April in Paris: The French Paradox

Your shoe is untied! Really! OK, it’s not untied, and that is the end of my April Fool’s moment. What I really think of in April is Paris. And why not? It’s always good to have a dream and I may not have been there in April, but I have been there on occasion (Cathy used to call Paris home). It’s my next favorite place after Brooklyn. But I digress…

Let’s get on to something about food. “The French Paradox” is all about food. This is not something I made up (and no April Fool’s joke). The paradox of the French is that they manage to eat all manner of things that we Americans consider ‘bad for you’ (cheese, meats, wine, pastries…I’m getting hungry!). The paradox part is that as a culture, the French have lower rates of obesity, heart disease and other health problems that we associate with eating.

How do they do it? Paul Rozin, a psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania, has compared the eating practices of people in the United States and France. He suggests that it’s not so much what we eat, but how we eat and what our cultural relationship with food consists of. The French have a pretty strict set of rules regarding food, here they are.

• Eat small portions
• Do not snack
• Do not eat alone
• Take your time

Doesn’t sound too difficult does it?

I think it also helps that the French eat food that (with the exception of white flour and sugar) is not processed. They also spend more money and effort on the quality of their meals and have a real appreciation for what is in front of them. They also walk. Exercise is part of eating.

So… while we may not be in Paris, it’s possible to bring a little bit of France to our own lives in the form of healthy food culture and perhaps a nice long walk.

Bon Appetite!