Class. Book . T 7 ? GopightN COMRIGHT DEPOStT. RIGHT FOOD THE RIGHT REMEDY RIGHT FOOD THE RIGHT REMEDY BY CHARLES C. FROUDE, B. Sc. «j* ASTORIA -NEW YORK ED MALMQUIST 1921 ©CI.A614070 i Copyright, 1921 by CHARLES C. FROUDE All Rights Reserved Published March, 1921 Set up and printed in the United States of America BY William Haedrich & Sons Brooklyn - New York m \4 »2\ ft Acknowledgment HPHE author wishes to express his cordial **■ thanks and grateful appreciation to Dr. Harry Ellington Brook, Los Angeles, Cali- fornia, for his patient, painstaking and thor- ough criticism of the manuscript; and for his suggestions from fifty years of experience and thought in the field of food and health. The author is also much indebted to Dr. J. H. Tilden, Dr. R. L. Alsaker, Alfred McCann and many others for many thoughts and suggestions from their large experience, practice and researches. CONTENTS Page The Basis of Diet .1 Beginning a Diet 3 What Will Diet Cure? (Part One) .... 7 What Will Diet Cure? (Part Two) .... 13 Acute Diseases 17 Fasting 24 Food Poisoning. (Auto-Intoxication) .... 35 Overeating 39 Digestion 41 Mastication 44 Drinks and Drinking 48 Food Classification 52 Class One Foods 53 Food Salts 54 Devitalizing Foods 68 Raw Food vs. Cooked Food 69 Vegetables 71 Fruit 76 Dehydration • . .83 Class Two Foods 85 Meat 89 Cheese 93 Eggs 94 Legumes 96 Peanuts 98 Nuts 100 Class Three Foods 102 Xll CONTENTS Page Starch 103 Bread and Cereals 104 Potatoes - 115 Fats 116 Sugar 118 Natural Sugar 123 Honey — Maple Sugar — Dark Brown Sugar .... 125 Milk 128 Buttermilk 135 Commercial Milk Substitutes 137 Salt — Condiments — Spices — Vinegar 138 Desserts 140 Our Food Requirements 142 Food Combinations 156 Food Lists 182 Menus 207 Frequency of Meals 209 Morning Meal 211 Noon Meal 216 Starch Meal Menus 218 Night Meal 223 Meat Meal Menus 225 Eating When Away From Home: When Traveling . 227 Diet of Country People 232 Lunches to Carry 235 Box Lunch Menus 237 Diet for the Overweight 240 Diet for the Underweight 242 Laxative Foods — Constipating Foods 244 What is Disease? 247 Diet During Pregnancy 248 CONTENTS Xlll Page Diet Following Pregnancy 249 Children 250 Baby Feeding 254 Young Children . . 266 School Children . . . 269 COOK BOOK Page Vegetables 277 Fruits 279 Salads 280 Salad Dressings 284 Dairy Products 286 Soup 287 Meats 289 Fish 292 Eggs . 293 Legumes: Beans — Peas — Lentils 294 Potatoes 295 Bread and Cereals 296 Sandwiches 297 INDEX 299 PREFACE j^nHIS book is a simplified handbook of practical in- ^^ formation on the subject of food, arranged for the convenience of the physician, the patient, and the person who, being well, desires to remain so. It tells simply, plainly, and understanding^ what foods are best to eat under all conditions — whether young or old, well or ill, in warm or cold weather, while doing sedentary work or heavy manual labor. This book presents the essential facts of this univer- sally important subject, giving the vital principles con- cerning food and diet as gathered through years of study and research from the fields of scientific investigation and experiment, thus making it possible to obtain, easily and quickly, a dependable food knowledge which will be of service throughout one's entire life, or that of the family. The book also gives a practical philosophy of health — the reasons for health and the causes of disease — a know- ledge which gives double defence against the demon Disease entering the home and giving some loved one over to the Grim Reaper. To become skilled in a trade, to study a profession, to train eye and hand to execute works of art, to be suc- cessful in business, requires years of education, exper- ience, and thought. But not one of these can compare with the value of good health to an individual. Health is the basis of genuine success, and is worth all the efforts put forth to attain it. Simply to read the philosophy of eating, as set forth in these pages, will repay the reader. If followed out in action, it will assure him good health, long life, and happiness. RIGHT FOOD-THE RIGHT REMEDY THE BASIS OF DIET All nature is under the reign of law — everything, from the tiny, single-celled protozoa to the mightiest planet. A seed germinates, grows, matures, and produces a seed of like kind, according to a fixed law. Then we have the laws of gravitation, laws of attraction and repulsion, laws of tides, laws of seasons. Even the elements of nature — gas, liquids, solids, heat, cold, fire, electricity, etc. — are all governed by law. Is it reasonable to suppose that the Creator would have started this world on its course with its oceans, rivers, mountains, forests, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and then in His own image create man, the climax of all creation, and place him in a world of law, but leave him without a law to govern his physical life? Such a thing is unthinkable. God has done what reason plainly suggests should be done. He has established a code of laws governing the life of man — governing man in Spirit, Mind, and Body. Inasmuch as the Creator has established the laws governing man's physical life as well as his spiritual, is it not reasonable to believe that in His sight it is just as serious to break physical laws as it is to break the Ten Commandments ? Is it reasonable to think that there is a penalty exacted for violating spiritual laws, and at the same time none when physical laws are transgressed ? 