How the French Approach Health in Paris

It’s easy for Americans to romanticize life abroad… whisking away to a foreign locale and relaxing right into a dreamy life, removed from the cortisol-fueled chaos of the company world within the States. The truth is, I romanticized it a lot that I leapt across the pond myself, golden retriever in tow, to pursue la vie en rose in Paris.

Moving to a brand new country has include its fair proportion of hurdles—visa documents, legal logistics, the dreaded dossier (extensive paperwork required for renting) and apartment hunting—but living within the City of Light also comes with incredible advantages and lifestyle changes.

I believed that perhaps it was on account of still being within the honeymoon phase of my love affair with Paris, but after conferring with fellow North American expats here, I discovered that I’m not alone. Life here feels healthier… and never within the ways I might’ve expected.

As a health and wonder editor from California, my routine used to consist of cramming as many boutique fitness workouts as possible into my week: reformer Pilates, Barry’s and SoulCycle, hot girl walks, etc. I also enjoyed long strolls through Whole Foods and spin offs of Erewhon in San Diego, in addition to grain bowls, açaí bowls, and $30 salads.

Don’t get me flawed, I loved my life in sunny Southern California, on the beach, living a healthy, energetic life. But Paris is different.

This fundamentally comes all the way down to lowered stress levels. Again, this continues to be planet Earth, not a castle within the sky — there are definitely still every day stressors, life events, and emergencies. But usually, the style de vie here in Paris could be very different from what many Americans are used to.

Everyone here has a special experience and perspective. I’m not French, I’m not Parisian, and that is just my unique, individual account. So I had some fellow North American expats weigh in, too.

What I’ve learned about how the French approach health from living in Paris

The pace is slower

Within the US, particularly pre-COVID, my life was hyperfocused on productivity. Within the workplace, at home, and within the gym. Whether it was goal setting and clearing out my inbox, or using 27 different wellness tracking apps attempting to ‘biohack’ my health, simply being a human felt like several full-time jobs. I don’t need to use the entire “rat race” cliché, but even in my slower seasons, I felt like I used to be in a hamster wheel.

Amy Buchanan, PhD, clinical psychologist at One Medical agrees that our hyperspeed American culture (and pressures of productivity) can definitely contribute to poor health outcomes. “While productivity could be gratifying and helpful in lots of regards, an excessive amount of pressure to suit in additional every day can contribute to increased stress and take away from organic opportunities to rest that our bodies and minds need,” she says. “Over time, this chronic stress can negatively impact our psychological and physical wellness.”

This became especially apparent inside my first month of living in France. I remember asking my therapist: “Is it okay to only… be?” Perhaps it’s a French laissez-faire sort of energy, but things are slower and simpler for me here, even within the bustling capital city.

I’m more relaxed here. I do know for a lot of French people and Europeans nonetheless, this city can feel fast paced and cold… but in comparison with my day-to-day life within the US, it’s a dramatically slower and easier pace of life. And in addition, I’m also significantly less stressed about health-care costs. Medical expenses feel “mainly free” in comparison with what I’ve been paying the past three a long time within the US because I’m able to enroll in France’s universal health care, whilst an expat. But I digress….

Latest York-based therapist Jason Maas, LMHC, concurs that this slow-down directly contributes to a healthier body in some ways, and clarified my anecdotal experience from a clinical perspective.

“The important thing to understanding how a slower pace of life is healing and helpful for the body is to think about how the body was designed to maintain us protected,” says Maas. “Our sympathetic nervous system is designed to activate the body right into a fight or flight response, sending blood flow to areas that heighten our senses, and provides energy it must evade a predator… only now the predator is in our minds. What is occurring is we find yourself living on this chronic state of hypervigilance, which results in adrenal problems, chronic fatigue, anxiety, autoimmune disorders, kinds of inflammation. Stress is a fundamental think about disease.”

Maas tells me that by slowing my pace, I’ve contributed to my overall well-being in a strong way. “Learning to decelerate is a way of showing the body that the whole lot’s okay,” he says.

More walking, less gym time

Yes, everyone knows that living in a city like Paris (even Latest York!) is synonymous with an increased every day step count. We’re walking all over the place, getting outside more. Coming from California, getting out of the automobile and onto the sidewalks was a significant shift. I now walk each day, and not only a walk across the block with my dog. On some days, I walk seven miles just doing errands, meeting up with friends, or exploring town.

