A Widow's Walk: The Art of Eating Well

Master your will power and your pleasure…

When I think of eating, I think about the French. More particularly French food. It’s interesting to me how the French eat a lot of food — a lot of cheese, a lot of cream, a lot of bread. So why is it that the French people are often quite thin?

We can all stand to learn a lot about food and consumption from the French. In France, food is rooted in ritual. Olives marinated in herbs and spices are served prior. Often, it’s followed by a salad or pasta as a pre-entree. The main meal usually consists of meat or fish and (my favorite) it always ends in an assortment of cheeses. The French way of consumption is learning to master both your will power and your pleasure.

A lot of us eat out of carelessness. We don’t notice what we’re consuming. We often don’t pay attention to flavors and we don’t give our meal our full attention and enjoyment. Because of this, we often overeat. Eating can often be a way to numb ourselves out, to distract ourselves from the present moment. A lot of diets are inspired by fear.

But the French do not eat this way. In fact, scales are not a common fixture in French bathrooms. Most French people do not count calories or count the pounds that they want to get rid of. Instead, they eat for pleasure and enjoyment with intentionality.

Have we forgotten that eating is actually a very sensual experience? There’s no need to be strict or controlling about your food intake. Being disciplined about what you eat and when or what time lacks openness and spontaneity in delighting in your senses. The French improvise with food. They experiment frequently with simple ingredients. I don’t think they will ever get bored of food. They eat a variety of different foods with a lot of thought and intention.

French people say they don’t gain weight because they prepare the food themselves and they eat slowly. The faster you eat, the more you need. If you feel inclined to do so, following are a few simple ways to eat like the French do:

Pick things in season, choose quality over quantity
Buy only what you need for the next day or two
Eat one thing on your plate at a time and enjoy the full singular taste of that singular item
Eat only sitting down and use real plates and napkins
Treat each meal as a ceremony, a concert if you will
Prepare your meals with ingredients instead of buying pre-packaged foods
Don’t watch something while you eat and practice putting down your utensils between every few bites
Think about the flavors as you eat them

This might seem theatrical and dramatic at first. But over time, this practice of slowing down and treating your meal as a performance is a great way to stay centered, peaceful and present. Don’t wait until you’re stuffed to stop eating. Stop eating when you’re content.

How we do one thing is often how we do everything. The connection and relationship with our intuition and our body is so important. Adding purpose and intention to our meals and treating our meals as a sacred performance reconnects us to our body to knowing what we need to feel energized and alive.

Believe in the power and presentation of setting the table before your eat. It is just as important as the meal itself. Infuse your food with intention before you eat and honor the nourishment that you give to your body.