En Francais...What Can I Say?

I own no less than five books on the subject of "The French Paradox". Surely you've heard of the French Paradox...the people of France (as well as some other Mediterranean nations) manage to eat butter, red meat, chocolate, and pastries, while washing it all down with red wine and still somehow manage to maintain figures like Sophie Marceau's and keep their national rate of heart disease and diabetes at an enviable level. The books decribe how the paradox is the result of "lifestyle" choices. We hear that rhetoric all the time, but what does it really mean?

So many people have a quick, dismissive answer:
-"Well, they smoke all the time. How healthy is that?"
-"Those poor French people don't have cars and they have to walk everywhere."
-"French women only eat once a day."
-"It's the red wine" (like that's a silver bullet)
-"It's the olive oil" (like that's a silver bullet)

I'm sure that you have noticed that there are plenty of fat, American smokers...so, cigarettes are not the answer. You must have a "power walker" in your neighborhood who, despite the long, exerting walks she takes every day, never seems to look any trimmer. And I'm sure some French women only eat once a day. Some American women eat once a day. Americans are still heavier, per capita. The red wine? My own personal experience is that daily alcohol consumption bloats one's midriff almost as effectively as daily bearclaw consumption. Then it must be the olive oil, right? I'm not a registered dietician so I cannot speak effectively about the metabolism of HDL and LDL, but I can tell you that when it comes to calories...a fat is a fat is a fat.

So, why do the French seem to get away with murder while we pitiable Americans indulge in a weekend dinner out on the town and find the scale has crept up 4 pounds by Monday morning?

I have the answer. And don't take my word for it. It's not my answer. I got this from a gracious, lithe French woman I sometimes have the privelege to cook for. She said the French are thinner and often healthier because...

IN THEIR LIFESTYLE, THE FRENCH TAKE PORTIONS THAT ARE SMALL BY OUR AMERICAN LIFESTYLE STANDARDS

This lady explained that at a buffet dinner, the French would take 1 slice of meat, while the Americans would take 2 or 3 slices.

This made me think of a simile...you know when you go to a really "fancy" restaurant and you get a teensy-weensy little plate with a flourish of chopped parsley sprinkled on top as a garnish and you feel cheated because you have to pay 32.00 for this appetizer-sized nothing of an entree???!!!. Well, that's probably a portion size closer to an average French-sized portion. If you think that's not enough to nourish you with your demanding life, think about the famous French artists, athletes, actors, scientists, and heads of state who seem to do just fine on less quantity at the dinner table.

This French acquaintance of mine also noticed that Americans often indulge in second helpings. If the stew was particularly good, we might have a second half-bowl. How many Thanksgivings have you gone back for just a little bit more stuffing? She tells me that the French rarely take second helpings because if you take one item, you must take all of them. Good manners dictates that you must make a complete plate or you have been totally rude to your host. (It's probably tantamount to, say, chewing with your mouth wide open or eating off of someone else's plate) Even if you have room for another slice of the divine roast...you must pass on second helpings if you think you'll be unable to also eat the starch and the vegetables. The French lifestyle and sense of etiquette says that "cherry-picking" second helpings is selfish and makes you look like a bumpkin.

While I was aware that French portions were smaller, I did not know that they usually declined second helpings. I find this insight, however small, to be incredibly informative. How many times do we lament our physiques, but have one more dollop of mashed potatoes after a long, hard day? How many times do we eat another half-serving of rice while cleaning up because it hardly seems like enough to save but it would also be a shame to waste...and then we cannot understand how our favorite pants keep "shrinking in the dryer"?

I don't want to discount the potential benefits of walking/exercising more, choosing healthful/non-saturated fats, having the occasional antioxidant-rich beverage, and so on, but when it comes to losing the spare tire, it's less about WHAT you are eating and more about HOW MUCH you are eating.

Try to do more on less.

That should be our new American lifestyle credo.