I love everything French...the country, the culture, the music, the movies, the boys (ha!), but most importantly, the food! The classic French diet contains quantities of butter that would make Paula Deen swoon; baguette so chewy it makes your jaw hurt, meats that are slow-cooked and fork-tender (nothing Rachael Ray could simulate in 30 minutes), buttery tarts of fresh fruits, and the most satisfying salads of organic vegetables perfectly accentuated by homemade vinaigrette. But let's not forget the cheese--oh! the cheese!--full-fat raw milk magically transformed into enough creamy stinky goodness that you could eat a new cheese every day of the year. (IMAGINE!!)
And yet...I've never actually met a fat French person.
This brings to mind the classic French paradox: with a diet so rich in animal fats (and consequently saturated fat) and high in carbs, how DO they stay so thin? Author Mireille Guiliano attempts to answer that in her book "Why French Women Don't Get Fat." She cites the French "way of life" in where everything tastes, looks, smells, IS so good that overindulgence is literally a sin. A French woman, she says, has her Chanel bag in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. The French woman is refined, appreciates every bite of food she eats, and would never EVER "let herself go."
Having studied the language and culture for several years, and while spending my month-long "sabbatical from life" (or sabbatical living the life!) 5 years ago in Paris, I can personally attest to the fabulousness of how the French view life overall. For example, Americans, who are pretty accustomed to dressing casually, always are shocked at how well-dressed Parisians are. I noticed right away how the women AND men were perfectly dressed, complete with scarf and bag (or man bag/European carry-all for the boys). It seemed as though just an ordinary trip to the market required a full-on perfectly coordinated outfit. In the 32 days I spent wandering aimlessly around nearly every arrondissement in the city I never found a woman dressed in "frumpy" clothing, something I see nearly every day here in the States (especially in super-casual SF). Most people would consider that "showy" or "excessive" but I learned that that's merely a French person's way of appreciating beauty. In their minds, the world is beautiful, so if you are leaving your house and heading out, you should bring that beauty with you and share it with everyone you meet. A quick "Bonjour!" upon entering a shop is expected, and frankly it should be!
This intense appreciation for beauty very easily extends to the incredible cuisine offered in France. Anyone who is familiar with classic French cooking, or knows anything about Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, understands that there is no such thing as quick French food--a basic stew takes hours to prepare, but the flavors that develop in that time are incomparable to what Rachael Ray tries to pass off as "slow-cooked flavor" in her 30-minute meals. The aesthetic beauty of a simple tarte aux pommes with the concentric rings of caramelized apples on top can be overwhelming--at least for me. One unspoken rule of French dining: it should take as long for you to eat the meal as it did to cook it. I LOVE THIS! From my last trip to France where I spent 1 week in the Alps and 1 week in Paris, I remember eating meals every day that were at least 4 courses long--sometimes 6. These meals were epic--lunch lasted at least 1-2 hours and was followed by a lovely restorative nap. Dinner usually involved 5 courses of food and 3 types of wine--I was in heaven! I was there during the Christmas season so the foods were definitely special aka super rich! I basically slept in every day, feasted on homemade foie gras, various terrines, omelette, bread, cheese, wine, chocolate, cheese, soup, and more cheese (but never was "full" mind you) and I managed to lose 2 lbs! Did I mention I love France!?
When I got back to the States I was reminded of the infamous "New Years Resolution" and was barraged by ads for reduced-price gym memberships. I always laugh and think, this is the country of $12 BILLION of wasted money on gym memberships--I'm not buying into your gimmicks! We Americans spend $61 BILLION on supplements--vitamins, minerals, protein shakes, most of which is not utilized by the body and ultimately ends up in the toilet. I like to call supplements "really expensive urine." Add to the supplement industry an additional $6 BILLION in "diet" foods--aka processed "food-like substances" that have no flavor and actually make you fatter. We are a nation of perpetual dieters, compulsive exercisers, consumers who buy into the latest "fad"--whether it be a home gym that will give you 8-pack abs in only 5 minutes a day, a Shake Weight contraption, Muscle Milk expensive urine, or P90X extreme body workout. But *SURPRISE* the obesity epidemic continues to worsen. This is the American paradox.
The only way I can explain the mechanisms of the French paradox is thus: through the intense appreciation of beauty in all its forms that is so paramount in French culture, specifically relating to food, the French eat so well but take time to enjoy their food which gives the body enough time to recognize satiety (it takes 20 minutes for the brain to know the stomach is full). I think this appreciation of every bite taken also leads people to not over-indulge. I have experienced this when I dine at fine restaurants in the US; the food is of such high quality and so exquisitely prepared that despite the miniscule portions, I'm always perfectly satisfied at the end of the meal. Surely the accompanying drawn-out conversation plays a big role as well!
The food culture in the United States is sorely lacking in appreciation of real cuisine, although I have seen that change a bit over the past few years. I do think that our viewpoint towards food is inextricably linked to our view on life and beauty in general, and the attitudinal adjustment necessary to improve our waist lines is going to take some time to achieve. As people learn to appreciate their bodies and the interaction with the world in which we live, we're going to see a shift in the way the society looks at food. I hope this happens sooner than later!
So this former French princess would like to conclude with a bit of wisdom that she shares with her clients: a quote from her idol, Julia Child: "The only time to eat diet food is while waiting for the steak to cook."
Bon appetit!
