I HATE when they do that. Supermarket giants, Carrefour and Monoprix (110 stores in total) have announced a 2.5 ton recall of E-coli contaminated meat.

The thing is, they always wait until most of the meat has already been consumed (unless it was frozen by consumers). In any case, they really are evil.

If you bought packaged ground beef at Carrefour or Monoprix last week, please return the contaminated meat to the store (see store list below).

Information
Meat: steaks hachés / ground beef
Dates issued: between March 10 and March 18
Originating company: Socopa
List of stores selling the contaminated meat: Click here
Hotline: 0.800.773.800

An added important NOTE: Though the store, ED, is not listed, please be aware that it is owned by Carrefour, so the likelihood of contaminated meat at ED, is very high.

[source: france 2, le monde]

From AP:

“Nantes — About 3,000 barrels of fuel oil leaked in and along the Loire River after a pipe ruptured while a tanker was being loaded at a Total refinery, the company said Monday.

Rescue teams used floating dams and Total mobilized a 200-person cleanup team to cope with the 400-ton spill at the Donges refinery in western France that began late Sunday, the company said in a statement.

Local officials said chunks of solidified oil were spotted on Atlantic Ocean estuary beaches, and fuel was seen floating along 12 miles of river Monday evening.

Total spokesman Burkhard Reuss said the cause of the rupture was not immediately clear. The company was trying to determine how long it took for the leakage of oil to be stopped, he said.

The Donges refinery produces about 230,000 barrels per day, he said.”

Growing up in SoCal meant living a life where I rarely experienced gray weather days. Southern Californians don’t realize how LUCKY they are, in terms of getting lots of bright light. They take it for granted.

If you ever leave, like I did, you soon discover that living in a place with LOTS of gray days – does something weird to you. The lack of real sunshine over an extended period of time makes me feel BLAH. I don’t get depressed and certainly not a full on seasonal affective disorder (SAD) like many people get, but I do feel lethargic and feel like I’m lacking in some nutrition! (probably vitamin D)

You don’t have to worry about that crappy feeling, I’ve found, if you have full spectrum lightbulbs installed in your home, and luckily they exist here in France. They’re called, Les ampoules à spectre complet, and they closely mimick the sun’s natural light. They’re safe, and energy-efficient and some are also ampoules ionisantes, which are full spectrum bulbs that also purify the air and even eliminate odors from rooms. (I have some of these and they really work.)

They take just a little while to get used to, but you’ll realize that your eyes don’t tire as quickly and you can actually see better. It’s a strange, but pleasant sensation, and you’ll never go back to traditional bulbs or halogen lights ever again. Your electricity bills will go way down and your plants will love the bulb, too.

These bulbs are excellent for artists, too, because with them, they will see a truer color on whatever they are working on.

A Note: Full spectrum energy saving bulbs are not to be confused with regular energy-saving bulbs out there that are not necessarily full-spectrum. Some of these latter bulbs (the cheap ones, usually) are not very safe (because the glass is not protected), and contain mercury (which is hazardous in the home especially if they break, and later become an environmental nightmare).

Last Note: You might find cheaper full-spectrum bulbs elsewhere but please make sure the glass has the necessary protective coating against harmful rays. The bulbs from Espace Ampoules are coated and tested to be safe.

If you’re interested and live in France, here’s where I order my bulbs online:

Espace Ampoules
Vignerux
71550 Cussy en Morvan
France
Telephone : 08.77.13.70.38

Website: Espace Ampoules (in English and French)

The French documentary, “Le Monde Selon Monsanto / The world according to Monsanto,” directed by independent filmmaker Marie-Monique Robin, airs tonight on ARTE.

The film paints a grim picture of a no-holds-barred evil corporation with a decades-long track record of environmental crimes, health scandals and endangering the population of the entire world.

It will open your eyes to many things and you’ll never look at food the same way again.

Read about it at ARTE (in French) More about it here (in English)

See the movie trailer here

Maybe, just maybe once during your trips to France, you will venture out of “the comfort zone” of your little Paris. Yes! There’s a whole ‘nother world outside of Paris that might amaze you even more than looking at the teeny tiny, glass-enveloped, security guarded, popularity queen, The Mona Lisa, which could quite possibly be a replica (Ok, the latter is just my own conspiracy theory).

A little detour to Provence (south of France) will literally be a welcome breath of fresh air once you exit the cities. We’ve been in Provence, of course at our favorite Après La Sieste, the best place to stay in Provence, in our humble opinions. In addition to being the most beautiful and relaxing B&B ever, they have a heated salinated pool, (which is like being in a comfortable hotspring more so than like being in a chlorinated pond), and an in-house chef for a memorable gastronomic meal that goes perfectly with local wines from the famous Chateauneuf du pape.

