|
For
better health, adopt some French habits
Dec 31, 08
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
Spending
time in another culture can give you fresh insights into your
own.
And where diet is concerned, the French example is especially
enlightening.
After a trip to Paris this month, and seldom more than a few
steps away from a pastry shop or creperie, I came home one
pound lighter.
How could that be?
Dinner at the Paris home of two colleagues – both physicians
– provided some clues.
The multicourse meal began with champagne, fresh vegetables
and dip and fois gras (a vegetarian, I skipped it). A crisp
green salad and French bread came next, followed by red wine
and a spicy Moroccan couscous dish made with lots of cooked
vegetables and – for the nonvegetarians – chunks
of lamb.
A small slice of chocolate cake for dessert was followed by
more French bread and a sampling of cheeses.
By the time the meal ended, we’d been visiting for four
hours.
Yes, my friends said, they eat this way often. As they pointed
out, however, none of us actually ate large quantities of
anything that was served that evening.
We nibbled and talked.
The “French paradox” – the idea that the
French fill up on decadent foods yet stay slim and have lower
rates of coronary artery disease – is a myth, they said.
“There is no paradox,” said one. That’s
because, despite the immersion in all things rich and fatty,
the French don’t actually eat very much of it, he said.
My observations over the week that followed confirmed that
view. In many ways, the French lifestyle and attitude toward
food supported health. Some examples:
* An emphasis on quality, not quantity. If supersized fast
foods exist in France, I didn’t see them. Instead, the
focus was on serving foods with flair.
In restaurants, dainty cups of coffee – café
– were served with colorful, paper-wrapped sugar cubes
and a tiny square of chocolate. Each cup felt like a special
treat.
No free refills. If you wanted another cup, you had to pay
for it.
I slowly became decaffeinated.
* A preference for whole, unprocessed foods. The few fast-food
restaurants I saw were busy. However, I saw even more people
eating traditional baguette sandwiches filled with fresh cheese
and sliced tomatoes.
I saw no margarine and no sugar substitutes on restaurant
tables. If the French add sugar to their café, it’s
the real thing, not a fake.
* Fresh fruits and vegetables are everywhere. Open-air produce
stands were doing a brisk business on street corners, inside
underground metro stops and in train stations.
* Meals are a leisurely event.
Relaxing, not rushing, through meals is valued in France.
Stay as long as you like. You won’t get your check until
you ask for it. Grazing, not gobbling, is the norm.
Surprisingly, I found myself eating less but feeling more
satisfied after taking more time to eat my meals.
* Less snacking. Chips, cookies, processed snack foods. I
never saw anyone munching on junk between meals.
They may have been too busy peddling their bicycles. In Paris,
bicycles can be rented inexpensively from convenient self-service
stations on an hourly, daily or weekly basis. Many commuters
use the bicycles to get to work.
And even on bitter cold and rainy December days, sidewalks
were crowded with local walkers burning off their morning
croissants and juice.
The lessons I took home: Savor good foods, favor quality over
quantity, and take your time when you eat your meals. Make
physical activity a daily routine.
And put on a beret if it helps you adopt the right attitude.
|
