The Bon-Vivant Girl, Nathalie Botros, - Interview Q&A
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What does
it mean to be the “Bon-Vivant Girl?”
If you translate “bon-vivant” from French, it means “well
living”. A Bon-Vivant Girl is someone who socializes, travels, and enjoys every
minute of her life. Thanks to her healthy and happy relationship towards food,
she manages to lose weight and maintain it without any conventional diet.
The Bon-Vivant Girl believes that you won’t be happy because
you lost weight.
You need to be happy in order to lose weight. And to be
happy, you need to live your life to the fullest: go out, travel, and
socialize.
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How did
your background in psychotherapy help you develop the attitudes and ideas in
your book?
Thanks to my psychotherapy background, I know that when we
don’t stick to a diet, it doesn’t mean we are not strong or determined. We are
all humans. The minute we say the word “diet”, our brain translates it to
“restriction”. The restriction means not eating what we want.
Think when you tell a kid to not touch something? What will
they do, go straight and touch it, right?
Now, think that all of us are grown up kids. When society or
a diet tells us to not eat something, we instantly crave that food. In my book
I keep saying that “you are not on a diet”, and “don’t restrict yourself” or
“you can eat everything.” It is positive reinforcement, so my readers don’t
feel trapped in the eternal cycle of dieting.
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What do
you think is the most common mistake people make when trying to adhere to a
new, healthier lifestyle?
The most common mistake is to think that if a friend loses
weight with a diet, it will work for me as well. Each person is unique. We all
have different nutritional needs, metabolisms, and lifestyles. There is no
“one-diet-fits-all,” there is bio-individuality.
People should stop listening to every diet that they hear or
read. They should create their food journal and discover their bad and good
food. Once they understand their own weaknesses, they can start on the road to
a healthy and skinny life.
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We all
love pasta and the Bon-Vivant Girl is no exception. Why do you recommend
cheating with your pasta?
First of all, pasta is not bad for you, especially unrefined
ones (whole wheat). Don't forget I encourage my readers to eat from everything!
I also know that most of us won't eat whole wheat pasta and
will opt for the white ones. The refined-grain foods may fail to satisfy your
appetite. The result would be feeling hungry again, soon after eating a bowl of
white pasta.
Now, let's be honest, pasta in itself has a blend taste.
Nobody eats it without a sauce or cheese. We actually love more the sauce than
the pasta itself. So, why don't we cheat with it?
It could be using vegetable pasta instead of refined one
like zucchini pasta.
Another option would be decreasing the quantity of pasta and
increasing the vegetables in the dish. If you use the elbow kinds and add a lot
of vegetables cut small; you will have a huge plate. It will satisfy your pasta
envy and will make your dish healthier.
Final Thoughts
I want the readers
to identify themselves in my stories, get motivated, and laugh. I want them to
stop dieting and start creating a lifestyle. “Diet” means “restriction”;
“lifestyle” means “way to live.”
I want readers to
understand that not being able to lose weight is not a failure. It shows that
they followed a diet that was not suited for them. They are the only ones who
can make it happen; by first loving and accepting themselves, then by creating
and studying their food journal, and finally by starting their new Bon-Vivant
lifestyle.
This book is not
only a different approach to losing weight; but also a book to help the readers
to find happiness in everything they do. The big message is “You can’t wait to
lose weight to find happiness, you need to find happiness, and then you will
lose weight.”
Watch For A Giveaway Coming Soon
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