If people ate more fruit they would take less medicine and have much
better health. There is an old saying that fruit is gold in the morning
and lead at night. As a matter of fact, it may be gold at both times,
but it should be eaten on an empty stomach, and not as a dessert, when
the appetite is satisfied and the digestion is already sufficiently
taxed. Fruit taken in the morning before the fast of the night has been
broken is very refreshing, and it serves as a stimulus to the digestive
organs. A ripe apple or an orange may be taken at this time with good
effect. Fruit to be really valuable as an article of diet should be
ripe, sound and in every way of good quality, and if possible it should
be eaten raw. Instead of eating a plate of ham and eggs and bacon for
breakfast, most people would do far better if they took some grapes,
pears or apples—fresh fruit as long as it is to be had, and after that
they can fall back on stewed prunes, figs, etc. If only fruit of some
sort formed an important item in their breakfast women would generally
feel brighter and stronger, and would have far better complexions than
is the rule at present.