“Two-thirds of all the patients that come to my office come because
they drink tea and coffee. When I can get them to give up tea and
coffee, they can get well.”--_Dr. Foote. Omaha._
Tea and coffee hinder the digestion of all the food elements, both
nitrogenous and carbonaceous. They cause extreme nervousness and
irritability.
“To a certain extent, tea produces intoxication.”
“The second effect of tea drinking is headache, wakefulness,
palpitation of the heart, indigestion, trembling of the nerves and many
other evils.”
“The influence of coffee is in a degree the same as that of tea, but
the effect upon the system is still worse.”
Theobromine, the essential element of cocoa and chocolate, is identical
with the thein and caffeine of tea and coffee.
“Some of the best authorities claim that the quantity of theobromine in
chocolate is greater than that of theine or caffeine in tea or coffee,
and also that in equal quantities, theobromine is a stronger drug than
caffeine or theine.”--_Dr. George._
A. B. Prescott, Ph. D., M. D., for many years Dean of the chemical
department of the University of Michigan, says in his “Organic
Analysis,” published by D. Van Nostrand Co., New York City in 1892, pp.
77 and 513: “Coffee contains 1 per cent. of caffeine.” “Dry cacao seeds
contain 1.5 per cent. of theobromine.” “The physiological effects of
theobromine are like caffeine but are obtained by smaller doses.”
The increasing use of chocolate and cocoa in and with everything is
alarming, and we feel that we must raise our voices in warning against
this “habit,” since many are innocent in regard to its nature.
“The use of unnatural stimulants is destructive to health and has a
benumbing influence upon the brain, _making it impossible to appreciate
eternal things_.”
As our bodies are made up so largely of water it is necessary to take
a sufficient amount to keep the tissues bathed and built up, but it
should not be taken with our meals, for solid foods cannot be digested
until the liquids have been absorbed, and when retained in the stomach
too long food _ferments_, making an _inebriate_ of the _water drinker_.
Fluids also dilute the digestive juices so that they lose their power
to act. Do not drink for a half hour or more before meals, or within 1
to 3 hours after--persons with slow digestion or subject to acidity, 3
hours.
If very cold or hot drinks are taken, the temperature at which
digestion is carried on is affected, causing another delay.
As a rule, the body gets the greatest benefit from water taken early in
the morning.
Pastor Kneipp recommended the use of small quantities of water (1
teaspoonful), often. If one is situated so as to be able to take a few
swallows frequently, it is better than to deluge the stomach three or
four times a day; as a steady, gentle rain is more beneficial than a
torrent.
Hot water, at one time the great panacea, is responsible for many
cases of serious indigestion by causing the muscles of the stomach to
relax and become weak. A cup of hot water occasionally, when one feels
that he has taken a little cold, will help to ward off the cold but it
should not be often repeated.
The advice of one doctor of great sense and considerable reputation was
“Drink cold water _when thirsty_.”
Pure _Distilled Water_ is unquestionably the best drink. _Mineral
Waters_ sometimes have a beneficial effect when used for a short
time, but that is lost by their continued use and after a few weeks
the individual begins to suffer with serious stomach and kidney
difficulties.
“_Very Hard Water_ is not only unpleasant to the skin and difficult
to make into a lather, but, what is more important still, it exerts a
more or less harmful influence upon the digestive system. Constipation
is not infrequently the direct result of the constant use of hard
water. Wherever possible apparatus should be used for the purpose of
distilling hard water. If this is impracticable, boiling the water will
materially reduce the hardness. The flatness of boiled water is easily
and quickly remedied by aerating it. Pouring water back and forth from
one glass to another will speedily restore its oxygen.”--_English Good
Health._
The liberal use of _Fresh Juicy Fruits_ helps out in the amount of
fluids. I have known a few people who ate no meat and almost no
vegetables, but did use juicy acid fruits in abundance, who never felt
the pangs of thirst, and they were in exceptionally good health, with
great powers of endurance.
The change of water in travelling affects many people unfavorably and
often it is difficult to obtain pure water. The substitution of juicy
fruits at such times banishes the difficulties.
=Fruit Nectars=
We make “fruit nectars” by adding lemon juice, sugar and water (the
less sugar the better, a sugar syrup is preferable) to pure fruit
juices and to combinations of fruit juices. Some, such as grape and
black raspberry, will bear a good deal of water, but pineapple and
other delicate flavored juices very little.
If pineapple is combined with another juice, let it be something
without a strong, positive flavor (as orange or strawberry), or the
pineapple juice will be wasted. A strong and a neutral flavored juice,
red raspberry and currant for instance, go well together. Lemon juice
gives character to all. Peach and grape juice, or apple and grape juice
are good combinations.
To fully enjoy the flavors, do not serve drinks ice cold.
=Banana Lemon Nectar=
_Syrup_--3-4 cups water, ½ cup sugar, boil; add ½ cup lemon juice,
cool. Cut 1 large banana in small pieces; pour syrup over, let stand in
refrigerator 2 hours or longer; strain or not; serve with thin slices
of lemon.
=Orange Banana Nectar=
Cut half a small orange into sections, rind and all and add to banana
syrup about 20 m. before serving. Before straining, put sections into
glasses, pour the strained syrup over them and serve.
=Orange Nectar=
Add sections of orange to lemon syrup without the banana.
=Mint Orange Nectar=
Add shredded mint to orange nectar.
=Lemonades=
Lemonade, with but little sugar, has no equal as a drink because of
the purifying effect of the lemon juice upon both the water and the
individual.
A strong lemonade requires less sugar in proportion than one having a
large quantity of water. A sugar syrup is best for sweetening, and the
less used the better.
_Mint_--Sprinkle fine cut spearmint into lemonade 10 to 15 m. before
serving. Very cooling and refreshing.
