After our friends returned from Italy several months ago, they shared an interesting cuisine tidbit with us: packaged food in Italy lacks the nutritional information that we’ve come to expect (and inspect) on American groceries. While I wasn’t shocked, personally I could not imagine choosing foods without the familiar black and white label or ingredients listing. Though I’m sure my grocery trips would be more speedy, I would feel like an essential tool in my smart shopper arsenal was missing.
But fast forward a few months to yesterday, when I watched a short clip on the Today show about a new book, French Women Don’t Get Fat. As described by Booklist on Amazon:
To the apparent great envy of all other women on the planet, French women seem eternally better dressed, more stylish, and better looking. Guiliano believes that the secret to slimness for French women springs from fundamentally two sources: the French attitude toward eating, which focuses on only the best and freshest foods consumed in careful moderation, and frequent, purposeful walking….A commonsense diet based on both restraint and simple exercise, Guiliano’s diet stresses that food consumption ought to be deliberate and pleasurable…
It’s not rocket science is it?! When they are hungry, they stop and eat great food. Something’s telling me that "Soup-on-the-Go" doesn’t have much of a market in Europe.
It’s about enjoying food, but only as food – sustenance, not as a mood-soother or boredom-buster. I’m not sure why my tastebuds revel so jubilantly in each glorious bite of bagel, cookie, bread, pasta or (insert carb-filled food here). I seem to have been blessed with a heightened appreciation for food 
. And what I find so heartening about this approach is that food can remain my friend. While I’ve maintained an affirmative eating approach to diet over the past several years (mostly healthy food), I do over-indulge when I’m stressed, bored, or when something tastes just too darn good. I have a hard time stopping before I’m stuffed. With a fresh perspective, I’m hoping I can adopt the most important exercise of all – pushing back from the table.
