What I learnt from the French

What I learnt from the French

I’ve just hopped off a 25 hour fight from Paris after co hosting a retreat with amazing yoga teacher Gemma Vassallo in the South of France. I know! How romantic, how utterly divine does that sound. And it really was. But you know what, aside from the stunning scenery, beautiful castles and homes with their delightful blue and yellow window shutters, incredible trips to farms and wineries, the most delicious produce, lovely retreaters and the general excitement of actually being in France for the first time, the thing that impacted me the most was the culture of food that was inherently present everywhere you went. From the restaurants, to the markets and incredibly even the service stations. Food is honoured, respected and appreciated in a way I do not see often.

So here are three things I learnt from the French when it comes to food

1. Always eat your meal sitting down. This is not debatable – it is a moment to be respected! Did you know that it was quite difficult to get a takeaway meal even from the service station? That’s right,  it is expected you sit down and enjoy your food quite possibly accompanied by a small bottle of red wine from the region (which was also for sale).

2. Real food will always taste better than processed. I know you and I know this but the French stand for it in a way that is impressive. Fast food joints are few and far between. If it’s not freshly made, full of integrity and delicious, it will not fly in this country.

3. Enjoy everything (as long as it’s high quality) but in smaller quantities. I did not see one obese French individual on my trip. Seriously! With all the cheese, cream, croissants, pain de chocolate and so much more, the women were slender.  

So how do they do it? Well for starters, the food is real, the cheese we enjoyed unpasteurised, the wine carefully made. It’s a place where food is an art.

Food is enjoyed in balance. They do not restrict themselves when it comes to enjoying their food but rather they work with what they feel works for their bodies.

They have a very healthy attitude to food.

Enjoy, celebrate, be balanced.

With Love and In Health

Angie xx