_Egg_--1 egg, 2 tablespns. sugar, 2½ tablespns. lemon juice, water to
make 2 glasses. Beat egg and sugar, add lemon juice and beat, then add
water.
_White of Egg_--2-2½ tablespns. lemon juice, white of 1 egg, 1
tablespn. sugar. Beat white of egg and sugar, add lemon juice, then
water.
_Milk and Egg_--1 egg, ¼-½ cup milk, 1 teaspn. or more lemon juice, a
little grated rind of lemon. Beat yolk of egg and add cold milk, turn
into glass; beat white of egg with a trifle of salt and add half the
lemon juice; add remainder of lemon juice to the yolk and milk, lay
white on top and serve at once.
=Egg Orangeade=
Beat the white of 1 egg with the juice of 1 large sweet orange, strain.
=To Prepare Fruit Juices=
The most desirable juices for drinks are made from fresh, ripe,
uncooked fruits by crushing, and straining through a cloth. It is
better to pour cold water over some fruits and let them stand for a
while before straining. Apples may be sliced or chopped and water added.
For canning fruit juices, see pp. 60, 61. The liquid from soaking
acid dried fruits in water for several hours (without cooking) is
refreshing; also the juice in which chopped raisins have been steeped.
=Cranberry Juice=
Crush or grind 1 qt. of cranberries, pour 1 qt. of boiling water over,
cool; add sugar after straining and stir until it is dissolved.
=Cereal Coffees or Drinks=
The bulk of the so-called “cereal” drinks on the market have some
commercial coffee in them, as well as chicory. There are a few,
however, made of combinations of grains, or of fruits, nuts and grains,
only. Those containing chicory require a long boiling, according to
the directions on the packages, to destroy the rank, harsh flavor of
the chicory; and the ones made of parched grains without caramel in
any form are improved by long steeping to develop the mild flavor. But
it is a great mistake to boil those having a characteristic, agreeable
flavor any more than we used to boil Java or Mocha. To make these,
put the cereal (from 1 teaspn. to 1½ tablespn. to each cup of water
according to taste) into perfectly boiling water, allow it to just boil
up, then stand on the back of the range where it cannot boil, for from
5-10 m. Serve with nice rich sterilized cream (hot better). When cream
is not obtainable and the drink must be served, hot scalded milk gives
a better flavor than unscalded milk, but as a rule, it is better to
omit the coffee when you have no cream.
Never make cereal coffee in a tin coffee pot that commercial coffee has
been made in. It would ruin the flavor.
We do not advise the drinking of even cereal coffee, but use it to win
people from injurious beverages.
=To Make a Cereal Drink=
It is very convenient to know how to make a cereal coffee, though if
one’s time is worth much and a good coffee is to be obtained, it is
cheaper to buy it. The following recipe is one that I have used for
years and it is excellent. None of the whole grains equal bran for the
drink.
1 qt. wheat bran pressed down lightly
1 pt. corn meal
½ cup hot water
⅔ cup nice-flavored dark molasses
Mix bran and corn meal and pour over them the molasses and hot water
which have been combined. Rub all together with the hands until smooth;
set in a warm oven and stir occasionally until well dried out, then
increase the heat of the oven, stirring the mixture often; at the last
have the oven very hot and stir almost constantly until cereal is a
dark chestnut brown, which will take but a short time at the last.
Remove from the oven and stir until cooled a little so that it will not
brown more by its own heat, and put into a close covered can.
When preparing to serve, use ½-1 cup of the coffee to each quart
of boiling water, let it just boil up and stand for 5 m. Different
combinations of grains are browned and ground for drinks. Barley is
much liked by some, rye by others. Carrot and celery roots dried and
browned are good, and browned peas are excellent.
=Tea-Hygiene=
Celery and raspberry leaf tea have been served in some of the
restaurants in New York City for several years and are both good.
Either the tops (fresh or dry) or seeds of celery may be used. Crush
the seeds before steeping. I have also used mint, anise, tarragon,
catnip and thyme for tea and found them all pleasant drinks. Steep them
for 15-20 m., strain and serve with cream only. You will be surprised I
am sure when you try them. Do not allow catnip tea to stand with the
leaves if to be re-heated.
=Bran Tea=
Brown bran delicately. Take 2 tablespns. for each cup of water, boil up
well or steep for 20 m. Dried unbrowned bran may be used with longer
cooking.
=Cold Cereal Coffee=
Pour hot coffee over cream or cream and sugar. Cool. For luncheon or
supper.
=Eggnog=
1 egg, ½-¾ cup of milk, 1 teaspn. or no sugar, flavoring or not. Beat
or shake until foamy, pour into glass and serve with or without whipped
cream on top. Eggnog does not necessarily contain liquor.
=Hot Eggnog=
Beat 1 egg with or without a teaspn. of sugar and a few drops of
vanilla. Pour ½-¾ cup of hot milk over, stirring. Turn into warm glass
and serve at once.
=Cream for Coffee=
Beat 1 egg to a foam, add 1 tablespn. white sugar and pour a pint of
boiling hot milk over, stirring briskly. Prepare at night for morning.
=Cream for Coffee No. 2=
Pour 1 pt. boiling milk on beaten yolk of 1 egg mixed with 2 tablespns.
cold milk. Set back on the stove to scald but not boil.
“Food should not be washed down. No drink is needed with the meals. Eat
slowly and allow the saliva to mingle with the food. Hot drinks are
debilitating. Do not eat largely of salt; give up bottled pickles; keep
fiery spiced food out of your stomach; eat fruit with your meals, and
the irritation which calls for so much drink will cease to exist. But
if anything is needed to quench thirst, pure water drunk some little
time before or after a meal is all that nature requires.”