La joie de vie! - H
I caught the tail end of Oprah yesterday, and her guest was the author of this book called French Women Don't Get Fat. I don't remember the author's name, but she's French and splits her time between living in France andNew York. I was interested b/c I happened to have flipped through that book a couple of weeks ago at a bookstore.
Anyway, she talked about how the French have a saying, "la joie de vie," literally, the joy of life, but there's more to it than that. It's a whole philosophy of life that is wrapped up in these four words, that I don't quite grasp. It has to do with enjoying and savoring life, I think, all aspects of it even when it comes to food. It seems like a simple concept, to savor the food we eat (its flavor, the aromas, the color, the texture), but I don't know that we in America quite have that down when compared to the French. Our life philosophy could be summed up perhaps in these four words, "bang for the buck." Case in point, the all-American buffet. Food tastes "better" to some when we can get more for our money, which means that we are satisfied when we're full, rather than when we've had a quality meal that we've enjoyed.
One of the keys for the French is to eat anything they want but in moderation, and they also eat quality food (yogurt for a snack rather than chips), and of course exercise is just a natural part of their lives since they walk everywhere. (Oprah says it's hard to find a good gym in France.) They have a "three bite rule." After three bites, you've experienced the food, and you can move on to something else to experience and enjoy, savor, and relish that. They don't seem to really over eat, and they are very aware of what they put into their bodies, monitoring their food choices from meal to meal to balance what they eat. The author gave an example, that if she has a croissant for breakfast one day, she'll have something lighter the next day, but at the same time, they don't have this obsessive relationship with food where they're always thinking about it, whether it's what they're going to eat next or feeling bad about what they just ate.
Anyway, it made sense to me to take the time to enjoy the seemingly little pleasures in life. When E and I were in Paris last summer, we noticed that by 5PM, the parks were filled with picnicking people, out to enjoy the company of friends, the outdoors, passing the time in a more meaningful and enjoyable way than to be work, work, working, as we are so apt to do here. People are serious about their leisure. I think we would do well in the US to make a shift in that direction. Doubt that'll happen, but I'm going to make that shift in my life, which, I must admit, is not a HUGE shift for me, but it is a mental shift and a conscious decision I have to make to put my work aside, my chores and my errands aside and say enjoy my plants! =P...or going for a bike ride, taking a walk, and not to feel guilty that I'm not being "productive." I do long for a slower pace of life.
Anyway, she talked about how the French have a saying, "la joie de vie," literally, the joy of life, but there's more to it than that. It's a whole philosophy of life that is wrapped up in these four words, that I don't quite grasp. It has to do with enjoying and savoring life, I think, all aspects of it even when it comes to food. It seems like a simple concept, to savor the food we eat (its flavor, the aromas, the color, the texture), but I don't know that we in America quite have that down when compared to the French. Our life philosophy could be summed up perhaps in these four words, "bang for the buck." Case in point, the all-American buffet. Food tastes "better" to some when we can get more for our money, which means that we are satisfied when we're full, rather than when we've had a quality meal that we've enjoyed.
One of the keys for the French is to eat anything they want but in moderation, and they also eat quality food (yogurt for a snack rather than chips), and of course exercise is just a natural part of their lives since they walk everywhere. (Oprah says it's hard to find a good gym in France.) They have a "three bite rule." After three bites, you've experienced the food, and you can move on to something else to experience and enjoy, savor, and relish that. They don't seem to really over eat, and they are very aware of what they put into their bodies, monitoring their food choices from meal to meal to balance what they eat. The author gave an example, that if she has a croissant for breakfast one day, she'll have something lighter the next day, but at the same time, they don't have this obsessive relationship with food where they're always thinking about it, whether it's what they're going to eat next or feeling bad about what they just ate.
Anyway, it made sense to me to take the time to enjoy the seemingly little pleasures in life. When E and I were in Paris last summer, we noticed that by 5PM, the parks were filled with picnicking people, out to enjoy the company of friends, the outdoors, passing the time in a more meaningful and enjoyable way than to be work, work, working, as we are so apt to do here. People are serious about their leisure. I think we would do well in the US to make a shift in that direction. Doubt that'll happen, but I'm going to make that shift in my life, which, I must admit, is not a HUGE shift for me, but it is a mental shift and a conscious decision I have to make to put my work aside, my chores and my errands aside and say enjoy my plants! =P...or going for a bike ride, taking a walk, and not to feel guilty that I'm not being "productive." I do long for a slower pace of life.
posted by haed at 10:13 PM
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