{"id":153205,"date":"2025-09-22T13:48:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T13:48:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/153205\/"},"modified":"2025-09-22T13:48:12","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T13:48:12","slug":"diet-that-makes-middle-age-french-womens-figures-the-envy-of-the-world-it-sheds-a-stone-in-a-month-makes-waists-gamine-and-vanishes-wrinkles-heres-the-secret-by-a-top-paris-nutritionist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/153205\/","title":{"rendered":"Diet that makes middle-age French women’s figures the envy of the world. It sheds a stone in a month, makes waists gamine and vanishes wrinkles. Here’s the secret, by a top Paris nutritionist"},"content":{"rendered":"

How do French women do it? It\u2019s a question I\u2019ve been asked before by Brits who look enviously at slender Parisiennes and wonder how they negotiate all that glorious French food, wine and patisserie and yet stay so slim.<\/p>\n

Well, the truth is, we\u2019re not all eating croissants and pains au chocolat every day. I\u2019ll let you into a secret: most French women I know skip breakfast and settle for a coffee or glass of juice.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re not quaffing ros\u00e9, wolfing frites or eating filet mignon smothered in creamy sauces all day either. Except, that is, when they\u2019re on holiday.<\/p>\n

Just like you Brits, we tend to kick back and indulge on our annual two or even three-week vacances. And after a summer of poolside aperitifs, a la carte menus on hotel terraces and, yes, an extra glass or two of something tasty from Bordeaux, many Frenchwomen have put on several kilos, too.<\/p>\n

For more than ten years, I\u2019ve been working as a dietician and nutritionist in the heart of Paris, and it\u2019s quite common for me to see patients in July and then not see them again until September, when the city comes back from its holidays.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve written diet books, appear regularly on TF1 \u2013 the biggest TV channel in France<\/a> \u2013 and work with businesswomen, actresses and models who come to me, not only for help on physical and emotional wellbeing, but for weight-loss advice as well.<\/p>\n

In the UK, come September, you have the concept of \u2018Back to school\u2019, but in France, we call it \u2018La Rentr\u00e9e\u2019 \u2013 which literally translated means \u2018The Return\u2019.<\/p>\n

\"Vanessa <\/p>\n

Vanessa Bedjai-Haddad has been a nutritionist in Paris for more than ten years<\/p>\n

La Rentree is a big deal here, signifying the resumption of normal working life after those wonderful weeks of freedom, and it often comes with a diet, known as a R\u00e9gime Rentree.<\/p>\n

The R\u00e9gime isn\u2019t just about losing weight. It\u2019s also about a mental reset \u2013 trying not to let the stresses of busy family life and work derail our health in general and eating habits in particular.<\/p>\n

When people are getting back into the swing of office life, it can be very easy to comfort eat, snack more or order takeaways because they\u2019re too tired to cook.<\/p>\n

For me, the R\u00e9gime Rentr\u00e9e is about making a plan so you don\u2019t find yourself at home, exhausted after work, with nothing in the fridge \u2013 and then resort to a big plate of pasta with cheese, bread and wine. It\u2019s about not letting yourself be swayed off course by the cold, the rain and the mental load.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s another secret about French women. Staying active is one of the major ways that we compensate for our foodie culture. We like to eat, it\u2019s sociable and fun. But many women stay slim and in shape \u2013 and make it look like they don\u2019t eat anything \u2013 by exercising.<\/p>\n

Lots of my patients dread returning to Paris after les vacances because being active in the city means going to indoor gyms, and it\u2019s just not as nice as playing tennis or swimming on holiday. For French women, staying active is an absolute must.<\/p>\n

On my R\u00e9gime Rentr\u00e9e, I recommend that patients aim to exercise at least three times a week \u2013 a mix of cardio, strength training and some form of movement that they enjoy, such as yoga or swimming. The important thing is that you do it regularly. But beware \u2013 it\u2019s not a failsafe approach. You still have to be careful with portion size!<\/p>\n

