Wellness City Guide: Paris

Sonia Gaillis-Delepine’s Scene Report

Welcome back to Wellness Around the World: City Guides. Once a month, I’ll be tapping a resident wellness aficionado in their home city, asking them to share not only their must-hit spots, as well as a glimpse into the culture of wellness in their community. Today’s city is the one and only Paris, through the lens of Sonia Gaillis-Delepine.

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Sonia was born in Paris, raised between there and Atlanta, and now lives in France again. Her career is fascinating to me: she started working in ad tech and later in R+D at DSM-Firmenich, where she saw firsthand the direct connection between our supply chain and the land. She then volunteered on an organic farm at Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village which, combined with her family’s history in mushroom cultivation in France, sparked her fascination with soil health and its impact on well-being.

This leads us to Verdoie, her recently launched mushroom-based skincare company. Her family has been in mushroom cultivation in France since the 1860s, making her both a wellness — and Paris — expert, and the perfect person to talk to today.

A Little Backstory

What is your relationship with wellness, personally?

My relationship with the concept of wellness is balanced, and deeply personal. I don’t believe in being too extreme, but believe there’s ebbs and flows of times when you’re more balanced, or not. It’s certainly a holistic approach to mental and physical health.

I have struggled with Hashimoto’s and gut health issues for a long time and they most noticeably started when I lived in NYC, so for me, I know I just feel better when I err on the side of high quality food, and low impact exercise, and relaxed vibes – but I am not dogmatic on restriction at all. I know in France I can indulge, because the quality of the food is better.

#balance

This goes back into the quality of the soil, and the way regulations support health differently here. The microbes in our gut and the fungi in healthy soil have a lot in common—both shape how we absorb nutrients, fight inflammation, and maintain balance. That’s why I prioritize high-quality, biodiverse foods, whether it’s market-fresh veggies or foraged mushrooms in autumn. Don’t get me wrong – moderation is key - I love a pint of beer, and a steak frites, but I know my body will feel better when I go a little heavier on greens and veggies the next day.

it doesn’t get fresher

I just know what makes me feel good and listening to that in the moment is really important. It took a lot of learnings to get to that point— years of naturopaths, acupuncture, reiki, sophrology, different supplement routines, and meditation. I didn’t do all of that at the same time, of course— but it was certainly a long journey of learning how to read my intuition.

What are some traditional or typical wellness practices of people living in your community? Any specific outlook or history?

The French, traditionally, are very mobile - walking is a big part of their routine. Whether it’s walking in a city like Paris, or a nightly walk after dinner in the countryside like Bretagne. My grandmother was still walking to the bus at 90 years old in Aix-en-Provence. Paris may be a city, but pockets of nature remind us of the importance of biodiversity. My biggest advice: always walk through the park! Whether it’s a small park like Square du Temple, or a bigger one like les Tuileries. I also think there’s an emphasis on movement of any kind – although doing more high impact sports in a studio is certainly more common in the last few years, I believe the art of the stroll is always integrated into daily routine. The Flaneur is real!

wow

Also tissanes, which are herbal teas as a support for different ailments, or needs. It’s rarely a singular type of herb at once, but rather different blends. Chamomile for nighttime of course – there are a lot of “sleepytime teas” and Verveinne is also on every single menu. There are tea infusions for all activities of the day. There’s a brand here you can get at Monoprix and it’s called Les Deux Marmottes with 100% plants and they have great infusion blends - there are some for ‘coming home from a night out’ with lime, sweet mint, rosemary, or ‘the digestif cocktail’ which is EXCELLENT and has fennel.

There’s also the best one from Mariage Frere - Marco Polo Rouge - I get it for all my friends and family, it’s an insane blend of rooibos and florals and the tea bag is mousseline cloth. With our long meals, always having an option to finish up with tea is really important for digestion.

blue gatorade has met its match

That being said, the long lunch and long dinner is a thing. You go over to a friend’s house and start with apero in the living room, and then finally getting to the table an hour later. And there’s always dessert. Healthy people still smoke here – I don’t get it either.

What is the wellness + beauty scene like today?

The absolute essentials in each category: