Civilization has brought with it a train of evils unknown in the natural
life. There is no need, for instance, to tell a wild animal what to
eat; his life is planned for him in advance. His food is supplied by
Nature and not superabundantly, so he is compelled to eat it in a manner
to secure the greatest amount of vital vigor therefrom. Hunger controls
his eating, and therefore he always enjoys his food. If we were
to eliminate many of the mechanical processes involved in the
preparation of our foods, there would be little or no necessity for
instruction in eating, for, if we ate our food in a natural state, we
would be compelled to masticate it, and this is the fundamental
requirement of healthy digestion.
Just here let me point out the importance of appetite. A food cannot
possibly be of benefit unless it is thoroughly enjoyed. It must taste
good. The more delicious a food tastes the more quickly and
advantageously it will digest. The idea is frequently advanced
that dieting must necessarily be unpleasant, for many think that a
"diet" must consist of food that cannot possibly be eaten with
enjoyment. This is a great mistake. Diet of this character would
indeed bring about harmful results in nearly every instance. The diet
which will be of the most value is that which you can enjoy, confining
your selection, of course, to wholesome articles of food. I cannot
emphasize too strongly the extreme necessity for the enjoyment of
your meals. Do not under any circumstance ignore the demands of your
taste in selecting your diet.
Your food must be thoroughly masticated as well as thoroughly enjoyed.
This chewing should continue until the food becomes a liquid and
actually passes down your throat involuntarily. Food should never be
swallowed hastily. Swallowing should be an unconscious process
associated with enjoyment; with a view to prolonging the pleasure of
eating, each mouthful should be retained in the mouth until it is
swallowed before you realize it. Thorough mastication is absolutely
necessary to the attainment of the very important requirements
connected with the complete enjoyment of foods.
Now note the effect of prolonged enjoyment of food upon the digestive
processes. When one is masticating an appetizing meal the digestive
system is being prepared for the reception of this meal. The various
glands of the stomach that perform such important work in digestion
begin to pour their juices into the stomach; consequently when the food
reaches this organ everything is ready for its reception. To begin with,
as a result of thorough mastication and the action of the saliva, the
food is already partly digested, and the stomach is ready to continue
the process. The work is easy and satisfactory under such circumstances,
and digestion continues unconsciously. You do not realize that you have
a stomach. How often one hears a healthy man say that he has no
conscious knowledge of the possession of such an organ! In other words,
he has never had a pain or other unpleasant symptom located in its
region. It is said on the other hand that the dyspeptic is so
continuously and unpleasantly aware of the existence of this organ that
he often thinks he is "all stomach."
Remember also the importance of a suitable mental attitude at meal-time.
Your mind should be occupied almost entirely with the pleasure of the
meal itself. You should not be seriously diverted in any way. If for
instance you are reading a newspaper or carrying on an
engrossing conversation you are directly interfering with the digestive
processes; for, as I have already said, a thorough enjoyment of
the food is necessary to arouse to their greatest activity the glands
which furnish the digestive juices. Therefore, when meal-time comes
around, devote yourself to the one single purpose of getting as much
enjoyment as possible out of your food.
If you are desirous of catching a train, do not make the mistake of
bolting a meal. Eat when you arrive at your destination, or eat on
the train, when you can have the leisure to enjoy your food. Remember
that, with eating as with work, it is not how much but how well. If your
time is limited it is better to eat only a small amount, and eat it
properly, than to attempt to eat a large meal hurriedly.
Especially do not eat when you are angry or worried; do not allow
anything to distract you at meal-time. If anything comes up that
seriously mars your ability to enjoy your food it is far better to delay
your meal or wait until the next meal, or until you can eat in
accordance with these requirements.
There can be no objection to light conversation, which requires no
special amount of mental energy or concentration; in other words,
any deviation can be recommended which does not seriously interfere with
the enjoyment of your meal. Music, for instance, if it is of a
gentle, soothing character, or entertainment of any kind that is
relaxing, is a helpful form of recreation. The "cabaret," if not carried
to an extreme, is therefore a natural, well-founded institution.
Congenial company is also naturally advantageous in helping one to enjoy
his meals.
There has been much controversy as to whether or not one should drink
during a meal. I have at all times condemned the usual habit of
drinking at meal-time for the purpose of washing down food that is eaten
hastily. For instance, it is not at all unusual with many people to
take three or four mouthfuls of food, hastily swallow them, and then
find a certain amount of liquid essential to avoid choking. I cannot too
emphatically condemn a habit of this sort. I do, however, recommend the
use of liquids during a meal when they are necessary to satisfy thirst.
Furthermore, it is of considerable importance to take some liquid during
a meal if one is not in the habit of drinking freely of water between
meals, since a certain amount of liquid is necessary to carry on the
digestive process. When there is any digestive difficulty or when there
is merely a weak digestion, hot water can be used to great advantage
fifteen minutes or a half-hour before the meal. Taking hot water in this
manner cleanses the stomach and adds materially to the digestive
capacity by stimulating the glands of the stomach. The quantity of water
taken in this way may range from half a pint to a quart, depending
upon one's physical condition. The amount of liquid taken during a meal
must also be regulated by one's needs. For instance, if you are poorly
nourished and apparently need more weight properly to round out your
body, then an additional amount of liquid will often be of advantage,
provided you do not take so much as actually to interfere with
digestion. Where increased bodily tissue is needed, therefore, in
virtually every instance the free use of water during the meal will be
of decided value; though one should always keep in mind the
necessity of drinking these liquids warm or even hot if taking any
quantity.