After exploring the region’s lavender fields, the surrounding “most beautiful villages in France,” the seaside Camargue and Callanques, the wine cellars and vineyards for tasting award-winning wines and more, you may, after all the day’s activities, feel pretty beat albeit happy. Lucky you because if you stay with Jacques and Chloe at Apres la Sieste, you can get a heavenly massage, a perfect Provençale denouement.

Apres la Sieste’s newest addition is an in-house masseuse, who will erase your little aches and pains and simply make you feel wonderful. You might not ever want to leave.

Apres la Sieste opens officially for the season on March 21.

Après La Sieste
2 suites, 3 rooms; breakfast included
Contact: Jacques et Chloé (English and French spoken)
Email: info@apreslasieste.com
Website: Après La Sieste
(Visit their site for more room photos, massage and chef meals details and rates)
Telephone : +33 4 66 50 33 94
Mobile Phone: +33 6 61 84 58 40

From chiefengineer:

“Thousands of canisters of highly radioactive waste from the world’s most nuclear-energized nation lie, silent and deadly, beneath this jutting tip of Normandy. Above ground, cows graze and Atlantic waves crash into heather-covered hills.

The spent fuel, vitrified into blocks of black glass that will remain dangerous for thousands of years, is in “interim storage.” Like nearly all the world’s nuclear waste, it is still waiting for the long-term disposal solution that has eluded scientists and governments in the six decades since the atomic era began.

…Greenpeace questions state-run Areva’s safety figures, and accuses the government of playing down accidents and soil and water contamination. A group called Meres en Colere, or Angry Mothers, was formed in the region (Normandy) after a 1997 study showed higher than usual local rates of child leukemia, a malady linked to radiation exposure.

Now the “pros” are on a new mission to dispel a generation of scares and suspicion, saying nuclear power is less dangerous to humans and the Earth than burning oil or coal. The “antis” say nuclear energy can never offer 100 percent protection from its radioactive ingredients.

The splitting of uranium atoms in a nuclear reactor creates the exceptional heat that drives turbines to provide electricity. The processes also create radioactive isotopes such as cesium-137 and strontium-90 that take about 30 years to lose half their radioactivity. Higher-level leftovers include plutonium-239, with a half-life of 24,000 years.

Direct exposure to such highly radioactive material, even for a short period, can be fatal. Indirect exposure, through seepage into groundwater, can lead to life-threatening illness for those living nearby and environmental damage.

For now, the best scientific solution for getting rid of the most lethal waste is to shove it deep underground.

Yet no country has built a deep geological repository. Governments meet protests each time one is proposed. The Yucca Mountain waste site in Nevada was commissioned in 1982 and is still awaiting a license.

Another option is recycling. Countries such as France, Russia and Japan reprocess much nuclear waste into new fuel. That dramatically reduces the volume: Forty years’ worth of France’s highly radioactive waste is stored under just three floor surfaces, each about the size of a basketball court, at Beaumont-Hague.

Recycling, though, produces plutonium that could be used in nuclear weapons – so the United States bans it, fearing proliferation.

And not all waste can be reprocessed. The deadliest bits – such as fuel rod casings and other reactor parts as well as concentrated fuel residue containing plutonium and highly enriched uranium – must be sealed and stored away.

That’s what lurks 10 feet underground at this Normandy plant: More than 7,000 cylindrical steel canisters, each about the height of a parking meter, stacked and sealed upright in holes beneath the slick floor. Some contain compacted radioactive metal, the others hold spent fuel that has been vitrified into glass.

Among other ideas once floated for disposing of nuclear waste have been shooting it into space (deemed too risky because of the volatile rocket fuel) or injecting it in the ocean floor (stalled because testing its feasibility is too costly), or shipping all the world’s waste to a collective nuclear dump….”

Read the article

Me: Sweetie, why do French doctors make you take off your clothes even if you’re there for something like a foot problem? Or say, you have a sore throat or something like that.

Him: I dunno.

Me: Like, if I break my finger, why on earth would I need to take off my clothes?

Him. Must just be routine. They need to listen to your heart or something so you have to take off your clothes.

Me: AND they don’t even give you a paper gown or anything! It gets cold, you know.

Him: Well maybe they don’t want to get their stethoscope dirty on clothes.

Me: Pfff. They don’t need to make you take EVERYTHING off. They can loosen your shirt and reach the steth in there. WHY DON’T THEY?

