Yue’s Yappings

I discovered the leek diet from Mireille Guiliano’s best seller “French women don’t get fat.” Suggested by the author, the leek diet involves drinking nothing but leek broth and water for a weekend. Supposedly, a typical French woman does this two to four times a year.

This weekend I decided to give it a try. It wasn’t easy and took a lot of will power. Leek broth is a clear broth with a slight hint of yellow. It leaves a strong aftertaste of onion and garlic in your mouth.

After the first few cups, I told myself, “hmm, this isn’t that bad.” Then it got more painful - I had to hold breath while drinking the last few cups on Sunday night and immediately washed them down with a glass of water. By Monday morning I never wanted to have another cup of leek soup for the rest of my life.

I was hungry the entire weekend. On the positive side, it made me really sensitive to any food that came into my sight. When I finished the diet on Sunday night, the first thing I had was some strawberries. Strawberries have never tasted so good!

At the end, of the diet, I had lost 3 pounds, mostly in my tummy. And I’m alot more appreciative of the food I’ve been eating.

If you want to give it a try, here is the recipe for the “Magical Leek Broth.”

Clean 2 lbs of leeks and rinse well. Cut off the ends of the dark green parts, leaving all the white parts plus a suggestion of pale green. Put the leeks in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes. Pour off the liquid and reserve.

Drink the leek broth every 2 to 3 hours, 1 cup at time. For meals, have some leeks and drizzle with a few drop of extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice. This will be your nourishment for both days, until Sunday dinner, when you can have a small piece of meat or fish plus a piece of fruit.