Update: I've put together a free PDF guide called 7 RULES TO TIMELESS STYLE, to help you build your style in a more timeless way - because I find that French women are masters of this skill. You can request the free guide here: www.justineleconte.com/timeless 😘
Maybe in the western world, but we are not designed to have regular meals a day. If we were growing our food, there would be times when there would be food losses and meals might be skipped or ingredients wouldn't be so varied.
lots of fruits and veggies, no processed foods, no added sugars, preparing food at home and balanced meals with no soda! all of this makes sense! and yes, getting it "right" at a young age definitely helps!
Rashida Davis French parents force kids in schedules convenient for them and eating habits that are not child friendly. Nothing healthy about it. 17 obesity rate.
Everything you say makes sense. I'm not French but my grandmother was and grandad was Belgian. Everything you say about soup, food habits etc rings a bell. My grandparents were super frugal in their meals and they were always thin and healthy. They didnt even have any serious health problems until their 80s. My mom and aunts follow the same pattern, thin no health problems. My brother and me are also very thin. So i think its both genes and habits
Children in France are not indulged in their every whim by ridiculous “helicopter” parents who don’t even allow their children the responsibility to walk to a friends house, the park, or school ALONE-without someone calling the cops or child services on them like here in the U.S.! Also...children in France (and Spain and Italy as I have noticed) do not subsist on diets of tan colored molded, food “products”-like chicken nuggets and “french” fries and other garbage! We have the HIGHEST obesity rate in children in the entire world and it gets worse every single day! And it is NOT just about food! Since when do children dictate everything to their parents and the parents stop living their own lives and walk around catching their children’s precious farts? It’s not parenting-it’s a joke. Kids in the US are growing up with no respect for each other, their elders, their environment, their health, and they are increasingly illiterate, obese, lazy (because mommy and daddy are around to hand them everything-I just saw one author of an article in the NYT get slammed these wing nuts for advocating for kids having chores and gasp! JOBS! to pay for things they want-like cell phones, video games, clothes, makeup, cars...you name it)! Yes. You are correct. French (Italian, Spanish,etc) parents do not allow CHILDREN to dictate their lives to the PARENTS! Wow! What an awful place! Great! You better stay here and deal with the aftermath of the ridiculous situation here in the U.S.-I will be moving to Europe, thanks! I bet you are one of those people that think everyone should get a medal just for “trying” too... Because, yeah, that’s EXACTLY how the world really works...Wait, I forgot...Kids in the US never have to leave home either...or worry that the job market is so competitive (as lovely Justine just mentioned here in her video...). I have worked for EVERY SINGLE THING I have ever wanted-started cutting lawns and doing housework and babysitting by 10-12, , my first job during high school at 14- and I worked THREE jobs to put myself through college. I wish I had had parents who instilled good eating habits in me when I was little and who were actually PARENTS...This country is doomed! Doomed, I tell you! LOL!
Have you traveled around the entire United States? There are plenty of states, especially in the midwest, that have cultures where the families have traditional values about how to raise and discipline their children. They cook from scratch using fresh foods (they have gardens, too) and do instill good eating habits in their children. We can make informed choices in our country. The best thing about America is that we are getting back to being health conscious, and the fact that we stopped advertising tobacco is proof of it. We advertise against it and today smoking is considered a very bad and dirty habit, unlike France and Spain where everyone seems to smoke. I couldn't eat, let alone breathe in those enclosed, windowless caves they called restaurants in Barcelona because of all the cigarette smoke. They would not allow that in American restaurants.
Born and raised in France; lived in Germany and now in the US. I can attest to everything Justine talks about, I ate the American way for a while and drove everywhere. It was new and exciting. Except that I started putting on weight. I eventually went back to eating the way I did the first 20 years of my life and walking everywhere. At 71, I am the same weight I was at 20 and I actually enjoy the food I eat. I will add that not only is the look of the food on the plate important, the table setting is as well. I live alone but I set my place as though I had a guest and it makes me enjoy my meal more. Merci Justine. Vous me rappellez les bons souvenirs de mon enfance. (je mange une soupe le soir a longueur d'annee).
@@KD-vb9hh Very true. But my statement referred to 51 years ago, when I arrived in the US, in a white middle class family, with not one single person of color around. It was a meat-and-potato crowd, boiled vegetables, no fruits to speak of, overcooked meat and lots of cookies, cakes, and other sugary treats. I didn't stay in that enclave and eventually found other cuisines, not to mention, sidewalks, where I could actually walk to trains or shops or work. The food culture has changed tremendously since then, gratefully. The US has great restaurants, big and small, and a full spectrum of ethnic foods. I am the daughter of chefs and very happy with that situation. Have a good day.
@@jacquelinevanfossan7007 You obviously didn't arrive where I grew up, the SF Bay Area. Nor where I live now, New York. They are American, too. And plenty of Americans had their own gardens. So, again, no matter when, where, or with whom you were, what you were experiencing was not "the American way," because there is no one American way. Good day to you too - I mean it sincerely, I hope you did as well - can never be too sure.
@@KD-vb9hh I arrived in a far suburb of Chicago. That's the way it was there (and where I put on 10 lbs, LOL). But when I got out of there and moved within the Chicago Metropolitan area, it was totally different. It takes time to see all of the differences and the similarities of a culture. But I did fall in love with the US. And I still live in Chicago. I had a very good day. I generally look at the glass as half-full so it's rare that I let negative things get in the way. I hope none of your family has been affected by the horrible fires in CA. How horrible it is for everyone.
I remember sitting in an airport in London, watching a French-speaking lady quietly relax over a cup of black coffee for a long time. Just that one experience changed my life. As Americans, we don't relax as routine. As cultures, we have much to share to help each other love our lives. Thank you, Justine, for helping us learn!
When I studied in France it stressed me out how relaxed the French are. I'm sure that says more about me than American culture, because a lot of people I know didn't mind it as much. It was honestly too much for me; however, I appreciate that they do relax, and I wish we could have a little more of that in our society.
There are 50 states in the United States of America. Speak for yourself and the community in the state you are familiar with. I have to add, I see people relaxing on front porches, riding along the highway at a slow speed, taking long walks, sipping tea, coffee, or a beer, taking naps in a hammock, play volleyball in the back yard.... Luckily people who thrive on being busy get the opportunity while others that thrive on a more relaxing lifestyle can also benefit from the opportunity, heck some can have both
Great video; loved it. Just FYI: Stress does not burn calories. Stress increases cortisol which actually increases belly fat. So, the answer is probably in all the healthy food, good eating habits, and walking!
Also, crash diets can actually make your body retain more water and store more fat, as it is reacting to what it perceives as a famine. Establish and stick to healthy eating and exercise all your life and avoid processed foods of all kinds; they’re full of harmful chemicals.
The only book I read when I was pregnant with my son was "Bringing Up Bebe" by American author Pamela Druckerman. The book is basically one American mother's observations while raising her kids in France. She has several chapters on how the French eat and how they teach the kids to eat properly. I have taken those lessons to heart and so far, my 4 1/2 year old son eats all types of foods, and only eats at breakfast, lunch, "gouter" and dinner. I do not serve him kid food. I've learned that kids that don't snack are hungry at mealtimes, and they eat more types of foods when they're hungry!
Agree! I also read this book (as did my husband) and our son ate everything. He has gone through a phase (lasting longer that we wanted) of wanting simple foods, and way too many pb&js, but he’s back to eating most everything, with nudging. And it’s true, children that don’t snack eat most everything. We’re not big snackers. Only water and milk, never juice and seltzer instead of sweetened soda.
That's a good book and a remarckable piece of journalism. I bought it to my sister in law during her pregnancy and actually I enjoyed it more than she did because it was 'too intellectual' for her 😅
I agree. That book is one I give my family members who are expecting. Another one in the same vein, but mostly on food rather than other habits, is "French Kids Eat Everything" by Karen LeBillon, a Canadienne married to a Frenchman, who spent a year in France and found her picky eater daughters retrained to be omnivores by their school and the society.
I read that book!! I found it super interesting and as Italian I found we had some points both with French habits but also American habits, like an in between thing, but more with the French to be honest. While I read I realized I already did a lot of stuff. It was really a good book, I still have it and I bought it as a gift a couple of times for my friends.
It's 12 fruits/veggies a day, 3 spoons of everything, 1h lunch break... and not as many croissants as you'd think 😅. Is that what you thought about the French way of eating? PS: no eye make-up at all in this video (because I know the question will come 😉).
Justine Leconte officiel hi Justine, Great video ! I am from India but I live in Germany. I think it's the fresh food and walking that makes people in France so healthy :) I remember how difficult it was for me to walk so much when I visited Paris. In India also we have a lot of fresh ingredients and we cook everyday . Even though here in Germany also people eat healthy but moving into a new country my eating habits suffered and I took the easier way of using pre processed food and I used to snack all day to substitute for proper meals.So I gained 7kgs in a year and now I am trying to be more aware and exercise of lose the weight. Your video was very helpful and encouraging :)
I grew up on a very American diet...casseroles, starchy "cookout" kind of food, lots of milk. I was always chubby as a child and have struggled with my weight as an adult, although to look at me, you would not think me overweight. I have a couple "problem" areas that I have a very difficult time with or can't seem to lose. It's very difficult for me to maintain a fit figure and I crave salty things a lot because of what we grew up with. My heritage is Lebanese, English, and French. I'm interested to see what will happen when I go overseas to study and do my internship this coming Fall. I am less and less tolerant of gluten here in America (for example, cannot have pizza anymore or eat large plates of pasta at a restaurant without feeling groggy and lethargic or days afterward). I've learned all about healthy eating and avoiding GMO's and processed foods, but they make it so difficult to do that here in America because they make the organic food outrageously expensive. So, knowing that France has stricter food ingredient regulations than the U.S., I am hoping to become healthier while I'm there.
...also, can you tell me how would I properly order a coffee in Paris? I usually make a pour over every morning and add cream, but you've mentioned that people tend to avoid dairy in coffee in France.
My mother is half french and she really educated my sister and I about food. We were allowed dessert but ONLY if we finished dinner. We were not allowed soda, only on very special occasions. We didn’t snack between meals except for fruit. Looking back, I really appreciate that now.
I'm French and I've lived in the US. US meat has steroids and growth hormone in it. I gained weight and muscle mass even though I wasn't doing any sport. France has regulations against that, but Americans don't even have to label such meat.
Yes, the chemicals and hormones added to the food are horrible. I always gain weight when I live in the US even though I walk to the market, try to buy organic foods, and eat mostly fruits and veggies.
@Celtic Girl yeah well in this century that sort of thing shouldn't be necessary. Not all of us can spare the time to socialize with farmers. What's next ? Socialize with a plumber so I don't get ripped off ? Socialize with a doctor so one doesn't kill me ?
This is by far the best advice I've heard. None of these silly diets that never seem to work in the long run. I grew up in Europe and that's how my family ate. Healthy and delicious home cooked meals eaten at the table, always water with our meals, apart from the occasional wine of course. And now living in Australia, I still do this with my own family : )
In Southern China, grandmas would tell us to drink soup before starting a meal (lunch/dinner). It's supposed to help ease us into the meal and fill us up a little so we eat less of the higher calories food later.
@@gregdahlen4375 Soup as in boiled water with a chuckload of herbs and pork ribs(most commonly used), as many do it in Asia. It is very light not starchy like in the west. Homemade ones, especially contain nourishing herbs(of your choice), and some grandmas even pass down their knowledge. Soup is a big part of meal in Chinese cultures worldwide.
You also get hungry a lot faster because you think you are full, but actually a lot of the space is taken up by water/soup, which will pass through you really quickly.
My German Mom used to do the same with food I didn't like. People thought it was mean that we we're "forced" to eat food we didnt like but my parents simply didn't accept picky eating and look at me now: I literally like everything
It takes over 12 “tastes” to get used to a new food. These days children are fed a completely separate meal (noodles and butter, chicken nuggets) while the parents eat something else.
Yes...it takes more invested parents to ensure kids eat every thing. Feeding them pizza would be so easy but irresponsible. I was raised by a very strict mum....I thank her every day for the discipline mum inculcated in me.
In my family and now my children's families, you have to try everything. Just a nite or two. They all like vegetables but not necessarily every vegetable. Also try to fix food a different way. Most people say they hate spinach but it turns out they like it in salads or on sandwiches but just not cooked. Soda was for family movie night not every meal and it was decaffeinated. They seldom drink soda now. It's all trial and error but we should at least try
same with my husband raised by his hungarian grandma: she made him eat everything and no picky eating was allowed. in fact no icecream or sweets during the school days only on the weekend and on special occasions and he is super healthy right now eats everything and had a great relationship with food ❤
I’ve lost 135lbs since being more intuitive about what and how I’m eating. I recently found your channel, hoping it helps me learn what size I am now. Love your smile and beautiful personality.
I never recommend "intuitive" eating to my patients. I always recommend CICO and eating more fruits and veggies. Intuitive eating is actually bullshit for a large subset of people who have had eating disorders and overweight states for years or decades. Not recommended, and certainly not scientific by any stretch of the imagination.
@@JustOneDress I can imagine that for those who've had poor eating habits for most of their lives, intuitive eating would be a dangerous method. For myself, I began intuitive eating after a life long battle with a neurological disease caused Gastroparesis and severe autonomic dysfunction (so many useless hospitalizations). I was facing a feeding tube unless I figured out a way to eat without causing myself more emergencies. Slowly introducing foods, and then eating based on my body's reactions taught me what I can and cannot consume. A few yrs later, I'm now eating a mostly normal diet, except for gluten, unpureed veggies, and meats. I've learned many young ppl with chronic illness go through a similar process to find foods that do not aggravate their disorder(s). I would say that intuitive eating only has the potential to be successful if a person is also extremely intuitive and aware of changes in their own body. For example, if one pays attention to their skin, stool and urine, breath, body odor, mood, sleep cycles, and they don't ignore things like muscle aches/stiffness, stomach cramps, etc. Like you said, an eating disorder patient could fall into another bad pattern here. Common misconception, it's not about what you crave, it's about what you need.
This sounds like how life was in the 1960s and 70s in Canada for me (as a small child). I was raised in an Italian family. My parents grew vegetables in the garden, we always ate fresh food cooked at home, except for special events, and we walked a lot or used the bus. We did not have air conditioning and the stores had stairs, not escalators.My mom did not have a clothes dryer. My parents were slim and so were most of the Europeans they socialized with. Candy was a special treat and we rarely had snacks.Things changed when fast and processed food became popular and everyone started to own cars.North America was more like Europe back then (including the smoking).Then Media pushed processed food and GMO food, expensive cars, and made money by getting us to buy diet books and join gyms.It's not a healthy mentality.Many children eat junk regularly and sit on computers.Many people are fat and afraid of carbs/pay a lot to get fit instead of just walking.Except for the smoking, we can learn a lot from Europe.
same story how I was raised foodwise. Also in the '70s and '80s in Europe, a big vegetable garden, and stocking up for winter by freezing a lot of veggies from the garden. Daily an hour cycling to go to school and get back home. Having breakfast, lunch and dinner at the dining table together and more of those things.
