The Jane Austen Diet: Austen's Secrets to Food, Health, and Incandescent Happiness

by Bryan Kozlowski, Jane Austen

What can Jane Austen teach us about health? Prepare to have your bonnet blown… From the food secrets of Pride and Prejudice to the fitness strategies of Sense and Sensibility, there’s a modern health code hidden in the world’s most popular romances. Join Bryan Kozlowski as he unlocks this “health and happiness” manifesto straight from Jane Austen’s pen, revealing why her prescriptions for achieving total body “bloom” still matter in the 21st century. Whether that’s learning how to eat like Lizzie Bennet, exercise like Emma Woodhouse, or think like Elinor Dashwood, explore how Austen’s timeless body beliefs are more relevant, refreshing, and scientifically sensible now than ever before. After all, it's still a truth universally acknowledged – Jane Austen’s heroines don’t get fat.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Audiobook, History, Food, Humor, British Literature

304 pages, Paperback

First published February 12, 2019

About the author

Bryan Kozlowski is a lifestyle and British-culture researcher. Author of Long Live the Queen! and The Jane Austen Diet, along with three previous books, his works have been featured in Vogue, the New York Times and the Washington Post.

From Turner Publishing

Reviews

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m surprised this doesn’t have more positive reviews. Maybe others missed his great sense of humor and him having fun writing this, was too much for them!? 🤷🏼‍♀️

I thought this was a Jane Austenophiles dream book. It is witty, gives great examples of modern times and how clearly not to live, and was a delight to read.

Don’t let the title fool you, this is NOT a diet book. It is a lifestyle book. If you are a CM homeschooling mama, so much of Jane Austen’s own words must have influenced Charlotte Mason. Much of the book talks about finding balance in life and how Jane shows that consistently in her works and in her own letters.

It goes through her revolutionary take on women’s bodies and how there was not just one type, how to manage weight by many walks out side, fresh air doses, to not refrain from any food but to eat it well and not to go overboard. None of it is very shocking when you think of it, and so very commonsensical! Jane’s books are so wise, so this aspect of her wise approach to a healthy whole person was fun to read as I have recently realized how much she speaks to education, and now after reading this, the whole person and what that should look like. People need good food, fresh air, fresh food, company, time alone in quiet, natural light, friendship and love to function well. All of the points given in the book had recent scientific studies to back what she call claimed. There were several surprises in there, most especially some things about meat.

A fun, relaxing read for the Jane Austen lover.

[Edith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I fear Miss Austen would not be pleased by this volume. Mr. Kozlowski takes examples from the novels and uses them (ostensibly) to show that her lifestyle was healthier than ours. Well, so it may have been, but the author's continual application of quotes from the novels to things that they are quite unrelated to is irritating in the extreme. (Why would anyone offer as advice anything Mrs. Elton said? Why would anyone take her advice?)

You actually can pick up a bit about a day in the life of a Regency lady if you can tolerate the author's excessively jokey style and jerky pace. The nutritional advice, on the whole, is nothing we have not heard before--let food and exercise take a more natural place in our lives, etc. (Although I am not sure nutritionists would approve of the two hour wait that Jane apparently observed before eating breakfast. Impractical advice for most modern folk, who must be off to do something where it will not be very easy to get breakfast two hours after arrival. I suspect a too early breakfast would be better than the consequent none at all.) Recipes are included. I will not be making white soup any time soon, fond though I may be of Charles Bingley.

I am quite ashamed of being seduced into buying this book, and certainly would not recommend it.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightfully enjoyable book! Not a diet book in the traditional sense (thankfully), but rather a look at whole body wellness through the eyes of Jane Austen; and it is uplifting, motivating, and encouraging. Highly recommend for any Jane Austen fan -- this book adds yet another layer of depth to a beloved author's work.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I was lukewarm about this book when I first started reading it...I did enjoy many of the chapters about sensible eating habits and getting plenty of fresh air, connecting with nature and long walks in the woods that do loads of good.

[Ginny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good. Love the Austen book references throughout.