A typical R\u00e9gime Rentr\u00e9e day<\/p>\n

Breakfast ideas<\/p>\n

Two slices of spelt or rye bread with any combination of avocado, salmon, eggs, hamA small muffin with peanut butter and fresh fruitOatmeal porridge sprinkled with seeds and maybe a few dark chocolate chipsYoghurt with two or three tablespoons of oatmeal or granola and a small fruit salad\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lunch and dinner ideas<\/p>\n

Grated carrots \u2013 or a green salad \u2013 as a starterRoast chicken with a few spoonfuls of quinoa and green beans\u00a0Mushroom omelette with saladLentil curry with rice\u00a0<\/p>\n

Desserts\/snacks<\/p>\n

YoghurtFruitA handful\u00a0of almondsTwo squares of dark chocolate <!- – ad: https:\/\/mads.dailymail.co.uk\/v8\/us\/femail\/none\/article\/other\/mpu_factbox.html?id=mpu_factbox_1 – -><\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not in favour of very restrictive diets because they often seem like just another stressful chore. Instead, I encourage my patients to see the R\u00e9gime Rentr\u00e9e as a reset, where we try to get into healthy habits that not only help us lose the summer pounds, but are easy to maintain through Christmas and beyond.<\/p>\n

That means a diet that is as unprocessed as possible. One of the ways that Parisian women stay slim is by avoiding processed junk food.<\/p>\n

Research shows that Ultra Processed Foods (UPFs) \u2013 those that contain lots of ingredients, such as preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, and artificial colours and flavours \u2013 are associated with being overweight. In France, 28 per cent of our energy intake comes from UPFs, whereas that figure is 40 per cent in the UK. So, if you want to lose those extra kilos, cutting out UPFs is a step in the right direction.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s as much about what you include as what you avoid. That means healthy, fresh ingredients, and vegetables with every meal. In fact, both lunch and dinner should be vegetable-heavy so you\u2019re getting enough water, fibre, vitamins and minerals. Protein from fish, meat and eggs is important \u2013 but you don\u2019t need sources like this at every meal because you can also get protein from quinoa and pulses.<\/p>\n

Remember, a plant-based diet is easier to digest as it\u2019s lower in saturated fatty acids and a study in the Journal of Nutrition found that replacing saturated and trans-fats with unsaturated fats can help prevent age-related weight gain.<\/p>\n

In fact, you could lose up to a stone in just 28 days by following my plan below. Of course, how much weight loss you achieve all depends on where you\u2019re starting from. If you have more than 20 kilos to lose, you could drop as much as a stone in a month.<\/p>\n

On carbs, I recommend three to four tablespoons per meal \u2013 but choose those that are a bit more interesting from a nutritional point of view, such as brown rice, quinoa, lentils, chickpeas, and pulses rather than pasta. Swap butter and cream for oils rich in omega-3 \u2013 olive oil is perfect for everyday use, while walnut and rapeseed oils also provide valuable omega-3s \u2013 which are good for cardiovascular health, and more digestible, too. And season your food with herbs \u2013 they add flavour while providing antioxidants, vitamins and phytochemicals that support overall health.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not against snacks or desserts completely, but they need to be chosen carefully. No one can eat cr\u00e8me brul\u00e9e every day and not suffer the consequences. Opt for fruit and yogurt instead. You could add some compote or seeds, almonds or hazelnuts, which make a good snack. A handful of nuts and seeds is packed with good fats and could be paired with one or two squares of dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa minimum) for magnesium and antioxidants.<\/p>\n

In between meals, you must drink water. As well as being good for all-round health, this fills you up and will stop you snacking.<\/p>\n

Aim for 6-8 glasses of water daily. Coffee and tea do count, but it\u2019s best to balance them with herbal teas and plain water. A good tip I give to my patients is to start meals with a glass of water and to drink mostly between meals rather than during, to avoid diluting digestive enzymes.<\/p>\n

Should you have breakfast? I don\u2019t think it\u2019s obligatory, but if you\u2019re hungry in the mornings, you should eat. A protein-based meal like an omelette will be more satisfying. If you don\u2019t have a good option for lunch at work, you should have a heartier breakfast \u2013 wholemeal bread, avocado, salmon, eggs, yoghurt, ham. Just don\u2019t reach for the sugary cereals or pastries.<\/p>\n