@@punkqueen5664 Because it seems her/his family had arrived in Canada pretty recently. That's why they kept the same lifestyle they had had in Italy. He/she didn't say 'I'm Italian', just 'I was raised in an Italian family'.
i like how she starts every video "hi it's justine" with a million watt smile makes me feel happy and i say "hi justine!" back as tho she can hear me🤣🙄
Nice. "Your body doesn't like drama, it like routine and regularity." As someone who has tried dieting to lose weight and eventually giving up on them, I couldn't have put it better myself
I was raised on healthy food and I really appreciate my parents for doing it. My partner watches me eat lettuce, celery and tomato and enjoy it, and he can't understand my taste. I also heard that if you are skinny during your childhood, its harder for you body to gain weight in adult life compared to if you were an over weight child. So another reason to try and set your kids up with the best diet early on
By the age of 2.5 or so, your body has all the fat cells it is ever going to have. But bad eating practices store more fat in those cells, making them bigger. You also place a burden on the rest of your body, especially the liver, and you can create insulin resistance, which leads to diabetes. Get smart, eat healthily ( not “ healthy”, by the way, because it’s an adverb) and live longer.
Sorry, I do agree about the mealtimes and fresh food and reduced sugar, but I am pretty positive after 20 years of living in France and Quebec that French folks have (for the most part) a vastly different metabolism than anyone Anglo-Saxon. Also, all the portions are smaller in France. And yes, the cigarettes play a role, for sure for sure. I was way thinner when I was a smoker and so are many people. I am married to a Frenchman. I'm the one with the stressful job, and he's the one who will eat a box of Krispy Kremes in one sitting and basically whatever tickles his fancy. Two spoons of sugar in every cup of coffee he ever drinks. Meat, cheese, white bread (not the French kind), repeat. Guess who gains the weight? Not the Frenchman :-)
@Tara Rawson : Your body changes over time. When I was young it was easy for me to keep my weight. Then the children came, and I need antidepressants( they are appetizers), my son is autistic (therefore I have more stress) and I gained so much weight. I have more self control now versus when I was in my twenties, but I'm much fatter now! I guess, there are people out there who have a bad metabolism even when they are young. I was lucky that I was able to eat what I wanted when I was young and stayed slim until the children came. Eating is a daily struggle.
I'm Italian and I've always thought all these things were absolutely obvious. In addiction to that, reading the comments I've learnt that it is the same in other countries. SO, these "rules" are not typically French at all, they are just good healthy rules that caring parents teach to their children in every county. However, it is evident that not 100% of parents do that, but this happens everywhere, even in France.
Che poi in realtà la Francia è uno dei Paesi europei con il più alto tasso di obesità...ormai queste vlogger hanno una sorta di missione diplomatica: perpetrare miti sulla Francia che non corrispondono al vero, almeno non nella Francia impoverita e globalizzata del terzo millennio. Amo la Francia, la sua storia e la sua cultura, ma molti Francesi, soprattutto le generazioni più giovani, sono di un grezzo impressionante (e mangiano malissimo!).
When I was a student in Paris people thought I had developed an eating disorder; I ate the best I had ever eaten and I walked everywhere (and clubbed at least twice a week 😉). I was tiny
Agreed! I had to teach myself how to be healthy, and when I moved to the city 7 years ago I naturally slimmed down due to all of the walking! My family makes comments that I starve myself- nope! Just a new, healthier lifestyle 😊
I had a Parisian/Algerian scholar and his wife and child live with my roommates and I for a week, he was a visiting scholar at Harvard. Sharing our tiny apartment with his family for 1 week was AMAZING. They were so generous, they fed me whatever they cooked for themselves (they never had to!) and introduced me to Roquefort, which is now my FAVORITE cheese. Their way of preparing meals carefully but socially, attention to quality of ingredients, and socializing and sharing their food and teaching me some of their recipes was such a huge contrast from American food culture. My little sister was with me for a 4pm meal one day and she was as amazed of their generosity and social spirit as I was, and we still talk about that simple delicious meal 5 years later. Your video made me realize how precious my week with that family was and why it was so memorable. We aren't used to strangers inviting us to share meals... or socializing over meals, however simple and normal they might be, and taking their time to savor it and each other's company.
Stress is a killer. It may cause some weight loss, but it’s not very healthy. The rest of the things she mentions, I totally agree. I go to Europe every summer for three months and I know food in Europe, Spain, France and Italy in particular is the best. Natural, nutritious and tasty.
same here and I am Hungarian, We do not have any lunch with our sope. Fermented food too, We eat everything but never as the Americans do and preching for us for which is like to ask a cow to eath meat.... I NEVER DRINK SODA or all the other american things which even to look at is HORRIBLE and artificial... drink cofe black and prefer expresso in the Italian style or turkish coffe... I am 74 and still have a same lenght as I was at 20 did not changed and not on any medication.
In Poland it's exactly the same rules. I remember the same as you from my childhood (no bought sweets, no fizzy drinks, no snacking in between, soup and vegetables were fundamental). I think it might changed now a bit with the globalization, but the good habits i learned I'll pass to my children :)
I'm also from Poland, and I agree entirely with that. Now I don't drink fizzy drinks - I simply don't like it. I prefer to do my cookies then go to the supermarket and buy them.
My husband is French (from Lyon) and I'm American. When we go to visit his family in France, especially for the first few times, it was very interesting to see how differently they view food. I do notice that when I cut out sugar, it's amazing how much less I crave it and how much I begin craving healthy foods like kale/salads. But once I start cheating and eating little sugar snacks here and there, it's harder to stop. It's very true that it's more about lifestyle and diet.
I find that the healthiest and best looking (in my opinion) I have ever been has always been when I have lived in southern Italy. It's not as simple as saying it's the Mediterranean diet; The quality of the food is tremendous from the flavour down to how packed with vitamins and nutrients it all is. The tomatoes are ridiculous compared to the watery, bland ones that grow in Canada. A red onion from Acquaviva is sweet like candy. Meat from Terlizzi is heavenly. This means that you don't have to eat as much to feel full and satisfied and the ingredients are low in extra sugar, sodium and bad cholesterol. I can't get over how good green olives are when they haven't been brined to death! The other factors are probably the caffeine that I ingest in (too) vast quantities; walking around everywhere well into the night; going to the beach- the smell of iodine near the beach makes my lungs feel lile they're singing; napping in the afternoon; eating a big lunch and sparse dinner; and all of this is despite the fact that panzerotti and fresh doughnuts are sold out of the backs of stores for a euro in the evening. Sadly, due to the quality of ingredients available and the cultural differences in Canada I can't just copy wlthe lifestyle or diet and achieve the same results.
I agree so much that the food in Mediterranean countries is soooo tasty and good. I can literally TASTE how it's more nutrient-packed than the watery tasteless veggies in my country...
Wow I got so much from this video. I agree, the way you eat as a child determines how you will eat as an adult. I was raised in California on five acres and always had fresh vegetables and fruits. My mother always cooked from scratch. As an adult, I look back at my childhood and appreciate my mother's hard work at making us wonderful healthy food which generalized right into my adulthood. Furthermore, I have transitioned these same habits with my own children and they love home cooked food too.
Mine does though, the more experiences I have the better I feel when it comes to food. There isn't a culture of food that I don't love... Unless it's a culture that eats only bugs, then nope, I'll take a hard pass on that. XD Even foods that are considered "extreme" like durian, I love. I'm happy that as a white woman in the US, my soul is more free and wants to experience things. There's so many foods now that I eat, that I never knew about as a kid. Foods that I'm thankful for having. (like seaweed OMG I LOVE IT! Which is good given my salt aversion. lol)
I agree with everything you say. My other big problem is that I eat too fast. If anyone has any advice on eating slow could they please share it with me?
@@mariazahedi7444 I heard about a man who lost a lot of weight by just putting his fork/spoon down between bites, rather than anticipating the next mouthful and having it ready to load.
@@annahatori2779 that's genius! Thanks. It's true that I do hold my utensils while I eat. I always feel rushed, but I shouldn't be. I'm going to try your trick tonight.
I now recognize, how in Europe we are all like this. In my country we are grossed out by pre prepared food, my mom didn't let me go to Mcdonalds every weekend, and didn't buy me sodas. Also we only have like 3 fast food restaurants, Mcdonalds, Burger King, and a couple of KFCs. I nearly never eat out with my family, my mom always cooks for us.
@@mariavictoriasalita2908 It doesn't take discipline if you're raised this way. That's why it's important to teach kids healthy eating habits because it wil make it into a normal thing.
My son was diagnosed as a diabetic, so sugar free foods are crucial. We all decided to support him by also eating sugar free. Wow! Energy levels improved, fat loss and actually taste the foods!!!
In Japan I learned to only eat until I am 80% full. I like that as I dislike the feeling of being stuffed. I went to a French lycée in Tokyo where I learned to eat slowly while appreciating the food and the company. In Japan as well as in France, people go grocery shopping every day or several times a week. In California where I now live, the most spoken foreign language at farmers markets is French. French people take eating very seriously. 😊 Thank you Justine for your videos! I love forwarding them to my friends.
Jeannette Mann how do people work 10 hr days and have time to cook meals and go to the market for fresh foods every day?! I work 10 hr days and I feel there is never enough time and that's with me purchasing my groceries just once per week 😓
Hmfoden I was wondering the very same thing! So thankful & blessed to be a stay @ home mom. I made 14 quarts of homemade organic bone broth Friday, cooked 24 hours in 2 Crockpots. After prepping it, I made 2 types of homemade soup on Sunday afternoon & a 3rd soup today, Monday. (Some of each soup will go in the freezer) Afterwards, I went to my local market & bought more fresh produce...& another 4 large watermelons. Thankfully, I have the extra fridge & freezer space to do all of this. We don't eat the processed garbage, sugar & zero gluten that so many Americans do.
I am European too, I live in Norway Three meals a day, usually the lunch is very light Black coffee, water for daily drink -- wine and extra treats only enjoyed on the weekends, usually Saturday ... and yes, we bike a lot, even small distances
Same! Although I've learned to eat a bigger lunch and smaller dinner after going vegetarian. Seems like most people eat about half their calories in their dinner and that just doesn't work when you get calories from plants!
In Finland we eat 4 times a day, and biking to commute is very common, even in winter (in small town buses go with luck once an hour). Though too many people buy precooked stuffed, especially an industrial casserole (laatikko)
In the Balkans we are brought up with almost exact eating habits, and I guess it’s a south European thing. I would also add - eating seasonal fruits and vegetables - you know the summer is here when you smell fresh ripe tomatoes :-)
that type/ style of eating USED to be American as well. My mom is 90 yrs old and that's how she was raised. English / Irish heritage. What is Americans' way of eating now is not what it used to be a few generations ago.
Smell fresh ripe tomatoes? Not happening in the US, unless you grow your own heirloom tomatoes. Every store bought tomato here looks perfect and does not smell or taste like anything. Like water.
As an American, I was used to everything being sweet, but had a really good friend from Japan that I met in college that laughed at me when I put sugar in my green tea. She made me a bet that I couldn’t go without the sugar, so I started drinking it without sugar, and that changed everything for me. After learning to like the bitterness of tea, my palette changed and I stopped drinking soda or sweet drinks. Now I live in Japan and I have a similar lifestyle to what you described; cooking a lot at home, not eating processed foods, only buying food for the next several days, and walking a lot. It feels great and I haven’t had any trouble managing my weight.
Me key point is everything but in moderation. No need to starve yourself. Eat 80% good and the rest 20% :) that way I never feel the need to overeat on "bad stuff" bc I am content on eating them every now and then.
Absolutely agree. I give my body what it craves. Just now that I eat a lot of produce I tend to crave it more. If I want chocolate then I buy some. If I want a sweet treat I buy it. It just doesn't occur as often before my diet change.
I am an American and my mother did a wonderful job raising me with all of these healthy food habits. Many people I know think it is so silly that my family is so "healthy", but I am so thankful my parents raised me to enjoy healthy food and good eating habits. Thanks for your video! It's fabulous!
Haha isn't it funny. If you healthy you are 'damned' and if you are not you are also damned! You will find your niche and enjoy havibg support around xx
YES! I was never skinnier in my LIFE than the year I lived in France and I have never enjoyed food so much. I lived in Lyon, walked EVERYwhere, danced a couple times a week and ate like the locals except for that I probably indulged in more pastries than them. I lost 7kg the first two months :p and I wasn't especially overweight to begin with. For me, and my personality the very biggest factor in my body's response was how wonderful it was to finally be NORMAL in my obsession with tastes, colors, ingredients. It was a sensual seventh heaven for me and I truly do believe that how we experience our food intake emotionally has a huge amount to do with how our bodies respond to it.
I totally agree. Food is more then just calories. I see folks walking and eating! I have heartburn watching them. Having food made by a human versus a machine.
Hi! I'm considering moving to Lyon or to Paris...more job opportunities. Please tell me about Lyon public transportation, the locals, price of rent etc and in general ? This is much appreciated 😊 Niamh
I am form Italy and this is what I have tried to explain to my USA friends. I am slim not because I am on a diet or I am sporty, but because in Italy we have a different style of life. More or less all the points you have touched are right for my country too. Apart from the stress maybe.
Enjoyed your video and couldn't agree more: One little trick we've adopted here in the US is when we go grocery shopping, only buy goods from around the edges of the store: Meat, poultry, fish produce, milk, etc. Never buy anything from the middle aisles especially anything with processed "enriched wheat flour" or anything ready to eat. Your body will thank you for getting rid of all that added glucose and UN-necessary carbs.
I do the same when shopping.. I would say that stores are 3/4 junk food! I am and always have been a home cook....no mixes, no prepared foods and I make a lot of home made soups!
Yes, that is how the layout of the markets are. In the old days, supermarkets were judged by the fresh produce. Therefore, it was placed as you enter the store. This is true today. All the fresh foods are on the outer perimeters of the store. I never venture into the middle except to get coffee, tea, flower and cereal. Also; look high and low, the cheaper and basic items are not conveniently placed because the brands buy shelf space in the center.
I've heard of people doing that! I did it when I went to grocery stores but now I actually have the options of going to separate places for things. Produce stands for produce, butcher for meat, fish monger for fish, etc. Nowadays I really only go to the store for things like flour in order to make my bread.
I like the dietary ideal you're presenting here. Living in France I loved the outdoor markets and wish we had more of them in the UK. The only discrepancy I notice was that stress produces cortisol, a chemical noted for destroying the health and in general making people gain weight.
I wish American culture would get on board with teaching our children healthy eating habits especially. I love reading books about how toddlers are raised to eat the French way, sans snacks and encouraged to eat what adults eat. I think the French really do have this one under their belt. Vive la France!!!
You can definitely teach your kids how to have a healthy diet. I moved to the USA 6 years ago and when I went to high school I was horrofied with the breakfast and lunch options that they offered. I though it was only my high school, but now that I have some time in the USA I have learned that thats not the case. I refused to eat at school and prep my own lunch, so sad to say that I came from a 3rd world country we had better food at my school.
