FRENCH DIET SECRETS
Ahhh the age old question, why are the french people skinny? After all, they live in a mecca of to-die-for pastries and dishes smothered in butter… how is it all possible? To be honest, I don’t have a definitive answer for you, but there are some notable differences in their eating habits which I can only assume plays a big role in it all. So here we go…
First of all, they really take their time eating their meals.
They have longer breaks for lunch, and dinner is a true sit-down event. At these meals people sit and speak to each other. They’re not on their phones or scarfing down something to get back to work. They truly practice mindful eating.
The portion sizes are smaller.
Generally the portions are about half of what you’d receive in an American restaurant. Though, the french meals are high in fat. But it’s this amount of fat that keeps you feeling full until your next meal.
Also, they really only eat at their meal times.
In the United States, I feel like it’s all about snacks. Healthy or unhealthy, we snack in between meals all day long. The digestive system never gets a break! The french people don’t do this. They break up their day into four meals: breakfast, lunch, gouter (snack), and dinner. You’ll rarely see them eating besides then!
The French people focus on fresh ingredients.
They pride themselves in eating fresh, local food free from hormones or processed additives. Unlike in the U.S., where you’ll see overflowing pantries and stocked freezers, the French have teeny tiny little refrigerators with minimal excess. They go to the market or the store pretty much daily for what they need, and the processed foods are usually left on the store shelves.
Forget the fad diets.
I told a French friend that I was going on a diet for the new year, and she gave me one of those signature french looks… you silly American. In America it’s always what’s the new thing, what’s the shortcut? That doesn’t exist here. They don’t fluctuate up and down. They don’t go through the never-ending cycle of correcting the binge-eating 8 slices of pizza with a three day juice cleanse. They eat what they eat. It’s what their parents ate, it’s what their grandparents ate, and that’s that!
They have a different relationship to food.
In America, we often use food as a reward. For example, you had a great spin class and now you’ll go out and drink 4 mimosas and eat a plate of pancakes and a donut and a side of bacon at a boozy-brunch with your friends. They don’t have this attitude. They eat what they want to eat when they want to eat it. They don’t restrict, so they don’t binge.
But what about the bread?
You might be thinking… Hailey… how can they eat all those baguettes though?? Now I’m no expert on this topic, but I have read many articles about just this!
Basically American bread is made from red winter wheat which contains more gluten than older heritage wheats. American food companies discard the germ and bran from this to give the bread have a longer shelf life. The problem is the germ and bran are the most nutritious part of the bread, and we’re eliminating it!
And even simpler, there are boulangeries and patisseries that hand-make the bread every single day inside of that shop. Sure it will be stale after 1-2 days, but this means that you are eating fresh bread with less processed ingredients! How can you argue with that?
Chain-smoking curbs appetite.
We also can’t ignore the obvious. Many french people smoke cigarettes. And I am NOT condoning starting smoking for this reason.. at all.. whatsoever, but there are countless studies which say nicotine curbs your appetite. But something to keep in mind, this may make you slim or thin, but rarely in-shape or strong.
Lastly, the drinking culture is different.
I really don’t see the French binge-drinking all that often. They will usually just have a few glasses of wine at a cafe with friends or something like that. Not like us Americans who are ripping tequila shots at the bar… Now don’t get me wrong, they have a total club scene and many popping bars, but I just think overall the Americans drink more excessively.
All in all, it could be one, a combination, all, or none of these reasons… Regardless I think some of these practices could be very beneficial to us in the United States. At the end of the day though, just do you!
Sources:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/bad-appetite/200911/think-french-stay-thin
https://www.tripsavvy.com/the-healthy-french-diet-1517499
https://gundrymd.com/gluten-free-foods/