Me: Plus some people’s skin is dirtier than their clothes.

Him: Calm down. What’s the big deal? Maybe it’s a French thing, haha.

Me: It’s weird! It’s pervy and it’s unnecessary nakedness!!

Him: I guess French docs are pervs.

Me: I’m never getting sick again.

More Franco-American Conversations

[For Chris C]

Cheap cheap fish! Here’s an ad (from one of the hypermarches in France) for the fish called Pangas (also known as Pangasius, Vietnamese River Cobbler, Basa Fish and White Catfish). I took it as a reminder to alert you to the dangers of this weird fish. I learned about Pangas not long ago. It’s online here: Documentary all about Pangas.(in French)

Poisson ou poison?

Pangas, which are industrially farmed in Vietnam along the Mekong River, has only been recently introduced to the French market, but in a very short time, it’s gotten very popular in France. The French are slurping up Pangas like it’s their last meal of ramen. It’s dirt cheap, is sold de-boned and it has a mild flavor and texture; people compare it to cod and sole. But as tasty as some may find it, there lurks something immensely unsavory about it. I’m not saying there aren’t problems with other food like pork and other meats, I’m just making a point about this particular fish and hope it will serve as very important information for you and your future choices.

Here’s why I think it should be avoided like the plague:

1. Pangas are infested with high levels of poisons and bacteria. (arsenic, industrial effluents and toxic and hazardous by-products of the growing industrial sector, metal contaminants, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), DDT and its metabolites (DDTs), chlordane-related compounds (CHLs), hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs), and hexachlorobenzene (HCB)). The Mekong River is one of the most polluted rivers on the planet and this is where pangas are farmed.A sidenote: our friend lab tests pangas and tells us to avoid eating them due to high amounts of contamination. They are still accepted by large markets and they still sell them to the general public knowing they are contaminated.

2. Pangas are packed frozen in contaminated river water. Ew.

3. Pangas are environmentally devastating, a most unsustainable food you could possibly eat – You know how you should “buy local” in order to create the least amount of environmental harm as possible? This is the very opposite end of that spectrum of sustainable consumerism. Pangas are raised in Vietnam. The food fed to Pangas comes from Peru (more on that below), their hormones (which are injected into the female Pangas) come from China. (More about that below) THEN, they are transported from Vietnam to France. That’s not just a giant carbon foot print, that’s a carbon continent of a foot print.

4. There’s nothing natural about Pangas – They’re fed dead fish remnants and bones, dried and ground into a flour, from South America, manioc (cassava) and residue from soy and grains. Obviously, this type of nourishment doesn’t even remotely resemble what they eat in a natural environment. But what it does resemble is the method of feeding mad cows (cows were fed cows, remember?) What they feed pangas is completely unregulated so there are most likely other harmful substances and hormones thrown into the mix. The pangas grow 4 times faster than in nature…so what is exactly in their food? You guess is as good as mine.

5. Pangas are Injected with PEE – Honestly, I don’t know how they figured this one out but they’ve discovered that if they inject female Pangas with hormones derived from the dehydrated urine of pregnant women, the female Pangas grow faster and produce their eggs faster (one Panga can lay approximately 500,000 eggs at one time). Essentially, they’re injecting fish with hormones (they come all of the way from a pharmaceutical company in China) to speed up the process of growth and reproduction. That just can’t be good. Ok, now some of you crazy ass people out there might not mind eating fish injected with dehydrated pee and if you don’t good for you, but just consider the rest of the reasons to NOT eat it.

6. You get what you pay for – and then some. Don’t be lured in by insanely cheap price of Pangas. Is it worth risking your health?

7. Buying Pangas supports unscrupulous, giant, greedy evil corporations that don’t care about the health and well-being of humans. They only are concerned about selling as many pangas as possible to unsuspecting consumers. These corporations only care about bottom line.

8. Pangas will make you sick – If (for reasons in #1 above) you don’t get immediately ill with vomiting, diarrhea and effects from severe food poisoning, congratulations, you have an iron stomach! But you’re still ingesting POISON not poisson.

Another note: due to the prodigious amount of availability of Pangas, be warned that it will surely end up in other foods: surimi (those pressed fish things), fish terrines, and probably in some pet foods. (Warn your dogs and cats!)

Watch this Report on Pangas

(Video excerpt from Capitale on M6, which aired about 3 months ago)

Links: Buying fish in France, Le Panga, nouvelle abération de la mondialisation ?, carnival of the green

From ENN:

It’s widely known that lead poisoning poses a threat to public health. The metal’s negative effect on the nervous system as well as its propensity to cause renal and cardiovascular diseases has promoted the FDA to continually lower the legal limit of lead content in paint, children’s toys, and playground substrate since the late 70’s.

