Today I want to talk a bit about lunches, and look at Europeans, especially the people in places like France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and what their approach is to lunch meals. Then we’ll think about the United States and how they do things differently. 

We’ll also think about our health. I've been thinking a lot about what can contribute to poor health, to aging, and to metabolic syndrome, and one of the biggest things is stress and eating too fast. I've been aware of that, so my husband and I are trying to eat more slowly, especially him - he's prone to rush because he's so focused on the work he has to do. 

We’re blessed that most of the time, we can sit down as a family and eat together, because my husband works from home most days and our kids are homeschooled, although my oldest will be starting work soon, so we'll see how that goes. Most of us sit down for the meal at lunchtime, and we try to eat as a family, but it's still quite rushed because there's lots to do before and after - lunch is in the middle of all our things. 

It's interesting to think about because I think that a much healthier approach to eating is the way the Europeans do it. I think it's important to take time out for our meals and to really enjoy them. It’s good to let ourselves eat a good variety of food, to be aware of what we are eating, and to have good conversation and fellowship with others while we are eating. Then we can have good digestion, and we can take the nutrients in and absorb them. 

It's not just the food; it's all about how we feel after the meal. We should be feeling satisfied, feeling energized, and feeling like we've had good conversation and connection with somebody. Those things are all linked, and they all contribute to our wellbeing. So, what do they do in places like France and Germany, et cetera?