HOW the heck have you managed to overcome your sugar cravings????? I do want to succeed,too, but I've always failed so far. I don't drink fizzy drinks at all, neither do I eat lots of sugary stuff BUT I AM a huuuge chocolate addict that, of course, also contains a lot of sugar. And this is a huge problem for me. I'm super slim but my physical condition is not good due to too much sugar intake. I wish I could overcome it,too. Have you any tips and tricks for me???
luticia if you can manage it for a month and replace it with healthy things and think about your food you eat you can do it. give yourself non food treats when you succeed. my favorite treat is having a salon wash my hair which often costs $5 though that doesn't work for some hair types. also find hobbies that keep you busy. after about two weeks sugar headaches will stop. and a month will help change your habits entirely. this is how I stopped drinking sodas when I was in highschool. my entire family still drinks them but I don't other than the occasional ginger ale when I'm sick.
I get the same chocolate cravings, so what I do is avoiding all chocolates with added sugar and eat very dark chocolate, with sugar substitutes. If you really are craving the chocolate and not the sugar, you'll feel satisfied with just a small pice as it is very strong. Hope it helps :)
Hi Avrysatos and Samantha Rey! Thank you for sharing your experiences and tips and tricks with me! Managing one month is WAY too long for me. I even can't manage it without a single day! I'm not joking on that! I also eat lots of dark chocolate. Actually I don't like the milk chocolate, I eat only dark one. Like 95 % !! And I still crave for chocolate. Actually it's more craving for the cacao. Therefore I think maybe I have some lack for some nutrients which cacao has. Like magnesium or potassium. Have to check it.
“Take time to notice and appreciate the notes in your food” is incredibly good advice. The US in general is a country that culturally eschews the notion of subtlety in many ways, and that is reflected in how we eat. I think we are used to quickly shoveling down our food, and that is partly why we overload it with so many unhealthy flavors like tons of sugar and fat. If we were more deliberate in our consumption, we wouldn’t need those add-ins for our food to be enjoyable.
The awful lifestyle eating wasn’t the American way until the 1960’s when womens work was devalued so they went to jobs outside the home. Yes, I worked outside the home but I had history with clean food and raised my kids as she described. However my kids had school, jobs and kids so they started up the terrible mess we now have. Diabetes, obesity & more. So sad.
This is right but I think it is differs from one person to the other, when I get stressed due to exams or something similar I lose weight because I lose my appetite but medically yess cortisol is the main stress hormone.
Unless your stress makes you manic and work through lunch, then you power through it and you're no longer hungry. Or, stress makes me depressed and I lose my appetite. I think it is different per person. When you're busy all the time you have no time to eat or eating suddenly disinterests you if you take too long. Knowing myself and body I realized that during those times of high stress I have to force myself to eat so I don't get too skinny.
Love this video! I hope lots and lots of women with young children see this . . .it's SO important to instill good eating habits early. One thing Justine did not mention specifically that Americans especially need to have emphasized: When you're eating, attend to your food. No television, no reading, no texting . . .even your conversation should be kept light and social. If you treat mealtime as an event that delights ALL your senses, you will find even modest meals fulfilling.
My husband and I visited Paris in May. I believe you about all the walking. I don't think I've ever walked that much in my life. Paris is simply beautiful. Somehow, upon my return, I found your channel. It is totally refreshing, informative, , and fun to watch. I've enjoyed every video so far. I grew up with good eating habits then broke them when I was out on my own. I've had several digestive issues including just recovering from a surgery. Right now I'm just eating small meals and stopping when full. As a teacher, for a while, I had no lunch and was eating with the children. Most years lunch was 20 minutes and that included getting the children to their place, walking to the teacher's lounge (far for me- big school), and using the restroom. Thank you for your engaging channel.
Our schools are part of the problem. Push lunch through as though it was an annoyance. Our children are so stressed out from their hectic days. No wonder they enter adulthood burnt out. We need to let our children be children.
I’ve gone off the wagon. I’m rewatching to remind myself on what I need to do because the routine really helped me change my outlook on food. Thank you!
Stress does not make you skinny! It releases glucocorticoid that affects your body in many negative ways (sleep, lactation, bone density, etc). I don’t mean to hate, I just want to spread more scientific fact. I loved the rest of this video. Eating lots of fruits and veggies is the best advice. Also, walking makes us all feel amazing.
I find that for my body stress has always made me lose weight. I grew up with the same eating habits exactly as Justine and if I am stressed with work and all the running around I don’t eat properly and immediately start to drop weight. I think it’s difficult to generalize, all we can do is be aware of our own eating habits and how stress affects our health.
Indeed, stress made me gain a lot of weight (Way more weight than I ever had even with not paying attention on my food. Everybody was chocked by seeiign me) and belly fat. The difference I guess is that I was for a long time having very unhealthy stress where I had too much cortisol and had to take medication. While short stress that I had before which was not that unhealthy didn't have effect on my weight.
Hah, for some people it works. When I had a baby I was down to my old weight in less than 2 weeks, because that little bugger kept me on my toes so much I had no time to cook or eat. I guess some people try to counter stress with fatty or sugary foods, but others don't...
In Indian medical system ayurveda said" Let your food be your medicine, and let your kitchen be your pharmacy" ! If one is always mindful and be cautious about what to put into one's mouth, one will never need to go on a diet.
Food is definitely healthier and more accessible in Europe, but ehhh bikelanes or no, everyone in Paris bikes everywhere (idk why that is worse than walking?). Scientifically also stress (and lack of sleep) actually contributes to weight gain - there are many studies done on this. Honestly a lot of women use coffee and cigarettes to control hunger cues and I feel like that needs to be recognized.
Also those who smoke start so early! I'm Australian and I studied abroad there at 15. In Australia, only a small number of rebel kids would smoke. We had one out of about ten in our nerdy friendship group who smoked. And most of the group disapproved. In France, I was so shocked to see the Grade A students smoking any chance they got. And smoking A LOT! 13-15yo kids with husky deep voices. Now as an adult I smoke weed occasionally, and I know I can count on French to roll better than any other nationality. They can do it in their sleep.
I haven't go to France :( but I went to Italy a couple of years ago, Rome to be specific. I lost 5 pounds in a week eating pasta, deserts, coffee, etc. you are totally right... the food quality is so high i compare to USA. Also, we were walking the whole day to the train station, at the museums, the streets, etc.
Italian and french people are very similar when it comes to food. All the things that Justine said about eating healhty, fresh foods, giving children a food education, taking time to enjoy meals, not snacking between meals and just "paying attention" (instead of actually being on a diet) really applies to italian culture too.
I lost 60 lbs in 2020 following many of these guidelines. In 2021, I will attempt to maintain that loss by following all of them. The French woman in me will fight hard to dominate the American lifestyle I grew up with and which has dominated my life! I will even try to avoid the microwave. Great tips, and I love that you shared that this was how you were rised. Merci!
I went to Paris and ended up fatter😂😂😅probably just because I ate excessively because the food was delicious. Anyways, the fruits in Provence are divine. The apricots and cherries there are a whole other level of heavenly.
I lived and worked in Paris for 2 years and was the slimmest I’ve ever been because of all the walking, portion sizes are smaller than the U.S., minimal snacking, beverages are not super sized, desserts & bread were less sweet, non-GMO, a lot less processed/junk food, and eating slowly and enjoying meals with friends & family.
"The body doesn't like drama, it likes routine and regularity" - very well said, I completely agree! I am raised in Mediterranean part of Croatia and I can relate with many things you've said, like being "forced" to eat every type of food, which is probably reason why I love swiss card and zucchinis :) Also preparing meals at home, avoiding processed food, food diversity, ritualistic approach to eating (almost like a daily ceremony shared with family or friends :) ) Many things have changed last decade or two, but I'll give my best to pass those habits onto my (potential) kids one day. Thanks for a great video!
I’m from Canada and was raised with the same eating habits as you, we also do our own canning and freezing of garden vegetables for the winters. Where I live we have a lot of farmers markets and access to fresh fruits and vegetables but I have seen a huge decline in the flavour quality of store bought produce. Unfortunately I have also seen a big shift in the last 20 years in terms of an increase in the prevalence of fast food and a shift toward huge portion sizes. Although, this seems to be a global phenomenon.
Yeah see, I think that's where things get really personal! I'm from Canada too, but we lived in a city and didn't have much money. We grew up on store-bought fruits and veggies, and ate a *lot* of canned and packaged foods (like KD or Sidekicks), though we didn't eat a ton of junk food (cos it was usually a waste of money). For us, there was no canning, often no significant cooking from scratch, and certainly no farmer's markets. We were actually reasonably healthy though, despite all that packaged food. I will agree though, that there's been a big decline in the quality of store-bought produce. It's quite noticeable. Also, there seems to be less produce grown closer to home - it's all imported from elsewhere. I'm Albertan, and buying cherries grown in BC was always a really popular summer treat, & you could buy them anywhere. But for the last couple of years, I noticed most cherries in the supermarkets were from the US. I thought it was so odd. It can't be a good thing.
I am from Canada, and I am a health-conscious healthcare worker. I raised my kids on home made food, no fizzy drinks, no going to McDonalds. Now as teens who work and have cash to waste, they eat all that garbage despite having my discipline and eating influences early on. It may change for them down the line once they mature, but for now it's sad to see the Canadian and American influences on their eating habits.
@@physiotherapistpaulina9340 I experienced a similar upbringing to your children, and I similarly "rebelled " against the eating habits my mom tought me. I think it's more about the freedom to indulge in a "forbidden" food. I eventually went back to healthy eating habits and appreciated what my parents taught be about food, so don't lose hope 🍎 😊
I really like the phrase "three spoons to learn to like". It sounded like you said in French "trois cuillères pour apprendre aimer". I like how you're able to naturally include French phrases when you explain things. You're an amazing Frenchwoman who unapologetically exudes Frenchness and femininity.
I have the same habits! I am also thin and my parents never gave me fizzy drinks or many sweets. I also eat slowly and 4 meals. I am from Argentina and my parents from Spain.
I enjoyed listening to this so much :) just one little thought: I had a terrible 'food education' as a child, meat, bread, pastry all day every day, almost no veggies ever. When I was in my late teens, I realized I actually feel bad on this kind of diet and started to research healthy eating. It's amazing how much happier changing my eating habits has made my life. I don't think people know how much it matters.
My grandmother was from Italy and I lived with her. Her foods were what I call “pure foods. Drinks were natural too, orange, lemon, grapefruit, wine, milk, water, tea. Hot chocolate. She made everything fresh - which drove me crazy because she’d give me the list & money and sent me. I had to go to 3 different groceries equally. When I asked why she said “share the money”. Lol. I grew up in the US and never saw a French fry until age 12 or a mcDonalds hamburger. Dinner was a time to meet and talk. No radio, or tv. It was so lovely. Raised my children the same & they never had a paper napkin. They didn’t carry on that life style choice and are sicker more often than me.
Hi Justine, great video. I live in the UK and I work with nutritionists. Although we run adult programmes to help people who are clinically obese, BMI 40+ we run a children's programme. It's shocking what the parents don't know about portion control, mindful eating, nutrition, no snacks or fizzy drinks. They get worried when their children get sweaty from exercise. It's worrying. If only we could take a bit of the French way as our own. It might not be costing the national health service millions for weight related illnesses and paying for weight loss surgery.
Kellan27 imagine if we didn't help the people that got themselves obese and then died from their eating habits? We wouldn't have that problem down the line when they kill themselves out. A horrid eugenics joke. >_< oh gawd I'd be one of those people too though so I wouldn't interfere with the good gene pool.
Mrs: My husband was born in Paris and raised in France. He, too, tells me that *the key to health and weight control is sticking to the 4 meals at REGULAR times, EVERY day!* It's funny because in USA(where I am from) they say never to eat after 6, and in France they typically eat *dinner at 8* and often even later(I've had dinner at relative's homes as late as 10pm) and YET, WHO is thinner and healthier!! *They absolutely do NOT eat between meals in France,* something Americans and Brits absolutely *_DO!_* She also mentioned how *The French east slowly...so true....they appreciate their meals and treat each one as a special affair.* *Most of us eat quickly in order to **_quickly_** satisfy our tastebuds and tummies,* which DOES result in over-eating, bloating and cramping, even! In France, the world stops for meal-times. Conversation is VERY important, but no eating in front of the TV, or on the go, or while driving, or on the job.....there is as much appreciation for the meal-experience as for the food. *I think the world could learn alot from The French regarding meals and food!*
PrincessKLS OurHumbleLife, What are you supposed to eat at 4? ****************************** Just something to hold you over til dinner. My husband said each day, at 4, they would have a crepe with either a fruit or a chocolate spread, and a glass of water. I like a cup of tea with a pear or occasionally a shortbread cookie. :)
it is called "quatre heure" (4 o'clock) and it is just usually a snack ... starts as an after school snack; 1 small biscuit or cookie, a small piece of chocolate, a piece of fruit and sometimes a hot drink like tea or coffee if you're thirsty - something like this.
I live in central France (Auvergne) where it's not as stressful as Paris, and my city doesn't have a metro, but everyone walks a lot / rides bikes, and lunch breaks are 1 - 2 hours. Farmers' markets are very popular here, too. As a vegan, I'm so greatful for the abundant variety of fresh, organic fruit and veg in France! I think reasonable portion sizes also make a difference in how people stay fit and slim here.
This video is the best one I have seen on nutrition and diet. Proud to say I gave up sodas and processed food 20 years ago. Now I am working on sugar and hidden added sugar in food. HOWEVER, the “stress burns calories” is not only bad advice, it is wrong. “Stress” causes disease.
Stress in moderation. It's called hormesis and it is what makes bones stronger and systems more robust. Non Mediterranean peoples have such a way of missing the message and resorting to absolutes.
The less white sugar the better. We are all addicted to white sugar, it's everywhere, it's in everything. Except Perrier. So, now I'm addicted to Perrier.
As french person living in France, I do not really agre with this video. For instance : I barely know anyone who eats 12 veggies/fruits a day, even I who eats a lot of veggies/fruits, I eat about 7-8 of them a day, not more. And in France, we hear every day on our TV's radios etc ... " 5 fruits et légumes par jour" which means "5 fruits/veggies a day", and a lot of people struggle to eat those a day, really. 2nd point : we do not take our time to eat. We like to, but most of us cannot afford it. For instance at work most of us only have a break of only 30 minutes at the middle of the day to eat and relax, so you eat really fast. And when I was in high school we had 2 days per week when we had only 30 minutes too although we get priority access to the cantine because of the lack of time, and the other 3 days we had 1h30 left but we had to make the queue and since we do not have priority access to the cantine you wait 45 minutes in the queue, then when you are in the cantine you have to wait for some places to sit down and eat, and then again you're left with 30 minutes maximum to eat.
man in america thats considered a decent amount of time tho. in america the lunch line at school is about 10 min long and lunch is about 25 min everyday at my school. so you only get about 15 min to eat. kids are always eating snacks in class, even if there are rules against it. many teachers allow eating in class even if there are school rules against it. at least for my school, other american schools might have different ways of doing things. its not abnormal for working people to skip lunch altogether too. also we eat a lot of snacks (many which are unhealthy).
