Welcome back to the next step in this series: How to Lose Weight Elegantly & Have The Body You Want.

This week I want you to continue asking your soul what it desires to eat, but now I want you eat that food in a way that is very “Français”.

Let me explain.

When I lived with a family in France for a year, I experienced the relationship they had with food first hand.

French people truly focus on the pleasure of food.

And, every meal time is an experience.  They don’t rush. They don’t eat at different times from each other, and they certainly don’t eat unconsciously.

Non, they sit down and focus on dining.

• There is thought and care taken in the presentation of the food.
• Beloved platters are used to serve the food.
• Every meal has some sort of ritual.

And because of all this, they eat gorgeous food and rarely worry about how to lose weight.

So, let me share how you can use the French tenets of PLEASURE & BEAUTY to attain & maintain your ideal body.

Le Petit Déjeuner

Morning tea is served in a bowl which they sip slowly while enjoying one tartine (baguette with fresh butter and homemade jam).

You would not normally see a French woman quickly make herself a coffee and then drink it half cold because “the kids” demanded her attention. Non, non!

The children would be a part of this morning ritual, but their drink would be whole (often farm fresh) milk with chocolate powder.

Le Déjeuner

Lunch time is famous in France because everything shuts down so that people can enjoy their meal experience. People often go home for a hot meal and nap or dine with friends, a lover, or close colleagues at a local café.

They would never sit in front of the TV or computer unconsciously eating their lunch.

They also would never eat food out of plastic containers. Mais, non!

They always make sure their food looks beautiful. Garnishing the food, presenting it nicely and eating it with the best dinnerware & silverware is a common French practice.

Le Dîner

Once again, the French create a ritual and an experience around dinner time.

Normally they eat a light dinner then follow it with a plate of different fromages and a basket of sliced baguette.

To finish the meal there is usually something sweet, but not always. They listen to their bodies, just like you are practising to do right now.

Later in this series I’ll be sharing with you some gorgeous options for each meal, but for now, I want you to practice asking your soul what it would like.

Remember, your soul will guide you on what to eat as well as how much. Listen.

There is no need to judge what your soul asks for based on old beliefs, just be sure that it is presented beautifully so that you fully enjoy it.

Tips for Creating an Experience at Each Meal

1. Think of Breakfast as Le Petit Dejeuner. 

Ask your soul, “What do you desire to eat this morning?”

Listen.

Give it what it desires and ENJOY it! How?

Create a morning ritual for yourself!

• Could you use a French Tea/Café Bowl to sip your tea or coffee?
• Could you light a special candle that you love?
• How about turn on some high vibration music that makes you feel happy?
• How about having a few “go-to” options that you absolutely adore?

2. Focus on enjoying Lunch  & Dinner like Le Déjeuner & Le Dîner.

Ask your soul, “What would you like to eat for lunch/dinner?”

Then think how you could create a ritual around your Déjeuner & Diner.

Also, how could you beautify your Déjeuner & Dîner?

• Could you keep a beautiful plate at work to eat your home prepared lunch off of?
• Could you use a cloth napkin?
• Could you light candles or dim the lights?
• Could you use your best silverware?
• Could you drink your water with a slice of lemon from a wine glass?
• Could you savour a dark chocolate truffle after dinner with a cup of tea?

Ask your soul what it would like to eat for lunch and dinner and then ENJOY it fully.

3. Enjoy “Le Goûter”.

In France, le goûter is a late afternoon snack. It’s direct translation is: to taste, to try, to enjoy.

Children in France have longer school hours so when they arrive home they are ready for a sweet snack.

Workers in France also head to cafés to enjoy something sweet, usually with a hot beverage.

This is a beautiful nationwide ritual that makes the time between meals…well, sorry to repeat myself,  a pleasurable experience!

I don’t know about you, but every time a diet book suggested eating carrot sticks and hummus for an afternoon snack I grimaced.  It just didn’t feel pleasurable!

Keep following this series as I will definitely share a goûter that is a sweet favourite in my home!

4. Bring out your “good” dishes, cups and silverware.

This may seem trivial, but trust me, it makes a massive difference and has a ripple effect into every experience and relationship you have with food and eating.

When eating off a beautiful plate you might be moved to slow down while eating. You may even be inspired to talk about different topics.

You may choose to eat different foods or serve different portion sizes. Who knows! Flow with this and see where it takes you. (Watch the video above to see some of the plates, silverware, serving dishes and cups that I use every single day!)

If you don’t have any dinnerware that feels beautiful to you, then may I highly suggest that you make a special trip to your favourite department store or kitchen specialty shop this week and purchase even just 1 special plate, bowl, cup and silverware set that you will use from now on.

Really, please do this for yourself.

5. Play la Musique to enhance your dining experience.

Music creates a pleasurable ambience for preparing and enjoying one’s food.

With the French, Jazz is very popular as is new and old french singers. Charles Aznavour anyone?

At my home, Parisian Jazz from my favourite Jazz app is always playing while I cook, tidy up the dishes and enjoy eating with my family.

It makes us SO happy!

My cleaner giggles when she sees me dance around singing to my French songs. One day she said, “Oh Madame, you are so happy in the kitchen!”

Eating is a Spiritual Experience

Stay with me here.

When I had my spiritual experience 6 years ago, I shifted to knowing that my body is just Divine, loving energy condensed into form.

All I wanted to do from that moment on was to help expand this loving energy into the world.

Everything that brings me pleasure expands this energy.

Everything that truly gives my soul JOY expands this energy.

Every time I am in the presence of beauty I expand this energy.

So, use this week to tune into your soul (your Divinity) and continue asking it what it would like to eat for le petit dejéuner, le dejéuner, le goûter et le dîner and then ENJOY it as pleasurably and beautifully as you can.

I’ll see you next week where we will dive more deeply into certain foods and how they can serve your body & soul.

With Love,