2 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY Is not the pious-faced, saintly person only half way observing God's law when he adheres to the spiritual, but ignores the physical? Obedience to moral and spiritual law is largely dependent upon obedience to the laws of health, for man is a unity — a living whole — and not divided into three distinct parts, Spirit, Mind, Body. A hopeful, optimistic life is practically impossible for one who has broken God's physical law in relation to his food, and is suffering physical punishment (disease). When the Bible says that man's body is the temple of the Spirit — the dwelling place of the Most High God, and "If any man destroy the temple, him will God destroy" — how is man going to avoid the issue. Where's the chance of mere man escaping the Law of Compensation — the Law of Nature — the Law of God? The Law of Nature and the Law of God are identical. You cannot transgress one without transgressing the other. Is it not clearly evident that ill-health is a penalty for breaking the Law, rather than a curse of God, as some believe it is? God is good; God is great; God is just. He and His Law are consistent. Is it reasonable to think that man can escape the Law, for are not the laws of man's physical life just as unalter- able as the laws of tides, seasons, attraction and repul- sion? Would not chaos reign supreme in the world if the natural laws were suspended for one moment ? Would not simply the suspension of only one of the great laws — the law of gravitation — cause a violent earthly up- heaval? Most certainly. Yet some people do not for a moment consider that the same Supreme law which unalterably governs all Nature also unalterably governs their own bodies. BEGINNING A Dl£T BEGINNING A DIET You sometimes hear a person say, "Oh, yes, I've tried 'dieting/ It did me no good." What a statement to make ! There are as many kinds of diet as there are foods — good, bad, and indifferent. Some "reform" and "calory theory" diets are more harmful than the ordin- ary haphazard method of eating. Many dietetians have tried their theories on persons whose bodies have not lost all their resistance — reactive power. In such cases a high percentage of cures has re- sulted. But when these dietetians undertake to apply their theories to persons who are ill and who have lost this reactive power, failures result. The "calory theory" — feeding so much heat-producing food — in its failure to provide proper nourishment, has proved that nutrition is not a matter of mere eating, but a matter of assimilation and combustion — of the body utilizing the food eaten. The assimilation and combustion of food depend upon nerve energy as much as nerve energy depends upon food, and there are many things which reduce nerve energy. It is not only what you eat that matters, but how much, how often, how thoroughly you masticate the food, whether you eat when you are not hungry, are tired, ex- cited or angry. Worry, jealousy, envy, spite, laziness, poor cooking, incompatible mixtures of food, food of poor quality, use of drugs, drinks that are too hot or too cold, excessive use of condiments, the use of tobacco and alco- holic beverages, are influencing factors for digestive dis- turbances. 4 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY The age, sex, size, weight, mental condition, tempera- ment, vitality, environment and occupation of the indi- vidual; and the severity and duration of any disease he may have, must be taken into consideration before a diet is prescribed. The harmful effect of a wrong mental attitude is more fully discussed on pages 21 to 23. Each person must be governed by the many different factors peculiar to himself. It is therefore extremely difficult, if not impossible, to prescribe a stereotyped menu, expecting it to be beneficial to every one. Only the fundamental laws governing the digestion, assimila- tion and combustion of foods can be stated. Each per- son must intelligently study these laws, and then regulate the menu to his special needs. The person who regulates his diet according to the laws of Nature, giving it a fair trial for at least three months, cannot fail to be benefited. It is absurd to expect that the effects of wrong habits, extending, per- haps, over twenty years, can be removed in as many days. Yet there are some, who, finding themselves still possessed of their disease after a regimen of right living for a few days, return to their previous bad habits, con- demning diet and other doctrines of right living. Life is worth living, if we know how to get the most out of it. Few, if any, get the best out of life. The masses struggle through life without realizing their highest possibilities, and too often the latter half of life is spent in regretting the first half, and endeavoring to overcome its legacy of ills. Begin now to live — especially to eat properly. This does not mean that you should become a food crank, BEGINNING A DIET 5 analyzing everything that goes into your stomach, and the conditions and sensations of that patient and over- worked organ. Do not make your individual menu a topic of discussion with persons who believe themselves to be authorities on the subject of food. Their ideas and suggestions may not only be wrong, but harmful. Pay no attention to the jibes and jeers of those ignor- ant of dietetics. Their mockery of the laws of Nature is sacrilegious. They are affected with mental astigma- tism and do not perceive the unfailing truth that "as ye sow, so shall ye also reap" — that those who ignore Nature's laws never fully realize their highest possi- bilities. Those who offer reasons for not following the laws of health, pointing out some who have attained a high mental or physical state without giving special attention to their health, must remember that a few years of wrong living, or an occasional case where one has lived to an advanced age, even though he has ignored the laws of health, cannot be taken as an argument that wrong living is to become a rule of life. These rare instances are due to mental or physical heritage — plus environment — which contributed to their success. The whole period of life of a