Morgan Hizar, an American expat in Paris since 2018, also emphasizes the value walking more has had on her own health—she shares that her town in Ohio was removed from walkable. “We’d literally must take our automobile to go intentionally walk somewhere [laughs],” she says. “It might require beyond regular time out of our day from working, commuting, etc., whereas here [in Paris], it’s just a part of our every day life. I very easily hit 10K steps without even trying, whereas within the US I needed to intentionally exit to walk.” Statistically, that is true for many Americans—the common US adult walks fewer than 4,000 steps per day, in line with Mayo Clinic.

Walking has been the majority of my personal wellness routine since moving abroad. And what’s wild is that despite having less time in boutique studios and gymnasiums than my “former life,” I’m still staying in shape and I feel great. I am going to at least one, possibly two workouts every week. Often reformer Pilates (in French, which is fun!). Sometimes ballet, sometimes yoga. Nothing intense.

As mentioned, I was once obsessive about going to workouts—and my fellow expats were too. A few of this comes all the way down to a cultural shift, leaving North America and coming to Europe.

“American culture had a huge effect on the way in which I used to approach understanding,” says Jamie Nyqvist, an American-Finnish content creator and digital marketer (living in Paris since 2016). “The gym was an enormous a part of my routine; I liked understanding solo with my weights. But I find that “gym culture” is kind of the alternative in France. People love group activities, especially ones that integrate understanding in a natural way. Bouldering has turn into huge here; I’ve also seen plenty of jogging and outdoor workout groups.”

Nyqvist adds that the French take a special approach to staying fit than we do within the States. “They integrate concepts of functional training and understanding into their every day lives. ‘Unintentional movement’ is a big a part of a Parisian’s day, whether it’s walking to the metro, biking, or walking up several flights of stairs.”

Canadian expat Allie Goodbun, principal dancer at Moulin Rouge (living in Paris since 2021) noted that the boutique fitness craze is simply just starting to catch on in Paris.

“Wellness culture is SO different here,” she says. “Fitness is a little more advanced, more current in North America,” she says. “Because there, that is your way of feeling put together—by doing all of your morning routine, wearing your workout clothes, understanding. [In Paris], ‘productivity’ is having fun with your slow morning, ensuring your own home is clean, putting on a extremely nice outfit, and going to the boulangerie—it’s a special mindset.” Goodbun says that she swapped a gym membership for a subscription to the urban bike share platform Vélib’; she bikes around Paris every day, exploring the various arrondissements (neighborhoods).

It’s easier to eat healthy

You would be considering, okay… butter, croissants, cheese, wine, and even cigarettes… How the hell do you’ve a healthier food regimen in France? And trust me, I get it. I still don’t understand the entire cigarette thing (sorry, France), but as for the remainder? I’ve been intuitive eating—essentially eating whatever I need mindfully, with no category being off limits, ever.

Coming from (coastal, southern) California where the whole lot is vegan, raw, sprouted, sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, I actually saw how that form of eating (and approach to food) could be unhealthy. The truth is, I got certified in nutrition coaching with Precision Nutrition to assist people find more food freedom, because I saw how much food fear was hurting people around me.

All kinds of foods are embraced in France, from buttery viennoiseries (baked goods) to cured meats and melty raclette cheese. Dairy isn’t the devil, here, and also you’d be hard-pressed to seek out a gluten-free baguette. But along with welcoming in milk, sugar, flour, and other things which were vilified in American health culture, there’s an emphasis on whole foods (very, very few processed foods), and eating seasonal vegatables and fruits.

“The French focus heavily on seasonality of produce, and oftentimes you’ll only find certain foods available after they’re in season,” says Hizar. “It makes it more fun to make seasonal recipes, and the standard of the produce is a lot better, not to say local. I get so excited once I see cherries in season yearly.” And because it pertains to her health? She says the seasonality has encouraged her to cook more at home, “Versus just grabbing something easy to reheat within the US.”

And as for the desserts? It’s not an on a regular basis thing… they usually’re way less processed. “Although we are likely to equate French desserts with the decadent, luscious cakes and treats we see in patisseries, a typical every day dessert for the French is an easy plain yogurt, a chunk of fruit, or a small little bit of cheese,” says Tessa Bicard, head of operations for cosmetics brand Typology (and fellow Californian in Paris). “And even those beautiful looking creations which can be saved for special occasions are likely to be lower in sugar than their counterparts within the US.”

I’ll say, though, each Goodbun and I enjoy a every day croissant.

