Why the French Outlive Americans
3 things they do that make them healthier despite too much wine and cigarettes
I’ve spent the last two weeks of September exploring France and all it has to offer.
I’ve been to Chantilly, Bordeaux, Paris, and the countryside (Dordogne). During this time, I’ve observed some interesting things about their daily routine.
- They eat a lot of bread.
- They smoke a lot of cigarettes.
- They drink a lot of wine.
These are all things that we’ve been told are very unhealthy. In fact, it’s been proven that cigarettes and alcohol cause many different types of diseases.
So then, why is it that the French outlive Americans by more than 5 years on average?
And this is despite having an almost double rate of those that smoke.
Let’s discuss what I’ve learned about French culture in my 2 weeks in France.
Work is not something to stress.
The French go to work and leave work at the same time every day. They don’t stay late or bring their work home.
They don’t think about work when they aren’t at work.
The French even take 1–2 hours to have lunch with one another in the middle of the work day, maybe enjoying a glass of wine with it.
I doubt you would ever find a French person eating lunch out of a Tupperware container at their desk, rushing to meet a deadline.
Enjoying their life comes before work. They don’t live to work, they work to live.
Americans pride themselves on working long hours and letting their careers overtake their personal lives. To us, this means we are successful and productive members of society.
In turn, we are always burnt out, looking for an escape from our daily life.
Our nervous systems are out of whack, never knowing when they should be firing overtime or calm. We have absolutely no balance between work and life.
Modern American society breeds children to be productive members of the workforce. And that’s all.
Instead of prioritizing happiness, we prioritize hours worked and money. In turn, our stress is manifesting as disease, making us sicker.
Quality time with the community is everything.
The French are always with friends and family. After work, the first thing they do is meet up with one another at a cafe for a smoke and a glass of wine.
You won’t find them scrolling their phone or watching TV for hours. You’ll find them fully present, having good conversations with their company.
In the countryside, the innkeeper would cook dinner for her neighbors every night. They would dine on chili made from freshly hulled beans that grew in their backyard.
Every night, you could hear them all laughing under the moonlight, in her garden.
As Americans, we rush to get home to order takeout and eat it in front of the TV. Instead of spending time with one another, we spend it in front of the TV.
Community is what gives life meaning. It helps us become more empathetic to others, understand how to love, and feel support. It makes life worth living.
There is a reason that all of the blue zones have a strong sense of community!
Relaxing is a lifestyle.
To the French, relaxing isn’t a one-time thing you do when you are stressed. Relaxing is how you are always meant to live your life.
You should be lying in the park, drinking wine, and going for leisurely swims in your swimming pool every day. Not just when you are stressed.
When you live a slower-paced lifestyle, taking proper time to unwind, then you don’t become burnt out. You don’t experience stress in the first place.
In most parts of France, restaurants and shops are closed all day on Sundays. They shut down and use the day to spend time with family. It’s a true rest day for everyone in the country.
Americans wouldn’t think to do this. It’s a day where everyone has off and wants to get outside! Imagine how much business is being lost.
However, the French don’t care. Because they don’t necessarily care about how much money they are making, they take the day off.
Why work if you don’t have to?
How to embrace life like the French
Always focusing on work and being stressed out, with no sense of community, is a recipe for a health disaster.
If our nervous systems are always in “fight-or-flight”, our bodies will wear down much faster. Diseases will manifest much faster because our bodies can’t handle all of the external stressors put on it.
When your nervous system is relaxed, and you are surrounded by good people, your body can better handle the cigarettes and alcohol it’s exposed to.
At the end of the day, stress is stress, in whatever form. Do your best to eliminate it from your life as much as possible.
Set clear boundaries between work and your home life. Schedule more quality time with friends and family.
C’est la vie!
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