Lunch in Paris
Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 11:59 am
I'm reading a book right now titled Lunch in Paris: A Love Story with Recipes, by Elizabeth Bard. I thought I'd share a few sentences from Chapter 12 regarding the French 'secret' to staying slim.
Speaking of her French mother-in-law: "As Nicole changed back into her skirt and braided her hair, I noted the contents of her bag: book, scarf, tube of sunscreen, bottle of water. I made another mental note. French women drink an extraordinary amount of H2O." And: "Even when she's not drinking water, she's drinking water: she drinks a big pot of tea in the morning, and infusions - herbal teas- in the afternoon and evening." And: "What was conspicuously absent from her bag were snacks. If an American family goes to the beach for the afternoon, chances are there's going to be a box of Fig Newtons in mom's tote, or at least money for a drippy ice cream cone. Nicole NEVER eats between meals."
Talking about the main course at a dinner: "She deboned the fish at the table, and if I had to guess I would say that there was no more than two to three ounces per person. There were no leftovers, no seconds, just the memory of the apertif and olives before hand and the anticipation of the cheese, salad, and dessert to follow." / "I thought of my mother's table, laden with seconds and thirds for everyone, all dishes brought to the table at the same time. In the States, I could easily eat triple the amount that was now on my plate without considering whether I was actually hungry."
And her conclusion: "That's the real reason why French women don't get fat: every day they make petites (small) decisions that keep the larger weight loss struggle from ever having to begin."
Speaking of her French mother-in-law: "As Nicole changed back into her skirt and braided her hair, I noted the contents of her bag: book, scarf, tube of sunscreen, bottle of water. I made another mental note. French women drink an extraordinary amount of H2O." And: "Even when she's not drinking water, she's drinking water: she drinks a big pot of tea in the morning, and infusions - herbal teas- in the afternoon and evening." And: "What was conspicuously absent from her bag were snacks. If an American family goes to the beach for the afternoon, chances are there's going to be a box of Fig Newtons in mom's tote, or at least money for a drippy ice cream cone. Nicole NEVER eats between meals."
Talking about the main course at a dinner: "She deboned the fish at the table, and if I had to guess I would say that there was no more than two to three ounces per person. There were no leftovers, no seconds, just the memory of the apertif and olives before hand and the anticipation of the cheese, salad, and dessert to follow." / "I thought of my mother's table, laden with seconds and thirds for everyone, all dishes brought to the table at the same time. In the States, I could easily eat triple the amount that was now on my plate without considering whether I was actually hungry."
And her conclusion: "That's the real reason why French women don't get fat: every day they make petites (small) decisions that keep the larger weight loss struggle from ever having to begin."