Mireille Guiliano, French Author / Woman Lifestyle book

Navigating the aging process takes us all into choppy waters, but in the quaint, magical south of France, we were lucky enough to discover the very person we’d want at the helm:  Mireille Guiliano.

The author of numerous books on health, happiness and growing older with French savoir-faire, her overriding philosophy is to live life embracing quality, sensitivity, seasonality, and pleasure while maintaining a healthy equilibrium.  Although many of her books, like the No.1 bestseller French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure, are aimed at women, her love of classical French cuisine and beautiful countryside will appeal equally to men.

We caught up with Mireille and Edward—her husband of 37 years—in her native France.  Although they have homes in upscale NYC and cosmopolitan Paris, Mireille and Edward are equally at ease in the picturesque villages near St. Remy de Provence, France.

Mireille, who at one time was the spokesperson for Veuve Clicquot Inc, one of the world’s most respected Champagne houses, and the CEO of Veuve Clicquot Inc., allowed us to become immersed in the Provençal culture that the world has come to know and love.

Extending from the lower Rhone River to the west and the Italian border to the east and bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, Provence is a storybook province in the southeast of France.  Throughout the region, a landscape of olive groves and vineyard prevails; quaint, cobblestoned villages are awash in the scent of lavender and wild thyme.

Our home base for the two days we were filming was at Chateau de Roussan, a magnificent chateau from the 18th century situated near St. Remy-de-Provence.  Located in a majestic park at the heart of Provence, the 4-star hotel boasts stunning views of the Alpilles Mountains.

Mireille  admitted to us upfront that she is always direct in her thoughts: If you ask her a question, you may expect a straight, ‘no nonsense’ answer.  Our amazing discussions covered a wide range of topics about the world of aging, from menopause to plastic surgery and, most importantly, led us to an understanding of her direction as an author.  As a follow-up to French Women Don't Get Fat, her new book, French Women Don't Get Facelifts: Aging With Style and Attitude helped us better understand the fabled ‘French Paradox’, and how the day-to-day lifestyle of the French enable women to age with a deep appreciation for the sensuous, as well as healthy, aspects of life.

When we spoke of cancer, Mireille clearly became emotional, as she has had many friends affected by various forms of the disease. 

During the course of the time we spent together, Mireille took us to her favorite farmers market in the heart of St. Remy-de-Provence, and from there, to a top local chocolatier.  As Mireille was delighted to explain, ‘Every woman should have a favorite place where she can get rich, dark chocolate.’

We also had an opportunity to speak with Chef Joël Durand, creator some of France’s most beloved chocolates—and arguably, the most famous chocolatier chef in the world with outlets in both Provence, France and Tokyo, Japan.

No ordinary chocolates, Durand’s confections are handmade squares flavored with ingredients from the local countryside at the peak of their season.  Flavors like lavender, thyme, clove, basil, fresh citrus and mint blended with just prodigious amounts of cocoa from beans that the Chef imports himself.

Beside his love of Provencal life, we spoke to Chef Durand about his deep feelings toward death and dying.  It seemed to be a fitting location for the interview, too, since his self-styled ‘production lab’ is located next to an old, historical cemetery.  He enjoys the spot especially for its peace and quiet.

Mireille’s keen understanding of ‘balance in all things’ leads her to explain one of her key philosophies: “Everything in moderation.”  Her days always include a bite of chocolate.  Again and again research has proven that the high antioxidants in dark chocolate is high combined with the all-natural flavors that the chef adds are a good thing, and from a culinary perspective, each bite becomes a new adventure in taste.  

When we visited Chef Durand’s chocolate lab in St. Remy, we filmed his Japanese staff as they worked on his latest creation about to ship to Tokyo, a wasabi-flavored chocolate. It is a simply amazing flavor combination.

Our time with Mireille and her husband, Edward, was far too short, and we look forward to premiering our film on women and aging with Mireille and her friends. 

I can only hope it’s in Provence!

To read more about Mireille, go to http://www.fwdgf.com

To read about the chocolate of Chef Joël Durand, go to http://www.chocolat-durand.com/en/

For more information on Chateau de Roussan, go to http://www.chateauderoussan.com/fr/hotel-4-etoiles-charme-saint-de-remy-provence-official-site.php