I’m a little obsessed with cake. Those who know me may have noticed. I’m regularly up to my elbows in baking powder, icing sugar and buttercream, my kitchen walls are plastered with patisserie pictures and my iPhone’s protective case is swathed in sweet treats.
Being surrounded by cake so much of the time means I’m regularly chomping on the calorie-laden stuff and people often ask; “Why aren’t you the size of a house?!” In all honesty, I don’t know. I’m by no means a waif, but I’m not ready to audition for the Roly Polys quite yet either. As well as gorging on the odd dollop of gateau, I’m a huge chocolate and cheese glutton and there’s always a creamy latte with my name on it at a local coffee shop. I do swim regularly, but even taking that into account I’m surprised I’m not bigger than I am.
Being surrounded by cake so much of the time means I’m regularly chomping on the calorie-laden stuff and people often ask; “Why aren’t you the size of a house?!” In all honesty, I don’t know. I’m by no means a waif, but I’m not ready to audition for the Roly Polys quite yet either. As well as gorging on the odd dollop of gateau, I’m a huge chocolate and cheese glutton and there’s always a creamy latte with my name on it at a local coffee shop. I do swim regularly, but even taking that into account I’m surprised I’m not bigger than I am.
With this in mind, I recently came across a book that caught my attention; The Marie Antoinette Diet by Karen Wheeler. In it Karen says, “The more I looked into the Queen’s diet, the more I became convinced that it held the key to the so-called ‘French paradox’ – the question of how the French eat rich, fatty food yet still manage to stay slim and avoid coronary heart disease”. The vivid Queen, Marie Antoinette, had a 23-inch waist and never had reason to don a corset. Yet she was often found munching on macaroons, courting croissants and partaking of petit fours. So how did she - and how do other Brie-binging, cream-quaffing French women - stay slim?
In her book Karen Wheeler states that WHEN you eat is an important factor in weight maintenance/healthy living. Devouring a pastry, hot chocolate or fondant fancy early on in the day to satiate a sweet tooth seems to be key. Studies have shown that dieters who eat a balanced breakfast (such as berries, yoghurts and nuts) followed by a small portion of cake or something sweet, are more successful at losing weight and keeping it off. By fulfilling sugar cravings early in the day, it would seem you’re less likely to want something sweet later on.
It wasn’t all cake consumption for Marie Antoinette though. She regularly ate nourishing vegetables, poultry and health-boosting wonder broths for evening meals. So the portrayal of her scoffing sponges and demolishing desserts all day isn’t strictly accurate. Having a lighter dinner (broth) and no snacks after 7pm, all contribute to keeping excess weight at bay.
In her book Karen Wheeler states that WHEN you eat is an important factor in weight maintenance/healthy living. Devouring a pastry, hot chocolate or fondant fancy early on in the day to satiate a sweet tooth seems to be key. Studies have shown that dieters who eat a balanced breakfast (such as berries, yoghurts and nuts) followed by a small portion of cake or something sweet, are more successful at losing weight and keeping it off. By fulfilling sugar cravings early in the day, it would seem you’re less likely to want something sweet later on.
It wasn’t all cake consumption for Marie Antoinette though. She regularly ate nourishing vegetables, poultry and health-boosting wonder broths for evening meals. So the portrayal of her scoffing sponges and demolishing desserts all day isn’t strictly accurate. Having a lighter dinner (broth) and no snacks after 7pm, all contribute to keeping excess weight at bay.
Kirsten Dunst as Marie Antoinette
Interestingly it’s highly doubtful whether the Queen even uttered the famous words ‘let them eat cake’. Lady Antonia Fraser, author of a Marie Antoinette biography, believes the quote would have been extremely uncharacteristic, particularly as the Queen was an intelligent woman who donated generously to charitable causes. Despite her lavish lifestyle, she displayed incredible sensitivity towards the poor population of France. In fact, the ‘let them eat cake’ remark had been floating around for many years prior to Marie Antoinette’s rule, accordingly to various reports.
When considering Marie Antoniette’s diet, I do see a few similarities to my own. If I consume anything sweet it does tend to be during the morning or early afternoon and I rarely eat after 8pm (…unless the lure of the Pick ‘n’ Mix at Odeon is too much to resist). So whilst the idea of a sliver of sponge cake or a sugar-laced coffee is too much for many to stomach in the mornings, I shall continue to enjoy mine. After all, I have to do my part to keep coffee shops in business, right? ;-)
Read more about Karen Wheeler and The Marie Antoinette Diet here: www.toutsweet.net
When considering Marie Antoniette’s diet, I do see a few similarities to my own. If I consume anything sweet it does tend to be during the morning or early afternoon and I rarely eat after 8pm (…unless the lure of the Pick ‘n’ Mix at Odeon is too much to resist). So whilst the idea of a sliver of sponge cake or a sugar-laced coffee is too much for many to stomach in the mornings, I shall continue to enjoy mine. After all, I have to do my part to keep coffee shops in business, right? ;-)
Read more about Karen Wheeler and The Marie Antoinette Diet here: www.toutsweet.net