Exactly, when we did an exchange with our school, the first thing they told us was that the microwave was the french's best friend 😂 so my expactations had to get pretty low to not be dissapointed there, I was hoping for the french lifestyle like you know it from movies but it was nothing like that. Its still a very pretty country tho and the people were very friendly to my surprise, they said the french are arrogant but I disnt experience that
Absolutely love all your videos. French have easier access to whole, natural foods. Of course we have it in the states but it can get crowded out by all the junk. You have to seek it out.
What the heck!? The produce section is almost directly in front of every grocery store I have ever been in, usually the first section off to the side of the check out lanes. I am 54 years old and have lived all over the country, except the northeast, and I have NEVER had trouble finding the fresh fruits and vegetables for crying out loud. The crap food far outnumbers the fresh food, but to say you have to seek it out is ridiculous. You have to put it in your cart in lieu of cookies and Cheetos, it's true, but that is a matter of personal choice; it is NOT hard to find it.
That's not what I meant. The produce is there but the health/nutrition education is missing. I had a full blown autoimmune disease for a whole decade - went doctor to doctor for years without any help. No one even mentioned food or nutrition. Finally took my own health education seriously, did the research and have been symptom free for 5 years with dietary and lifestyle changes only. Medical schools in the US do not teach nutrition to doctors - so that information has to be sought out by the individual. It sees "easy" to me now, but I meet thousands of people through my youtube who have never been taught this information. Making sure I teach my own children for sure. no cheetos in this house!
I think you are missing the point. In the USA finding a farmers market is not as easy as walking down the block they way it is in Europe. And fresh is relative. In the US you will regularly see fruits that are moulded that have been sitting for two weeks - in Japan fruit is full price in the morning and by 6PM that day it is 80% off. It is considered unsellable the next day. Think about that for a minute. The fruit they eat therefore is literally less than two days old from time picked to time consumed. Same for fish. Culturally the food is more expensive as well - by quite a bit. But they pay for that freshness.
In such a small country it is definitely easier to do so; the widest part of Japan is less than 150 miles across. I have to drive that far to get to a mall. Thankfully we can grow our own fruits/veg for half the year, and fish at the lake down the road, but I haven't had fresh seafood since we left California!
I really enjoyed this video. I feel it gives a lot of insight to how awful the American diet is and how terrible it is that bad food is allowed in such mass quantities. I would love to hear what you normally eat in a day--what is a proper breakfast? What do you eat for lunch? What is your 4:00 meal? What do you have for dinner and at what time if you eat at 4:00. I love learning about French culture--other cultures in general. Thank you.
Proper french-mediterranean breakfast: a toast made from fresh bread with tomato, cheese and olive oil above it. Coffee and ideally a fruit. The "petit goûter" or "merienda" as we Spaniards call it it's ideally a yoghourt or a piece of fresh fuit with some coffe, coffee with milk or an infusion. Also some dried fruits or a small piece of something sweet its allowed but not every day 😉 Sadly the great eating habits from mediterranean countries are less and less followed as time goes by and we're affected by overweight and obesity almost as same rate as anglosaxon countries are, but that's true than we have more options of eating fresh, healty food than in other countries.
It's allowed because it feeds the industries like medical and higher education in order to attain those medical positions, which of course generate a lot of money. America's system values imabalance, drama and creating weakness in socierty, as such creates opportunities for people to earn a living to "put a bandaid on those issues". It's a system; it's all intertwined into how this country operates and generates wealth.
Coming from a place where people buy their groceries fresh almost everyday, I remember being quite confused when I saw on tv an American travel show host went to Nicaragua and gushed at how people buy their groceries at the market everyday instead of stocking it up for the week or month. Little me was like "Huh? Isn't buying groceries everyday the normal thing to do? Why would anyone want to eat month-old vegetables and meats?" Ah, how naive I was.
It took a little planning, but I managed to fit in 12 vegetables and fruits in one day - fruit salad, bean and corn salad (cowboy caviar), tabbouleh, and gazpacho. Feels good.
I've been trying to eat healthy, but as a vegetarian I can tell when things are spoiled, where most people couldn't tell. In my city, even rather expensive chickpea salad, tabouli, etc, is too rancid for me
I was born and raised in the US, but I think my mom was more strict than most American moms. Her motto was the same as your mom's: you had to eat at least 3 spoonfuls of whatever she gave you. I stick by this motto!
@@g.3304 French people are nowhere near the biggest smokers in the world. Not even remotely close. They rank far better than nearly all of Europe, including countries typically thought of as having very "strong" and constitutionally healthy people, such as Switzerland and Germany, as well as nearly all of Eastern Europe and Asia.France is only slightly worse in ranking than the United States and Canada.
Why are some of you saying Darkmoon is wrong? Perhaps that's what this person experienced. Just because it's not the same as yours doesn't make it wrong.
A good message, Justine. We just returned to Texas from Paris. I lost a good bit of belly fat there. Lots of walking, yes. And also lack of availability to my favorite foods, per menu options or establishment hours. While this could discomfort me and be frustrating, it also helped me lean out. I looked for heavy Parisians but saw none. Most if not all of the heavy people I saw were from the States. I completely understand with what you said about life in Paris being stressful. Just visiting was very stressful. As you pointed out, the Parisian diet is really more about lifestyle from an early age. As such, unfortunately it will not translate easily to other/dissimilar cultures and societies. Staying away from unnecessary sugar is also very important, as you mentioned. I've come a long way in this regard over the past 10 years and am still working on it. In all, I wanted to say thanks for sharing what I believe are very valid points of fact, even if others are not able apply them elsewhere.
Stephen Dunham The overall food landscape is so important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Everything here in the US is terrible for our health. From the type of food available, to the fact that most neighborhoods here require owning and driving a car to get around rather than walking. Also,the availability of food at all hours just enables us! If you add the completely unnecessary added sugar that ends up in our food to that and it’s no wonder we are all so fat! I will make recipes for things like marinara sauce and I cannot believe it calls for sugar! I just leave the sugar out and it still tastes amazing! So why is there sugar in the recipe in the first place?
My parents had the Two Bite rule! Two bites of everything prepared, every time it's prepared. I do have some foods I dislike as an adult. If they are served to me, though, I still eat two bites. My palate continues to expand, and the world just gets bigger and tastier.
Kathleen West I am old enough that we just ate what was on our plate - no two or three bite rules we just ate AND somehow there was no drama over our meals - well maybe a little drama once or twice a year when liver & onions were served😝 however we ate fast - meals weren't anything we lingered over even though my mother was a capable cook - thank goodness I love food and enjoy preparing meals for myself - it was taken most of my adult life however to get to the point where dinner isn't over before the water is boiled for tea 🙄😅
I just found you Justine and have to say why just now! Ty for your time and videos. I truly believe every word you said in your video. I grew up in the a small USA rural farm town and all my meals were prepared daily by my mother. She had 2 gardens every year- spring and summer and we grew all our vegetables. We canned, froze and dried our vegetables to eat later in the year. We rarely ate meat and fizzy drinks were a rarity. When I left home to be on my own for college and start a career, I quickly gained weight, developed allergies, serious sinus infections, all because my life was consumed with work all the time. I stopped cooking my meals due to my workload. America food corporations are killing people with all the ingredients they put in our food. Th problem is NO ONE is helping us learn the proper way to sustain our lives. Thank you for this!
Interesting video Justine! First I would like to say that I love many things about French culture and the sharing part related to food. I do not agree with the stress theory. I think that in many situations stress makes you fat. What I noticed while living in France is that people is a little bit too concern with being very thin (particularly women)and that does not mean always to be healthy... I saw many people skipping meals and starving themselves (and also smoking sorry) I also noticed that people talk a lot about other people weight and also make comments if you put a couple of extra pounds, so social control about being skinny is huge there. I think in other cultures they are more relaxed with this and allow more freedom. You do not need to love/eat every single food :P ...Good video anyway to see how you perceive your own culture :)
It's real food. I've always eaten mostly real food, grown naturally. Not processed. I have a microwave but I only use it to heat a wheat bag ☺️ ( like a hot water bottle), never use it for food or drink.
Thank you for this video. Our cultures are so different, southern America, but my family always eats our evening meal together. As a teacher, I only have twenty five minutes for lunch which includes my only restroom break, checking my mailbox, and prepping for my next class. I wish I could have an hour for lunch and some adult conversation!
This video reminded me of when I lived in France, and the family’s refrigerator was so small. But they shopped every other day, so they didn’t need tons of room, and it was a family of five. Thanks for the video!
@@michelita2704 LOL. For me a huge refrigerator is also a sign of bad taste and lack of education. :-) Just like an apartment or house dominated by TVs.
I'm French and I've lived in France practically my whole life, and I have never ever heard anyone say you should eat 12 fruit and veggies a day. The French government keeps repeating the classic "5 a day", and obviously the more the better but I've literally never heard anyone recommend up to 12, let alone actually eat that many veggies...
Morgane Le Huërou perhaps when she was growing up things were much different. i know in the usa it was very different when i was growing up than when my neice grew up. we never imagined the poison they would allow in food today. truly truly horrible. we were active ate our pure veggies and fruits -meats had no antibiotics and the meat and soil was full of nutriton and dessert only sometimes-- and we played outside all the time all day long-no videos to play back then thankfully.
Morgane Le Huërou fyi. each veggie serving is half a cup usually so 6 cups total on a 12 a day regime very easy to do i eat 7 cups a day and i have only two large meals per day so 3.5 cups per meal plus protein and good fats. no sugars no breads. its wonderfully fantastic. kind regards
I easily eat three of four apples a day, a hand full of berries, a banana plus 1kg of salat and veggies a day. When I make a salad for myself I use a bowl like for a family of four for myself.
As an American with French roots and who frequently visits France, let me make one correction. In the United States we have a tremendous selection of bread including French, Italian and other breads from many parts of the world that are baked fresh every morning! Those can be found in specialty stores like Whole Foods or Central Market and many others healthy grocery stores. The idea that bread in the US contains sugar is only confined to very few manufacturers in large markets. Also, almost every city has a local farmers market where you can buy fresh fruit and vegetables from local farms. As far as selection of any food type, it is much larger in the US except perhaps for cheese.
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Update: I've put together a free PDF guide called 7 RULES TO TIMELESS STYLE, to help you build your style in a more timeless way - because I find that French women are masters of this skill. You can request the free guide here: www.justineleconte.com/timeless 😘
"Body does not like drama. It likes routine and regularity"....I need to remember this!
Agreed!
This was an "aha!" moment for me as well! I want to remember this, also!
Well that's a piece of TRUTH right there. The body doesn't like drama.....
Maybe in the western world, but we are not designed to have regular meals a day. If we were growing our food, there would be times when there would be food losses and meals might be skipped or ingredients wouldn't be so varied.
Me too, girl. Me too 😆
lots of fruits and veggies, no processed foods, no added sugars, preparing food at home and balanced meals with no soda! all of this makes sense! and yes, getting it "right" at a young age definitely helps!
Rashida Davis French parents force kids in schedules convenient for them and eating habits that are not child friendly. Nothing healthy about it. 17 obesity rate.
Everything you say makes sense. I'm not French but my grandmother was and grandad was Belgian. Everything you say about soup, food habits etc rings a bell. My grandparents were super frugal in their meals and they were always thin and healthy. They didnt even have any serious health problems until their 80s. My mom and aunts follow the same pattern, thin no health problems. My brother and me are also very thin. So i think its both genes and habits
Rashida Davis I eat like the French! :)
Children in France are not indulged in their every whim by ridiculous “helicopter” parents who don’t even allow their children the responsibility to walk to a friends house, the park, or school ALONE-without someone calling the cops or child services on them like here in the U.S.! Also...children in France (and Spain and Italy as I have noticed) do not subsist on diets of tan colored molded, food “products”-like chicken nuggets and “french” fries and other garbage! We have the HIGHEST obesity rate in children in the entire world and it gets worse every single day! And it is NOT just about food! Since when do children dictate everything to their parents and the parents stop living their own lives and walk around catching their children’s precious farts? It’s not parenting-it’s a joke. Kids in the US are growing up with no respect for each other, their elders, their environment, their health, and they are increasingly illiterate, obese, lazy (because mommy and daddy are around to hand them everything-I just saw one author of an article in the NYT get slammed these wing nuts for advocating for kids having chores and gasp! JOBS! to pay for things they want-like cell phones, video games, clothes, makeup, cars...you name it)! Yes. You are correct. French (Italian, Spanish,etc) parents do not allow CHILDREN to dictate their lives to the PARENTS! Wow! What an awful place! Great! You better stay here and deal with the aftermath of the ridiculous situation here in the U.S.-I will be moving to Europe, thanks! I bet you are one of those people that think everyone should get a medal just for “trying” too... Because, yeah, that’s EXACTLY how the world really works...Wait, I forgot...Kids in the US never have to leave home either...or worry that the job market is so competitive (as lovely Justine just mentioned here in her video...). I have worked for EVERY SINGLE THING I have ever wanted-started cutting lawns and doing housework and babysitting by 10-12, , my first job during high school at 14- and I worked THREE jobs to put myself through college. I wish I had had parents who instilled good eating habits in me when I was little and who were actually PARENTS...This country is doomed! Doomed, I tell you! LOL!
Have you traveled around the entire United States? There are plenty of states, especially in the midwest, that have cultures where the families have traditional values about how to raise and discipline their children. They cook from scratch using fresh foods (they have gardens, too) and do instill good eating habits in their children. We can make informed choices in our country. The best thing about America is that we are getting back to being health conscious, and the fact that we stopped advertising tobacco is proof of it. We advertise against it and today smoking is considered a very bad and dirty habit, unlike France and Spain where everyone seems to smoke. I couldn't eat, let alone breathe in those enclosed, windowless caves they called restaurants in Barcelona because of all the cigarette smoke. They would not allow that in American restaurants.
Born and raised in France; lived in Germany and now in the US. I can attest to everything Justine talks about, I ate the American way for a while and drove everywhere. It was new and exciting. Except that I started putting on weight. I eventually went back to eating the way I did the first 20 years of my life and walking everywhere. At 71, I am the same weight I was at 20 and I actually enjoy the food I eat. I will add that not only is the look of the food on the plate important, the table setting is as well. I live alone but I set my place as though I had a guest and it makes me enjoy my meal more. Merci Justine. Vous me rappellez les bons souvenirs de mon enfance. (je mange une soupe le soir a longueur d'annee).
Slip covers
There is no one "American way" of eating. We are a huge country with many different people who live and eat many different ways.
@@KD-vb9hh Very true. But my statement referred to 51 years ago, when I arrived in the US, in a white middle class family, with not one single person of color around. It was a meat-and-potato crowd, boiled vegetables, no fruits to speak of, overcooked meat and lots of cookies, cakes, and other sugary treats. I didn't stay in that enclave and eventually found other cuisines, not to mention, sidewalks, where I could actually walk to trains or shops or work. The food culture has changed tremendously since then, gratefully. The US has great restaurants, big and small, and a full spectrum of ethnic foods. I am the daughter of chefs and very happy with that situation. Have a good day.
@@jacquelinevanfossan7007 You obviously didn't arrive where I grew up, the SF Bay Area. Nor where I live now, New York. They are American, too. And plenty of Americans had their own gardens. So, again, no matter when, where, or with whom you were, what you were experiencing was not "the American way," because there is no one American way. Good day to you too - I mean it sincerely, I hope you did as well - can never be too sure.
