She says:
 
Every day, we are constantly being pushed and pulled by influences in our lives and all of those influences change how our lives go and how long they last. The quality of life you have is not only about where in the world you live, but how you live. If you “super-size” your meals too often, it will shorten your life. If you eat lots of fresh veggies and whole grains you will live longer. They tell us we need more exercise don’t go to the drive-through, get out of your car and walk in! Of course, the worst thing of all to shorten your life is stress. Studies show the only way you can undo the damage stress causes is to unwind. (I can just imagine those lab rats in the studies with their feet up, eating mini tubs of Hagen Daas!)

I have a confession to make: I work too much. My stress comes from work. The worst part is, working late means there is almost no time left to cook dinner and so Martin cooks (or, I eat leftovers or salad if he is not home). This week I am proud to say that although we ate a bit later, I have managed to cook not once but twice this week! I have not done some of the work I took home to do, but I accomplished something much bigger. I am rejuvenated and ready to take on the pile on my desk in the morning! I feel as though I have bumped into an old friend I got back in the kitchen and it felt just like old times. I missed the “therapy” of de-stressing with my kitchen gadgets and recipe books, and I plan to take up my old hobby again with renewed vigour. (Do I sound too much like a born-again Foodie? It’s not like I am becoming a vegan or anything).

I have a huge pile of recipe clippings that a dear friend in Vancouver sent me, and that will be my starting point for this new project. I am even planning to have people over, so that I can expand my field of guinea pigs. (It’s a win-win situation really – if the meals go well, I get praise from a bigger circle of friends if I fail miserably, I can just move along to the next names on the list for the subsequent attempt.) After all, there is nothing like time around the dining room table to bring people down to earth and make them smile. Good food and good vibes are the best tonics for a long and happy life.

That age-old concept of balancing the priorities in one’s life is one that never stops being important. If you want to see where you’re at in your life span, check out bluezones.com. It is a cool site that has some extensive research behind it. The Vitality Compass test may look like just a publicity stunt but it is based in statistics and algorithms. I can’t really say “take it with a grain of salt” as salt is something that can shorten your life if you over-consume, but well, you know what I mean. Considering less stress and more exercise in your life is good, but nobody is saying you have to swear off the occasional tub of Hagen Daas.

He says:

I love to cook and I love to eat, but contrary to popular belief I don’t have to cook all the meals.

I am glad to get invited or let someone else cook for me. I am a very good critic, as I don’t always give my opinion about every meal. The down side is that being a chef and with Kristin a sommelier, people tend to never invite us for dinner.

My mom used to get stressed out when I was coming over for dinner until I told her that she cooked for me for 19 years and never doubted herself, so why should she start now. Stress is a killer and unfortunately we are all put through some stress on a daily basis, so trying to eat well and exercise regularly is a great way to delay the inevitable. We are all going to die one day, so why not try to die with a stomach full of good things? I don’t eat rice cakes, tofu or drink Soya milk I just eat butter, cream and chocolate in a normal amount and just doing that keeps my stress low. Recently I went to a restaurant in town which should remain nameless but it starts with "R". They served me a Caesar salad that was so bland that it made me crave for a good one for the last few weeks. Well last night Kristin prepared a great Caesar salad the way it is meant to be - bold and full of tasty bits.

People ask me why I don’t go out much. Well I am so often disappointed that I think, “Why should I go out when I can get it at home better and faster and I can get naked just a few minutes later! Now that’s a de-stresser. What can I say? I’m French.