[Emily Canfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ha! I shouldn't have looked at the reviews because they have caused me slight perturbance. I wont comment so much on what I believe others were missing in reading this book, but on two points I will say, the author, I believe, is trying to be humble in attributing authorship in part to Jane Austen, since to him, so much of this wisdom comes directly from her and her books. The second thing I take issue with is the lack of humor and enjoyment with which you can approach a book like this. Jane may prescribe just that to our current lives, humor and enjoyment, which seem to have often been lost in the modern hustle, bustle, worry, and anxiety culture. Anyway...

I did love this book. It was easy for me to love because so much of it fits my own way of viewing how to live well. One may say, sure, sure, we've heard all this and it's not novel, but that is just it. Jane, and many of her contemporaries, despite what we are perhaps told, lived very good lives. There is wisdom in history and wisdom inherent, that the novel advice of today can never really touch. If you're looking for the new, you'll be looking forever in the wrong place, because nothing is truly new. There was certainly unfortunate things about the times, but the keeping of gardens, daily exercise, time to read and rest, were undeniably beneficial. The wonder I have is that a regency-esque life is actually within reach to so many of us given our modern conveniences and societal wealth and still we push ourselves to the brink of losing sense in pursuing career and higher living standards, instead of enjoying the simple pleasures of a generally free and wealthy society, of course I am hoping it will stay that way... If it doesn't, however, I still believe many of these pleasure are within our access. I, being a country dwelling, gardening, homemaker, am able to enjoy a lifestyle somewhat in keeping with Jane's prescription, but I do understand the FEELING that this is impossible. A short time ago, I worked a busy, bustle filled, and stressful job that often left me out of sorts or in tears. I lived downtown in a somewhat economically ill city and lacked the ability to escape this situation. However, the things that rejuvenated me were still what was prescribed here, along with singing songs and prayers to God. I walked to work, I ate well and at home often, invited friends over all the more being so close to others in distance, and enjoyed quiet TV-less evenings. I was much less stressed because of these habits and I had only to compare it with my coworker who lived a very different lifestyle and had self proclaimed, "crippling anxiety". To her credit, she had been in the position much longer than I. However, I left it much more willingly than she, with a commitment to a humble, but much less stressful, lifestyle.

I appreciated the wit, humor, lifestyle advice, ect. and see there is no issue if this book doesn't fit ones fancy, but being allowed my opinion, I thought this was a fun and enjoyable read. I will probably read it again for fun and encouragement.

[Erin Cataldi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not gonna lie - this book was witty as shit. Did I think a lot of it was a stretch? Yes. However, there are still a lot of takeaways you can get from this book. Eat with friends, go on walks, appreciate nature, wait to eat in the morning, slice your bread thin, sugar in moderation, etc. Between Jane Austen's novels and personal life; the author tied together healthy lifestyle habits that are still relevant today. Amusing and intriguing, but it won't exactly spur you to go out and lose 30 pounds the Jane Austen way.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a diet book, more “What would Jane do?” I thought it was really humorous and enjoyed all of the Austen book quotations applied to what makes a healthy modern life. Made me want to re-read my Austen novels!

[Wendy Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and humorous book with scientifically backed advice for living well. Not a yo-yo diet book but a way of living. Luckily for me I already do most of the things the book recommends.

[Linnea]

I enjoyed this book because I am a Jane Austen fan and a dietitian. The perfect book for someone like me. Overall, good advice more folks should practice.

[Karli W · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contained a lot of information that I have already started to implement (eating more meat, a focus on whole foods, reducing carbs, cooking with real fats, etc.), but it was fun to read about common practices of the regency era and the way they structured their eating times as well as the views towards food that people once held. This book highlights a much simpler time where people had a good relationship with food and knew where it came from and how to enjoy their meal times. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on exercise and the highlight of walking. In a world of fitness gurus and diet/ workout regimens that focus on exercising to the point of misery, it was refreshing to read of long walks in fresh air and gardening as suitable exercise. Was this book life-changing (for me)? No. Was it enjoyable to read and did I take away some good ideas/ practices? Yes. I’d recommend it.

