{life lessons in French food}

i should have been French.

i really should have... and not just because France is stunning, and all that, but really.

i adore French history, the French language (don't even ASK me how many times I've tried to learn it!), French fashion, French makeup, even French braids!.. and i've always been fascinated with the concept of French food.

Ratatouille would have been a splendid movie but i hate rats...The Hundred Foot Journey, on the other hand, i fell absolutely in love with.

well, today i stumbled across a few French recipes, which led to a bit of research on the French diet...(no, this shan't be another blog post on how to eat like a French person, because goodness knows there are a multitude of books and blogs on that topic), but my research was enlightening to say the least!

as far as i can gather, the entire secret to the French diet is moderation.

not numerous baguettes, not chocolate for breakfast every morning, not even the proverbial croissant or wine or dark chocolate or numerous courses...

but plain and simple moderation.

in fact, the more i think about it, the more that seems to be the secret to the effortless French simplicity in all aspects of life.

nothing overdone, gaudy, flashy, but rather simple enjoyment of simple pleasures in moderation.

they have their cake and eat it too because instead of eating a giant slab which leaves them miserable afterwards, they have a tiny sliver and enjoy it.

the more i think about that, it seems to be the key to life in general... or... one of them, at any rate.

nothing in excess. learn moderation.

even Paul said 'let your moderation be known unto all men'.

of course, this doesn't apply to character qualities... you can't be 'moderately' loving, or 'moderately' kind or 'moderately' gentle.

but when it comes to tangible, material, actionable things... moderation, moderation, moderation.

this is what i am learning in relation to eating.

i can, of course, boycott sugar, boycott carbs and fats and just eat apples and lettuce under the premise of health.

or i can learn moderation and eat well balanced meals at the proper times.

food is a good thing, but in moderation. eat too much or too little and you have a problem.

exercise is a good thing, but in moderation.

work is a good thing, in moderation.

....which, of course, requires that little annoying word which is so so hard to actually practice... because the secret to moderation is ... self-control. or discipline.

whichever term you prefer to use.

i am not the most disciplined person. especially when it comes to sugar, books, spending...

yeah not something i'm proud of.

i would be better off eating no cookies as opposed to just one, because it is never just one.

i would be better off not spending at all, as opposed to just buying 'a little' because somehow i always spend more than i had intended.

i would be better off sometimes not exercising at all, because if i do, then i always end up over-exercising and being unable to move the next day.

it's easier for me to starve than to count calories, because if i just eat 'a little' i end up eating a lot.

so moderation and self control all sound great, but they are not my default. they're not even something which happens when i am mindful about them.

this is something where, i can try really really hard to be disciplined about certain things, and still consistently fail at it.

but hey... God is in the teaching stages, and it would appear that this one is up next.

learn to enjoy life, to live.. now learn to have discipline so you can enjoy everything in moderation instead of falling back into old black and white habits of 'too much' or 'not enough'.

and it's a really good thing i don't have to do this all in my own strength, because this is all incredibly daunting.

but 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me'

so, here goes.