Analysis Of 'The French Paradox'

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A Little Common Sense for the Sensible Eater As a kid, I remember rushing out the door in the morning with one shoe on skipping while attempting to put the second one on with a flat tire. While I get in the car my mom says, “I’m late for work, we are going through the Burger King drive thru for breakfast.” Little did I know, there is not one good thing about the quality and nutrition of these foods, especially amongst kids who need all their essential food groups to grow. The next day I remember getting to school early, getting something to eat in the cafeteria before class. I glance down the line of kids, to be excited at the sight of pizza they were serving. I ask myself nowadays, did elementary schools really serve pizza for breakfast …show more content…

Nutritionally speaking, the French have been getting away with murder: They eat all the butter, cream, foie gras, pastry and cheese that their hearts desire, and yet their rates of obesity and heart disease are much lower than ours.”(146). The French have a similar diet to Americans, but they eat three times as much saturated animal fat as Americans do and only a third as many die of heart attacks. The French eat a greater diversity of foods and have structure to their schedules. The French eat prepared meals at home, with high-quality foods and in between meals. They don’t snack because of the structure in their life, they create more quality time at the dinner table to socialize with their families. This social aspect of eating meals, enjoying them with loved ones has a big impact on their overall health. Another important aspect of the French diet is how they thoroughly enjoy different kinds of red wine, cheeses, and meats. This attitude towards what people are eating and how they feel about eating, has an effect on health. “Fischler and Rozin say that the biggest predictor of health may not be the content of someone’s diet, but how stressed out they are about food, and how relaxed they are about eating.”(149). Eating healthy relies on more than just a balanced diet, but on stress levels, and your overall

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