Why French women don’t get fat

It is a sunny day in Paris and the Eiffel Tower is in full view from our spot at the Parc Champs the Mars where my sisters and I are taking a leisurely stroll.  We are headed towards a cafe in Trocadero for a petit dejeuner of my favorite French goodies — Croque Monsieur, pain chocolat,  and crepe with caramel sauce.  We decided to indulge a little bit today, my sisters’ way of welcoming me to Paris as both of them are residents here.
A visit to this magical city transports me back to my life here in the early ’80s, when I was given the opportunity to get an education in French culture and the arts.  It was also during that era of my life that my palate and eating habits experienced a transformation of sorts.  I am thankful to outside influences who helped me (whether consciously or unconsciously) get rid of my unhealthy eating  habits. At that time, my diet was the farthest thing from healthy! I hardly drank water as I ate my meals with Coke and 7 Up, and my daily consumption consisted of fried foods, chips, burgers, cookies, and big slices of cakes, pies, and double scoops of ice cream at the end of every meal.  Vegetables and healthy salads did not exist in my vocabulary.  I made up for my unhealthy eating habits by doing a lot of sports and exercise.  Luckily for me, while it was not yet too late, all my unhealthy habits changed for the better in Paris.

How it happened: Flashback 1981: During my first week in Paris, my father’s French business partner and his wife took care of getting me settled in a simple, inexpensive studio in the heart of town. They also invited me to lunch and dinner a few times and unbeknownst to them, my education in the French way of healthy eating started.
I noticed that the wife was very slim, but she enjoyed her meals from start to finish.  She always had an appetizer (a salad or a soup), a main course (fish, chicken or a steak), a cheese platter (to share), and a small dessert.  She enjoyed her meal with  a glass of red wine and sparkling water. Our meals were never hurried, the couple made time to enjoy each meal.  It was also then that I took note of portion control.  The portions served were just right, and if they were large, they were to be shared. They raised their eyebrows when I ordered a Coke;  instead, they suggested a glass of Perrier water or a glass of red wine which they said was good for my digestive system.  I rebelled at first, then decided to give it a try. To my surprise, I developed a taste for it.   I stopped taking softdrinks with my meals, replacing them with water or a glass of red wine. Because I had a leisurely meal that included a salad and some vegetables (which they taught me to appreciate) I did not get hungry till dinner time.  So, I slowly but surely stopped snacking on chips, ice cream, cookies or worse, burgers with french fries!
It was then that I realized that most French women were slim because they ate well. They did not binge unnecessarily.  I “Frenchified “ myself and ate like them, and to my satisfaction, I lost some unwanted kilos. I also walked a lot like they did.  I was getting back to my former slim shape and started to look “sexy” again in tight jeans and mini skirts.

Understand that France is a country where on every corner,  there are boulangeries that sell mouthwatering pastries and tasty breads, where foie gras, tasty meats and wines are sold by the tons in supermarkets, where quiche  and delicious Croque Monsieurs and other delicious fares are served in cafes, and most restaurants are good, if not great!

So, what is their secret, how do the French women manage to look fashionably slim?

Mireille Guiliano, author of the best -selling book French Women Don’t Get Fat, wrote:

“ We sit down and eat for pleasure, using all our senses.  Duck confit, foie gras, and other fatty foods are enjoyed occasionally — maybe once in two weeks. Wine is enjoyed regularly but in limited portions. And you won’t find artificial sweeteners in sherbet-colored packets on every table. That’s because the French prefer small portions of the real stuff, like sugar or butter.”

Order a ham sandwich in Paris and you will get one thin slice of ham with tomato slices and mustard on a baguette. It is nowhere near the size of an American ham sandwich, which is loaded with several slices of ham on triple slices of bread with lots of french fries on the side.
Based on what I observed through the years of living in Paris, French meals are usually these: for breakfast, it is typically coffee with some kind of bread, yogurt or cereal. Croissants are a treat and served mostly to visitors.  For lunch, they have a salad (or soup), fish or meat with a glass of red wine or water.  Cheese is optional and dessert is usually a tiny pastry.  Their dinner is light if they had a big lunch. I would see my sister serve her family a light salad with some cheese and a baguette for dinner if they had a big lunch.
Yogurt is a dietary food that helps women manage their hunger.  Decadent foods are treated like delicacies, eaten only in small amounts. French women would rather have a slither of a silky smooth chocolate mousse dessert rather than a thick slab of fat-free cake that does not thrill the palate. 
While red and white wines are staples, French women usually drink them with their meals — no happy hour at a bar before dinner.  Wine is used more as an accent to a meal, not to quench the thirst.  Glasses are only partially filled and sipped slowly; it’s a smart way to drink less and actually the right way to drink wine in polite society.

Walking is a way of life in Paris. This daily activity is one of the reasons they tend to be slim.  Nowadays, there are bicycles for rent all around the city. A lot of women bike from point to point.  When I am in Paris, I walk a lot!  I take the subway to my destination which makes it imperative to walk part of the way, as the connection from one line to the next is a long walk, oftentimes with stairs to climb. 
In her book Losing It In France. Les Secrets of the French Diet, author Sally Asher wrote that she lost 25 lbs. while living in Paris 10 years ago with a French family and she has never gained it back.  She says, “If you want to eat the foods you love and still look spectacular in your YSL jeans, try adopting some wise habits from French women.”  Such as:

• Always choose real, high-quality fresh food, not synthetic, unsatisfying diet food.

• Eat only when seated at a table, preferably with napkin and cutlery.

• Take small bites, chew slowly.

• Eat what you really love and savor the first bites first, enough is as good as a feast.

• Eat protein-rich meals in courses and leave the table satisfied so you don’t need to snack.

• Find something you enjoy more than eating, and do it regularly.

•  Replace commercial salad dressings with a simple vinaigrette of olive oil and vinegar

• Make most of your drinking calorie- free except for some wines during dinner.

• Immediately correct weight gain with a day of conscious lighter eating.

• Lastly, buy yourself non-food gifts regularly. There are so many good rewards other than food!