@@KD-vb9hh I arrived in a far suburb of Chicago. That's the way it was there (and where I put on 10 lbs, LOL). But when I got out of there and moved within the Chicago Metropolitan area, it was totally different. It takes time to see all of the differences and the similarities of a culture. But I did fall in love with the US. And I still live in Chicago. I had a very good day. I generally look at the glass as half-full so it's rare that I let negative things get in the way. I hope none of your family has been affected by the horrible fires in CA. How horrible it is for everyone.
“The body doesn’t like drama. It likes routine and regularity”!!!! What a profound statement!
I remember sitting in an airport in London, watching a French-speaking lady quietly relax over a cup of black coffee for a long time. Just that one experience changed my life. As Americans, we don't relax as routine. As cultures, we have much to share to help each other love our lives. Thank you, Justine, for helping us
learn!
When I studied in France it stressed me out how relaxed the French are. I'm sure that says more about me than American culture, because a lot of people I know didn't mind it as much. It was honestly too much for me; however, I appreciate that they do relax, and I wish we could have a little more of that in our society.
Laura Putegnat 😎
Yes you are so right
There are 50 states in the United States of America. Speak for yourself and the community in the state you are familiar with.
I have to add, I see people relaxing on front porches, riding along the highway at a slow speed, taking long walks, sipping tea, coffee, or a beer, taking naps in a hammock, play volleyball in the back yard.... Luckily people who thrive on being busy get the opportunity while others that thrive on a more relaxing lifestyle can also benefit from the opportunity, heck some can have both
Christ, you're easily influenced.
When I was 14 my mother bought me a book entitled "how French women eat" and it inspired me to go to chef school and taught me how to enjoy food ✨
+Amy Kill oh wow! And now you are a chef? Great story! 👏
Amy Kill - is that the actual title? I would be interested to read it. Thank you!
KF G Ive read a book called "French Women dont get fat" you should try it out
Amy Kill whaattt???
Read it, loved it, and copied out the recipes. The clafoutis in particular was delicious.
Great video; loved it. Just FYI: Stress does not burn calories. Stress increases cortisol which actually increases belly fat. So, the answer is probably in all the healthy food, good eating habits, and walking!
Also, crash diets can actually make your body retain more water and store more fat, as it is reacting to what it perceives as a famine. Establish and stick to healthy eating and exercise all your life and avoid processed foods of all kinds; they’re full of harmful chemicals.
Thank you! I was about to comment this
The only book I read when I was pregnant with my son was "Bringing Up Bebe" by American author Pamela Druckerman. The book is basically one American mother's observations while raising her kids in France. She has several chapters on how the French eat and how they teach the kids to eat properly. I have taken those lessons to heart and so far, my 4 1/2 year old son eats all types of foods, and only eats at breakfast, lunch, "gouter" and dinner. I do not serve him kid food. I've learned that kids that don't snack are hungry at mealtimes, and they eat more types of foods when they're hungry!
Agree! I also read this book (as did my husband) and our son ate everything. He has gone through a phase (lasting longer that we wanted) of wanting simple foods, and way too many pb&js, but he’s back to eating most everything, with nudging. And it’s true, children that don’t snack eat most everything. We’re not big snackers. Only water and milk, never juice and seltzer instead of sweetened soda.
That's a good book and a remarckable piece of journalism. I bought it to my sister in law during her pregnancy and actually I enjoyed it more than she did because it was 'too intellectual' for her 😅
Never read that book but instilled those habits into my children
I agree. That book is one I give my family members who are expecting. Another one in the same vein, but mostly on food rather than other habits, is "French Kids Eat Everything" by Karen LeBillon, a Canadienne married to a Frenchman, who spent a year in France and found her picky eater daughters retrained to be omnivores by their school and the society.
I read that book!! I found it super interesting and as Italian I found we had some points both with French habits but also American habits, like an in between thing, but more with the French to be honest.
While I read I realized I already did a lot of stuff. It was really a good book, I still have it and I bought it as a gift a couple of times for my friends.
I’m Russian and our grannies told that we have eat soup for lunch everyday, because it makes us stronger
And it helps your digestion
Borsch is in our veins
Though we usually say smth like "haven't eaten cereals for breakfast"))
My granny too insisted on soup for lunch every day
I’m Polish and I heard that too when I was a child
Nicolle Mihalevius Same in Mexico. For us it was chicken and veggie soup 🍜
I would love if you made a 'What I eat in a day'! I am especially very interested what you eat for lunch! 🍞🍏🍚🌽🍅
I would love that too! Maybe a series on French food?
me too!!
Maybe a few simple French recipes for families?
Me too. Please be specific about what you eat in a day. Especially your 4:00 PM meal. Thank you.
Me too
It's 12 fruits/veggies a day, 3 spoons of everything, 1h lunch break... and not as many croissants as you'd think 😅. Is that what you thought about the French way of eating?
PS: no eye make-up at all in this video (because I know the question will come 😉).
Justine Leconte officiel hi Justine, Great video ! I am from India but I live in Germany. I think it's the fresh food and walking that makes people in France so healthy :) I remember how difficult it was for me to walk so much when I visited Paris.
In India also we have a lot of fresh ingredients and we cook everyday . Even though here in Germany also people eat healthy but moving into a new country my eating habits suffered and I took the easier way of using pre processed food and I used to snack all day to substitute for proper meals.So I gained 7kgs in a year and now I am trying to be more aware and exercise of lose the weight.
Your video was very helpful and encouraging :)
I grew up on a very American diet...casseroles, starchy "cookout" kind of food, lots of milk. I was always chubby as a child and have struggled with my weight as an adult, although to look at me, you would not think me overweight. I have a couple "problem" areas that I have a very difficult time with or can't seem to lose. It's very difficult for me to maintain a fit figure and I crave salty things a lot because of what we grew up with. My heritage is Lebanese, English, and French. I'm interested to see what will happen when I go overseas to study and do my internship this coming Fall. I am less and less tolerant of gluten here in America (for example, cannot have pizza anymore or eat large plates of pasta at a restaurant without feeling groggy and lethargic or days afterward). I've learned all about healthy eating and avoiding GMO's and processed foods, but they make it so difficult to do that here in America because they make the organic food outrageously expensive. So, knowing that France has stricter food ingredient regulations than the U.S., I am hoping to become healthier while I'm there.
Justine Leconte officiel I love how you look without eye makeup even though I don't usually like that look. But it really suits you!
...also, can you tell me how would I properly order a coffee in Paris? I usually make a pour over every morning and add cream, but you've mentioned that people tend to avoid dairy in coffee in France.
Justine Leconte officiel
If I hadn't read the "no eye makeup" bit I wouldn't have noticed. You're so pretty, your eyes smile a lot.
My mother is half french and she really educated my sister and I about food. We were allowed dessert but ONLY if we finished dinner. We were not allowed soda, only on very special occasions. We didn’t snack between meals except for fruit. Looking back, I really appreciate that now.
I'm French and I've lived in the US. US meat has steroids and growth hormone in it. I gained weight and muscle mass even though I wasn't doing any sport. France has regulations against that, but Americans don't even have to label such meat.
Jean Roch Yes that is the real downfall of food in the US, corporations have corrupted the food.
Yes, the chemicals and hormones added to the food are horrible. I always gain weight when I live in the US even though I walk to the market, try to buy organic foods, and eat mostly fruits and veggies.
Jean Roch Canada and the US do NOT allow steroids or hormones in chicken and pork or milk cows, but very low doses are in beef cattle.
@@margaretroberts6258 and as it happen I eat beef at least twice a week.
@Celtic Girl yeah well in this century that sort of thing shouldn't be necessary. Not all of us can spare the time to socialize with farmers. What's next ? Socialize with a plumber so I don't get ripped off ? Socialize with a doctor so one doesn't kill me ?
This is by far the best advice I've heard. None of these silly diets that never seem to work in the long run.
I grew up in Europe and that's how my family ate. Healthy and delicious home cooked meals eaten at the table, always water with our meals, apart from the occasional wine of course. And now living in Australia, I still do this with my own family : )
Andrée
In Southern China, grandmas would tell us to drink soup before starting a meal (lunch/dinner). It's supposed to help ease us into the meal and fill us up a little so we eat less of the higher calories food later.
why would soup be lower-calorie?
@@gregdahlen4375 Soup as in boiled water with a chuckload of herbs and pork ribs(most commonly used), as many do it in Asia. It is very light not starchy like in the west. Homemade ones, especially contain nourishing herbs(of your choice), and some grandmas even pass down their knowledge. Soup is a big part of meal in Chinese cultures worldwide.
You also get hungry a lot faster because you think you are full, but actually a lot of the space is taken up by water/soup, which will pass through you really quickly.
@@1magineer lmao. As an Asian, I can vouch that schoolwork here is stressful enough to not notice the hunger. 😭😭
@@princesssupernova5300 I am speaking from experrience!
You sure thats not becasue of stress eating/snacking? haha
My German Mom used to do the same with food I didn't like. People thought it was mean that we we're "forced" to eat food we didnt like but my parents simply didn't accept picky eating and look at me now: I literally like everything
It takes over 12 “tastes” to get used to a new food. These days children are fed a completely separate meal (noodles and butter, chicken nuggets) while the parents eat something else.
Yes...it takes more invested parents to ensure kids eat every thing. Feeding them pizza would be so easy but irresponsible. I was raised by a very strict mum....I thank her every day for the discipline mum inculcated in me.
In my family and now my children's families, you have to try everything. Just a nite or two. They all like vegetables but not necessarily every vegetable. Also try to fix food a different way. Most people say they hate spinach but it turns out they like it in salads or on sandwiches but just not cooked. Soda was for family movie night not every meal and it was decaffeinated. They seldom drink soda now. It's all trial and error but we should at least try
same with my husband raised by his hungarian grandma: she made him eat everything and no picky eating was allowed. in fact no icecream or sweets during the school days only on the weekend and on special occasions and he is super healthy right now eats everything and had a great relationship with food ❤
I’ve lost 135lbs since being more intuitive about what and how I’m eating. I recently found your channel, hoping it helps me learn what size I am now. Love your smile and beautiful personality.
I never recommend "intuitive" eating to my patients. I always recommend CICO and eating more fruits and veggies. Intuitive eating is actually bullshit for a large subset of people who have had eating disorders and overweight states for years or decades. Not recommended, and certainly not scientific by any stretch of the imagination.
@@JustOneDress welp, it worked for her.
@@JustOneDress worked 4 me
Congratulations! That’s amazing!
@@JustOneDress I can imagine that for those who've had poor eating habits for most of their lives, intuitive eating would be a dangerous method.
For myself, I began intuitive eating after a life long battle with a neurological disease caused Gastroparesis and severe autonomic dysfunction (so many useless hospitalizations). I was facing a feeding tube unless I figured out a way to eat without causing myself more emergencies.
Slowly introducing foods, and then eating based on my body's reactions taught me what I can and cannot consume. A few yrs later, I'm now eating a mostly normal diet, except for gluten, unpureed veggies, and meats.
I've learned many young ppl with chronic illness go through a similar process to find foods that do not aggravate their disorder(s).
I would say that intuitive eating only has the potential to be successful if a person is also extremely intuitive and aware of changes in their own body. For example, if one pays attention to their skin, stool and urine, breath, body odor, mood, sleep cycles, and they don't ignore things like muscle aches/stiffness, stomach cramps, etc. Like you said, an eating disorder patient could fall into another bad pattern here.
Common misconception, it's not about what you crave, it's about what you need.
This sounds like how life was in the 1960s and 70s in Canada for me (as a small child). I was raised in an Italian family. My parents grew vegetables in the garden, we always ate fresh food cooked at home, except for special events, and we walked a lot or used the bus. We did not have air conditioning and the stores had stairs, not escalators.My mom did not have a clothes dryer. My parents were slim and so were most of the Europeans they socialized with. Candy was a special treat and we rarely had snacks.Things changed when fast and processed food became popular and everyone started to own cars.North America was more like Europe back then (including the smoking).Then Media pushed processed food and GMO food, expensive cars, and made money by getting us to buy diet books and join gyms.It's not a healthy mentality.Many children eat junk regularly and sit on computers.Many people are fat and afraid of carbs/pay a lot to get fit instead of just walking.Except for the smoking, we can learn a lot from Europe.
. . . I forget who to attribute the following quote to ... " U.S. of A., tribalism to decadence - without touching civilisation " ...
Why do Americans call themselves Italian, Irish , German etc etc. You're American!
And from Africa and Asis where there are plentiful excellent eating routines
same story how I was raised foodwise. Also in the '70s and '80s in Europe, a big vegetable garden, and stocking up for winter by freezing a lot of veggies from the garden. Daily an hour cycling to go to school and get back home. Having breakfast, lunch and dinner at the dining table together and more of those things.
@@punkqueen5664 Because it seems her/his family had arrived in Canada pretty recently. That's why they kept the same lifestyle they had had in Italy. He/she didn't say 'I'm Italian', just 'I was raised in an Italian family'.
i like how she starts every video
"hi it's justine"
with a million watt smile
makes me feel happy and i say "hi justine!" back as tho she can hear me🤣🙄
Me too
I do the same! 😂
OMG I do that too haha
Love her smile too...kind and warm
Me tòooo
I wish i was raised with no sugar and plenty of fruit and veggies.. Time to stick to healthier foods
Nice. "Your body doesn't like drama, it like routine and regularity." As someone who has tried dieting to lose weight and eventually giving up on them, I couldn't have put it better myself
yaeh she said that well. you should have a lifestyle and not a regime or a diet
I was raised on healthy food and I really appreciate my parents for doing it. My partner watches me eat lettuce, celery and tomato and enjoy it, and he can't understand my taste. I also heard that if you are skinny during your childhood, its harder for you body to gain weight in adult life compared to if you were an over weight child. So another reason to try and set your kids up with the best diet early on
By the age of 2.5 or so, your body has all the fat cells it is ever going to have. But bad eating practices store more fat in those cells, making them bigger. You also place a burden on the rest of your body, especially the liver, and you can create insulin resistance, which leads to diabetes. Get smart, eat healthily ( not “ healthy”, by the way, because it’s an adverb) and live longer.
“Stress burns calories” can’t relate
When I’m stressed i binge
L J Right ?I don’t even binge or eat differently ( maybe even less) I just gain when I’m stressed ...my body revolts.
Sorry, I do agree about the mealtimes and fresh food and reduced sugar, but I am pretty positive after 20 years of living in France and Quebec that French folks have (for the most part) a vastly different metabolism than anyone Anglo-Saxon. Also, all the portions are smaller in France. And yes, the cigarettes play a role, for sure for sure. I was way thinner when I was a smoker and so are many people.
I am married to a Frenchman. I'm the one with the stressful job, and he's the one who will eat a box of Krispy Kremes in one sitting and basically whatever tickles his fancy. Two spoons of sugar in every cup of coffee he ever drinks. Meat, cheese, white bread (not the French kind), repeat.