In October ’07, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics released an alarming report, “A Poison Kiss,” on the lead content of lipstick. They found that more than half of the name brand lipsticks tested contained detectable levels of lead. France’s Largest Cosmetic company’s L’Oreal Colour Riche “True Red” topped the list at .65 ppm lead. Even Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer Merlot contains lead (less than .1 ppm.) However, with a little bit of research and awareness, you can find safer (and environmentally friendly) lipsticks.

From Reuters:

“Americans may eat it if they want, but the agriculture minister of France said on Thursday that if offered a dish of cloned meat, he’d have to say “non.”

Asked if he would eat cloned foods, Michel Barnier told a radio interviewer: “No. You ask me a direct question, I reply no. There is no question of it for now.”

“I think there are ethical problems and problems of social acceptability and we are not going to start copying the American model,” he said in the interview with RMC radio.

The agriculture chief of Europe’s biggest agricultural foods producer, and arguably the world’s most food-conscious country, was speaking after Europe’s food safety agency and the main U.S. health agency declared cloned food products safe to eat.

Confirmation this week by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that food from cloned animals and their offspring is as safe as other food means meat and milk from cloned offspring will enter the food supply before long.

Europe’s top food safety agency also declared this month that cloned food products are safe to eat but has yet to give the green light to marketing cloned food products to consumers.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has opened a consultation process with member states and industry until February 25 before giving its final opinion in May.

Barnier said France would push for a reformed agricultural policy across the bloc which would favor traditional methods of farming and would reject cloning.“

From ENN:

French farmer Jose Bove, who became a worldwide celebrity for his fight against junk food, said on Monday he would go on a hunger strike to win a one-year ban on genetically modified (GMO) crops.

Speaking at the Millau Court of Justice in southern France, where his four-month jail sentence for trashing a GMO field in 2004 was commuted to a fine, Bove said he would start his unlimited hunger strike on January 3, along with 10 to 15 other activists.

The walrus-mustachioed, pipe-smoking Bove, sometimes dubbed France’s Robin Hood, spent six weeks in jail in 2003 for smashing up a McDonald’s restaurant in protest at tariffs imposed by the United States in retaliation for a European Union ban on imports of North American hormone-treated beef.
While GMO crops are common in the United States, France — Europe’s biggest grain producer — along with other European nations remain highly suspicious of them.

Supporters say it could lead to hardy strains to help…

Continue reading

You might have noticed that someone has painted the town pink. At least the Velib seats, anyway.

“Operation Act Up” has hit Velibs across Paris with a simple message: “et vous, vous faites quoi pour vous protéger?” – What are YOU doing to protect yourself?

Prevent the spread of AIDS by using condoms. Here’s a video at dailymotion.

[via]

This clip was left out of the original movie (Sicko) because it was said to be unbelievable and people wouldn’t believe it because it was too good to be true.

Watch the clip

Related: The Cost of Re-attaching 2 Fingertips in France, Sicko, Health Care Alternatives, A Good Reason to Travel to France

Phew! Now I no longer have to lose sleep wondering about why magnesium is a universal remedy for everything in France.

Over an 18-year period, French researchers determined that men with the highest blood levels of magnesium are 40 percent less likely to die of any cause than those with the lowest levels. Magnesium can make multivitamins too bulky, so add a 250 milligram (mg) pill to your daily regimen.

40 % less likely to die of any cause! That is amazing. ‘Cept. What about women?

[Thanks for the tip, Jon!]

Related: Vitamins in France , Guide to Better Vitamin Shopping

Him: LOL. Did you hear about the ride, “It’s a Small World” at Disneyland?

Me: No, what happened?

Him: Disneyland has to replace the boats to accommodate fat Americans. hahaha!

Me: Glad you’re having a good laugh about that – but that’s going to happen to Disneyland Paris, eventually. The rise in obesity isn’t just an American thing. It’s happening in France, too.

Him: I know – but it’s still funny about fat Americans.

Me: The French are getting a kick out of that, aren’t they?

Him: Probably. Lots of our friends think it’s funny. * giggle*

British retirees, the gravy train is over.

From The Telegraph

“Thousands of Britons who have taken early retirement and moved to France are to lose free health care under radical reforms introduced by France’s new president.

In his drive to kick-start the French economy by creating a culture of hard work, Nicolas Sarkozy believes those who chose to retire early – under 65 – should not benefit from free health care.

