What France Taught Me About Balance Variety and Moderation
1) There is a very nice sense of balance in France. Of course that is a
word that would resonate with me, right? There is a sense of balance
when it comes to juggling work, family, friends and making time to
relax. I first noticed this just after we arrived in Paris. We found
that many places were closed during the end of July and August. They
were closed because the business owners take an extended vacation during
the summer. What a way to really balance work and personal life than
with planned long vacation each summer. Secondly, walking through the
city, we found multiple places to just sit and enjoy a picnic or just
watch people go by. You can see by the pictures below that we made
sure to use as many of these open spaces as often as possible.
2) Obviously the French are known for their food and, being a dietitian,
I knew that I was going to experience as much different foodie
experiences as possible. But for all the "heavy" foods that might come
to mind when you think about French food, there is a very strong respect
(for lack of a better word) for food and eating. That is to say, meals
are events. Eating is a time to focus on food, friends and family and
not something to rush through. If you want to experience mindful
eating, eat a meal in France. The best example of this was at a cooking
class my wife and I took. The class started in an open-air market
going through the stalls, smelling, looking and talking to vendors about
what's fresh and what looks good. After buying all of the ingredients
we needed, we went back to the kitchen to cook our meal. The
spontaneous menu ended up being squid stuffed with risotto, greens and
pine nuts in a fennel cream sauce. Of course there was dessert and we
made a Creme d'Almond. All made from scratch and of course, all
delicious. Since we were in France, we just had to have a cheese and
wine course right?! The entire meal (which was really lunch) was over 2
hours (not including cooking). A slow cooked meal that was savored the
way any meal should be. Despite the cream, cheese and dessert, there
was no feeling of guilt or overeating. It was truly an intuitive eating
experience.
3) I don't speak French but I had my Google Translate with me all the
time so I was able to interpret different words that my wife and I
encountered. Not once did I come across the words "gluten-free." In LA,
it seems like I can't take 10 steps without hearing or reading the
words "gluten-free." I'm sure there are as many who suffer from celiac
disease and gluten intolerances in France as there are in the USA, but
it's clear that we've hit epic fad status here in LA so it was
refreshing to not hear those words for 10 days and to not be judged like
we were carrying the devil in our bag every morning as we left the
boulangerie with a fresh baguette!
4) France is the land of balance, variety and moderation. Those words,
which seem to be co-opted by big food companies in America, still retain
their meaning in France. Sure, not everyone eats cheese, bread and
wine at every meal, and we saw our fair share of "big food" marketing
and products while we were there but it's a very different mindset.
Balance in all things. Variety in food choices but also activities.
Moderation with foods by enjoying each bite. My best example of all of
those was going for ice cream at the world famous, Berthillion. My wife
and I chose different flavors and the first thing we noticed was how
small the scoop was--no more than a melon-ball size of ice cream but the
flavor in that one scoop was beyond any I had before. It was the most
intense and delicious scoop of chocolate ice cream that I've ever had.
The French are known for their cheese and wine but I'd submit to you
all that their ice cream should receive just as much praise and
recognition.
Like I said above, it was a trip that has had a lasting effect on me. I
feel inspired about food once again and confident in my convictions
that ALL foods fit in moderation. We should respect not only food, but
where it came from, and the act of eating it.
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enjoy
Sarah
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