On top of seasonal availability and usually healthier food options, maintaining a healthy diet can also be cheaper for me here than within the US—the expats I spoke with confirmed from their very own experiences, too. Expat and content creator Amanda Rollins (in Paris since 2017) says, “Vegatables and fruits are a few of the most affordable things you may buy here, whereas within the US, they are frequently the costliest. It makes it easier to decide on a healthier option when you’re considering your budget; you’re less inclined to grab an affordable, packaged, processed snack if a healthy food is similar price or cheaper.”

As for habits, those are a bit different as well—specifically around snacking, says Bicard. “Whereas snacking in between meals is totally normal within the US, there are literally public health campaigns concerning the dangers of snacking on your health [here in France],” she says. “I feel it is because mealtime is sacred here; it’s a time to spend with family, friends and even a calming moment to yourself. But it’s extremely intentional. Not snacking allows for more whole, enjoyable and decadent meals without as much guilt.”

Bicard also adds that this is applicable to eating throughout the work day. After spending a collective 12 years in France and oscillating between California and Paris for her entire adult life, she’s experienced each corporate cultures. “Forget the sad salad at your desk as you crank through your lunch hour,” she says. “We’re not even purported to eat at our desks in my French office, and coworkers will take a look at you sideways when you work through your break. On any given weekday, you will find me having a two to a few course meal in a close-by café with coworkers, or heading out to a dance class or the gym. The midday lunch hour is supposed for truly taking a break. This has been an enormous help to my mental health and work/life balance.”

My biggest lessons from embracing a French approach to health

It’s all high quality and good to say “I feel healthier,” right? But what does that mean?

I’m not using the scientific method here (obviously!). And I don’t need to say “Just trust me,” either… That is just an honest account from someone who feels higher and desires to share it with the world.

Other than a general sense of rest and day-to-day ease and peace, I’m suffering fewer migraines—and that’s without treatment. In California I used to be getting Botox from a neurologist, as a chemodenervation and preventive treatment, every 12 weeks. I haven’t had treatment since April, and yet, my migraine frequency has waned. I’m also having fun with less painful periods, less anxiety, and higher sleep.

Bicard also shares that this lifestyle has helped her shed some pounds with little effort. “I’ve lost around 15 kilos without really trying,” she tells me. “Just by adjusting my food regimen and eating to what’s culturally more accepted here.”

If you happen to’re not attempting to shed some pounds, it could be easier to keep up a healthy weight with these concepts in mind. Rollins tells me that since living here, weight management has come way more easily. “The standard of food here [in France] is a lot higher that I don’t must food regimen anymore,” she says. “I don’t binge, and I maintain a healthy weight easily. The life-style has absolutely made me a healthier person.”

Applying a French approach to health at home

You don’t must pack up your life and move to Europe to integrate these lessons (though I wouldn’t steer you away when you were so inclined). Any of them could be integrated into your life, wherever you’re.

“The urgency that we’re compelled into—particularly in American culture but internationally—has taken hold in much of the way in which we approach our day, in growing speed,” says Maas. “Whether now we have the privilege of living in a culture that values slowness and deliberateness or not, there’s an ongoing opportunity for every of us to at all times turn into more mindful of the likelihood to create a slower, more conscious way of moving through our day.”

How can we do this? Funny you ask… it starts with the word how.

“Many individuals reflect on the ‘what’ of their day,” says Maas. “What time we get up, what is going to now we have for breakfast, what is going to I do for work, what exercise am I doing, what’s for dinner, what is going to I watch, what is going to I do before bed, etc. And while those decisions are very essential for putting our day together, it’s essential to acknowledge the how that creates the moment-to-moment feedback to our nervous system.”

He explains that you may be preparing the healthiest breakfast on the planet, but when you’re preparing it in a stressed hurry, “with impatience and frustration, while rushing and feeling anxious,” he says, you’re giving your nervous system the go-ahead to wreak havoc in your health.

“The sympathetic nervous system is ‘sympathetic’ to how stimulation is coming in; so if stimulation is urgency and impatience, it responds with cortisol and an elevated heart rate. Remember: the sympathetic nervous system is our friend—it’s our body attempting to help us. We’d like to take into consideration tips on how to help it, and the way we will help one another!”

Buchanan agrees. You may do that at home! Deal with “Prioritizing investment in areas of life that align with our values and setting boundaries,” she says. “This could support increased balance.”

My biggest personal takeaway from that is that we don’t must overcomplicate our health, but we do need to emphasise these foundations. “Chill, eat good food, and walk” isn’t necessarily a revolutionary concept, but the mixture has definitely revolutionized my life.