Fresh not Fast
Why are Italians and the French considered leaner and healthier than many other Westerners - despite their love for cheese, wine, bread - breakfast desserts (dolce), pizza, and pasta? The secret lies in what they eat and how.
They buy fresh produce every single day, cook at home, eat together, and avoid seed oils and preservatives. They get fresh croissants and baguettes (long thin loaf) every morning.
Meals are slow - they take time to eat and that reflects a cultural emphasis on savouring meals rather than simply refueling. Besides, it’s considered impolite to eat while walking, driving, or commuting.
In every single neighbourhood there are ten different places where you can buy fresh food on your way back from work. There is very little processed food as the big supermarket chains are not as prevalent as small local shops (épicerie/alimentari).
They follow a structured meal rhythm with little snacking between meals. A large unhurried lunch often gets them through to a later dinner time.
It’s about mindful eating, fresh food, daily movement, respect for mealtimes, and the epidemiological observation that French people have a relatively low incidence of coronary heart disease in spite of having saturated fats. This led Dr. Serge Renaud, a scientist from Bordeaux University, in the early 1990s to coin the phrase “The French Paradox!”
Zareer Patell
#FrenchParadox #MediterraneanLifestyle #MindfulEating #HeartHealth #EatFresh #FoodCulture #HealthyHabits #Longevity #BlueZones
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