The French Paradox refers to the curious observation that French people are slim and healthy, suffering from a low risk of coronary artery disease despite a diet extremely high in saturated fat regularly washed down with glasses of wine.
While the long held belief that saturated fat expands your waistline and causes heart disease has long since been disproven with cardiologists now going on record saying how ridiculous such an assertion actually is based on current research, there is clearly something else at play here keeping the French so healthy.
Is it just me or do the French just get it about what it takes to be healthy much better than Americans?
Case in point, while many Americans seem to prefer the latest and greatest silver bullet supplements that empty the wallet with promises of reduced fat, no wrinkles and perfect health yet never come close to measuring up, the French stick with the tried and true that actually works: nutrient dense food.
Check out this video below of a raw milk vending machine in France.
If raw milk was really as dangerous as the CDC and conventional medical authorities in the USA claim, wouldn’t these machines that are popping up all over Europe be causing some serious food borne illness outbreaks by now?
Perhaps the time has come to set aside the shrill warnings about the clear and present “danger” of grassfed raw milk and try some for yourself!
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Great video!!! We are not raw milk drinkers (Louisiana) and are not in a position to house and milk are own goat or cow in our subdivision. But this is so interesting to me and this video was much more informative and reasurring than just personal testimonies.
Can you ship it in Dani? When I could not get local raw dairy many years ago, I shipped in raw cream frozen from Pennsylvania. 9 quarts a month. We went crazy on frozen cream. Fresh raw milk is indeed a luxury but you can do without if you ship in raw cream, raw butter which is not that heavy nor too expensive to ship like raw milk would be.
can you ship raw dairy across state lines??
-jason and lisa-
Yes, if it’s frozen.
Sarah, where did you ship it from?
Dani, Where in Louisiana are you? I may be able to help.
Beth,
I am in Broussard, near Lafayette, and would appreciate info as well. Thanks.
~Mary~
I’m fro Lafayette, Louisiana. Does anyone know if anyone has been successful in getting any raw dairy shipped over state lines? My daughter is about to deliver twins and we are concerned about her possibly not being able to breastfeed.
So true. We love it.
But you can have sushi anytime, anywhere and I have yet to see CDC and FDA worrying about food borne illness outbreaks from eating raw fish. Now that a paradox!
That is awesome!!! And so inexpensive!
I live in Illinois (Chicago area) and a couple of years ago I found a supplier of raw milk from pasture-fed jersey cows. I never thought milk could be so delicious! My whole family loves it. I make milk kefir with it as well as serve it as is, and we can’t get enough of how good and satisfying it is.
Great post Sarah!!! Thank you! 🙂
Pinned this on my Good Ideas Board! Thank you!
For all the states that still have laws against raw milk, this is where they ought to go. They can start out with these machines with big warning signs telling people that government believes it might kill you and let the people vote with their dollars, to see if raw milk consumption grows or if the people prefer to be told what is safe by the government!
It is related to raw milk because what our US food law makers tell us is contradicted by the FACTS that people in France can drink this delicious milk legally and not fall over dead 🙂 Makes me want to live in France but my family is here so I will have to keep driving far outside my immediate area to purchase healthy raw cow and goat’s milk that has to be called ‘pet food’ so that it can be sold within legal limits, soooooooooooooo stupid.
That is Awesome!! I wish we had those vending machines around so we wouldn’t have to drive an hr!
I spent 9 months in France as a student/teacher and stayed with many kind families. While many are adapting American type processed food (I saw Nesquick and Laughing Cow Cheese, among other things), quite a few still consumed the older, healthier foods on a daily basis. At the home of one of these families, I saw a large yellow blob on a plate and assumed it was butter. As I reached to spread it on my croissant, my host stopped me and explained that that was “only for cooking and not for bread.” I realized it was margarine and wondered what she would have thought if I told her Americans spread it on their bread every day! The French still don’t think of food as much in terms of how many vitamins, the fat percentage, and nutrient density….rather they prepare it with good taste in mind. And, as we know, real food tastes fantastic!
The French also spend a lot more of their income on food than Americans do .. they turn up their noses at cheap food generally speaking. With the quality of the food high, the portions can be smaller as people get filled up more quickly because the food is more nutritious.
Which puts me in mind of a current pet peeve of mine. I know that regular store milk is not a healthy choice, but of course that is what is given to our children in the public schools. AND, this year, they reduced the fat to 0% in chocolate milk and 1% in white milk. It was reported a few months ago in the local newspaper. I think you could have seen steam coming out of my ears. Under the guise of “low-fat-healthier” claptrap, they do this. I can just hear the tummies of these kids speaking. “Oh!!! Yummy milk!”….. “Wait a minute… where’s the cream???” And so then their bodies are not satisfied and they eat more and get fatter. And the people who make money off the cream laugh all the way to the bank. Don’t get me started. Oh, sorry… already am. It’s very disturbing.
Yolanda, I homeschool my boys (always have). I had done it for the education, or lack of in public schools. But here, after reading your post, I would think nutrition is on the list of “reasons to homeschool” You bring up such a good point. It makes me just sick to think about all the children being in that situation…
Grace ~ that is good that you are in a position to be able to home-school your sons. I am happy for you! We did that from the time our oldest (of 6) was 12 years old. That was a LONG time ago. I’ve always been very nutrition-conscious, thanks to a mother who was. She did the very best she could with the knowledge available at the time, and I am so grateful for her example. The practices and culture of a home has such a profound and long-lasting influence in the lives of our children (and grandchildren.) Enjoy! 🙂
So true! The French scratch their heads in befuddled amusement and horror at the American concept of an “all-you-can-eat” restaurant, thinking why in the world would anyone want to do such a thing.
You’re right Sarah. I’ve lived in France for the last fifteen years and have grown to love the simplicity of the French palate : they are purists, and no they can’t take too much going on in one mouthful, but, oh boy, do they know what a good cheese is or what a good cut of meat tastes like or if the fish is fresh. Those basic things are not taught to anglo-saxons. We complicate it all, before educating ourselves.
And yes we do spend a lot of money on food. My husband, who is French would never complain about our food bills. My gynaecologist for my first baby refused supplements for first time mothers insisting “la santé est dans l’assiette” “good health comes on a plate”. He was spot on!
Actually Nesquik is from Nestle ( Swiss company) and Laughing cow is definitely French. We also have local Junk food you Know!!! Those two are french staple in kid diet. Nesquick at breakfast and a Laughing Cow in your morning snack.