I have been in this small Breton city/large village of Quiberon which is very tourist oriented, but I had come to visit people who live here.
Our meals are usually freshly prepared by my host and he goes early in the morning to get fresh seafood, baguettes, and the vegetables as necessary.
Today is Friday and this is our Lunch. First of all the Lunch is a little later than in other countries.
There are always
the first plate
the main plate
a salad
Fruits, cheese
plus dessert
I have noticed that they do not gulp down liters of water. A small glass or two of water at every meal. The adults may drink Wine or Beer with Lunch and Dinner. I very seldom see children drinking Fruit juices or fizzy drinks. During breakfast, children drink bottled fruit juices or home made juices depending upon the season. There is virtually no highly processed food.
We began with a plate of OYSTERS, fresh from this mornings catch. The host has been buying the oysters from the same fisherman for years.
My colleagues in MIami always scolded me for drinking hardly any water while they gulped liters of that healthy fluid. I do not see anyone walking around with a water bottle or drinking water on the street ..
as you can see at Lunch, I am the only one with a water bottle. Sparkling water is very easily available and dont expect to find those 36 bottles of water wrapped in plastic at the supermarkets.
There is no rush while eating Lunch or Dinner.
Today some fresh shrimp was also on the offer, straight from the market.
The main portion of the meal: Lamb from France. Salad made of Aubergine and Courgette. Steamed Broccoli and Rice. It was tasty.
In Miami, we tend to get the lamb from Argentina, Australia or New Zealand and we eat it on special occasions.
The Shrimp in Miami could come anywhere from South America or Vietnam or China and very rarely you could get Florida shrimps if you are in one of the towns on the fishing route.
Normally I would end the meal with a couple of pieces of fruit but today I had an occasion (personal) to celebrate so I had some ice cream, the first time in the last two weeks but with some cut fruits.
It is nice to finish the lunch with a nice cup of coffee . With so many cafés nearby, I walked over to Cafe Hoche and had a cafe allonge and sipped it with great satisfaction.
You walk to the café, you go for a walk along the beach, you walk to the boulangerie to get your baguette..
No wonder I do not see people jogging or pumping iron or doing Yoga in this resort area facing the sea. Lots of people on the beach engaged in a wide variety of activities.
Activity as a part of LIFE
rather than Activity as yet another Chore or Duty or Schedule
This is my own summary.
I am averaging between 3 and 4 miles per day of walking. I have not done any meditation since arriving here. Just twice daily walks along the water or slowly to the village centre and sit and sip my coffee.
So, those of us who are in the roles of educating others about nutrition and physical health, what can we learn from the FRENCH
who by the way are healthier than the Americans on the average
99 per cent of the children that you would see here are not overweight or obese
Most of the young people are not overweight or Obese.
I have felt that the Americans have an obsession with exercise which is outside the every day life. Here it seems it is part of every day life. I was talking to a friend of mine who is doing a PhD in Art History at Sorbonne but lives at Montmarte.. he said he can access everything he needs: his university, library, food and entertainment on foot or on bicycle.
What can we learn from the French about NUTRITION?
They cook their food at home. They don't seem to watch TV while eating together. There is always someone at the table when I eat here and the TV is not on. There is no 3 minutes in the Microwave type of cuisine which we do have, thanks Trader Joe's.
Even though I am here in a touristy town with lots and lots of restaurants, no Ethnic restaurants, all French or Local restaurants. I have eaten only once, at a Creperie. Everyday I do go to a café, spend some time doing little.
The decision to eat well is a personal one, my own adage is : Don't give nutritional advice to people who do not ask for it.
Eventhough I am from Australia, educated in London and have spent a lot of time in the USA (sporadically except 2020), I also have been very lucky to spend time in developing countries and have enjoyed excellent cuisines there
Jamaica (who can forget Miss Evelyn's cooking with a dash of love?)
Malaysia (you truly need Malaysian Chinese friends who will guide you to the best food not easily available to the visitors or tourists)
Siem Reap in Cambodia (cannot wait to return, Food being a reason)
Cochin, India. Here it does help to have Foodie friends who could take you to a variety of cuisines all of them Local . (forget about the "Indian" restaurants abroad run by Bangladeshis)
I am lucky to have an younger brother, a foodie, a chef and apart from visiting him and his family, food is a central attraction to visit Israel.
In South America, without doubt, my food destination is Argentina.
Forget Fajitas and Fish Tacos, head to Mexico for incredibly varied cuisine. Mexico is a foodie destination if you know where to go. When I was a junior doctor in Miami, when colleagues asked me: What is the best thing about USA ? I would answer without blinking an eye lid: Mexico.
I have to thank my dear friends M and G, for our multitudes of FOOD experiences in Miami and thereabouts. I have never had a bad meal with them, in our last 10 years of Schmooze/Foodie encounters.
As I was writing this, a patient of mine from USA sent me his LUNCH plate:
Without making any judgements on his gustational( a play of words on Gestational, Gustatory is the correct word) choices, I wrote to him
Please enjoy your FOOD mindfully: Enjoy the smell, the flavour, the taste and eat slowly. Talk to the person you are eating with. Send me your Blood sugar readings at one hour and two hours after the meal. Bon Apetit!