If you are going to skip breakfast, make sure you have a healthy snack on hand \u2013 some almonds, fruit, a couple of squares of dark chocolate \u2013 so you\u2019re not tempted by the biscuits or cakes in the office kitchen.<\/p>\n

Yes it\u2019s September, and the days are getting shorter and darker, but a R\u00e9gime Rentr\u00e9e can help you negotiate the gloom and emerge plus svelte than you were before! Here\u2019s how…<\/p>\n

Recipes for a typical R\u00e9gime Rentr\u00e9e day<\/p>\n

Savoury quinoa bowl with mushrooms, spinach and eggs\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

For 2 people<\/p>\n

8 mushroomsOlive oil150g spinach2 eggs200g cooked quinoaSalt and pepper<\/p>\n

Cut the mushrooms into strips, then cook in olive oil until they take on a nice colour. Wash, dry and chop the spinach, before adding it to the pan with a little more olive oil if necessary.<\/p>\n

Put the hot quinoa in a bowl, top with the spinach and mushrooms and a fried egg. Season and serve immediately.<\/p>\n

Chia pudding, almond milk and raspberry coulis<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

\u00a0For 2 people<\/p>\n

300ml almond milk25g chia seeds2 tbsps agave syrup\u00a0<\/p>\n

For the raspberry coulis:<\/p>\n

250g raspberriesJuice of 1 lemon\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mix the almond milk with the chia seeds and agave syrup. Pour into bowls and leave in the fridge overnight. Gently rinse the raspberries, then blend with the lemon juice to a smooth sauce. Serve the chia pudding with the raspberry coulis.<\/p>\n

Sole fillets with olives<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

For 4 people<\/p>\n

4 sole fillets of 100g each200g pitted black olivesFresh basil leaves<\/p>\n

For the tomato sauce:<\/p>\n

1 tbsp olive oil20g shallots, peeled and finely chopped300g chopped tinned tomatoesSalt and pepper1 bouquet garni1 clove garlic, chopped\u00a0<\/p>\n

Preheat the oven to 200C.<\/p>\n

To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a pan and sweat the chopped shallots for a few minutes, without colouring.<\/p>\n

Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, bouquet garni and chopped garlic.<\/p>\n

Cook for 30 minutes over a medium heat, until the water has completely evaporated.<\/p>\n

Place the sole fillets in a baking dish.<\/p>\n

Cover with the tomato sauce and the olives.<\/p>\n

Bake for about ten minutes, until the flesh of the fillets easily comes apart with a fork.<\/p>\n

Sprinkle over the fresh basil leaves and serve.<\/p>\n

Spelt casserole with a trio of peppers<\/p>\n

For 4 people<\/p>\n

300g of speltFresh basil leaves1 red pepper1 yellow pepper1 green pepper1 white onion1 clove of garlic4 tbsps olive oilSalt1ltr chicken stock100ml white wine20g grated parmesan10 pitted black olives<\/p>\n

Soak the spelt for 10 minutes in a bowl of water. Meanwhile, wash, dry and chop the basil leaves, peel the peppers and onion, then cut them into long, thin strips. Peel and chop the garlic clove.<\/p>\n

In a saucepan, heat the chicken stock until simmering and put to one side.<\/p>\n

In a casserole, sweat the onion and peppers in half of the olive oil with a pinch of salt for 2 minutes. Stir regularly. Add the spelt and mix. Add the garlic and basil.<\/p>\n

Stir and cook for 1 minute. Deglaze with white wine and let it reduce by half. Add the stock a little at a time, waiting until the liquid has been absorbed before adding more.<\/p>\n

When the spelt is cooked, remove the casserole from the heat and sprinkle over the grated parmesan. Stir slowly, adding the remaining olive oil, olives and chopped basil.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"How do French women do it? It\u2019s a question I\u2019ve been asked before by Brits who look enviously…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":153206,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[97,519,819,59,102,13772,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-153205","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-dailymail","9":"tag-femail","10":"tag-france","11":"tag-gb","12":"tag-health","13":"tag-paris","14":"tag-uk","15":"tag-united-kingdom","16":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153205","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=153205"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153205\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/153206"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=153205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=153205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=153205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}