Since I’ve been focusing on writing Le Kitchen Cookbook I’ve been thinking a lot about food and our attitudes toward what we eat. I read a research paper about our Attitudes to Food and the Role of Food in Life*. . . and I thought the authors’ observations worth repeating.
They noticed that Americans worry about what they put into their mouths; they fret about how it will affect their weight and their health. In the United States food is more a focus for worry than for pleasure.
The French, on the contrary, associate food with pleasure. They define healthy eating in terms of balance, variety, and freshness.
The authors noticed that because Americans worry and obsess about healthy foods and the effects they might have on their bodies, the result of this concern is actually counterproductive and causes a substantial reduction in the quality of life.
Finally, the study concluded that the more we enjoy our meals, the more pleasurable our lives will be. That is a powerful statement!
So imagine gathering with friends for a leisurely three-course meal. The meal includes, among other things, carbohydrates, fats, alcohol, sugar, and caffeine and all of it is good for you. Nothing you eat will harm you or make you fat. Instead your three-course meal is meant to be savored and to fill you with pleasure.
What a wonderful way to live.
What about you?
Do you find eating stressful? Do you worry about what you eat?Join the conversation.
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