During his election campaign earlier this year Mr Sarkozy said: “If you think 53 makes you old enough to retire, then fine, go ahead and retire. But don’t expect the state to pay for it.”

As a result, thousands of Britons living across France were sent “brutal” letters last week from the department of social security informing them that they would no longer be welcomed as non-paying customers of France’s hugely efficient – and traditionally extremely generous – national health service.

The letter stated that, under a change of rules which is due to…”

Read the article

france retirement in france british living in france retirement

Nuit Blanche / White Night
October 6 – 7, 2007
The night Paris does not go to sleep is coming up in a few days! Grab a zillion cups of coffee or get some great guarana so you can stay up all night for Paris’ humungous block party. (Read about Nuit Blanche here)

Website: Paris Nuit Blanche (For more information and a schedule)

Fête des Vendages de Montmartre / Montmartre Harvest Festival
Oct 12, 13, 14, 2007
Website: Fête des Vendages de Montmartre
Surprisingly, there’s some wine growing and making in Paris in the Montmartre area and every year there’s a 3-day harvest festival celebrating with live entertainment (Carla Bruni, Olivia Ruiz, etc.) focusing on a special homage to Brassens; There’ll be lots of stands, food and of course, wine.

Salon Zen
Oct 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 2007
Paris Expo Espace Champerret
6, rue Jean-Oestreicher 75017 Paris
Website: Salon Rentrez Zen
Discover ways to stay Zen in this increasingly hectic world. Find the best spas, relaxation equipment, reflexology or yoga classes to keep yourself well and stress-free.

Fête de la Bande Dessinée / Comic Book Festival
Oct 13-14, 2007
Hôtel de Ville
25405 Audincourt
Website: Fête de la Bande Dessinée
The 25th Comic Book Festival! No one loves comics better than the French and every year thousands gather to meet their favorite illustrators and artists and attend workshops, films and generally have a great time at this favorite yearly event.

Lire en Fête / Reading Festival
Oct 19, 20, 21, 2007
Website: Lire en Fête
This year’s theme, “One City, One Masterpiece,” expresses itself all over France with a variety of events as they relate to the appreciation of literature and reading, in general. Search for events in your area here.

Le Salon du Chocolat / Paris Chocolate Expo
Oct 19, 20, 21, 2007
Porte de Versailles, Hall 5, Paris
Website: Le Salon du Chocolat
If you’re a true chocolate lover, you already know about this event. This is a good time to grab lots and lots of chocolate, and to gorge yourself on the best chocolate around. There’ll be 130 chocolate makers so you’ll have a myriad of choices.

Cuisinez! Expo / Cooking Expo
Oct 26, 27, 28, 2007
Carrousel du Louvre, Paris
Website: Cuisinez! Expo
Dedicated to all the people passionate about cooking, this will be heaven for you! Take cooking workshops, meet famous chefs and stock up on kitchen supplies and appliances.

Old Man: I bought bread in the supermarket bakery and gave it to my rabbits. But they wouldn’t touch it!

Baker: I don’t blame them.

Old Man: I wonder why they didn’t eat it.

Baker: That stuff is filled with chemical sh*t and other unnatural ingredients. I wouldn’t even call it bread.

Old Man: Many people eat that chemical sh*t. It’s a shame.

Baker: Well, they shouldn’t. They should come to my bakery. (wink!)

Toxic Corp is recruiting replacement smokers. Apply now!

This spot has been running on TV recently and is well worth a mention for its tongue-in-cheekiness juxtaposed with a soberingly unhumorous message. Produced by the INPES (Institut national de prévention et d’éducation pour la santé / Nat’l Health Inst. of Education and Prevention) and the Alliance contre le tabac (Alliance against tobacco), the two organizations have been working to inculcate the dangerous consequences of smoking in young people – who are the prime targets for tobacco companies. (Yes! Tobacco companies really ARE looking for Replacement Smokers!)

The Ugly Statistics in France

* Tobacco is the prime cause of avoidable death in France, and the prime cause of cancer. (66,000 deaths per year)
* 42% of 15 to 24 year olds are smokers versus 29% of 25 to 75 year olds.
* There’s a strong increase in the number of smokers with age: from 34% of smokers between 15 and 19 years old, to 51% between 20 and 24 years old.
* On the other hand, only 54% of smokers from ages 15 to 24 want to quit versus 62% of smokers ages 25 to 75.

Here’s what they’re saying on this PSA and a translation. (Click on the photo above to see the video.)