The use of a large amount of cold water at meal-time is likely to be
detrimental. There is a wide-spread custom of drinking ice-water during
the meal. This is one of the most pernicious of all dietetic errors,
since chilling of the stomach invariably retards digestion and
favors dyspepsia. Even water that is very cold, though not iced, is not
desirable, unless used in very small amounts. Also the use of ice-
water or extremely cold water between meals is inadvisable, since
because of its low temperature one cannot comfortably drink enough of
it to satisfy completely his bodily requirements. Water that is only
moderately cold or cool can be used liberally, and is always to be
preferred in the case of overheating through violent exercise. It is
usually advisable to drink water at the temperature that is most
pleasant to you, though large quantities of cold water should always
be avoided. And, as I have said, at meal-time, especially, if much water
or other liquids are used they should be either warm or hot.
Without question, the greatest of all dietetic errors is to eat without
appetite. It is nothing less than a crime against the stomach, and yet
this practice is one of the most common of all those which contribute to
the prevalence of dyspepsia in civilized communities. No animal, the
human race excepted, would attempt to eat without the relish that
absolutely depends upon the possession of a keen appetite. Many
thousands of people attempt to eat their meals regularly without regard
to the demands of hunger merely because it is "meal-time." Eating in
such cases has only the excuse of habit, although frequently it is
regarded as a duty. Eating should never be regarded as a duty, nor
should it be allowed to become a habit, for when not pleasurable it is
not beneficial.
One will often, hear the remark that one must "eat to keep up his
strength." While this advice is fundamentally sound in a large sense
under normal conditions and when a true appetite is present, yet there
never was a greater delusion when it is applied to forced eating
when the appetite is lacking. Eating under such conditions does not
keep up one's strength, but on the contrary actually impairs it by
burdening the digestive system with food that cannot be properly
assimilated. It is not what you eat but what you assimilate that
keeps you strong, and digestion depends upon appetite and the
enjoyment associated therewith. The question of enjoyment is really a
question of appetite, and if you are not hungry and cannot relish the
food keenly when meal-time comes it is certainly best to wait until the
next meal or until you are hungry. Every wild animal has sense enough
to follow its natural inclination in this respect, but thousands of
human beings go to the table because it is dinner-time, and force
themselves to eat food that they do not desire simply because of the
stupid delusion that continual and frequent eating is necessary for
strength.
The discussion of appetite brings up the question of the number of meals
that is proper for each day. The prevailing system of three meals per
day is a custom surviving from a time in which early rising and hard
physical labor throughout a long day was the rule, especially in
connection with out-of-door work. This does not mean, however, that
three meals is always the best plan for civilized life in sedentary
occupations. There are some wild races that eat only two meals per day,
and there have been instances of hunters and even whole populations
following the one-meal-per-day plan. Naturally at the present time the
occupation and the requirements of the individual would have much to do
with the question. If one does hard work, has an appetite for three
meals per day, and seems to thrive on that plan, it is the preferable
one. If, however, you are a sedentary worker, and especially if you do
not have an appetite for three meals per day and cannot thoroughly enjoy
them, the two-meal-per-day plan would be much better. The two-meal-
per-day plan has often proven beneficial even when associated with
the strenuous physical training required for athletic competition in
racing, wrestling, boxing, Marathon running and other vigorous sports.
It is entirely a question of appetite. If you have no appetite for
breakfast then follow the two-meal-per-day plan. I will say, however,
that in many cases one can enjoy and profit by a breakfast of fruit.
The question of how to eat is closely related to the question of how
many meals one should take. Overeating is a very prevalent failing.
There is no question that large numbers eat themselves, as it were, into
a condition of stupor. Their energies are required for the disposal of
the excessive quantity of food ingested, and they have no energy left
for mental work or for physical activity. They are, so to speak, "food
drunk." I am personally satisfied that the best cure for overeating is
food in less frequent meals and the practice of masticating the food
thoroughly in the manner that I have suggested. In a case of this kind
the two-meal-per-day plan is also to be recommended. Actual experience
shows that those inclined to overeat do not eat any more at one meal
when eating two meals than when eating three meals-they may possibly eat
less, because of the more normal condition of the stomach. Another good
plan to pursue is the use of uncooked foods, or at least the
adoption of a diet consisting in part of uncooked foods. It is
entirely possible to eat too little of nourishing food, just as it is to
eat too much. But one who lives a natural and active life, especially
if out-of-doors a fair part of the time, is not likely to lack a good
appetite nor to eat less than the required amount. Good general health
always brings with it a normal appetite.
Overeating, however, is no doubt in many cases due very largely to the
inadequate character of the foods consumed. I am satisfied that if
all our foods were eaten in their natural condition and if they
perfectly supplied the needs of the body there would be no
tendency toward overeating. The great trouble is that conventional
methods of food preparation have such a destructive effect upon the
nutritive value of the foods in common use that a healthy body often
craves large quantities of diverse foods in order to get a sufficiency
of certain elements which are lacking. The use of white bread is a
case in point, for, as stated in another chapter, the best part of the
wheat has been eliminated in the process of milling. Furthermore, to
a large extent the mineral salts are removed from our vegetables in the
process of boiling; that is to say, when the water in which they were
boiled is thrown away. The polishing of rice, the use of white flour
in manufacturing macaroni, the refining of our sugar, and many other
processes, are directly responsible for the almost universal habit of
overeating. Certain elements are taken out of the food, the body
craves these elements, and in trying to secure adequate nourishment, one
eats an excessive amount of the refined defective foods.