group of persons must be taken to prove or dis- prove the advantages of right living. Inasmuch as nearly every person who has reached the middle age of life is suffering from some form of disease, it is positive proof that the common method of living is wrong. It is pitiful to meet those who oppose you as you begin a rational diet. They will tell you that they are not in- terested in the promotion of health, and will cite many instances of persons who disregarded the laws of health, 6 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY yet lived to be very old. True, many such people do live to be very old, but for every person who lives thus and reaches the age of 75, a thousand, living the same way, failed to reach the age of 50. Too many plots of consecrated ground, marked- by a slab bearing the epitaph, "Gone, but not forgotten, " or "Requiescat in pace," are occupied by those who dis- regarded their health early in life. Most of them have been taken off before their time by paralysis, "heart failure," "galloping consumption," acute Bright's disease, or some other preventable disease. WHAT WIIX DIET CURE? WHAT WILL DIET CURE? Part One This question will arise in the mind of the reader who looks to diet to cure his disease. Before considering the cure for disease, the principles involved in a cure should first be understood. To understand the principles of curing disease, it is necessary to know what disease is and what causes it. Health is normal. Disease is perverted health. The causes of disease are those things which pervert health, things which are contrary to the laws of Nature. Man's health comes from obeying the natural law, while sickness is the result of its violation. Everyone knows that Nature has established a fixed law for the child's diet for the first year of life. Is it not reasonable to suppose that there are certain laws for every other year, whether one or fifty? Why should a limit be placed upon the length of time you are to remain under Nature's laws? Each person is largely responsible for his own health. Inherited tendencies, however, play an important part. Tendency to disease is better understood when it is known that man is born with certain diathetic (constitu- tional) tendencies; not born with the disease, but born with a tendency to that disease. Whether or not disease follows its inherited tendency depends largely upon per- sonal daily habits, whether or not they conform to Nature's laws. It is this inherited diathetic tendency of an individual that should have attention early in life. The health of a 8 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY nation begins with its ancestors. Their life habits we cannot govern, but it is our duty, and the power lies within us, to govern our own life habits, so that they conform to Nature's laws, thereby giving to our posterity its normal, natural heritage. "Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children" is true physically, mentally, morally, and spiritually. The heritage (inherited tendency) may be a curse throughout life. A small percentage of the "incurables" are such by reason of their heritage, but the majority are such because they have too long violated Nature's laws relative to right living — they lived haphazardly, without regard to their mental, moral, spiritual, and physical welfare. Those who are physically bankrupt, and those who would avoid physical bankruptcy, should make a careful survey of themselves. They should determine and then correct those factors, mental and physical, which detract from health. It should be the aim of all to build vitality and store up a reserve supply of energy. Energy must be conserved in every way possible. There are unavoidable drains upon our reserve supply, and a reserve of vitality is our only assurance of continued health. An abundance of reserve energy forestalls, or throws off, illness. A person with low vitality succumbs under the pressure of disease. When illness comes, it should be regarded as a sign that the reserve energy is running low. Disease is significant. It is a red lantern hung out to warn you that danger (perhaps death) is ahead, unless you bring yourself to a halt. No person ever died, except by accident, without this WHAT WILL DIET CURE? 9 red lantern being hung out as a warning that Nature's laws are being disobeyed. Most people, however, ignore these danger signals all along the road of life. These signals come in the form of pain, fever, "colds," coughs, colic in infants, and so on. When illness overtakes some people, they say that they have "caught" something. The logical procedure to follow when sick is first to determine, then remove, those enervating influences which are responsible for the illness. This is dealing with the law of cause and effect, for without going back to the cause, the effect (disease) cannot be cured. There are certain things to be done, other than remov- ing causes, to regain health. Nothing should be done to hinder Nature, but everything to assist her. It is impor- tant to know what to do during illness, hence directions are given further on. The functions of the body are carried out properly or improperly according to the amount of nerve energy a person may have. Without nerve energy, no organ of the body can perform its function. The greater the nerve energy, the better the health. Digestion of food requires nerve energy, just as does physical or mental labor, and this book — a book on food — is intended to tell the reader how to build up re- serve nerve energy — vitality — through diet. It would, however, be incomplete if mention were not made of numerous other factors which influence health, either by reducing or increasing nerve energy. We should know how to contribute to our supply of nerve energy in every possible way to assure