A simple French rule

There is one powerful way, you can start increasing your energy: eat three real meals a day. Sit down at the table AND enjoy!

This is what the French (and most of the world for that matter) have been doing for eons. It keeps your energy levels steady and gives you those necessary and delicious pauses that are part of a joyful day.

In the fast pace world we live in people seem to think that is not necessary. They eat fast food or not at all, they snack while working, and they forget to carefully think about what they feed their body.

I grew up in France and meals were never skipped or rushed. It was part of the daily routine that you sit down to a proper meal three times a day.

Food is medicine in many ways. It starts with what you eat, and how you eat it.

(Check out my program IMPULSION to get your personalized nutrition manual that you can use for the rest of your life)

Breakfast

What I don’t recommend is to start off your day with coffee and a croissant! It seems to be very French indeed. In reality it is not that common and very draining for your energy.

Actually the French breakfast is not that great. Bread, butter, jam and café au lait was the staple. People working the land ate much sturdier fare like soup and a piece of sourdough bread (nothing unusual in those days as all bread was leavened naturally).

So let’s go for my version of a healthy breakfast. The French part is that you do sit down and eat your breakfast.

Have an egg or two, some smoked or marinated wild salmon (or other fish) with a slice of bread made with a type of grain that suits your body. Always choose sourdough bread. It makes the grains much more digestible. Sprouted/Essene type bread is also very good. When you work with me privately we delve into your genetics to determine the grains that best suit your body.

The idea is to eat enough protein with your carbs to have steady blood sugar levels to set the stage for the rest of your day. The secret messengers in charge of this blood balancing act are two hormones: glucagon and insulin. The first is activated in the presence of protein and the second by carbs (sugars).

Too many carbs versus protein and your blood sugar can plummet and make you feel tired, grumpy and wanting a nap.

Add some tasty grass fed butter or ghee to your breakfast. The darker the yellow color the more nutrients it has. Here in France you can easily find butter made with raw cream. What makes it so delicious is the cream that is cultured before it is churned. It gives it a good full bodied taste with very subtle aromas.

If you have a sensitivity to dairy products, switch over to ghee (clarified butter). The milk solids have been removed and the only thing left is pure, good, healthy and delicious fat that helps you feel full and doesn’t make you put on the pounds.

Raw grass fed butter is full of the valuable fat soluble A, D and K2 vitamins.

Lunch

Traditionally lunch is the largest meal of the day and for a reason. Your digestive system is most efficient to deal with a substantial meal at that time.

Also if you take your time to sit down and eat three courses: “crudités” (raw vegetables), fish/meat/poultry, cooked vegetables and perhaps a green salad with a piece of goat’s cheese, you won’t be hungry for a snack soon after.

Part of the reason people snack several times a day, is because they don’t take the time to eat enough and feed themselves in a way that truly nourishes their body and balances blood sugar levels. Instead the blood sugar roller coaster rules the day.

A note on coffee: whether you eat a sugar laden snack or have a cup of coffee (even without sugar) the effect on your blood sugar levels can be the same. Coffee increases sugar in the blood. That’s one of it’s ways to boost your energy.

Want more energy? Drink less coffee. Read my article: Coffee: stress in a cup?

Dinner

Your last meal of the day is usually lighter than lunch and can be as simple as a vegetable soup with a soft boiled egg or some fish, accompanied by a piece of sourdough bread that suits your genetics.

As a nutritionist, I totally agree with this. Eating a large meal late at night can affect your digestion, your sleep and your overall energy level the next day. And your weight too…

It’s always best to work with, instead of against, your biological makeup to optimize your capacity to have lasting high levels of energy.

Each person is different and the one size fits all system of eating, rarely promotes optimum health for the individual. That’s why I work with my clients in a way that unlocks their genetic code, to design an energy and health plan that suits their unique body.

My program IMPULSION gives you your personal lifelong nutrition manual called SWAMI GenoType. It works for you alone because it takes into account who you are on a genetic and physiological level. One size fits all is a rocky road to go down and may lead to you missing out on your best health.

I would love to help you gain confidence in your health by finally knowing what to eat. Check out IMPULSION here.