I picked up an interesting book yesterday called "French Women Don't Get Fat"

The author, a French woman who came to the US as an exchange student and took home an extra 25 pounds, tells how her doctor helped her refind her French relationship with food.

After he observed her eating habits for 3 weeks via a food and activity diary, he suggested some changes. One of the first was a weekend "recast" of her body.

She simply took 2 pounds of leeks and boiled them and drank the broth a cup at a time every couple of hours. When she felt hungry, she ate some of the leeks with some olive oil and lemon juice drizzled on them. Of course she also drank water freely, during this time.

The book goes on, but she calls it her "miracle soup". And she's suggested it to a lot of co-workers, friends and acquaintances over the years with great success.

So, today, at the farmers market I bought 2 huge bunches of leeks and boiled them up. The taste is very, very delicate.

I've already eaten today, so will start tomorrow and will let you know what happens.

Mamacita

But how long did she do this for?

I don't feel comfortable with diets that make you just eat one thing... you simply don't get the diversity of vitamins and minerals that you need.

I hope that you go well Mamacita, but done just eat leeks for too long (even though I love them)

I saw this on Live with Regis & Kelly the other day. I dunno if I could do it. LOL

I'm not much of a veggie eater. I need to get better though.

This was for 48 hours ONLY...just a weekend semi-fast to let her body rest from all the bad things she'd been putting into it.

I've seen a lot of so-called "fasts" where people consume massive amounts of fruit juices. Imagine the damage they're doing by loading down on that much concentrated sugar. BLECH!!!

After the 48 hours, then it's back your normal diet.

And Amber, if you're not much of a veggie eater, you won't be a happy camper for long, trust me on this...Been there, done that, got the size 18's to prove it.

Once I started adding the veggies into my diet (4 cups minimum per day) I not only started losing more, but I started feeling better, too. Veggies are loaded with vitamins and fiber and we need both in order to function normally. The veggies also help me to feel more satisfied, so the likelyhood of a cheat or binge is minimized.

Mamacita

Oh my.. I do not come near 4c. veggies per day. I do eat salads, and some broccoli, but not much of anything else. Any suggestions??

Amber... What I have started doin is buyin a bag of romaine lettuce a bag of baby spinach and a bag of brocolli mix it all up together and make my salads out of that. I doubt that I eat 4 cups of it but it is pretty close and I have also started addin in radishes and lil grape tomatos. I also like to eat the lil tomatos by themselves. That way I get several different veggies each day. I hope this helps. I know i have a hard time sometimes gettin the 4 cups.

Mama... What do leeks taste like? I have never had them.

I did buy some red leaf lettuce and some romaine lettuce today. I had just been eating iceburg. I add tomatoes usually. That's about it for veggies. Broccoli in the lettuce is a good idea. I'll have to get some fresh broccoli. I don't think my frozen would taste as well. LOL THanks for the idea.

This kinda sounds yummy!

And of course Mama, thanks for the reminder, barb, jab, nag whatever! about the 4+ veggie servings per day. I've gotten so sloppy..............................

Iceburg lettuce is below the bottom of the foodchain nutrition-wise...a big fat ZILCH. You'd do better with romaine and the other dark leafy lettuces like bronze and red leaf lettuce.

Why not try some of the spring mixes that are out on the market? Those have not only lettuce in them, but endive, arugula, baby spinach, frisse and a host of other little greens...and is loaded with nutrition. I'm not much of a salad eater, but when I do eat it, that's what I go for and dress it with a walnut oil and balsamic vinaigrette.

Bamie, leeks taste very, very faintly of onion when cooked. Like I said, they're so "delicate"...a very "girly" veggie.

Mamacita

I think I may try some. I have really been steppin out on my veggies! lol I'll get Mom to cook 'em when she feels better cause she likes 'em that way if I don't they won't go to waste. lol

Other than a leaf of lettuce on my non-OP burger the other night, I don't think I've had a darned vegetable all week. Thanks for the reminder!

I wonder how that leek concoction would taste with a shot of gin in it. Hmmmm.

Leeks are very tricky in that they can be very sandy/dirty. And the dirt hides between the layers. I found out the hard way the first couple times I cooked them. Nothing worse then biting into sand. Ouch.

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl.../ai_kepm169167
Washing Leeks
How do you get a leek perfectly clean?
Slit the leek lengthwise first and splay open the layers with your hands as you hold the leek under running water. Rubbing each leek layer with your fingers while the leek is under the water spray also dislodges grit. If you are chopping or mincing the leek, place it in a colander after cutting and rinse thoroughly

Interesting thread. I bought leeks at the grocery store this weekend. The cookbook has a soup recipe with leek and swiss chard (I'm using spinach instead of the chard). It's called Hearty Minestrone. I'm craving soups right now.