Same with her claiming stakes to French mediterranean cuisine for longevity. How much of France is really mediterranean?

If anything supports her ideas, she claims it as French instead of giving credit to the source. Same with cooking quinoa and turmeric. 20 years ago, nobody in France was doing this unless they were hippies.

Same with cutting down on bread and alcohol - that is totally a health movement concept from USA, not Europe.

[Oswego Public Library District]

Here is an upbeat collection of contemporary philosophy on the art of aging well. Mireille Guiliano has a pleasant, yet no-nonsense approach to how women can live. There is no magic formula per se. Eat moderately, dress well, spend time on your appearance, rest, play, and stay engaged with life. All common sense presented with a dash of élan. The author is a wealthy woman and this fact seems to seep in a bit here and there though she doesn't try to flaunt it. With a bit of healthy intention, she describes an authentic life that is attainable by all without health club memberships, facelifts, and other external aids. -GD

Click here to place a hold on French Women Don't Get Facelifts .

For those in their 20s to 50s, another excellent book on protecting our health, looking good, and being productive is Eat Move Sleep: How Small Choices Lead to Big Changes by Tom Rath.

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I stuck to parts of this book- just the ones that would interest me the most, like the skin care section. To be honest it was nothing that any average girl/woman wouldn't already know. And some of the tips were off base anyway - like using a scrub. Ladies with younger/acne prone skin should stay away from harsh scrubs and so should older ladies because it can actually break capillaries, especially if you're prone to rosacea. Going to a dermatologist or at least reading derma/estethician blogs and videos online is way more beneficial than this book. She even went so far as to negatively describe an acid peel- glycolic acid is perfectly safe, and works wonders for your skin. She makes it sound like a painful burning process....

This is a skip, I wouldn't pick this up if you were looking for tips or a new skincare routine. I'd go online to reputable sources or get professional help.

[Divia · Rating 2 out of 5]

While there are alot of things mentioned that one already knows, I cannot deny that I have only started to implement them after reading this book. Taking the stairs, walking more and increasing my water intake are just a few examples of that. Also, this book made me consciously aware of the "youth cult" that the rest of the world seems obsessed with while the French tend to embrace age and aging gracefully at that. I enjoyed the small window that the author provides into the French culture while comparing it to the American way of life (sleeping early vs sleeping late for instance). I started reading, stopped in between, started again and finally finished the book so although I won't say I loved it, I will say you might pick up a few things from the book, especially if you're a woman :) Enjoy x

[September Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up for a fast read and it was just that. Aging gracefully caught my eye. While I appreciate her point of view, I certainly don't thing that most of this applies to women of a certain age in France at all. The food consumption guidelines and dress code appear to me to be very conservative and at the very least something you'd see on a 7o year old plus rather than at 40 or 50. Feeling good in one's skin is truly an individual concept and I, for one, don't believe that bright colours make a woman look like a clown. Women can have fun with fashion and makeup too. Of course it is all in moderation and common sense as well as not attract the gawkers. Perhaps this book just makes those who haven't a clue as to what to do take some notice. For that I give it credit.

[Susie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a beach read, and just a lot of common sense. The advice to make sure you lose that 5 lbs you gained right away is great, and if I didn't have any difficulty losing weight I would just do it like Mireille says! I find there are an awful lot of motherhood statements. And then while she suggests that you only put natural things into your body, in the next breath she is suggesting that you take estrogen against the advice of your doctor! To be fair, reading this book encouraged me to eat less bad food on my beach vacation, and I'm taking my health and my style a little more seriously. But will I suddenly be as put together and classy as une femme d'une age certaine? Je pense que non.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, the author explains the French attitudes on aging well. From fashion to cosmetics and shampoo to food and exercise and more, she explains the basics of keeping acive, dressing well, moisturizing, eating well and more. She explains that diets are addictive, inefficient and counter-productive and that having healthy eating habits is much better. She explains some of the many benefits and uses of honey, shares some yummy sounding recipes and stresses that a positive attitude is very important in how we age. The book is interesting and easy to read and I enjoyed it very much and learned a few new things. I received this book free to review from Netgalley.

[Elizabeth Moore · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm certain, as a 22 year old woman, I am not the target audience for this book. However, I gleaned some useful information from it. Some.
I really wanted to enjoy it, I think it's a refreshing change for someone to try and speak about aging in a way that is positive, rather than the media's usual tirade of "being old is bad".
But, I found a lot of the content patronising, and a little off. I'm sure Guiliano had the best intentions when writing, but I for one didn't really appreciate being told what's not okay, be it in weight, fashion or life in general. I found the whole thing to be a watered down version of what the media tries to do on a daily basis, just packaged differently

[Alyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars just because I enjoyed reading it and found it to be useful! As usual, not five stars for amazing mind blowing insight. I just don't want to mark people down an entire star just for not being a classic or seminal or life changing work. I felt I learned a lot and was never really bored so that's 5 stars to me! I always enjoy learning about French culture and this book gave fun and honest insights. The author is realistic and supportive of aging more than less naturally. I can see why people thought she was condescending but I think she has lived a long life, learned a lot, and earned the right to share her well thought out opinion with the rest of us.

[Corinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really I'd give this book 4.5 stars. Mireille Guilianio is such a classy woman who knows what the hell she's talking about. I am a bit younger than her target audience for this book, but still I learned much about "aging with style", as she says. I will certainly keep a copy on my bookshelf and consult it regularly in the coming decades. Not only does Guiliano explore the differences between the French and American approaches at aging (boy are we Americans pathetic by comparison) she offers countless health and wellness tips that I totally buy into. She's all about nature, nutrition, and tact. I love this lady!

[Elina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess this book is enjoyable for those who really need some tips how to maintain your looks and accept the fact that you are ageing. As I picked it up from the library, I was expecting a light read about the French lifestyle, but it turned out to be a usual self-help book. Also, I don't agree with many things the author said and I find some of her (especially medical) tips incorrect or even harmful. You should listen more to your own body and needs than do exactly as the book tells you to do. I also consider some of the tips too ordinary as most of the people already know about them and have used them for years. Overall, I find this book rather boring and uninformative.

[Gigi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not finish this book after a few chapters. Seemed like a lot of preaching about attitude, not enough to fill a book, could have just been an essay. Didn't come across much concrete advice. Got to the list about shoes, not much there. Tossed the book aside.

[Jade · Rating 1 out of 5]

Subtitle: this bitch loves to judge.

[Amy Tietjen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this woman’s voice and perspective, and she made me miss all the “women of a certain age” that I have not been able to spend time with during this pandemic. She has endless wisdom to share, some I was already applying to my life, and some I plan to implement. She falls under the category of being a person I’d love to have dinner with before I die. I will read all of her books!

[Sherry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Can I give this less than one star? Can the author not find anyone else to quote about French women besides Coco the Nazi? Not one person? In all of France? Tres ringarde