Think Like A Parisian!
by Tammy Kroll

Summer is now over. Perhaps you never did get that swimsuit-perfect body you were hoping for. While we all seem to enter the summer season with good intentions, trying to stick to salad and fruit, we sometimes find the season brings us too many great barbecues, wonderful cocktails, and great seasonal desserts! But, no worries…now that the pressure of swimsuit season is behind us, there is plenty of time to trim down this fall!

I’ve recently spent some time with friends from Paris, and while out at several restaurants we talked quite a bit about food, and that perennial question: Why is it that the French, known for its food, are typically so much thinner than us?  Many of us have heard about the book, “French Women Don’t Get Fat,” by Mireille Guiliano, but how serious should we take that?

I asked my friends, David and Nicola, Americans who’ve lived in Paris for well over a decade, about the differences between us. Over a nice Connecticut barbecued chicken and a lively bottle of California wine, we talked about the ways in which our eating cultures differ.

They pointed out that the French really don’t exercise the way we do.  America has gyms that are open 24/7.  In contrast, their Club Med gyms, operated by the vacation package organizer, don’t even open till 7:00 AM…meaning anyone with a job that starts early can forget about a morning workout.  And you’ll see 10 times as many people exercising in West Hartford than you will ever see in central Paris, something they noticed during a tour of the lovely WeHa Center.  Parisians do, however, walk… a LOT. They walk to work, to dinner, up flights of stairs …all part of their life and daily routine.

Our so-called American “food obsessions” have not taken hold in Paris.  The anti-carb craze that got underway a few years ago had an impact there, but was hardly the craze we had here. Nor has the gluten-free movement caught on there.  Just as well, when you think about all that great French bread, most of which I cannot eat myself, being gluten free!  Americans seem to have a significantly greater number of people with Celiac or at least ‘wheat intolerance’.  Much of that may have to do with our increasing practice of modifying our produce…hardy and abundant, but with potential side effects, according to some studies.

But, the main difference between them and us, believe it or not, is that they seem to eat less! Small breakfasts, small portions, lots of fresh vegetables.

“If a French guy knows he’s going to have a fancy dinner, with a three-course meal, he will take it easy on lunch,” David said. “He’ll usually skip the dessert, but on an ordinary day he has no qualms about having a small piece of high-quality chocolate with his afternoon coffee.  And you rarely ever see a Frenchman or woman having too much to drink…it’s seen as uncivilized.”

“They have a different relationship with food from Americans,” Nicola points out. “In America, it’s almost like it’s sometimes just a way of filling your face. In France, it’s a sensual thing. The fact that you can buy a 24-pack of instant ramen here, to me, says food is purely a means of alleviating hunger pangs, it’s not something to be savored, there’s no ritual in the preparation or the experience of dining.”

“They’re eating alone in front of the TV or at their computer,” Nicola added. “It’s like Americans have forgotten to enjoy it. I can go to fancy American grocery stores and buy really nice prepared food, but it’s like the definition of cooking has changed to the point that people think popping something into the microwave is cooking, even though just a decade ago they were cooking from scratch. That trend is catching on in Paris, too, unfortunately. People just don’t have enough time. But it’s a shame, because when you cook even basic meals from simple ingredients, you’re much more likely to have a healthy meal.”

I agree with David and Nicola. We need to take time eating and enjoying the preparation of our food.  The microwave actually depletes our food of nutrients that the body needs to thrive. In turn, we only crave more food to get the nutrients we are lacking.  We’ve become hardwired from our lifetime of ‘convenience’ to gain weight.  The resolution seems simple to me… start eating less.   Let’s decide to slow down, actually dine while talking with friends instead of cramming down quick, calorie-laden quantities of snacks just to get us to our next event.  Perhaps we should consider looking into those evening cooking classes at the local gourmet kitchen store and sign up with your significant other to learn how to prepare healthy delicious meals again.

Want to get healthy?  Take a note from the Parisians…savor your food AND your life!