Traveling to Paris/London for 2 weeks. Any health-related advice?

I'm about to spend a week in Paris and a week in London. In Paris, I'll be staying in an apartment by the Bastille and am planning to go on runs a few times while I'm there (not to mention all the walking we'll probably do!). In London, we lucked out and the hostel we're staying in has a gym! I love working out, so this is fantastic news for me.

Mainly, I'm just curious about places to eat that might have healthy options, especially in London since I've never been there. I'm not going to be calorie counting, but considering I have no clue about good dining options there, I might as well come here for advice considering I've seen so many Londoners/England natives posting on these forums.

Also, any suggestions of grocery stores that are somewhat cheap and have a reputation of selling a range of healthy organic food would be great since our hostel has a kitchen (like, here in Boston I buy most of my food at Trader Joe's and my corner market...not sure if there's a Trader Joe's in London or if anyone from London would know of something similar).

Also, if any natives of either city have any advice about fun places to see, we'd love to hear that too - we have guide books and everything but I'm not a big fan of touristy things when I travel, as much as I'm a fan of experiencing something unique to the country that I'm in (if that makes any sense...like, in New York I'd rather spend an entire day visiting the art galleries than visiting the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty).

In London, there is M&S Food which is a marvel, and nearly everything has complete nutrition labelling. Don't fret about calories too much on vacation - eat moderate portions of fresh, tasty food and enjoy yourself!

And my other health advice for those on vacation? Always wear a condom. :)

p.s. are you really a synaesthetist? Because that is so cool...

In london if you want to hang with the locals (and you have any interest  in house/jungle/dubstep music) you should hit up a show.

When you're in Paris people watch in coffee shops, read up on their local politics, work very very hard on pronouncing their language correctly, you'll get a lot of respect from the locals (The french are fierce protectors of their language), and respect = friendship.... which means they can show you the best parties and social events.

There are lots of nice places to eat in London.... For quick eating out options places like Pret A Manger are a good choice.   For a more substantial but reasonably meal there are quite a few Italian restaurant chains and independents that don't do 'chips with everything'.  If you want something very English then (and this will sound ironic) try Indian food!... we love it.  Anf you can't leave without having a portion of fish and chips somewhere.

There are lots of smaller grocery stores in central London and I'd suggest you check out Waitrose as having good quality and a reasonable selection of organic foods.  If you're not near a Waitrose, Sainsbury is very reasonably priced.  M&S is a little pricey but their food is very good.  We have a few branches of Wholefoods Market but their food is incredibly expensive and the quality of their fruit & veg is appalling.

Quirky things to do... Go to Camden Town and get a ticket for the Comedy Store.  Camden has a massive craft/curio market, a canal baisin and some lively pubs.   Another nice thing to do is to pick up the 'Thames Path' at Hammersmith Riverside and take a country stroll down past Chiswick Pier towards Kew Gardens ... an amazingly rural experience given that you're still in a city as big as London.

Most of London's museums and galleries are free to enter and are wonderful.

A nice day out is to visit St Paul's Cathedral, then walk across the Millennium bridge over the River Thames, visit the Tate Modern (a really great gallery) and then stroll along the South Bank of the river checking out shops, cafes and other attractions along the way, including the National Theatre and the London Eye (the best view of the city).

Or You can take a tour of the Houses of Parliament in the summer.  Away from the centre, Islington is an interesting neighbourhood to check out, with shops, antique stores and stalls and a good range of places to eat and drink.  Ottolenghi on Upper St, Islington has really good fresh food but it is  pricey.  

It's worth checking out Time Out magazine - see here:

http://www.timeout.com/london/

And Borough Market is a fabulous place to shop for food  - worth a visit just to look around.  Awesome!

http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/

Have a great time, synaesthetist!

Original Post by trustwomen:

In London, there is M&S Food which is a marvel, and nearly everything has complete nutrition labelling. Don't fret about calories too much on vacation - eat moderate portions of fresh, tasty food and enjoy yourself!

And my other health advice for those on vacation? Always wear a condom. :)

p.s. are you really a synaesthetist? Because that is so cool...

Heh, I'll be good on vacation - I have a boyfriend waiting for me in Boston (but perhaps I'll pass on that condom advice to the single friend I'm traveling with).

Also, I grew up always having very, very strong associations between colors and certain letters, words, or songs. Like lowercase "e"s were ALWAYS and WITHOUT A DOUBT blue while uppercase "E"s are without a doubt red. "Fool on the Hill" by the Beatles is indigo, that sort of thing. No idea if I'm a true syneasthete or if it's just the artist in me, but I was very relieved when I heard of synaesthesia because at the very least it made me feel like less of a psycho. So I guess all I can say is "Who knows?"

gi jane - I am VERY much looking forward to English Indian food. I love Indian and I hear that no one does it better (outside of India) than the English.

Also thanks for all the suggestions everyone! Very awesome. If people have more, keep them coming, if not that's cool too. The London Eye sounds great - I can't wait to bring my camera.

Speaking of my camera, anyone know anywhere cheap to buy a European plug adapter thinger? I have rechargeable batteries that I'd like to bring so I don't have to blow a fortune on batteries.

So I lived in Paris for over a year, so hopefully I can be helpful. Bastille area is great and super lively, especially at night. It is also very close to the Marais which is hands-down the best area in Paris. It has great shopping, food, cafes, and an interesting mix of orthodox jews and gays. You will walk a lot, and try to walk as much as you can, it is the best way to see the city. It is very easy to eat healthfully there, but also very easy to eat horribly (croissants anyone?). Almost every restaurant will have 3 or 4 salads, every one will make a green salad for you, and there is always a chicken dish too. Plus if you eat realy good meals you won't be as tempted to snack...but also indulge a bit while there, the pasteries really are to die for. Like cucumberlube said, try to speak french as much as you can, you will see that people treat you much better if you do. Also unless you come across screaming "im a tourist" you shouldn't have any issue with being bothered, if people try to sell you things a simple "non, merci" while walking away will sufice. If you really like walking, you can walk from Bastille through the Marais and then head along the Seine for a really pretty view...and like cucmberlube said people watching in cafes is the best and very parisien.....have fun!

La Defense in Paris is worth visit as something slightly different.  It is at the other end of Le Champs Elysees to the Arc De Triomphe and has Le Grande Arche which is a modern take on the Arc De Triomphe. 

It is a business district but has many modern art sculptures mixed in amongst amazing buildings. Even though it is in the middle of Paris I remember it being a very quiet part of the city with big open spaces and a slightly surreal feel to it.

In London the Victoria and Albert museum is a good one to see

Original Post by synaesthetist:

Speaking of my camera, anyone know anywhere cheap to buy a European plug adapter thinger? I have rechargeable batteries that I'd like to bring so I don't have to blow a fortune on batteries.

You can get one here no problem in any supermarket-cheap.

I know you have probably done this but can i just say be sure to re-read the rules of your return flight! This is really important I work at an airport and we have very strict rules on what you can take into the cabin and I see on a daily basis Britain's falling foul of these rules and having property confiscated, which most find very upsetting, there is no begging you either give it up or you don't fly.

If you want me to list it for you i am happy to do so. 

Most of all enjoy your trip London can be great fun with loads of affordable places to eat and see.

andie - now that I'm about to travel to England (I leave Monday...I'm sad to leave Paris, but I'm excited for London) I would love to hear what you can't bring on board the plane. I'm only bringing a large purse and no extra carry-on, so I should only have my camera, wallet, passport, a pen, a small notebook, a book, and a few papers in my bag. I figured I'd buy water after the security check-in? These things would be fine in the US.