a surplus to meet the extraordinary demands placed upon us at unusual times. Frequently our work is such as to cause a 10 RIGHT FOOD — TH£ RIGHT REMEDY heavy drain. If our life habits, our eating, our pleasures, detract from our surplus energy instead of contributing to it, physical bankruptcy will be the result. To meet the demands that our work makes upon our nerve energy, it is necessary to correct life habits — to conserve energy instead of wasting it in harmful pleas- ures. Pleasures should be re-creating. They should be constructive instead of destructive. The relation of physical exercise to health is axiomatic. Physical exercise does not necessarily mean strenuous or laborious exercise or the development of knotty muscles. It means a proper and systematic use of all the muscles to promote supreme health, a suggestion worthy of serious attention by the sedentary w T orker. The more active will also profit by attention to it. Attention should also be given to correct breathing, proper ventilation, and the importance of the skin and its covering. The skin, one of the most important organs of the body, is a respiratory organ, hence needs aid and exer- cise. Unfortunately, most persons give the skin atten- tion only so far as they overbathe it with very hot water, which is debilitating, and weakens its resistance to sudden atmospheric changes. The skin is usually overclothed, especially when woolen underclothing is worn, which allows the skin so little chance to breathe. Linen is best; cotton next, and it should be light, not too tight, and porous enough to allow the air of Heaven to blow through it. In winter, ample protection should be obtained by wearing heavier outer garments, preferably woolens, as they give better pro- tection, and are lighter in weight. WHAT WIU, DIET CURE? 11 Tepid baths are better than very hot baths, except when hot baths may be given in an emergency to increase elim- ination, as in acute illness. Only those who react quickly (get warm quickly) should follow the tepid bath, using a mild soap, with water graduated in temperature until it is cold. Such a bath should be followed by a brisk drying with a coarse towel. Dry friction baths are excellent, making it unnecessary to take so many water baths, and they better exercise the skin. A sensible Greek general ordered his soldiers to have one good sweat a day, discovering it to be the only way to keep his army in fighting condition. The best way to obtain a sweat is, of course, through bodily exercise, so conducted that the sweat glands per- form their function of eliminating some of the body waste. Sweating may be produced lazily, or quickly to increase skin elimination at the onset of acute illness, by wet or dry steam or hot water baths. For the steam baths, special rooms are generally re- quired. For the hot water baths, either the whole body is immersed; or a so-called foot-bath taken, soaking the feet in water as hot as can be borne until the whole body is sweating. There are so many who, because of weak hearts, should never take steam or hot water tub-baths, that no general commendation of them can be given. The hot foot-bath is the best and safest at all times for quickly increasing skin elimination. The tepid bath and dry friction bath are best for cleansing the skin. Except when continued sweating is desired after the hot bath, as when getting into a bed made warm by hot 12 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY irons, the skin should be cleansed of impurities by using warm water and a mild soap, gradually decreasing the temperature of the water. This should be followed by a brisk dry rubbing of the skin with a coarse towel. Breathing: One's breathing should be full, deep, and regular. Rooms, particularly the sleeping rooms, should be most thoroughly ventilated at all times, with a constant circulation of fresh air. Exercise in the open air should be indulged in at least once daily for the increased respiration it compels. Most persons use but a fraction of their lungs. Walking, standing, and sitting erect will partly overcome this con- dition. Expand your lungs to their fullest extent pos- sible several times a day. To regain health under adverse physical and mental environment is always difficult, at times quite impossible. This is especially true in these days of world-wide rest- lessness. While the physical environment cannot always be changed, it is possible to adapt ourselves mentally to con- ditions. When laboring under fear, worry, anxiety, envy, jealousy, self-pity, etc., the physical body is handicapped by the mental. It is quite impossible to attain supreme health when this mental discord exists. Mental discord reduces nerve energy more surely than anything else. To insure the best results from a diet regime, mental discord should be avoided. WHAT WIUv DIET CURE? 13 WHAT WILL DIET CURE? Part Two The dietetic cause of disease lies in wrong eating habits — overeating, insufficient mastication, improper foods, foods deficient in vital food salts, and improper cooking. The result of these dietetic errors is fermentation (auto- intoxication or self-poisoning), and a reduction of nerve energy, which weakens resistance to disease, especially such as one may inherit. Predisposition to disease varies — the predisposition may be to tuberculosis, cancer, catarrh, rheumatism, Bright's disease, diabetes, colds, skin diseases, typhoid, scarlet fever, smallpox, measles, paralysis, etc. Dietetic "curing" depends upon the cor- rection of the dietetic errors producing the fermentation which incites the disease. Dietetic "curing" should not be shrouded in mystery. It means simply that, with dietetic errors removed, Nature will take advantage of the opportunity to bring the individual back to the normal condition of man — health. The