Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: French Women Don't Get Fat

I thought the same thing, but the book actually says the opposite. She talks about a woman who always ate a ton of cream sauces, and she figured out that this craving was actually related to the cigarettes. Because smoking kills your senses of smell and taste, smokers don't feel satisfied by the subtle seasonings that nonsmokers can enjoy. Because seasonings are more soluable in fats, it makes sense that smokers would crave heavy, fatty sauces, since that's when they can taste flavors better. Obviously you are right that cigarettes supress the appetite, but the author is a nonsmoker, and her whole approach is about satisfying your palate with diversity of textures and flavors, instead of shoveling in the same old boring pasta and bagles and wondering why we don't feel satisfied. Of course, she makes generalizations about French and American eaters, and there are always exceptions to generalizations. But the point is to take eating seriously, vary your diet, and sit down to a nice place setting with the TV off and concentrate on the flavors and textures. The idea is that you will feel more satisfied with less food. Who knows, we'll see if she's right. I'm going to give it a few weeks and see what happens. She also advocates going to the market every couple of days for the food you'll eat that day and the next, rather than loading up at the supermarket every 2 weeks. Walking walking walking, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, drinking a ton of water, etc. The idea is to eat for pleasure and take pleasure in eating, and then you won't be mindlessly snacking, etc. Sorry my post is kind of incoherent; I'm still making sense of all of her suggestions. I'm not sure I'm going to take all of her advice, but it is compatible with the IBS diet (as long as you properly sub in her recipes)and it makes sense that feeling satisfied by your meals is a better way to avoid snacking than just sheer willpower and deprivation. We'll see how it goes. I'm going to give it 3 months and see what happens.

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Amanda

I live in the Big Apple, but I don't eat the skin

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