5 French secrets you ought to hear.

Talk about the “French Paradox”!.. Although the French indulge in wine, pastries, and a diet high in fat, they have lower rates of heart disease, obesity, and are generally healthier than a lot of other cultures.

SECRET #1 - The French always stop to smell the roses. And also to enjoy great food.

French people don’t want to hurry through life. Lunch is a great example. Every day at noon the country “shuts down” for a couple hours because “life” isn’t just about working and making money.

And what is “life” to a French person?  It means savoring family, friends, and food. They live to eat (rather than the other way around). These priorities affect the pace of the entire country: in France, you are almost forced to “stop and smell the roses”.

At lunchtime, the majority of shops and services stop functioning and close their doors to customers so that people can (or have to) take the time to enjoy the meal with family, co-workers or friends. In restaurants, good service is deliberately slow and protracted, allowing (or forcing) diners to linger and take the time to engage in deep conversations and appreciate the aromas, tastes, and textures of the food.

I think this is important, not only for enjoyment but there is also a scientific reasoning as to why this helps with weight maintenance. Research has found people who ate slowly consumed fewer calories and were less likely to overindulge.

LIFESAVING TIP: Set aside a 1-hour lunch break (or 30 minutes if that is all you are given at work) and don’t do anything else while eating. Close the laptop, put the phone down, and only do one thing: enjoy your lunch.

SECRET #2 - The French never count calories. Like, ever.

Portion control isn’t as difficult as counting calories. Deciding what to order also isn’t very difficult, as the French don’t think twice about having cheese or dessert after the main course. I didn’t hear anyone say, “I’m on a diet, I can’t have that.”

I didn’t see the calorie content on any menu, nor did I see any “Lighter Options.” Plates were simply smaller, which made it easy to practice portion control. And although portions were smaller, I never felt hungry. It was just the right amount since there were several courses.

I was able to indulge in some of my favorite things: butter, chocolate, and pastries. I certainly didn’t feel guilty about it because I had plenty of fresh veggies and protein during my main course and dessert was just enough to satisfy my sweet tooth without putting me on a sugar crash afterward.

LIFESAVING TIP: Ditch the large plates at home and replace with smaller plates. Donate them and you’ll have an excuse to revamp your dishware collection. Tell your husband it’s for his health as you walk off with the credit card and head out for a day of shopping! 😂

SECRET #3 - The French don’t “exercise”. They just take pleasure in being active.

 I’m not even sure if the French know what a treadmill is. Why run around like a hamster on a wheel when you can go outside and take in some fresh air and sunshine?

I didn’t see any gyms and for a reason: The French don’t exercise, but they love being active. They walk whenever they can. It feels good and it doesn’t feel like work. Taking 10 minutes to try to find the closest parking space doesn’t make sense when it takes the same or less time to park a little farther and walk there. Instead of spending an hour in the gym, they walk for 5 minutes here and there, which adds up to about the same amount of time and burns as many calories.

LIFESAVING TIP: Park your car farther away from wherever you are going. Spend time talking on the phone while walking outside instead of sitting inside.

SECRET #4 - French women flaunt their figures. Everyone aspires to be some sort of Coco Chanel.

The flip-flops and yoga pants I packed were left unused. Everyone was dressed to impress. Women wore snug-fitting shirts and dresses that emphasized their waistlines. Active wear was only worn by the few people I saw jogging in the park.

This made me want to take pride in the way I looked and feel instead of rolling out of bed and wandering my way to a café with bed hair and pre-caffeine slouchy posture. By dressing to impress, I paid more attention to what I ate because I knew “feeling full” wouldn’t make my tailored dress look good with a potbelly.

LIFESAVING TIP: Ditch the junky clothes and give yourself an excuse to buy a few nice things for yourself. Feeling good in your clothes will make you want to feel better in your skin, too.

SECRET #5 - Eating and drinking only happens at a table.

There was no eating or drinking while on the run. In fact, when I stopped by a café for a cup of hot tea, I asked if they had a disposable cup I could pour it into and take with me. Non!

I didn’t really understand why. Were they just out of them? Then I realized I didn’t see anyone eating breakfast in their cars on the way to work and I didn’t see any Starbucks Venti frappuccinos in anyone’s hands while walking down the street. People were seated outside of restaurants even if just having a quick refreshment.

I was a bit bummed because I was used to the American way of taking my beverage with me wherever I go. But, then I realized how many less calories I consumed by simply doing just that. Drinking and eating only happened 3 times a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And maybe tea time somewhere in between.

LIFESAVING TIP: Have 3 meals a day only while seated at a table. Office desk doesn’t count 😄

These secrets ARE useful. Get inspired and motivated!

A bientot!