Guess who gains the weight? Not the Frenchman :-)
I can’t eat when I’m stressed, so maybe that’s part of it?
actually in france (as a french girl) we never really take the habit of binging so its easier for ua
@Tara Rawson : Your body changes over time. When I was young it was easy for me to keep my weight. Then the children came, and I need antidepressants( they are appetizers), my son is autistic (therefore I have more stress) and I gained so much weight. I have more self control now versus when I was in my twenties, but I'm much fatter now! I guess, there are people out there who have a bad metabolism even when they are young. I was lucky that I was able to eat what I wanted when I was young and stayed slim until the children came. Eating is a daily struggle.
The body doesn't like drama! - excellently said!
I'm Italian and I've always thought all these things were absolutely obvious. In addiction to that, reading the comments I've learnt that it is the same in other countries. SO, these "rules" are not typically French at all, they are just good healthy rules that caring parents teach to their children in every county. However, it is evident that not 100% of parents do that, but this happens everywhere, even in France.
Che poi in realtà la Francia è uno dei Paesi europei con il più alto tasso di obesità...ormai queste vlogger hanno una sorta di missione diplomatica: perpetrare miti sulla Francia che non corrispondono al vero, almeno non nella Francia impoverita e globalizzata del terzo millennio. Amo la Francia, la sua storia e la sua cultura, ma molti Francesi, soprattutto le generazioni più giovani, sono di un grezzo impressionante (e mangiano malissimo!).
Yeah, same here in Albania.
When I was a student in Paris people thought I had developed an eating disorder; I ate the best I had ever eaten and I walked everywhere (and clubbed at least twice a week 😉). I was tiny
It is definitely the walking that contributes to slimmer frames, and that people don’t eat while walking or while in a car.
Agreed! I had to teach myself how to be healthy, and when I moved to the city 7 years ago I naturally slimmed down due to all of the walking! My family makes comments that I starve myself- nope! Just a new, healthier lifestyle 😊
I had a Parisian/Algerian scholar and his wife and child live with my roommates and I for a week, he was a visiting scholar at Harvard. Sharing our tiny apartment with his family for 1 week was AMAZING. They were so generous, they fed me whatever they cooked for themselves (they never had to!) and introduced me to Roquefort, which is now my FAVORITE cheese. Their way of preparing meals carefully but socially, attention to quality of ingredients, and socializing and sharing their food and teaching me some of their recipes was such a huge contrast from American food culture. My little sister was with me for a 4pm meal one day and she was as amazed of their generosity and social spirit as I was, and we still talk about that simple delicious meal 5 years later. Your video made me realize how precious my week with that family was and why it was so memorable. We aren't used to strangers inviting us to share meals... or socializing over meals, however simple and normal they might be, and taking their time to savor it and each other's company.
Lovely story! 😊
I would love to have had your experiences, thanks for sharing.
Stress is a killer. It may cause some weight loss, but it’s not very healthy. The rest of the things she mentions, I totally agree. I go to Europe every summer for three months and I know food in Europe, Spain, France and Italy in particular is the best. Natural, nutritious and tasty.
I just realized that I’m French and I never knew. I hate soda, hate sweet drinks, don’t eat junk, cook at home, love soups. Bonjour! 😂
same here and I am Hungarian, We do not have any lunch with our sope. Fermented food too,
We eat everything but never as the Americans do and preching for us for which is like to ask a cow to eath meat....
I NEVER DRINK SODA or all the other american things which even to look at is HORRIBLE and artificial...
drink cofe black and prefer expresso in the Italian style or turkish coffe...
I am 74 and still have a same lenght as I was at 20 did not changed and not on any medication.
In Poland it's exactly the same rules. I remember the same as you from my childhood (no bought sweets, no fizzy drinks, no snacking in between, soup and vegetables were fundamental). I think it might changed now a bit with the globalization, but the good habits i learned I'll pass to my children :)
Poland still good. I live on the border.
I’m very jealous of you, I wish my parents had been a bit stricter.
Same as China
patasola it’s the same for us in Nepal
I'm also from Poland, and I agree entirely with that. Now I don't drink fizzy drinks - I simply don't like it. I prefer to do my cookies then go to the supermarket and buy them.
My husband is French (from Lyon) and I'm American. When we go to visit his family in France, especially for the first few times, it was very interesting to see how differently they view food. I do notice that when I cut out sugar, it's amazing how much less I crave it and how much I begin craving healthy foods like kale/salads. But once I start cheating and eating little sugar snacks here and there, it's harder to stop. It's very true that it's more about lifestyle and diet.
I find that the healthiest and best looking (in my opinion) I have ever been has always been when I have lived in southern Italy. It's not as simple as saying it's the Mediterranean diet; The quality of the food is tremendous from the flavour down to how packed with vitamins and nutrients it all is. The tomatoes are ridiculous compared to the watery, bland ones that grow in Canada. A red onion from Acquaviva is sweet like candy. Meat from Terlizzi is heavenly. This means that you don't have to eat as much to feel full and satisfied and the ingredients are low in extra sugar, sodium and bad cholesterol. I can't get over how good green olives are when they haven't been brined to death! The other factors are probably the caffeine that I ingest in (too) vast quantities; walking around everywhere well into the night; going to the beach- the smell of iodine near the beach makes my lungs feel lile they're singing; napping in the afternoon; eating a big lunch and sparse dinner; and all of this is despite the fact that panzerotti and fresh doughnuts are sold out of the backs of stores for a euro in the evening.
Sadly, due to the quality of ingredients available and the cultural differences in Canada I can't just copy wlthe lifestyle or diet and achieve the same results.
also, Nutella.
+keeahrah r your comment was a poem! So suggestive of delicious things... Thank you 👏
Justine Leconte officiel
Thank you Justine, that's so sweet!
I agree so much that the food in Mediterranean countries is soooo tasty and good. I can literally TASTE how it's more nutrient-packed than the watery tasteless veggies in my country...
Your comment boils down to: Italy = low cortisol; Canada = high cortisol.
Wow I got so much from this video. I agree, the way you eat as a child determines how you will eat as an adult. I was raised in California on five acres and always had fresh vegetables and fruits. My mother always cooked from scratch. As an adult, I look back at my childhood and appreciate my mother's hard work at making us wonderful healthy food which generalized right into my adulthood. Furthermore, I have transitioned these same habits with my own children and they love home cooked food too.
"The body doesn't like drama" is a wonderful way to put it! Thanks Justine.
Mine does though, the more experiences I have the better I feel when it comes to food. There isn't a culture of food that I don't love... Unless it's a culture that eats only bugs, then nope, I'll take a hard pass on that. XD Even foods that are considered "extreme" like durian, I love. I'm happy that as a white woman in the US, my soul is more free and wants to experience things. There's so many foods now that I eat, that I never knew about as a kid. Foods that I'm thankful for having. (like seaweed OMG I LOVE IT! Which is good given my salt aversion. lol)
Stress boosts cortisol, which makes your body to PUT ON WEIGHT, specially in the middle part of the body: belly, waist, lower back...
Me too. My body is so much bigger in my belly than arms and legs.
I agree with everything you say. My other big problem is that I eat too fast. If anyone has any advice on eating slow could they please share it with me?
Also people who are super smellers gain more weight b\c their noses smell deeper which messes with the body and stores more fat.
@@mariazahedi7444 I heard about a man who lost a lot of weight by just putting his fork/spoon down between bites, rather than anticipating the next mouthful and having it ready to load.
@@annahatori2779 that's genius! Thanks. It's true that I do hold my utensils while I eat. I always feel rushed, but I shouldn't be. I'm going to try your trick tonight.
I now recognize, how in Europe we are all like this. In my country we are grossed out by pre prepared food, my mom didn't let me go to Mcdonalds every weekend, and didn't buy me sodas. Also we only have like 3 fast food restaurants, Mcdonalds, Burger King, and a couple of KFCs. I nearly never eat out with my family, my mom always cooks for us.
True, except in the UK, where they eat tons of pre-prepared food...
@@mimuiao So thats where the US food fundation began lol
Yes I have never eaten at a fast food joint ever myself...
I wish I have your discipline.
@@mariavictoriasalita2908 It doesn't take discipline if you're raised this way. That's why it's important to teach kids healthy eating habits because it wil make it into a normal thing.
My son was diagnosed as a diabetic, so sugar free foods are crucial. We all decided to support him by also eating sugar free. Wow! Energy levels improved, fat loss and actually taste the foods!!!
In Japan I learned to only eat until I am 80% full. I like that as I dislike the feeling of being stuffed. I went to a French lycée in Tokyo where I learned to eat slowly while appreciating the food and the company. In Japan as well as in France, people go grocery shopping every day or several times a week. In California where I now live, the most spoken foreign language at farmers markets is French. French people take eating very seriously. 😊 Thank you Justine for your videos! I love forwarding them to my friends.
Jeannette Mann how do people work 10 hr days and have time to cook meals and go to the market for fresh foods every day?! I work 10 hr days and I feel there is never enough time and that's with me purchasing my groceries just once per week 😓
The most spoken foreign language in any farmer's market in California is Spanish.
Hmfoden
I was wondering the very same thing! So thankful & blessed to be a stay @ home mom. I made 14 quarts of homemade organic bone broth Friday, cooked 24 hours in 2 Crockpots. After prepping it, I made 2 types of homemade soup on Sunday afternoon & a 3rd soup today, Monday. (Some of each soup will go in the freezer) Afterwards, I went to my local market & bought more fresh produce...& another 4 large watermelons. Thankfully, I have the extra fridge & freezer space to do all of this. We don't eat the processed garbage, sugar & zero gluten that so many Americans do.
Hmfoden I think it's that they have extended family all preparing together not just one person doing it all
Khanh Ho or Hmong if you're from the northern California valley.
I am European too, I live in Norway
Three meals a day, usually the lunch is very light
Black coffee, water for daily drink -- wine and extra treats only enjoyed on the weekends, usually Saturday ... and yes, we bike a lot, even small distances
Same! Although I've learned to eat a bigger lunch and smaller dinner after going vegetarian. Seems like most people eat about half their calories in their dinner and that just doesn't work when you get calories from plants!
But biking are best for small distance. Not a long one.
Same in Sweden!
In Finland we eat 4 times a day, and biking to commute is very common, even in winter (in small town buses go with luck once an hour). Though too many people buy precooked stuffed, especially an industrial casserole (laatikko)
@@nntflow7058 depends how you define big and small distance. You should also have good bike for that too
In the Balkans we are brought up with almost exact eating habits, and I guess it’s a south European thing. I would also add - eating seasonal fruits and vegetables - you know the summer is here when you smell fresh ripe tomatoes :-)
that type/ style of eating USED to be American as well. My mom is 90 yrs old and that's how she was raised. English / Irish heritage. What is Americans' way of eating now is not what it used to be a few generations ago.
Smell fresh ripe tomatoes? Not happening in the US, unless you grow your own heirloom tomatoes. Every store bought tomato here looks perfect and does not smell or taste like anything. Like water.
As an American, I was used to everything being sweet, but had a really good friend from Japan that I met in college that laughed at me when I put sugar in my green tea. She made me a bet that I couldn’t go without the sugar, so I started drinking it without sugar, and that changed everything for me. After learning to like the bitterness of tea, my palette changed and I stopped drinking soda or sweet drinks. Now I live in Japan and I have a similar lifestyle to what you described; cooking a lot at home, not eating processed foods, only buying food for the next several days, and walking a lot. It feels great and I haven’t had any trouble managing my weight.
@@shannassecret4225 Thanks for your insightful comment, but it’s “added”.
it's so true! 🎀 my grandfather used to say little of whatever you fancy and not too much of anything
Me key point is everything but in moderation. No need to starve yourself. Eat 80% good and the rest 20% :) that way I never feel the need to overeat on "bad stuff" bc I am content on eating them every now and then.
Absolutely agree!
Absolutely agree. I give my body what it craves. Just now that I eat a lot of produce I tend to crave it more. If I want chocolate then I buy some. If I want a sweet treat I buy it. It just doesn't occur as often before my diet change.
I am an American and my mother did a wonderful job raising me with all of these healthy food habits. Many people I know think it is so silly that my family is so "healthy", but I am so thankful my parents raised me to enjoy healthy food and good eating habits. Thanks for your video! It's fabulous!
Shaming people for eating healthy. All I smell is "misery loves company."
Haha isn't it funny. If you healthy you are 'damned' and if you are not you are also damned! You will find your niche and enjoy havibg support around xx
Lucky you. It was the opposite for me... I had to teach my family how to eat healthy
YES! I was never skinnier in my LIFE than the year I lived in France and I have never enjoyed food so much. I lived in Lyon, walked EVERYwhere, danced a couple times a week and ate like the locals except for that I probably indulged in more pastries than them. I lost 7kg the first two months :p and I wasn't especially overweight to begin with. For me, and my personality the very biggest factor in my body's response was how wonderful it was to finally be NORMAL in my obsession with tastes, colors, ingredients. It was a sensual seventh heaven for me and I truly do believe that how we experience our food intake emotionally has a huge amount to do with how our bodies respond to it.
+Kaleidoscopeallie yes, enjoying food really is key...
I totally agree. Food is more then just calories. I see folks walking and eating! I have heartburn watching them. Having food made by a human versus a machine.
Wow! What an inspiring story! I am not thin and I don't enjoy my food. This is definitely something I'm going to adapt!
Hi! I'm considering moving to Lyon or to Paris...more job opportunities. Please tell me about Lyon public transportation, the locals, price of rent etc and in general ? This is much appreciated 😊
Niamh
Do the French eat pastries a lot, I mean do they have desert often, Americans are always having deserts or something with sugar in it?
I am form Italy and this is what I have tried to explain to my USA friends. I am slim not because I am on a diet or I am sporty, but because in Italy we have a different style of life. More or less all the points you have touched are right for my country too. Apart from the stress maybe.
Enjoyed your video and couldn't agree more: One little trick we've adopted here in the US is when we go grocery shopping, only buy goods from around the edges of the store: Meat, poultry, fish produce, milk, etc. Never buy anything from the middle aisles especially anything with processed "enriched wheat flour" or anything ready to eat. Your body will thank you for getting rid of all that added glucose and UN-necessary carbs.
+Captain Mother smart trick! 👍
I do the same when shopping.. I would say that stores are 3/4 junk food! I am and always have been a home cook....no mixes, no prepared foods and I make a lot of home made soups!
Captain Mother I try to do that as well. The only things I buy in the middle aisles are oatmeal, flour, tea and coffee mostly.
Yes, that is how the layout of the markets are. In the old days, supermarkets were judged by the fresh produce. Therefore, it was placed as you enter the store. This is true today. All the fresh foods are on the outer perimeters of the store. I never venture into the middle except to get coffee, tea, flower and cereal. Also; look high and low, the cheaper and basic items are not conveniently placed because the brands buy shelf space in the center.
I've heard of people doing that! I did it when I went to grocery stores but now I actually have the options of going to separate places for things. Produce stands for produce, butcher for meat, fish monger for fish, etc. Nowadays I really only go to the store for things like flour in order to make my bread.
I like the dietary ideal you're presenting here. Living in France I loved the outdoor markets and wish we had more of them in the UK. The only discrepancy I notice was that stress produces cortisol, a chemical noted for destroying the health and in general making people gain weight.
