The French Twist: Twelve Secrets of Decadent Dining and Natural Weight Management

By: Carol Cottrill

Narrated by: Tiffany Williams

Americans diet while the French dine. But is it true that French women don't get fat? Is there a French Paradox-the counterintuitive notion that a diet that includes cheese, chocolate, and wine is associated with improved cardiovascular health and weight management?

The ancient wisdom and long-held traditions of the French have, in fact, been validated. Recent and groundbreaking nutritional science confirms what the French have known for centuries-there is no paradox at all. Enjoying high-quality, real, even so-called “decadent” foods-prepared with awareness and savored with pleasure and relaxation, and in moderation-ensures a lifetime of relatively effortless weight management. In The French Twist, nutritional consultant Carol Cottrill lets American women in on twelve secrets for organizing their personal rhythms and rituals around this concept, which can have a profound effect on their metabolism and weight.

Talk to a French woman and you may learn that, rather than a French Paradox, there exists a French Dilemma. The French love good food and wine, and certainly the idea of a pleasurable life of large meals with family and friends, but these preferences must be reconciled with their desire to be attractive and healthy. The French woman will allow herself to enjoy an excellent meal, but she will naturally eat less and walk more to compensate. She is quietly self-disciplined in her efforts, and she automatically observes portion savoir-faire. This typical and widely practiced solution to the French Dilemma results in what we perceive as the French Paradox.

The truth is that Americans are not different from people in other countries. We just have different eating habits. Americans are hungry for an alternative to the restrictions of dieting. The French Twist offers a realistic, commonsense, tried and true approach-core values that include the concept of a person's natural weight, nourishment, pleasure, healing, and the welfare of future generations.

©2012 Carol Cottrill (P)2013 Carol Cottrill

Highly recommended

I love all things French so this book was right up my alley. I really enjoyed the narrator, she kept it interesting. I don't believe that there was one moment where I felt board. The book is packed with really good useful information and I feel like the author and I have very similar ways of processing information. I would highly recommend this book to everyone

Terrible pronunciation! Overall good message

The reader does the author a complete disservice with her French. Audible should pick someone who can pronounce every word in the story correctly. The author gets a bit political in Ch. 11. Overall great message and I liked the book.

It was good but the narrator ruined it for me

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

The book had some good substantive "meat" to it. She does wax on and on at times about "obesity epidemics" and evil food corporations. Great, it's true it's valuable etc. etc. :x However, I found the most beneficial part of the book the shortest bit: the weekly practical tips! More "Hey, this is how one implements this!" and less preachy-preach would have been good because there is good content hidden in.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Tiffany Williams?

This narrator really ground my gears. The accents, the male voices, the character voices...ugh. She would start off with a Southern accent for a character, drop it, and pick it back up again in the same dialogue. The narrator's voice is not very listen-able, either. That is just my opinion though...so take it or leave it.

Do you think The French Twist: Twelve Secrets of Decadent Dining and Natural Weight Management needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

A follow up book would be nice if it was more practical.

Get the body you want by applying these principles

Perfect book for weight loss and also to maintain it forever. I will keep coming back to this book whenever I want to remind my self of eating with love and moderation.

Very enjoyable listen.

Reading the reviews I’m not sure if I listened to the same book or not because I thought this book was extremely enjoyable and quite knowledgeable. I enjoyed the multitude of different peoples experiences in addition to her own, I would say give it a try if your open minded and enjoy the topic of French lifestyle/ food. I didn’t find it judgmental at all as some other reviewer had put, I’m actually confused as to whether we listened to the same book or not.

Bad advice

Don’t diet but only eat half a banana … but eating an entire croissant is fine go treat yourself.. lol

The French are just as heavy as everyone else in Europe

Too political and preachy to be fun

I was not happy with this book as it seemed very preachy instead of what the description portrayed it to be, which was supposed to be a personal experience with French dining customs and habits. Really disappointed. It wasn't all that interesting and nothing I didn't already know, but then seemed to be a rant at 2/3 point which totally turned me off.

Not what I expected

Overall great topic and concept but a less than succinct and lackluster presentation. Unfortunate had such potential.

very disappointing

Have many enjoyable books about the French lifestyle - this isn't one of them. Started okay but delivery became too condescending and preachy and became too political to enjoy. Didn't even finish.