tendency of Nature is always toward the normal, and when we see anyone mentally or physically diseased we know that something has disturbed the natural forces. Wrong methods of eating are the dietary causes of disease, and the correction of the wrong methods of eating will bring a return to the normal path and to health. It is therefore evident that the "curing" of dis- ease, dietetically, requires the removing of the causes — the dietetic errors. In addition to dietary corrections, there must be a 14 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY removal of those causes which contribute to the disease — which interfere with Nature. When these are cor- rected, Nature comes back into line, and health is the result. Where the breaking down or disintegration of organs or tissues has been too great, we find that the forces of Nature do not have sufficient power to bring back health. The disease had been allowed to progress too far and the removal of the cause was not made early enough. The method of "curing" diabetes, dietetically, is cited as an example of the wrong ideas commonly in vogue regarding the relation of diet to that disease. Sugar in the urine comes from the starch and sugar eaten, hence the line of reasoning has been that starches and sugars should be excluded from the diet. Meat, fish, eggs, cheese, and other hearty, staple foods are eaten to excess as a compensation for the starch and sugar omitted. Diabetes is a disease indicating digestive degeneration, and meat, fish, eggs, cheese and other staple foods, when taken in excess, quickly aggravate the degeneration. True, sugar will not appear in the urine if no sugar or starch is eaten, but feeding the other foods which cause degeneration will prevent the body from ever being per- manently cured, and may also cause death from some other disease. Such feeding means exchanging diabetes for some other disease from which the patient will per- haps die more quickly than he would have done because of the diabetes. Most diseases are indicative of diges- tive degeneration. Hence, the underlying principle of "curing" should be to stop the degeneration — to restore digestion to normal. The correct dietetic "treatment" for diabetes is to WHAT WIJX DIE}T CURE? 15 return to the normal, natural way of living — eating in accordance with the natural laws explained in this book. Most diabetics eat too much of the hearty, staple foods ; these should be supplanted by fruits and vegetables. The dietetic "treatment" for Bright's disease usually consists in withholding meat and feeding a preponderance of starches. The pendulum has swung to the other extreme from diabetes. It seems that when these, as well as other diseases, begin, the individual, in his frantic effort to get well, goes to extremes, whereas he should choose the middle ground. That is, he should be moderate. In diseases in which there is a wasting away, the feed- ing is usually generous of the hearty, staple foods, with an aim to replenish the waste. Theoretically, this may be plausible and correct, but it is a fallacy. The generous feeding keeps up the digestive troubles, which in turn aggravate diseases to which there may be a predisposition. It is impossible to produce permanent weight and strength by over-feeding. The only way to replenish a wasting body is to feed it moderately, so that the digestive power will be increased. Some forms of rheumatism, as multiple articular rheu- matism, where a deposit has accumulated in some part of the body, are manifestations of fermentation. The toxins or poisons produced by the fermentation, which circulate in the blood, are deposited in the manner to which there is a predisposition. To "cure" such diseases dietetically, it is necessary to stop fermentation by proper feeding — by feeding an abundance of fruits and vegetables, the food salts of which will tend to counteract and dissolve the poisonous deposits. 16 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY Many dietetic theories are based on unsound reasoning ; for instance, the subject of meat and rheumatism. Some people who have never tasted meat have rheumatism in its severest form. This is evidence that causes other than meat eating may produce rheumatism. In fact, starches and sugars cause as much, if not more, suffering among rheumatics as meat does. The skin, lungs, kidneys and bowels, the body's elimina- tive organs, can take care of normal body waste, but they cannot maintain even their normal power of functioning when burdened with the additional task of carrying off the poisons generated by food fermentation. This is one reason why kidney trouble is so prevalent. This also causes many catarrhal troubles (catarrh of uterus, nasal catarrh, catarrhal deafness, bronchial catarrh, etc.), for the mucous membranes take upon themselves the work of the regular eliminative organs. Catarrh, therefore, is an indication of overworked kidneys, and is positive evidence of errors in diet. Anything that contributes to digestive fermentation will aggravate any disease to which a person may be predis- posed. Hence, a cure through diet depends upon com- pliance with Nature's laws in our eating habits. acute: disease 17 ACUTE DISEASE In acute disease the danger signal — the red lantern — gives immediate warning that Nature's laws are being violated and that the reserve nerve energy is being de- pleted. Then is the time to check the waste of nerve energy and conserve it in every possible way. In acute disease the body is surcharged with self- generated poisons, which must be eliminated through the normal channels — bowels, lungs, skin and kidneys. That the body may have at its command all available nerve energy to counteract and eliminate these poisons, the digestive work of the body is suspended, for nerve energy is as essential