Vous êtes jeune, en bonne sante.
Rejoignez Toxic Corp et devenez “Replacement smokers” !
Votre naiveté et votre inexpérience sont pour nous un vrai plus .
Chaque année , 270,000 jeunes courageux et motivés
sont prêts à absorber plus de 50 substances cancérigènes
pour nous aider à soutenir nos bénéfices .
Comme eux , saisissez cette chance
et remplacez dès aujourd’hui
l’un de nos fidèles fumeurs décédés !
Votre avenir est en marche , n’hésitez plus .

Le tabac tue un fumeur sur deux.
L’industrie du tabac doit les remplacer.

Translation
You’re young and in good health.
Join Toxic Corp and become a Replacement Smoker!
Your naivete and inexperience is a real plus for us.
Every year, 270,000 courageous and motivated youths
are prepared to breathe in more than 50 carcinogenic substances
to help us support the bottom line.
Like them, seize this opportunity
and from today on, replace one of our dead loyal smokers!
Your future is ahead of you. Join now.

Tagline:
Tabacco kills one out of 2 smokers.
The tobacco industry must replace them.

Source Links: Toxic Corp, INPES

Yuck. Well, eating a worm from China in these fake chocolate “Rochers”, PROBABLY won’t kill you, and they’d be a good form of protein, but I’d most likely scream so loudly after seeing it, that I’d be heard in Switzerland.

Following the U.S., France is finding dangerous, contaminated food products coming from China. I can’t seem to find a complete list of items but here is one list that was cited on this newscast. It lists products for France, as well as for other European countries. Most recently, they’ve found toothpaste containing antifreeze (because antifreeze is cheaper than gliserine!) for the following brands (that I never heard of): Terpan, Fresdent, and Gilchrist & Soamez.

[via France2]

France has been the only place I’ve noticed where doctors will prescribe vitamins to sick patients, instead of medication. Wait. I think I was prescribed vitamins in Germany once. So maybe it’s a European thing. It’s sort of the opposite of les etats-unis! Anyway, this is what some vitamins look like here: liquid in small glass vials, about 4 inches long. You break off the ends of the vials to pour it into a cup with juice or water, then drink it. These B complex vitamins were prescribed by a doctor to my sweetie for a number of ailments including fatigue, but I don’t think they changed his fatigue level at all. The doctor also prescribed magnesium, which seems to be a cure-all in France, I swear. It’s everywhere. (Have you seen how magnesium is all over water products and cereals and gobs of other products?) Anyway, the magnesium gave him leg cramps. So for a while we had a bunch of vitamins sitting around.

If you have vitamins that you no longer use, and they haven’t expired, you can give them back to the pharmacy, so they can dispose of them properly (they most likely reuse the unexpired returns, though I’m not sure).

A note: I recently found out that some B vitamins are crap vitamins. They actually call them JUNK vitamins and apparently, these will drain your body of energy. To tell the junk vitamins from the quality (premethylated) vitamins, look at the label.

“Cheap vitamins (non-methylated) will use standardized “USP” vitamins such as “Thiamin USP (thiamin HCL) vitamin B1.” That’s the chemical form of vitamin B1, and it actually requires a donation of cellular energy from your body before you can use it. The form of B12 in cheap vitamins is cyanocobalamin.

Quality vitamins, on the other hand, will use the “coenzyme” forms of the B vitamins. These will often be listed with the word “coenzyme,” and the form of vitamin B12 will appear as either methylcobalamin or hydroxycobalamin. That’s a sure sign of a high-end, quality multivitamin…” [from Newstarget]

The French Paradox is a so-called “phenomenon” concerning the fact that people in France consume lots of food rich in saturated fats (butter, cheese, eggs, whole milk, foie gras and other animal livers, animal fats and all kinds of meats including bacon, etc.) and cholesterol, yet in general, have a much lower incidence of heart disease. This is only paradoxical if you naively believe that natural saturated fats causes heart disease.

Believe what you will, but the reason why Americans suffer a high rate of coronary heart disease is related to too much industrially processed foods, an insufficient amount of Omega 3 fatty acids, too much polyunsaturated vegetable oils, trans fats (hydrogenated fats found in junk food and in margarine), refined sugar, family history of heart disease, lack of fresh veggies, consumption of unbalanced meals and a sedentary lifestyle (to name only some factors; there are more). Of course, the relationship between diet and heart disease is much more complicated that the above factors. But basically, scientists have been too quick to announce what is good and bad for people. Afterall, what kind of condition are Americans in now? They are freakin’ obese. Clearly, they are doing something wrong.