[Katherine Stevick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw this on the shelf at the library and thought, this is either going to be very funny or very stupid, possibly both. It was charming and breezy. His idea of a "diet" has a great deal more to do with overall lifestyle and doesn't have much to do with modern food restriction. I found most helpful the praise of the joys of walking and the reminders that Austen's "beautiful" women come in all shapes and sizes--no one beauty standard for her! I thought his handling of food and nutrition suffered a bit from the highly contradictory nature of modern nutrition studies. A lot of what he said...I know there are studies that say those things, but I have also read or read about others that directly contradict them (re: meat). What to think? I don't know, but the overall theme of moderation in all things seems reasonable.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually really fun! It was a good mix of food history, exercise history, Regency Era history, and ofc Jane Austen.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to get back to basics and learn from the foremost didactic writer and people watching expert, read this. I'm exhausted by the amount of knowledge about health and nutrition that I've stuffed in my head over the last twenty years. "They" know so much about the human body, but then a new study comes out the following week and suddenly no one knows what "healthy" is anymore!

Kozlowski shows that Jane Austen would advise a whole person approach to health, the number one step being to calm down about it all and go for a brisk walk to enliven your fine eyes.

[Liz Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book. I read it in one day. It all makes sense and it was fun to hear about the characters of Austen's books.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this out of curiosity for Jane Austen July. I disliked it very much. The author uses direct quotes from Austen’s books to randomly refer to his own topics. I found his own commentary insufferable. (ex. “I kid you not”, “the Regency equivalent of working in a soup kitchen”, “hooking up” when refering to two characters in a book”) It’s as if he’s writing to a younger, dumber audience who had never read nor heard of Jane Austen. There were some interesting facts, but I couldn’t help but think while reading this book that I wished either Lucy Worsley or Ruth Goodman had written it instead - both would have done Austen justice and given us both an informative yet entertaining read, without my feeling like I was reading the transcript to a bad TV special. Quite happy I didn’t spend a cent on this book, I warn any interested reader to approach with caution as a library check-out.

[Mbgirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Novel book. I enjoyed reading a mishmash of thoughts in compilation form regarding a point Mr Kozlowski would be trying to make regarding Austen’s POV

Recipes are duddy— maybe the pigeon pie is worth a shot. Or the wine-baked apples. Not too many that grab me there.

But I’d give a 3.3 for novelty of incorporating 1800’s and making it relevant and fun for today’s reading

[the_bookish_took · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. It was a study of health throughout the works of Jane Austen and I think what made me enjoy it more than all the tips (which I did find doable, by the way) was the love for Jane. What Jane herself would have thought I will leave to my imagination, but for myself I really enjoyed this. It was a fun book that I'm sure I will pick up again.

[Paige Dempsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a genuinely fun and very fascinating look and analysis at what Jane Austen truly thought of food and health. I quite liked it, especially the end epilogue. Very fun read.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun and interesting interpretation and mish mash of literary criticism, cookbook/recipe book, self-help history, sociology and psychiatry. A different look at Austen.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoughtful and delightful approach to good health. Lots of little nuggets of wisdom from Ms. Austen.

[Marcie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are two things I want to get out of the way first. 1. Jane Austen did not co-author this book. While the author uses many excerpts and examples from her work, unless she rose from the dead, it is quite impossible for her to contribute to this book. 2. While I enjoyed reading this book, there is nothing groundbreaking as far as diets are concerned.

So what did Jane Austen know about dieting? Did she have secrets to staying healthy? Bryan Kozlowski gives readers an insight to the eating habits during the late 1700's/early 1800's. Did Austen's characters reflect her personal views on food and activity? Did she--gasp--eat carbs? Kozlowski uses excerpts from Austen's novels to make his argument. He covers everything from what they ate and when to happiness and nature.

I was fascinated by the research that went into this book. It helped me understand Austen and her books all the better. As I stated before, I didn't find anything groundbreaking in this book, but Austen's way of dieting is not a bad thing either. Who wouldn't want to take walks like Elizabeth Bennett? No cardio workouts here. Kozlowski also includes some Regency recipes, which I'm dying to try.

The Jane Austen Diet: Austen's Secrets to Food, Health, and Incandescent Happiness is not a bad way to go as far as diets are concerned. After all, who wouldn't want to live the Austen way?

Read more at https://www.toreadornottoread.net/201...