and costly to digestion as it is to physical or mental labor. This explains the necessity for fasting during acute illness, and why it is dangerous and often fatal to take anything except water. At such a time, when need of good elimination is of the greatest importance, the eliminative organs, as well as other parts of the body, weakened from a reduced supply of nerve energy, fail to function. This failure of normal elimination causes a rise in the bodily tempera- ture, which, in turn, is generally a good guide as to the condition of the eliminative functions. To burden these organs with anything except water at such a time will increase the fever, because the food, which cannot be digested, will decay in the alimentary tract, forming additional poisons, gases, alcohol and acids. These, absorbed by the blood, add to the burdens already carried, thus demanding additional effort from organs already deficient in power to resist and eliminate the poisons in 18 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY the body. The addition of other poisons, if they do not cause immediate or sudden death, will certainly prolong the illness, for the more poisons the body must eliminate, the slower will be the recovery. Death occurs when the poisons are generated faster than the eliminative organs can carry them off. Eating at such a time to "keep up strength" is a delusion, responsible for more untimely deaths than are caused by all the wars this world has ever known. Only those who are grossly ignorant of the laws of Nature, or devoid of instinct, will follow such a regime. How long will it be necessary to fast ? Until the body temperature becomes normal, indicating that elimination is improved. Besides fasting and removing the causative factors of an acute disease, elimination should be aided by such natural agencies as proper ventilation ; hydrotherapy (such water treatments as baths and enemas) ; sunshine; and a right mental attitude. Proper ventilation aids elimination through the lungs. (See page 12). Baths aid elimination through the skin. ( See page 11). Enemas cleanse the bowels of decomposing fecal matter, from which poisonous toxins are absorbed by the blood. This fecal matter should be removed at the first symptom of illness, because the poisons generated in this way are virulent in their action. Impaction of decom- posing fecal matter in the lower bowel invariably accom- panies acute illness, because the nerve energy governing defecation (elimination) is reduced. Enemas should be used at the first indication of illness and until all the fecal matter is removed. An enema frequently reduces acute; disease: 19 a fever one to three degrees immediately. Neglect to use the enema at the proper time causes many untimely deaths. The enema should be taken with warm water in the knee-chest position ; that is, with knees and head resting upon the floor. To take the enema in bed, lie on the back. "Colds" of the various types are manifestations of an excess of poisons — toxins — within the body. Some per- sons believe that they "catch" colds, whereas the immedi- ate cause lies in diminished elimination and a localized congestion. Whatever retards elimination and reduces nerve energy causes congestion. The underlying cause of "colds" is waste matter in the blood, due to eating too much mucus-forming food. To cure a "cold" : Fast. Take no solid or liquid food. Aid elimination by producing free perspiration. This is best carried out by taking a hot foot-bath after an enema. When the body perspires, get into a bed made warm by hot irons so that the body will not become chilled. Con- tinue the sweating by covering the body well, drinking freely of hot water. During acute illness it is very neces- sary that the body be kept warm by hot irons or hot bricks, as the heat-making functions of the body are lessened at such a time. The enema may have to be repeated daily for two or three days before the bowels are clean. A fast of several days may be necessary before the poisons in the body are eliminated. This plan will prevent more serious illness in nearly every case. To eat at such a time is folly. Eating "just a little bit of food" to "keep up the strength" is often just enough to cause death from the additional poisons such nourish- ment will generate. 20 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY After recovering from an illness, during which natural methods only are used, the patient will be healthier than he previously was. The fast and the eliminative treat- ments free the body of poisons, and recoveries under natural treatment are not followed by "after effects." As no two persons are alike in health, no two can be alike in disease; hence diagnosis of disease is difficult. It is difficult to apply trade-names to diseases, for disease- names are simply trade-names. Diseases are due to im- paired nerve energy and improper elimination. The proper thing to do, regardless of the trade-name of the condition, is to correct the causative factors and aid elimination. The suggestions herein given, if followed, will make severe illness a rarity, for the establishment of good elim- ination and the removal of the causative factors of dis- ease will prevent the inflammatory processes within the body from reaching such a virulence that it becomes diffi- cult or even impossible to prevent death. When the destructive processes within the body have been neglected and allowed to develop, then everything fails and death results. The influence of weather is worthy of attention. When hot, cold, wet or dry periods are lengthy, they be- come monotonous. Their effect is to reduce nerve energy, which condition is conducive to disease. This factor accounts for the illness of many people at the same time, where this influence exists. Those who become sick