In addition to their saturated fatty diet of cheese, creams meats and the like, the French also eat all kinds of vegetables and fruit – and exercise in one form or another plays an important part in the whole picture. It has to. However, probably the main thing I can say about most French cooking is that it is relatively simple, using basic ingredients cooking with traditional fats: butter, lard, chicken and beef fats, along with vegetables and non-industrial ingredients. These kinds of traditional fats are stable at high temperatures so they are the best to cook with and don’t lose any nutrients, whereas when cooking with some other oils like sunflower, shortening, soybean, canola or corn oil, they oxidize and create carcinogens or simply strip nutrients from the oil at high temperatures. These oils also raise bad cholesterol (LDL) and reduce good cholesterol ((HDL). Just a quick note here: During  the 1900s in the U.S. when cooking involved using saturated fats like butter and lard, heart disease was rare. It was later on when traditional fats were replaced by margarine, shortening and other polyunsaturated oils, that things changed dramatically. By the 1950s, heart disease was the leading cause of death in the U.S.

It makes me sad that people have been fooled into thinking that things like margarine, skim milk and egg white omelets are good for them. They aren’t. First, margarine is a trans fat and causes heart disease. Second, anything SKIM tastes like crap, and your body actually needs fat to help digest protein – also you need the fat otherwise your body will not be able to absorb the calcium. This is probably why there are so many dieting girls in their 20s who have osteoporosis and their brittle bones resemble those of very old people. They completely cut fat out of their diets and are suffering the consequences. While we’re on the subject a milk, avoid not just industrial milk (which contains growth hormones and other icky things), but also try to stay away from powdered milk of any kind. The process that makes milk powdered creates oxidized, damaged cholesterol. Some foods containing powdered milk: yogurt, lowfat cheese, cake mixes, cocoa mixes, candy bars, baked goods, etc.

Regarding the egg white diet. If you are a egg white only kind of person, cut it out! That said, eat pastured eggs (not industrial eggs), they are actually good for your heart. The whole cholesterol phobia was based on fear and immature science. Today, we know that when we talk about cholesterol, it’s more important to see what the body actually does with the LDL and HDL cholesterols, rather than simply looking at foods that contain cholesterol in them. You just have to look at the whole picture.

Pastured eggs contain vitamins A and E, more monosaturated fats, beta carotene, and lutein. They also have more omega 3 fats, which prevent diabetes, heart disease, obesity and depression. The ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fats in pastured eggs is perfect, being 1:1. You see, the egg white and yolk were meant to stay together, the way nature created them; without the other, you’ll get an unbalanced food. Don’t ignore the yolk! Yolks have the highest concentrations of biotin, a B vitamin necessary for healthy skin, hair and nerves. Biotin is also essential for digestion of fat and protein. A last word about eggs: Don’t eat industrial eggs, liquid eggs, powdered eggs, egg substitutes or pasteurized eggs. Stick with free-range eggs laid by happy, pastured hens.

Basically what I’m trying to say is stay away from industrial and processed foods. Stick with simple traditional balanced foods, don’t overeat and get some exercise. Also remember that grass-fed beef is better for your health than factory beef. This is what the French do. It’s as simple as that.

Some silly wine trivia: In 1991 when the TV show 60 Minutes aired a program about the French paradox, red wine consumption in the U.S. increased by 44%! Did that help them? Don’t think so.

Sources: The Book – Real Food: What to Eat and Why, Wikipedia

Let me introduce you to the nemesis in France that should never ever come in close proximity to your mouth: any fish from warm waters. Some advice. Stay away from it!

I’ll explain.

A friend of ours I’ll call Nemo (not his real name), who works as a quality assurance agent for a very large chain of hypermarkets* in France told us something that compelled me to share with everyone, specifically to expats shopping for fish in any hypermarché in France. This warning applies to everyone as well of course, but honestly, I don’t worry as much about the French, only because I feel that they have much more resistance to food poisoning. Really. It must have something to do with growing up eating camembert.

Anyway, we never buy fish in these large markets but I know many people do. So, here’s the warning: Don’t buy fish coming from bodies of water that are warm, those fish being primarily from Asia. Stores usually indicate where the fish is from originally so you can get an idea about the quality of fish and its edibility (or poison-ability).

Nemo tells us that when he tests fish, he applies a substance on the fish and if there’s evidence of bacteria or other contamination, a black dot will appear. A fish is deemed OK for eating if there are no more than about 6 dots. He finds that fish from warm waters are so laden with bacteria that they are completely covered in black after testing. Clearly, these fish are not fit for consumption, but the hypermarket, being the greedy, exploiting, unethical, evil SOBs that they are, ignored our friend’s recommendation to dispose of this inedible fish. They chose to sell all of the contaminated fish to unsuspecting consumers.

