Tuscan View

People are always talking about the "French Paradox". No one understands how French people can eat so much butter, cheese, and meat, while still managing to stay thin and fabulous. Well here I am in Tuscany, Italy, and I am finding the Tuscan paradox even more complex. Cured pork products, including lard, are a specialty here, in addition to the Italian staples of pasta, pizza, and wine. However, no one seems to be fat. How is this so? I find myself not only eating three times the amount of food that I usually eat at home, but also eating things that I never would have found appetizing. Prosciutto, pastas, speck, lard, etc. the list goes on of Tuscan specialties that go against my education in eating right. However, I am not gaining weight, or at least not enough that I can notice a difference. Granted I am running and continuing my normal exercise routine, I am shocked at how differently the food here affects my body. I attribute this to the fact that food products are made here naturally and with few additives or preservatives, making them healthier and less likely to translate into added pounds. Another reason I give is that there is not as much sugar in the foods here. I can say that in Tuscany, desserts are very simple, and are not overly sweetened the way they are in the United States. Cakes have enough sugar in them to fall into the dessert category, but they are never overly sweet. I feel that after a while, I have become accustomed to the milder taste of less sugar. Next entry I will ponder carbophobia.