are those whose bad habits have lowered their resistance. Fear at such a time is disastrous, for nothing consumes more nerve energy than fear. This is why many suc- cumb after others who were ill have recovered. ACUTE DISEASE 21 Right Mental Attitude: The discord of mind may be manifest in such mental conditions as fear, anger, jeal- ousy, revenge, greed, self-pity, and the culmination of these — worry. Any one of these mental discords has the same ultimate result upon the physical body. The action of the mind in each instance is similar, each bringing physical harm because mental discord disturbs or inhibits many of the organic functions of the body. This interference, per- haps most marked upon the eliminative processes — the skin, bowels, lungs and kidneys — keeps those poisons and toxins within the body, which, normally, would be thrown off. To these are added the poisons and toxins produced by food fermentation, which is very responsive to any- thing hindering normal digestion and assimilation. Care- fully conducted experiments have proved that mental dis- cord practically suspends the digestion and assimilation of food. Eating at such a time is a two-edged sword, for not only does the fear, anger, worry, etc., cause physical harm, but the food eaten ferments, producing additional poisons in the body. Many toxins, generated as a result of mental discord within the body, are virulent and at times fatal. Nursing infants have been known to die suddenly at the breast of mothers who had just passed through attacks of fear, worry or anger. That mental discords seriously affect the body is mani- fested in the sudden death of many, and the increased severity of the illness of others, caused by unexpected bad news. During all sickness, especially in acute illness, fear, doubt, and worry should be banished from the patient's mind. Nothing will kill a patient so surely as 22 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY doubt of his recovery. A person, not having as com- plete control of his mental faculties when he is sick as when he is well, is prone to worry unduly, due to the fact that his idea of sickness is very vague — it is shrouded in mystery; his knowledge of the subject being such that he cannot view illness with any hope whatever. This is true of those who do not look upon disease as it really is — who do not look upon it as a manifestation of errors in the physical, mental, moral or spiritual life. Sickness is a "red lantern," a danger signal, and is really a blessing in disguise. It is a warning that we are not living as we should. All disease is an effort of Nature to produce normal, healthy, happy human beings — it is Nature's fight against self-generated poisons. Those attending the sick, for the reasons stated, should radiate an optimistic, hopeful atmosphere. They, being in better health, with better functioning mental faculties, can do this if they will. Some practitioners so impress their patients with the gravity of the disease, that, if the patients recover, the practitioner will be praised and extolled for his wonderful "cure" (?). Many patients, however, do not survive to praise and extol the skill of the practitioner, for they die as a result of the fear generated. Mental discord, interfering with the proper flow of nerve force, has a more or less destructive effect upon the whole body, paralyzing and benumbing the delicate mental and body cells, which are thrown out of harmony with each other, no part of the body escaping. Herein lies the success of many metaphysical healers or psycho- therapeutic practitioners, whose accomplishment of many wonderful cures cannot be disputed. Does not this show ACUTE DISEASE 23 the necessity of maintaining the right mental attitude at all times f Mental discord, which wastes a tremendous amount of energy (vitality), is often due to monotonous habits of living and thinking, traveling in mental and physical ruts. We all know the good results a change from the ordinary routine of our lives will bring ; for instance, a temporary change from city to country, or vice versa, or a day at a picnic. The beneficial results of these changes, however, are often lost by eating too heartily. At such a time you should give strictest attention to your diet. Make it a time for a real re-creation — a physical rejuvenation — a time to increase your bodily resistance or vitality. All of us, unfortunately, do not travel. Everyone can take a "vacation," if he uses his ears, eyes, nose and brain, though he travels no more than a mile from his doorstep. Getting out of the mental rut increases vitality. Bad mental habits waste energy. Many would be well if they thought health instead of disease. No person can be too strongly urged to cultivate right mental habits. Make health a "hobby," but do not ride the "hobby" to death by continually fearing that you will make mistakes in your living. Many undermine their health by worry- ing about it. If you are well, it is foolish to worry, and if you are sick, it makes you worse. Learn HOW to live, and if you practice what you know, you will not worry, for Nature will give you abundant health, if the laws of right living are observed. 