Needless to say, there’s a LOT of contaminated fish out there! Nemo is disgusted and is in search of a new job.

The positive part of this whole thing is that Nemo tells us the fish from the North Atlantic or any cold body of water, generally produces relatively fresh fish, much safer to eat.

* Take your guess at which hypermarché, however, chances are that they all share similar philosophies about “quality assurance” and the bottom line.

Is France on to something? I noticed these cans of “sans OGM” (non genetically modified or non-GMO) corn on the shelves of a nearby supermarket. The other cans did not specify that they were non-GMO, but weeks later when I went back to the market, ALL of the other brands, including the generic discount brand followed suit and were marked NON GMO. I am grateful they’re labeling this information in France, which unfortunately for Americans, isn’t the case for GMO products in the U.S. Whether you care about GMO or not, it’s always good to be informed about what you’re eating.

It made me wonder about the dangers of GMO. Here’s what I found:

“The environmental protection organization Greenpeace has long said genetically modified maize could be a health hazard. Now, in a new study, a group of French scientists have also expressed their doubts about the corn.” from French Scientists Express Doubt About Genetically Modified Corn

“We are confronted with what is undoubtedly the single most potent technology the world has ever known – more powerful even than atomic energy. Yet it is being released throughout our environment and deployed with superficial or no risk assessments – as if no one needs to worry an iota about its unparalleled powers to harm life as we know it – and for all future generations.” from 50 Harmful Effects of Genetically Modified Foods

“Despite an increasing number of scientists warning that current gene-splicing techniques are crude, inexact, and unpredictable — and therefore inherently dangerous — pro-biotech governments and regulatory agencies, led by the US, maintain that GE foods and crops are “substantially equivalent” to conventional foods, and therefore require neither mandatory labeling nor pre-market safety-testing. This Brave New World of Frankenfoods is frightening.” from Hazards of Genetically Engineered Foods & Crops

“There’s a war on in Europe, and most Americans have hardly heard about it. It concerns the safety of something very basic to human life: our food. Why are we so uninformed while European consumers are up in arms and their governments are taking swift action against the uncontrolled introduction of genetically modified foods?” from Toxicity From Genetically-Engineered Foods

“The corn in question, MON863, is made by the Monsanto Company and approved for use in Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, and the United States. It has had a gene inserted from the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which causes the plant’s cells to produce a pesticide.” from Monsanto’s GM corn MON863 shows kidney, liver toxicity in animal studies

Some Related Links:

Find out about what you can do against GMO in France with their OGM, J’en veux pas (I don’t want GMO) campaign. http://www.greenpeace.fr (in French)

Monsanto’s Dubious Research

Say no to GMO Foods

How to shop to avoid GMO Foods

Propaganda Strategy of Biotech-Multinationals leaked out

Not long ago I’d suggested (in my post about Michael Moore’s movie, Sicko) that if the guy in the movie who’d lost two fingertips came to France for health care, it would probably have cost him a third of what he’d spend in the U.S. I was so very wrong. IT’S SO MUCH LESS THAN THAT.

IF he’d had both fingers reattached in the U.S. it would have cost him $72,000. He could only afford one finger which was the lesser amount of $12.000. What would he have spent if he had that procedure in France, for not just one but BOTH fingers? I just found out how much exactly this costs in France, and honestly, it made me feel…sick.

We’d contacted the Société Française de Chirurgie de la Main, (a national Association of Surgeons specializing in Hand Surgery in France), and asked them about the costs of this particular kind of surgery. They kindly sent me this chart.

As you can see above, to reattach two fingers in a French hospital, it would have cost him €1,836.70 (€1,321.59 for the surgery plus €515.11 for anesthesia). In dollars, the total is $2,528.70, plus the costs for a 5 to 7 day hospital stay, which ends up being about €16 ($22) per day. [Note: Private French hospitals are more expensive and cost roughly €1000 ($1,377) per day.]

So instead of $72,000 in the U.S. to fix his fingers in France he would have paid approximately $4,000. (I included a roundtrip airfare of $1,300 AND a hospital stay of 7 days) Even if he opted for a private clinic, while it would nearly triple that cost, it would still have been less than what he paid to have his one finger operated on.

I have to say that I did see the very excellent Sicko while I was in New York and it made me realize one thing: I’m very happy to be living in France, no matter how often I complain about it.