French Gender Diet Help!!

[WantingPink]

I became a member and read through the French Gender Diet information but I still don't think I have enough information to know exactly what to do. Is there anyway to get a hold of a copy of this book?? I have looked on-line without luck:sad:

[Coccinelle33]

i have the book and i really don't think you need it. i wish i didn't get it. there's enough info online.

[WantingPink]

Really?? So does it tell you the magic "ratio" of Sodium/Pot to Ca/Mg to get a girl? Can you substitute Milk (on the girl diet) for something else? Does it explain why something like spinach (that isn't high in sodium or potassium) is on the do not eat list for TTC a girl? Sorry for asking so many questions... I was hoping the book might clear some of these up. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

[rainbowflower]

I'd also like to know if there are restrictions on the fruit/veg you can eat as that hasn't seemed clear to me

[nuthinbutpink]

I am just seeing this. Let me arrange the content using subforums by chapter and see if I can answer your questions.

[WantingPink]

Thanks so much NBP!!! You are the best!!!

[nuthinbutpink]

Here's the thing with the FG diet, it is not as strict as the other diets people try and follow. It only considers the sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium content in foods. So, no pH, no testosterone, no alkaline vs. acidic. The success rate of 80% quoted in the book is based on 3 studies and over 400 patients.

From the book- In the two diets a varied choice of food is avaliable and you are, on the whole, free to eat as much as you want. Where weight is concerned, therefore, women are completely in control of their diet: it will be what they make of it. The woman who makes a point of selecting from her diet the foods rich in calories, runs a greater risk of putting on weight than the woman who does the opposite.

The way to work out menus that are suitable for your lifestyle and the availability of materials is to determine the mineral salt content in each type of food, as in the various tables, and devise menus from your choice of ingredients.


So, I have reorganized the FG info into the corresponding chapters in the book beginning with the diet information. I have a little more to add but see if it helps so far.

[Out of the Blue]

Great info, NBP. Thx so much!

[nuthinbutpink]

Great info, NBP. Thx so much!

My pleasure. The rest of the diet specifics are located in the Member forum.

[atomic sagebrush]

Really?? So does it tell you the magic "ratio" of Sodium/Pot to Ca/Mg to get a girl? Can you substitute Milk (on the girl diet) for something else? Does it explain why something like spinach (that isn't high in sodium or potassium) is on the do not eat list for TTC a girl? Sorry for asking so many questions... I was hoping the book might clear some of these up. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

I printed off much of the book and I found it just about as clear as mud. I have the American version and it is not much better. I wouldn't waste money on it (that is, if you can even find it).

I don't think you're supposed make any substitutions on milk. Not very helpful for the 75% of us who are lactose intolerant. I would substitute calcium enriched rice milk (which was not even invented at the time that book was published.)

Spinach isn't allowed because of the oxalic acids which may interfere with calcium absorption.

I answered the ratio question on another thread but what it looks like to me is that the ratio of sod/pot to cal/mag is supposed to be 2 to 1.

[atomic sagebrush]

I'd also like to know if there are restrictions on the fruit/veg you can eat as that hasn't seemed clear to me

The part that I printed off had very explicit instructions that quantities were to be limited??? No more than 150 g of fruit a day and I believe that it said the same in a different section for veg (due to the potassium) but that is in my son's room and he's asleep right now. Also, meat and milk are both also limited! There is nothing that is not restricted on the French Diet, with the possible exception of low-sodium bread.

[atomic sagebrush]

Here's the thing with the FG diet, it is not as strict as the other diets people try and follow. It only considers the sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium content in foods. So, no pH, no testosterone, no alkaline vs. acidic. The success rate of 80% quoted in the book is based on 3 studies and over 400 patients.

From the book- In the two diets a varied choice of food is avaliable and you are, on the whole, free to eat as much as you want. Where weight is concerned, therefore, women are completely in control of their diet: it will be what they make of it. The woman who makes a point of selecting from her diet the foods rich in calories, runs a greater risk of putting on weight than the woman who does the opposite.

The way to work out menus that are suitable for your lifestyle and the availability of materials is to determine the mineral salt content in each type of food, as in the various tables, and devise menus from your choice of ingredients.


So, I have reorganized the FG info into the corresponding chapters in the book beginning with the diet information. I have a little more to add but see if it helps so far.

Here is waht is confusing to me about the FGD. EVERYTHING is limited on the French Gender Diet. Milk - 3/4 of a liter and NEVER more than 2, fruit/veg 150g, meat 150 g - that is BARELY ANYTHING. No cheese, no processed foods due to the sodium content. It considers the mineral content, to be sure, but the net result is lower calories, lower fat, lower protein than most people are generally eating.

The French Gender Diet does work and I would never say it doesn't, but WHY does it work?? The jury is still out on that. They need to do side by side diets of similar caloric-protein-fat intakes with the only difference being the minerals and see where the chips fall then if they want to prove anything.

If you're doing it right, the French Gender Diet IS the Low-Everything diet. I kinda suspect that if people go into the FGD thinking they can drink a gallon of milk a day and eat unlimited amounts of chicken along with fruits, veg, yogurt, puddings, and low sodium bread, the diet is going to fail them. If people decide not to do diet because it's too hard and take cal-mag instead (which I have seen MANY people do on IG) and think they're swaying, they may not be swaying at all and I just want people to be really careful with what diet they decide to follow because I want everyone to get their DG.

[nuthinbutpink]

Milk is not limited for TTC a girl in the FG diet. The 3/4 liter is a MINIMUM per day. There is no limit for girls. Cheese is forbidden due to sodium content. They didn't have low sodium back then so I am sure that is fine now but never full sodium cheese.

Meat and fish are limited, true. Only certain green veggies and potato quantities are limited...fruits are mostly allowed. There is a full week of sample menus that does talk about recommended quantities and cooking tips. There are some things that it suggests limits to within that week of menus but it is due to the nutritional value. The entire chapter of the book on this is there verbatim in the member section.

[nuthinbutpink]

It says "milk products(yogurt) or fesh, unsalted cheese may be substituted for milk.

[atomic sagebrush]

Milk is not limited for TTC a girl in the FG diet. The 3/4 liter is a MINIMUM per day. There is no limit for girls. Cheese is forbidden due to sodium content. They didn't have low sodium back then so I am sure that is fine now but never full sodium cheese.

Meat and fish are limited, true. Only certain green veggies and potato quantities are limited...fruits are mostly allowed. There is a full week of sample menus that does talk about recommended quantities and cooking tips. There are some things that it suggests limits to within that week of menus but it is due to the nutritional value. The entire chapter of the book on this is there verbatim in the member section.

I just read the part I had printed off from the members section and it said under no circumstances to exceed more than 2 liters of milk a day over an extended period. Sorry I got in too much of a hurry there and screwed up. 2 liters of milk has over 2000 mg of sodium in it and over 3000 mg of potassium and that feels risky to me for a pink sway.

Fruit 100% for sure is limited to 150 g a day as are vegetables. I am reading it right off the thing I have printed off from the members section. It is because they have too much potassium.

Anyway it's neither here nor there, I just want to have the info straight for people.