Confession time: My newest celebrity crush is the author of The Jane Austen Diet.
Bryan Kozlowski, you have the dubious honor of being on the list of “Men I Would Date In An Instant, Were I Not Happily Married.” (Also on this list are Enrique Iglesias, James Cordon, Andy Samberg, and Josh Gates, in case you’re curious as to who your competition is.)
This is all because of your brilliant, funny, fascinating, and amazingly relatable book about how to live a healthy Jane Austen way of life.
Let me start off, Tartlets, by telling you that reading The Jane Austen Diet is just a damn good time. It really is. I LOVED this book. Kozlowski’s sharp, literary humor combined with the way he seamlessly weaves Regency language quotes with modern speech and scientific explanations is a marvel.
And, let’s dispel the negative connotation of the word “diet” in the title of this book. That’s because the Jane Austen “diet” isn’t really a “diet” as we think of it today. It’s not about depriving yourself to become thinner, or working yourself in a gym to exhaustion to lose weight. It’s about “diet” in the more traditional sense of the word – a way of eating.
To summarize, Kozlowski puts forward the theory that Jane Austen’s famous novels demonstrated the keys to living a healthy and happy lifestyle, and that modern society would greatly benefit from adhering to her inadvertent advice – of course, while taking important medical advances (yay, penicillin!) into consideration. He also cites ample scientific and medical research to back up his (and Jane’s) prescribed lifestyle.
The Jane Austen Diet actually reminded me a bit of French Women Don’t Get Fat,the 2008 book touting the one “diet” I was ever able to successfully embrace. I truly believe both of these books are inspiring and successful because they encourage a lifestyle change; they’re about embracing a healthy relationship with food, as well as other aspects that contribute to physical health, such as your mental and emotional health.
You don’t have to be a Jane Austen fan (aka, a “Janeite”) to appreciate The Jane Austen Diet, but it certainly does help. There are a lot of Austen-themed jokes that will make more sense if you’re familiar with her stories and characters.
That said, I think this book will appeal to a wide array of readers. It has a little something for everyone. Of course, it’s a chock-a-block full of health regime recommendations, but there’s also a lot of Regency history, including food and diet history, which I found fascinating. (Shout out to my blogging buddy, An Historian About Town – you will love this book!) In addition to history, it contains plenty of interesting and current scientific and medical facts.
As you read The Jane Austen Diet, Kozlowski’s argument makes total sense. It seems Jane Austen was habitually doing a lot of what modern day doctors and dietitians now recommend for a happy, healthy lifestyle. As a result, her Regency lifestyle is reflected in the habits and mannerisms of her characters, most notably, her heroines. Kozlowski’s arguments are generously peppered with quotes from all six Jane Austen novels, as well as from her personal letters to family and friends. If you’re a Janeite, you’ll find these quotes delightfully familiar, and those new to Austen will find them helpful as Kozlowski explains his (and Jane’s) reasoning behind the diet advice.
The theme of The Jane Austen Diet is “all things in moderation.” Kozlowski tackles all the popular and taboo diet topics these days: carbs, sugar, eating meat, subjecting oneself to sunshine, consuming alcohol, etc. He doesn’t recommend giving any of these “vices” up because, well, Jane certainly didn’t.
So, eat your bread! Have a boozy beverage! Eat a slice of cake! Basically, live your best life, people. Just do it in moderation — two words that modern society, and particularly American modern society, has completely forgotten. You’re not depriving yourself, and you’re not overindulging either. You’re supposed to settle comfortably in the middle.
Kozlowski also goes into the mind-body connection, where he talks about the importance of exercise, fresh air, good sleep, and low stress as contributing factors to one’s overall health. It seems you can’t scroll through Facebook these days without coming across an article telling you that stress is bad for your health (duh) and that sitting in a desk chair for 9 hours a day isn’t good for you (double duh). Modern medicine seems to have finally discovered the correlation between mental and physical health, but Jane was all over that back in the day.
Perhaps most importantly, Kozlowski points out what Jane quietly but emphatically illustrated in her novels, centuries ago: that being “healthy” and “fit” doesn’t necessarily mean being skinny. Jane lauds the healthy lifestyle – meaning, one is lean, but still strong and fit; well-fed, but not overweight; active, with glowing skin; in good spirits; and, of sound and calm mind, despite however stressed one may be. Read any Jane Austen novel, and you’ll find her paragons of health and happiness embody all these characteristics.
I have to say, reading The Jane Austen Diet made me feel a lot better about myself. Like most women, I worry about my weight, but I’m happy to say that I firmly feel Jane Austen would have put me into her “happy and healthy” camp of heroines. I already practice many healthy habits that Jane prescribes. I may not be perfect according to Cosmo’s Caroline Bingley-esque standards, but I seem to fit very well in Jane’s world, and that’s perfectly all right with me.
So, thanks, Bryan Kozlowski, for this illuminating, enlightening, and thoroughly entertaining read on how to live a more “incandescently happy” life.
Oh, and I’m totally with ya on the workout video for “Sweatin’ Like A Peasant.” If you open a Kickstarter for it, hit me up.
And, an extra special thanks to Tartlet Kristin, who took the time to shoot me an email and recommend I read The Jane Austen Diet. She instinctively knew I would enjoy it, and she was completely right.
Be sure to check back in soon for my book-inspired recipe: Spruce Soda!
Hi CJ, I just subscribed to your blog…we must be friends from afar. I love French Women dont get fat and The Jane Austen Diet just added a touch of sparkle to go to for healthy, not weird eating with a elegant yummy twist. I’m also an aspiring writer so your blog is an inspiration. Look forward to future post.
Stay safe…
Elle
Welcome, Elle! So glad you’ve found our way to our little community. 🙂 I always love meeting kindred spirits when it comes to books and writing! And, of course, food, haha. Because food is life! What writing project are you working on right now? Whatever it is, I wish you much success with it!
HI CJ, I’ve just read your article about hobby blogging. Very heartfelt. Food for thought . (food for everything:) My life is so full of experiences, I am obsessed with mysteries and Jane Austen. (I’m a private investigator). How do you pick what to write about? I think all writers blend their experiences into what is put on paper. Just deciding now. . Sometimes writing about (painful stuff) pulls in too many memories. I’ll have to delve into your blog to see all the facets you write about.
Have a great day. (and yes its ok to stay in your PJ’s sometimes)
Elle
PS Jane Austen mysteries written by Stephanie Barron. Can’t put them down.
Hi Elle! Thanks for your thoughts on my hobby blogger post. 🙂 When it comes to my book reviews, I just read and blog about whatever appeals to me. That’s one of the benefits of being a hobby blogger! I love reading a mix of all different books, both new releases and backlist titles.
When it comes to writing my novels — I honestly just write what I’m inspired to write. Novel #1 and #2 couldn’t be more different: the first is historical fiction with elements of fantasy, and the second is women’s fiction meets foodie fiction. The other ideas for novels I have in my head run the gamut, too. I say write whatever speaks most loudly to you! You can’t go wrong that way. 🙂
And, thanks for the info on the Jane Austen mysteries! I’ll have to check them out. They sound great!