Acceptance

In case you hadn't noticed I love food. I love eating it, talking about it, buying it, cooking it and reading about it.

At the moment I'm devouring 'The Sweet Life in Paris', a wonderful book by pastry chef David Lebovitz on his emigration from the US to Paris and culinary adventures along the way. For any Parisophiles this is a must read.

Not only is it an entertaining read but it is also peppered with wonderful recipes, mainly French (crepes, madeleines, endless chocolate desserts) but some not (peanut slaw, pork ribs). They all sound totally delicious and the whole book is making me hanker after a french diet of red wine, bread, cheese, good coffee and dark chocolate.

Sadly, as verified during last years Loire road trip, the french diet does not agree with me. My body tells me firmly and repeatedly that gluten, dairy, alcohol, caffeine and too much sugar don't agree with me and that's just how it is.

Still when so many french people are out there living healthy, happy goats cheese filled lives I find it hard to accept that I can't.

Even if buttery brioche and cheese and ham crepes don't float your boat (how can they not?), I'm sure most of you have experienced some diet envy towards a friend of colleague at some point - the girl at work who eats cake and chocolates whilst staying perfectly slim, the guy friend whose dinner consists of beer and pizza but still has a six pack - but we have to accept that our bodies all react slightly differently to the food and environment that we present them with.

It would be frankly pretty dull if we were all clones who could eat the same way, and our differences are what define us so we should celebrate and accept them all, instead of fighting them.

I might be half french but I'll never be able to live off a diet of bread and cheese. If that's the price I have to pay for feeling healthy and happy I can accept that!
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