So true. And do you agree to her statement that wine is good for health? Because this is nonsense.
"The body doesn't like drama; it likes routine & regularity" ----> as a doctor, I second this!
I wish American culture would get on board with teaching our children healthy eating habits especially. I love reading books about how toddlers are raised to eat the French way, sans snacks and encouraged to eat what adults eat. I think the French really do have this one under their belt. Vive la France!!!
hahaha merci!
انت لا شئ ?More better...really
انت لا شئ
McDonald is toxic garbage.
Anything & everything is better....healthier than McDonald's.
You can definitely teach your kids how to have a healthy diet. I moved to the USA 6 years ago and when I went to high school I was horrofied with the breakfast and lunch options that they offered. I though it was only my high school, but now that I have some time in the USA I have learned that thats not the case. I refused to eat at school and prep my own lunch, so sad to say that I came from a 3rd world country we had better food at my school.
Clean and healthy food really makes a difference. I have avoided all added sugar since January and I feel amazing! Such beautiful makeup today btw :)
+Daniela Ferretti well done👏! And thank you 😊
HOW the heck have you managed to overcome your sugar cravings????? I do want to succeed,too, but I've always failed so far. I don't drink fizzy drinks at all, neither do I eat lots of sugary stuff BUT I AM a huuuge chocolate addict that, of course, also contains a lot of sugar. And this is a huge problem for me. I'm super slim but my physical condition is not good due to too much sugar intake. I wish I could overcome it,too. Have you any tips and tricks for me???
luticia if you can manage it for a month and replace it with healthy things and think about your food you eat you can do it. give yourself non food treats when you succeed. my favorite treat is having a salon wash my hair which often costs $5 though that doesn't work for some hair types. also find hobbies that keep you busy. after about two weeks sugar headaches will stop. and a month will help change your habits entirely. this is how I stopped drinking sodas when I was in highschool. my entire family still drinks them but I don't other than the occasional ginger ale when I'm sick.
I get the same chocolate cravings, so what I do is avoiding all chocolates with added sugar and eat very dark chocolate, with sugar substitutes. If you really are craving the chocolate and not the sugar, you'll feel satisfied with just a small pice as it is very strong. Hope it helps :)
Hi Avrysatos and Samantha Rey!
Thank you for sharing your experiences and tips and tricks with me!
Managing one month is WAY too long for me. I even can't manage it without a single day! I'm not joking on that! I also eat lots of dark chocolate. Actually I don't like the milk chocolate, I eat only dark one. Like 95 % !! And I still crave for chocolate. Actually it's more craving for the cacao. Therefore I think maybe I have some lack for some nutrients which cacao has. Like magnesium or potassium. Have to check it.
“Take time to notice and appreciate the notes in your food” is incredibly good advice. The US in general is a country that culturally eschews the notion of subtlety in many ways, and that is reflected in how we eat.
I think we are used to quickly shoveling down our food, and that is partly why we overload it with so many unhealthy flavors like tons of sugar and fat. If we were more deliberate in our consumption, we wouldn’t need those add-ins for our food to be enjoyable.
The awful lifestyle eating wasn’t the American way until the 1960’s when womens work was devalued so they went to jobs outside the home. Yes, I worked outside the home but I had history with clean food and raised my kids as she described. However my kids had school, jobs and kids so they started up the terrible mess we now have. Diabetes, obesity & more. So sad.
Stress actually spikes cortisol levels which stimulates glucose release and overtime can cause hyperglycemia and you can gain weight!
That's exactly what I have rn.
No wonder mother gains weight
This is right but I think it is differs from one person to the other, when I get stressed due to exams or something similar I lose weight because I lose my appetite but medically yess cortisol is the main stress hormone.
Stress can also cause you to lose weight. My mother would come home after an awful day at work and have lost 3lbs. Bodies are weird
Unless your stress makes you manic and work through lunch, then you power through it and you're no longer hungry. Or, stress makes me depressed and I lose my appetite. I think it is different per person. When you're busy all the time you have no time to eat or eating suddenly disinterests you if you take too long. Knowing myself and body I realized that during those times of high stress I have to force myself to eat so I don't get too skinny.
Love this video! I hope lots and lots of women with young children see this . . .it's SO important to instill good eating habits early. One thing Justine did not mention specifically that Americans especially need to have emphasized: When you're eating, attend to your food. No television, no reading, no texting . . .even your conversation should be kept light and social. If you treat mealtime as an event that delights ALL your senses, you will find even modest meals fulfilling.
My husband and I visited Paris in May. I believe you about all the walking. I don't think I've ever walked that much in my life. Paris is simply beautiful. Somehow, upon my return, I found your channel. It is totally refreshing, informative, , and fun to watch. I've enjoyed every video so far. I grew up with good eating habits then broke them when I was out on my own. I've had several digestive issues including just recovering from a surgery. Right now I'm just eating small meals and stopping when full. As a teacher, for a while, I had no lunch and was eating with the children. Most years lunch was 20 minutes and that included getting the children to their place, walking to the teacher's lounge (far for me- big school), and using the restroom. Thank you for your engaging channel.
Our schools are part of the problem. Push lunch through as though it was an annoyance. Our children are so stressed out from their hectic days. No wonder they enter adulthood burnt out. We need to let our children be children.
I’ve gone off the wagon.
I’m rewatching to remind myself on what I need to do because the routine really helped me change my outlook on food. Thank you!
Stress does not make you skinny! It releases glucocorticoid that affects your body in many negative ways (sleep, lactation, bone density, etc). I don’t mean to hate, I just want to spread more scientific fact. I loved the rest of this video. Eating lots of fruits and veggies is the best advice. Also, walking makes us all feel amazing.
I find that for my body stress has always made me lose weight. I grew up with the same eating habits exactly as Justine and if I am stressed with work and all the running around I don’t eat properly and immediately start to drop weight. I think it’s difficult to generalize, all we can do is be aware of our own eating habits and how stress affects our health.
Indeed, stress made me gain a lot of weight (Way more weight than I ever had even with not paying attention on my food. Everybody was chocked by seeiign me) and belly fat. The difference I guess is that I was for a long time having very unhealthy stress where I had too much cortisol and had to take medication. While short stress that I had before which was not that unhealthy didn't have effect on my weight.
It totally depends on how your body copes with stress. Some people stress and lose weight, while others gain with stress eating, etc.
Hah, for some people it works. When I had a baby I was down to my old weight in less than 2 weeks, because that little bugger kept me on my toes so much I had no time to cook or eat. I guess some people try to counter stress with fatty or sugary foods, but others don't...
Stress does make you skinny. I become skinnier when I'm stressed
stress does not burn calories. on the contrary: it enhances the level of hormones related to fat gain, such as cortisol.
"Body doesn't like drama!!!" super
In Indian medical system ayurveda said" Let your food be your medicine, and let your kitchen be your pharmacy" ! If one is always mindful and be cautious about what to put into one's mouth, one will never need to go on a diet.
Food is definitely healthier and more accessible in Europe, but ehhh bikelanes or no, everyone in Paris bikes everywhere (idk why that is worse than walking?). Scientifically also stress (and lack of sleep) actually contributes to weight gain - there are many studies done on this. Honestly a lot of women use coffee and cigarettes to control hunger cues and I feel like that needs to be recognized.
Also those who smoke start so early! I'm Australian and I studied abroad there at 15. In Australia, only a small number of rebel kids would smoke. We had one out of about ten in our nerdy friendship group who smoked. And most of the group disapproved. In France, I was so shocked to see the Grade A students smoking any chance they got. And smoking A LOT! 13-15yo kids with husky deep voices. Now as an adult I smoke weed occasionally, and I know I can count on French to roll better than any other nationality. They can do it in their sleep.
I haven't go to France :( but I went to Italy a couple of years ago, Rome to be specific. I lost 5 pounds in a week eating pasta, deserts, coffee, etc. you are totally right... the food quality is so high i compare to USA. Also, we were walking the whole day to the train station, at the museums, the streets, etc.
+Liznel Lugo tourism is always good sports 😊👍
Italian and french people are very similar when it comes to food. All the things that Justine said about eating healhty, fresh foods, giving children a food education, taking time to enjoy meals, not snacking between meals and just "paying attention" (instead of actually being on a diet) really applies to italian culture too.
It was all the walking that made you lose weight! I visited London and lost lots of weight in 2 weeks even though I ate lots of chocolateand ice cream
Hey Justine, could you film a „what I eat in a day“ or some french recipes ? :)
I lost 60 lbs in 2020 following many of these guidelines. In 2021, I will attempt to maintain that loss by following all of them. The French woman in me will fight hard to dominate the American lifestyle I grew up with and which has dominated my life! I will even try to avoid the microwave. Great tips, and I love that you shared that this was how you were rised. Merci!
Have to say plus size is alive and well in France…
I went to Paris and ended up fatter😂😂😅probably just because I ate excessively because the food was delicious. Anyways, the fruits in Provence are divine. The apricots and cherries there are a whole other level of heavenly.
My grandma went to France for a week in may but she didn't eat a single pastry!! And here I am stuffing my face with the yummies she brought home
yes because all the tourists eat the pastries everyday, when we usually eat maybe one once a week at most !
You ate like a tourist, not a local.
@@nntflow7058 so true the most hysterical ironic comments I've saw so far lmao 🤣🤣🤣
I lived and worked in Paris for 2 years and was the slimmest I’ve ever been because of all the walking, portion sizes are smaller than the U.S., minimal snacking, beverages are not super sized, desserts & bread were less sweet, non-GMO, a lot less processed/junk food, and eating slowly and enjoying meals with friends & family.
"The body doesn't like drama, it likes routine and regularity" - very well said, I completely agree!
I am raised in Mediterranean part of Croatia and I can relate with many things you've said, like being "forced" to eat every type of food, which is probably reason why I love swiss card and zucchinis :) Also preparing meals at home, avoiding processed food, food diversity, ritualistic approach to eating (almost like a daily ceremony shared with family or friends :) ) Many things have changed last decade or two, but I'll give my best to pass those habits onto my (potential) kids one day. Thanks for a great video!
I’m from Canada and was raised with the same eating habits as you, we also do our own canning and freezing of garden vegetables for the winters. Where I live we have a lot of farmers markets and access to fresh fruits and vegetables but I have seen a huge decline in the flavour quality of store bought produce. Unfortunately I have also seen a big shift in the last 20 years in terms of an increase in the prevalence of fast food and a shift toward huge portion sizes. Although, this seems to be a global phenomenon.
Portion sizes...people always overlook that.
Yeah see, I think that's where things get really personal! I'm from Canada too, but we lived in a city and didn't have much money. We grew up on store-bought fruits and veggies, and ate a *lot* of canned and packaged foods (like KD or Sidekicks), though we didn't eat a ton of junk food (cos it was usually a waste of money). For us, there was no canning, often no significant cooking from scratch, and certainly no farmer's markets. We were actually reasonably healthy though, despite all that packaged food.
I will agree though, that there's been a big decline in the quality of store-bought produce. It's quite noticeable. Also, there seems to be less produce grown closer to home - it's all imported from elsewhere. I'm Albertan, and buying cherries grown in BC was always a really popular summer treat, & you could buy them anywhere. But for the last couple of years, I noticed most cherries in the supermarkets were from the US. I thought it was so odd. It can't be a good thing.
So true, store bought vegetables can't compare to the quality of locally grown ones. I need to learn how to can!
I am from Canada, and I am a health-conscious healthcare worker. I raised my kids on home made food, no fizzy drinks, no going to McDonalds. Now as teens who work and have cash to waste, they eat all that garbage despite having my discipline and eating influences early on. It may change for them down the line once they mature, but for now it's sad to see the Canadian and American influences on their eating habits.
@@physiotherapistpaulina9340 I experienced a similar upbringing to your children, and I similarly "rebelled " against the eating habits my mom tought me. I think it's more about the freedom to indulge in a "forbidden" food. I eventually went back to healthy eating habits and appreciated what my parents taught be about food, so don't lose hope 🍎 😊
I really like the phrase "three spoons to learn to like". It sounded like you said in French "trois cuillères pour apprendre aimer". I like how you're able to naturally include French phrases when you explain things. You're an amazing Frenchwoman who unapologetically exudes Frenchness and femininity.
"The body does not like drama. It likes routine and regularity"!!!! Awesome. I'm so glad I found your channel. You are sooooo encouraging.
I have the same habits! I am also thin and my parents never gave me fizzy drinks or many sweets. I also eat slowly and 4 meals. I am from Argentina and my parents from Spain.
very good!
Claudia Blanco it's a meditereen diet actually, we have it in Tunisia too
Claudia Blanco Is the economic situation as far as it is being portrayed in the US media?
I enjoyed listening to this so much :) just one little thought: I had a terrible 'food education' as a child, meat, bread, pastry all day every day, almost no veggies ever. When I was in my late teens, I realized I actually feel bad on this kind of diet and started to research healthy eating. It's amazing how much happier changing my eating habits has made my life. I don't think people know how much it matters.
My grandmother was from Italy and I lived with her. Her foods were what I call “pure foods. Drinks were natural too, orange, lemon, grapefruit, wine, milk, water, tea. Hot chocolate. She made everything fresh - which drove me crazy because she’d give me the list & money and sent me. I had to go to 3 different groceries equally. When I asked why she said “share the money”. Lol. I grew up in the US and never saw a French fry until age 12 or a mcDonalds hamburger. Dinner was a time to meet and talk. No radio, or tv. It was so lovely. Raised my children the same & they never had a paper napkin. They didn’t carry on that life style choice and are sicker more often than me.
Hi Justine, great video. I live in the UK and I work with nutritionists. Although we run adult programmes to help people who are clinically obese, BMI 40+ we run a children's programme. It's shocking what the parents don't know about portion control, mindful eating, nutrition, no snacks or fizzy drinks. They get worried when their children get sweaty from exercise. It's worrying. If only we could take a bit of the French way as our own. It might not be costing the national health service millions for weight related illnesses and paying for weight loss surgery.
Kellan27 imagine if we didn't help the people that got themselves obese and then died from their eating habits? We wouldn't have that problem down the line when they kill themselves out. A horrid eugenics joke. >_< oh gawd I'd be one of those people too though so I wouldn't interfere with the good gene pool.
Mrs: My husband was born in Paris and raised in France. He, too, tells me that *the key to health and weight control is sticking to the 4 meals at REGULAR times, EVERY day!*
It's funny because in USA(where I am from) they say never to eat after 6, and in France they typically eat *dinner at 8* and often even later(I've had dinner at relative's homes as late as 10pm) and YET, WHO is thinner and healthier!!
*They absolutely do NOT eat between meals in France,* something Americans and Brits absolutely *_DO!_*
She also mentioned how *The French east slowly...so true....they appreciate their meals and treat each one as a special affair.*
*Most of us eat quickly in order to **_quickly_** satisfy our tastebuds and tummies,* which DOES result in over-eating, bloating and cramping, even!
In France, the world stops for meal-times. Conversation is VERY important, but no eating in front of the TV, or on the go, or while driving, or on the job.....there is as much appreciation for the meal-experience as for the food. *I think the world could learn alot from The French regarding meals and food!*
OurHumbleLife y'all eating dinner at 6 and and chips at 8
PrincessKLS
OurHumbleLife, What are you supposed to eat at 4?