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the best motivational speakers, the ultimate goal of didactic novelists is to paint such a breathtakingly better picture of life on the page that readers are subconsciously inspired to imitate it in reality. That Austen did this with her achingly accurate picture of love is undeniable. Less well known is her equally enviable "picture of health."

I got this book as a gift and I'm not entirely sure what I expected this book to be. But essentially this book shows that Austen's characters are incredibly healthy with their eating and exercise habits. I confess, even though there are extensive quotes from her novels and letters, it felt a bit of a stretch to fit what modern readers want in a diet book. There were some amusing moments but it just felt a bit thin and not full of much context. Maybe because none of the insights pulled from Austen's novels seem particularly groundbreaking or because I'm in a bit of a reading slump, I don't know, but this book just missed the mark for me.

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

We must think the best, and hope the best, and do the best.

This is a treat for any Jane Austen fan. This witty novel explores in an exclusive way how Jane and her characters dealt with overall heath. It does give some health tips, but it is not really a “diet” book per say. There are some of Jane Austen’s favorite recipes sprinkled through-out the novel. For me, this added another layer to see how health was a factor in Austen’s life and in her writing. "Health" is mentioned with inescapable frequently in Jane's classic novels, popping up more than a hundred times in those six slim books.
I found it entertaining, interesting, and surprising for I have been practicing many of the suggestions/ways that Jane Austen did to keep up her health and to be happy.
I shall take the liberty of wishing them health and happiness

[Mary-Bridget · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably a 2.5 or a 2.75. It's not that it's a bad read, it just feels as though the author takes considerable 'leaps' of imagination with much of what he ascribes to JA's deliberate intentions or Regency lifestyle in general. Food, out of necessity, was generally local and seasonal. There were few alternatives. Therefore it's not really a healthy 'choice', it's just living. The points about the benefits of electively recreating this type of eating at modern tables are well made though. It did seem, when talking about walking in the book, that 0.5 miles was proposed as a good stretch of the legs, which seems strange to me but I am European and am used to urban centres that are easier to cross on foot than in cars.
Generally, the book is a nice reflection on a former way of life, and the continued value of prioritising simplicity in a well-lived life.

[April Cordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am currently on a Jane Austen kick and on the wait list for Northanger Abbey... Lucky me this book showed up in the library catalogue.

I had no expectations going in. Figured I'd flip the pages and read a little here and there. Turns out I read the whole thing.

The author has an informal, chummy writing style that pulled me in. He uses a lot of references from her books and personal letters and has done quality research into the eating and lifestyle trends of the regency period. He offers insight to Austen's novels that I never would have had otherwise. It was quite the nice laid back read.

I'm off to return it to the library today and pick up Northanger Abbey, and I feel reading that book will be more satisfying for having read this one first. :)

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title of this book is clearly designed to attract the crowd that is always pursuing the latest in weight loss advice. That's unfortunate, as this book explores many aspects of leading a healthful life, and focuses on more than dieting.

I don't know who Bryan Kozlowski is. There is no "about the author" in the book and there is scant info on him online, other than that he's a British culture researcher. He may lack credentials to present health advice, but I have to say, this book seems well researched (there are pages of citations in the back), and the idea is kind of fun--to explore how to live a healthy lifestyle by examining how Jane Austen's characters lived. There are a lot of quotations throughout taken from Austen's novels and letters.

In addition to chapters on food (what to eat and when to eat it), he explores sleep, exercise, and the mind-body connection. I thought there was a lot of useful advice.

[Janis Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is -and will be- the only diet book hubby and I will ever read. It's the perfect mix of gentle instruction, factoids, snark, and (of course) quotations. A very easy read, a quick thumb-through will tell you that this should be read cover-to-cover. [plenty of endnotes in the back for you to fact-check everything]

We highly recommend it:)

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up because the title intrigued me. The author takes health advice/practices from Jane Austen’s books, and compiles them with some modern scientific studies suggesting the same practices. This is one of the most witty and charming health/diet books I’ve read!

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witty and amusing, but also surprisingly informative! The connections the author makes between Austen’s quotes, novels, and letters and keys to healthy living really make sense. Really cool!