Feel good, French style

As soon as we arrived to my grandmother’s house in Normandy for summer vacation, my brother and I raced out to her garden. What was growing? What was ripe?.. and the crucial concern, were the strawberries ready, or had we missed them?

Mamie’s garden was a mysterious novelty for two kids whose weekly food came from Safeway. The whole Summer, we marveled at the taste of simple things such as potatoes, lettuce, and haricots verts, all du jardin (from the garden). There was little trouble getting these kids to eat their veggies, although our quatre heures (4 p.m. snack) of buttered baguette and chocolate remained the day’s highlight.

Trips to France centered around the joys of buttery croissants, the sunny aliveness in a bite of peach, and the rich, grassy flavor of milk delivered still warm, straight from the cow. Yet, everywhere I looked, it was true. French women didn’t get fat. It was quite a contrast to my American neighbors back home.

Over the last 12 years however, the French on average have gained almost 7 pounds, to say nothing of Americans’ own struggles with obesity and health issues. As we’ve shifted from eating real food, directly du jardin, to industrial, refined food products that pale by comparison, we’re paying the price in terms of extra weight, extra toxicity and a feeling of finding food difficult to contend with. If the box says “diet” and “good for me,” why do I feel so lackluster in my jeans?

Declining food quality has much to do with these trends. How can you incorporate higher quality foods into your daily routine? Here is how to eat from the garden:

- Choose foods that speak your body’s language.

Our trillions of cells come from Mother Nature and are best nourished by her as well. Foods that are processed, refined and chemicalized tend to be poorly used by your body, contributing to the build-up of toxins, weight from empty calories, and illnesses. On the contrary, natural foods, the things found in nature, speak our language and work with us, not against us. As Michael Pollan puts it, “if it came from a plant, eat it. If it was made in a plant, don’t.”

- Be curious about ingredients.

It’s easy to understand the ingredients in a banana. What about the other goodies in your cart? Read labels and look for a few simple ingredients that you recognize and can pronounce. Avoid or replace foods made with chemicals and additives. For example, instant oatmeal from a box doesn’t do a body or a waistline good. Instead, choose old-fashioned steel-cut or rolled oats.

A lot of the foods we eat regularly (bread from the bakery, soup from the deli) don’t come with labels. Be curious and ask for details.

Organic is another consideration to look for on your label. Would you use synthetic pesticides, petroleum-based fertilizers or sewage sludge to tend to your garden? That’s one of the differences between organic and conventional. Also look for local and seasonal options, just like you were harvesting nibbles in your backyard.

- Have your cake and eat it too.

As you’re reading labels, you’re likely to come across the ubiquitous “sugar,” or its variations – corn syrup, evaporated cane juice, dextrose, or glucose, for example. Manufacturers love to add sugar to foods not only sweet (cereal, cookies, etc.) but also savory (soup, sauces, cold cuts). Sugar may sound natural and harmless, but it’s a highly-refined empty calorie. In your regular routine, replace this saboteur with true natural sweeteners such as agave syrup, unprocessed honey or yucon syrup, as well as naturally sweet goodies such as dried fruits.

By “eating from the garden” most of the time, sweetened and refined foods lose their appeal, as your body gets into a new gear and your palate adjusts. But when you do want to go for a piece of Mom’s apple pie, no big deal. After all, France is as known for its masterful gardens as it is for its divine éclairs.

What’s blooming in your garden this week? I’d love to hear from you.

Live épanoui*!

Elisa

* in full bloom