******************************
Just something to hold you over til dinner. My husband said each day, at 4, they would have a crepe with either a fruit or a chocolate spread, and a glass of water.
I like a cup of tea with a pear or occasionally a shortbread cookie.
:)
it is called "quatre heure" (4 o'clock) and it is just usually a snack ... starts as an after school snack; 1 small biscuit or cookie, a small piece of chocolate, a piece of fruit and sometimes a hot drink like tea or coffee if you're thirsty - something like this.
I live in central France (Auvergne) where it's not as stressful as Paris, and my city doesn't have a metro, but everyone walks a lot / rides bikes, and lunch breaks are 1 - 2 hours. Farmers' markets are very popular here, too. As a vegan, I'm so greatful for the abundant variety of fresh, organic fruit and veg in France! I think reasonable portion sizes also make a difference in how people stay fit and slim here.
October Rose Sounds Idyllic!!
This video is the best one I have seen on nutrition and diet. Proud to say I gave up sodas and processed food 20 years ago. Now I am working on sugar and hidden added sugar in food. HOWEVER, the “stress burns calories” is not only bad advice, it is wrong. “Stress” causes disease.
Stress in moderation. It's called hormesis and it is what makes bones stronger and systems more robust.
Non Mediterranean peoples have such a way of missing the message and resorting to absolutes.
Some people eat less when they’re under stress.
Thank you, Justine. This was an excellent video. Your way of living in France is much more healthy than the US.
The less white sugar the better. We are all addicted to white sugar, it's everywhere, it's in everything. Except Perrier. So, now I'm addicted to Perrier.
LOVE Perrier!
me too! Drinking it right now! I love to put a little essential oil in--orange, lemon, lime, etc.
We buy Perrier by the case. I do confess that I am addicted to sugar. Trying to cut back.
what’s perrier
Perrier is a French bubbly mineral water. Delicious!
As french person living in France, I do not really agre with this video.
For instance : I barely know anyone who eats 12 veggies/fruits a day, even I who eats a lot of veggies/fruits, I eat about 7-8 of them a day, not more. And in France, we hear every day on our TV's radios etc ... " 5 fruits et légumes par jour" which means "5 fruits/veggies a day", and a lot of people struggle to eat those a day, really.
2nd point : we do not take our time to eat. We like to, but most of us cannot afford it. For instance at work most of us only have a break of only 30 minutes at the middle of the day to eat and relax, so you eat really fast. And when I was in high school we had 2 days per week when we had only 30 minutes too although we get priority access to the cantine because of the lack of time, and the other 3 days we had 1h30 left but we had to make the queue and since we do not have priority access to the cantine you wait 45 minutes in the queue, then when you are in the cantine you have to wait for some places to sit down and eat, and then again you're left with 30 minutes maximum to eat.
lovemilkshake yes I think that sounds more realistic
man in america thats considered a decent amount of time tho. in america the lunch line at school is about 10 min long and lunch is about 25 min everyday at my school. so you only get about 15 min to eat. kids are always eating snacks in class, even if there are rules against it. many teachers allow eating in class even if there are school rules against it. at least for my school, other american schools might have different ways of doing things. its not abnormal for working people to skip lunch altogether too. also we eat a lot of snacks (many which are unhealthy).
Exactly, when we did an exchange with our school, the first thing they told us was that the microwave was the french's best friend 😂 so my expactations had to get pretty low to not be dissapointed there, I was hoping for the french lifestyle like you know it from movies but it was nothing like that. Its still a very pretty country tho and the people were very friendly to my surprise, they said the french are arrogant but I disnt experience that
Body doesn’t like drama! Love that.
Salut Justine! It's really similar to italian approach to food! I love your videos :-) bye bye from Italy
Absolutely love all your videos. French have easier access to whole, natural foods. Of course we have it in the states but it can get crowded out by all the junk. You have to seek it out.
+The Universe Guru true. Having lived in both countries, I can say I definitely agree...
What the heck!? The produce section is almost directly in front of every grocery store I have ever been in, usually the first section off to the side of the check out lanes. I am 54 years old and have lived all over the country, except the northeast, and I have NEVER had trouble finding the fresh fruits and vegetables for crying out loud. The crap food far outnumbers the fresh food, but to say you have to seek it out is ridiculous. You have to put it in your cart in lieu of cookies and Cheetos, it's true, but that is a matter of personal choice; it is NOT hard to find it.
That's not what I meant. The produce is there but the health/nutrition education is missing. I had a full blown autoimmune disease for a whole decade - went doctor to doctor for years without any help. No one even mentioned food or nutrition. Finally took my own health education seriously, did the research and have been symptom free for 5 years with dietary and lifestyle changes only. Medical schools in the US do not teach nutrition to doctors - so that information has to be sought out by the individual. It sees "easy" to me now, but I meet thousands of people through my youtube who have never been taught this information. Making sure I teach my own children for sure. no cheetos in this house!
I think you are missing the point. In the USA finding a farmers market is not as easy as walking down the block they way it is in Europe. And fresh is relative. In the US you will regularly see fruits that are moulded that have been sitting for two weeks - in Japan fruit is full price in the morning and by 6PM that day it is 80% off. It is considered unsellable the next day. Think about that for a minute. The fruit they eat therefore is literally less than two days old from time picked to time consumed. Same for fish. Culturally the food is more expensive as well - by quite a bit. But they pay for that freshness.
In such a small country it is definitely easier to do so; the widest part of Japan is less than 150 miles across. I have to drive that far to get to a mall. Thankfully we can grow our own fruits/veg for half the year, and fish at the lake down the road, but I haven't had fresh seafood since we left California!
In America we say 5 a day(fruits and vegetables) so 12 is a shock.
7-10 in the Canada food guide before update; now at least half your plate.
Dont believe everything you hear on the internet-they dont really eat like that in France.
And I thought I was doing good having an apple a day lol.
@@JuliaSochnikova have you been to France, if you don't mind me asking?
12 or more is how I feel my best !
I really enjoyed this video. I feel it gives a lot of insight to how awful the American diet is and how terrible it is that bad food is allowed in such mass quantities. I would love to hear what you normally eat in a day--what is a proper breakfast? What do you eat for lunch? What is your 4:00 meal? What do you have for dinner and at what time if you eat at 4:00. I love learning about French culture--other cultures in general. Thank you.
Proper french-mediterranean breakfast: a toast made from fresh bread with tomato, cheese and olive oil above it. Coffee and ideally a fruit. The "petit goûter" or "merienda" as we Spaniards call it it's ideally a yoghourt or a piece of fresh fuit with some coffe, coffee with milk or an infusion. Also some dried fruits or a small piece of something sweet its allowed but not every day 😉 Sadly the great eating habits from mediterranean countries are less and less followed as time goes by and we're affected by overweight and obesity almost as same rate as anglosaxon countries are, but that's true than we have more options of eating fresh, healty food than in other countries.
Sugar and corn syrup IS in everything here in the USA! So frustrating for us diabetics
It's allowed because it feeds the industries like medical and higher education in order to attain those medical positions, which of course generate a lot of money. America's system values imabalance, drama and creating weakness in socierty, as such creates opportunities for people to earn a living to "put a bandaid on those issues". It's a system; it's all intertwined into how this country operates and generates wealth.
Adorable.. Her French accent, what she shares.. Just a blessing😘🤗
Coming from a place where people buy their groceries fresh almost everyday, I remember being quite confused when I saw on tv an American travel show host went to Nicaragua and gushed at how people buy their groceries at the market everyday instead of stocking it up for the week or month. Little me was like "Huh? Isn't buying groceries everyday the normal thing to do? Why would anyone want to eat month-old vegetables and meats?" Ah, how naive I was.
+Jane Yu I totally get the "huh?" 😂
It took a little planning, but I managed to fit in 12 vegetables and fruits in one day - fruit salad, bean and corn salad (cowboy caviar), tabbouleh, and gazpacho. Feels good.
I've been trying to eat healthy, but as a vegetarian I can tell when things are spoiled, where most people couldn't tell. In my city, even rather expensive chickpea salad, tabouli, etc, is too rancid for me
I was born and raised in the US, but I think my mom was more strict than most American moms. Her motto was the same as your mom's: you had to eat at least 3 spoonfuls of whatever she gave you. I stick by this motto!
I was a foreign student in french. Yes most of them are skinny because they don't eat and smoking cigs 12 packs/day to curb their appetite.
Wow Im french and that's so wrong ! Im 18 and I dont know a single person smoking (I also dont know a single overweight person)
@@jakiazhhabzgstaruiszjjzg3165 u realize that "your group" of ppl arnt the whole franch ppl?
@@whynot7802 I mean I know a lot of peoples.
@@g.3304 French people are nowhere near the biggest smokers in the world. Not even remotely close. They rank far better than nearly all of Europe, including countries typically thought of as having very "strong" and constitutionally healthy people, such as Switzerland and Germany, as well as nearly all of Eastern Europe and Asia.France is only slightly worse in ranking than the United States and Canada.
Why are some of you saying Darkmoon is wrong? Perhaps that's what this person experienced. Just because it's not the same as yours doesn't make it wrong.
A good message, Justine. We just returned to Texas from Paris. I lost a good bit of belly fat there. Lots of walking, yes. And also lack of availability to my favorite foods, per menu options or establishment hours. While this could discomfort me and be frustrating, it also helped me lean out. I looked for heavy Parisians but saw none. Most if not all of the heavy people I saw were from the States. I completely understand with what you said about life in Paris being stressful. Just visiting was very stressful.
As you pointed out, the Parisian diet is really more about lifestyle from an early age. As such, unfortunately it will not translate easily to other/dissimilar cultures and societies.
Staying away from unnecessary sugar is also very important, as you mentioned. I've come a long way in this regard over the past 10 years and am still working on it.
In all, I wanted to say thanks for sharing what I believe are very valid points of fact, even if others are not able apply them elsewhere.
Stephen Dunham The overall food landscape is so important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Everything here in the US is terrible for our health. From the type of food available, to the fact that most neighborhoods here require owning and driving a car to get around rather than walking. Also,the availability of food at all hours just enables us! If you add the completely unnecessary added sugar that ends up in our food to that and it’s no wonder we are all so fat! I will make recipes for things like marinara sauce and I cannot believe it calls for sugar! I just leave the sugar out and it still tastes amazing! So why is there sugar in the recipe in the first place?
@@Clothmom1 I was just saying that very thing in a reply! I don't like sweets, and find most restaurant food not to my liking.
My parents had the Two Bite rule! Two bites of everything prepared, every time it's prepared. I do have some foods I dislike as an adult. If they are served to me, though, I still eat two bites. My palate continues to expand, and the world just gets bigger and tastier.
Kathleen West I love that.
Kathleen West I am old enough that we just ate what was on our plate - no two or three bite rules we just ate AND somehow there was no drama over our meals - well maybe a little drama once or twice a year when liver & onions were served😝 however we ate fast - meals weren't anything we lingered over even though my mother was a capable cook - thank goodness I love food and enjoy preparing meals for myself - it was taken most of my adult life however to get to the point where dinner isn't over before the water is boiled for tea 🙄😅
I just found you Justine and have to say why just now! Ty for your time and videos. I truly believe every word you said in your video. I grew up in the a small USA rural farm town and all my meals were prepared daily by my mother. She had 2 gardens every year- spring and summer and we grew all our vegetables. We canned, froze and dried our vegetables to eat later in the year. We rarely ate meat and fizzy drinks were a rarity. When I left home to be on my own for college and start a career, I quickly gained weight, developed allergies, serious sinus infections, all because my life was consumed with work all the time. I stopped cooking my meals due to my workload. America food corporations are killing people with all the ingredients they put in our food. Th problem is NO ONE is helping us learn the proper way to sustain our lives. Thank you for this!
Yes, the body doesn't like drama. It likes routine and regularity. How true!
Interesting video Justine!
First I would like to say that I love many things about French culture and the sharing part related to food. I do not agree with the stress theory. I think that in many situations stress makes you fat. What I noticed while living in France is that people is a little bit too concern with being very thin (particularly women)and that does not mean always to be healthy... I saw many people skipping meals and starving themselves (and also smoking sorry) I also noticed that people talk a lot about other people weight and also make comments if you put a couple of extra pounds, so social control about being skinny is huge there. I think in other cultures they are more relaxed with this and allow more freedom. You do not need to love/eat every single food :P ...Good video anyway to see how you perceive your own culture :)
From this video, the important thing to learn is to build healthy habits
It's real food. I've always eaten mostly real food, grown naturally. Not processed. I have a microwave but I only use it to heat a wheat bag ☺️ ( like a hot water bottle), never use it for food or drink.
Thank you for this video. Our cultures are so different, southern America, but my family always eats our evening meal together. As a teacher, I only have twenty five minutes for lunch which includes my only restroom break, checking my mailbox, and prepping for my next class. I wish I could have an hour for lunch and some adult conversation!
This video reminded me of when I lived in France, and the family’s refrigerator was so small. But they shopped every other day, so they didn’t need tons of room, and it was a family of five. Thanks for the video!
That's awesome! Nothing grosser than a huge refrigerator!
@@michelita2704 LOL. For me a huge refrigerator is also a sign of bad taste and lack of education. :-) Just like an apartment or house dominated by TVs.
@@michelita2704 Smoking, polluting, hunting animals, pissing in the street - all much grosser than a large fridge, yet very present in 🇫🇷
I'm French and I've lived in France practically my whole life, and I have never ever heard anyone say you should eat 12 fruit and veggies a day. The French government keeps repeating the classic "5 a day", and obviously the more the better but I've literally never heard anyone recommend up to 12, let alone actually eat that many veggies...
Morgane Le Huërou Totalement ! www.mangerbouger.fr/Les-9-reperes/Les-9-reperes-a-la-loupe
Morgane Le Huërou perhaps when she was growing up things were much different. i know in the usa it was very different when i was growing up than when my neice grew up. we never imagined the poison they would allow in food today. truly truly horrible. we were active ate our pure veggies and fruits -meats had no antibiotics and the meat and soil was full of nutriton and dessert only sometimes-- and we played outside all the time all day long-no videos to play back then thankfully.
Morgane Le Huërou fyi. each veggie serving is half a cup usually so 6 cups total on a 12 a day regime very easy to do i eat 7 cups a day and i have only two large meals per day so 3.5 cups per meal plus protein and good fats. no sugars no breads. its wonderfully fantastic. kind regards
I easily eat three of four apples a day, a hand full of berries, a banana plus 1kg of salat and veggies a day.
When I make a salad for myself I use a bowl like for a family of four for myself.
As an American with French roots and who frequently visits France, let me make one correction. In the United States we have a tremendous selection of bread including French, Italian and other breads from many parts of the world that are baked fresh every morning! Those can be found in specialty stores like Whole Foods or Central Market and many others healthy grocery stores. The idea that bread in the US contains sugar is only confined to very few manufacturers in large markets. Also, almost every city has a local farmers market where you can buy fresh fruit and vegetables from local farms. As far as selection of any food type, it is much larger in the US except perhaps for cheese.