24 RIGHT FOOD — TH^ RIGHT REMEDY FASTING Fasting is total abstinence from liquid and solid food, except water. Although little understood by the general public, it is not a new idea, having been practiced by all peoples from the beginning of time. The Bible is replete with instances of fasts — Elijah, Daniel, John the Baptist, Christ. Fasting is a controlling agent over the body, especially during acute disease. It is the simplest and quickest way of getting well, because it releases energies to combat disease, which are ordinarily required to take care of the food eaten. Fasting is not a "cure-all." It is a vital remedial factor in nearly every disease, and its principles are explained in the following paragraphs. In acute disease the body is surcharged with self- generated poisons, which must be eliminated through the normal channels — bowels, lungs, skin, and kidneys. That the body may have at its command all available nerve energy to counteract and eliminate these poisons, the digestive work of the body is suspended, for nerve energy is as essential and costly to digestion as it is to physical or mental labor. At such a time, when need of good elimination is of the greatest importance, the eliminative organs, as are other parts of the body, are weakened from a reduced supply of nerve energy. Food eaten at such a time will decay in the alimentary tract, forming gases, alcohol and acids. These, absorbed by the blood, add burdens to those it already normally carries, but cannot eliminate, thus demanding weakened powers of resistance and elim- FASTING 25 ination to do additional work. The addition of these extra poisons, if immediate death does not ensue, will prolong the illness ; for the more poisons the body must eliminate, the slower will be the recovery. Death occurs when the eliminative organs cannot carry off the poisons faster than they are generated. To prevent the formation of these poisonous gases, alcohol and acids during acute disease, the fast is advo- cated. To eat at such a time to "keep up strength" is a delusion. To gain strength by eating is impossible when digestion is suspended and the energy is needed to rid the body of poisons accumulating therefrom. The acutely sick, who are fed, lose more body weight than those who fast, while those who fast greatly shorten the period of illness. The feeding of even small quanti- ties of liquid food (milk and broth) is responsible for long-continued fevers and many untimely deaths. Tens of thousands of fasts have been carried out by fasting experts without the fast in any case causing death, or even harm. The fast, as a process of Nature, should be employed in every instance where it is necessary to conserve nerve energy. Many persons will refuse to undergo a fast, though they know it is beneficial. It is deplorable to see a body at the mercy of a thinking being who does not use the reason and intelligence with which the Creator blessed him. The lower animals, governed by instinct alone, will not eat during acute illness, or when suffering severe pain. Living natural lives, as they do, they fast when necessity demands, indicating that fasting is a natural process ; yet sick people are fed. Some believe that fasting means "starving to death." 26 RIGHT FOOD — TH£ RIGHT REMEDY We have heard of some who have "starved" in three days. These persons did not die from lack of food, but were killed by fear and a wrong mental attitude toward fasting. Fear inhibits elimination. It also generates a toxin. For this reason fasting experts never conduct a fast if the patient loses confidence in the value of the fast and begins to worry. Fasting is not "starving." In fasting, the body sub- sists ONLY upon the surplus accumulations within the body. When these surplus accumulations are used up, a normal hunger arises, and a person is said to have made an "absolute" fast. Starving does not begin until an "absolute" fast has been completed. No one, who volun- tarily fasts, need worry about the completion of an "abso- lute" fast. An unmistakable, genuine hunger will natur- ally arise. Of course, fasting, as other truths, has met opposition, and it is those most ignorant of the subject who are loudest in their protests. Proper fasting is never harmful, yet some are certain that it is, because an occasional death occurs during a fast. Such deaths have occurred where the reserve vitality of the body was so low that it was impossible to keep the spark of life burning, even though fasting and every other curative factor was employed to con- serve the energy (vitality) of the body. Fasting con- serves the energy of the body, but it cannot be expected to manufacture energy. The fast cannot be expected to grant physical immortality. Nothing can do this. It is not as difficult for the very sick to fast as for those only moderately so. In the case of the former, not only is their hunger gone, but the unnatural craving is FASTING 27 also usually absent. They would not eat, but are forced to eat by those misguided friends who delight to prepare "dainty" dishes and insist that they be eaten. The moderately sick have lost their keen desire for food — a real hunger, such that the thought of a hard crust of bread will cause the saliva to flow, but they still retain an abnormal craving. It is in the mouth, not the stomach, that real hunger is felt. Those who miss a meal and experience an "all gone" feeling, or a feeling of faintness or gnawing in the stomach, depend upon a meal for a stimulating or paralyzing effect upon the nerves of the stomach. If the nerves of the stomach were in normal condition this sensation would not be experienced. After fasting for a certain period of time, all of the bad symptoms experienced during the early days of a fast disappear. Those who are extremely sick, perhaps with a fever, are too sick in other respects to realize fully the sensations of the stomach. For the same reasons, the extremely sick will not usually realize the same general ill-feelings, such as nausea, dizziness, and headache, that the moderately sick will experience. By the term "extremely sick," such conditions as pneumonia or typhoid are referred to, while one with a "cold" or gastric disturbance may be said to be "moderately sick." It is well to know that these sensations (nausea, dizzi- ness, headache, etc.) may be expected, for then no alarm will arise during the fast. If fear is great, it is inadvis- able to continue the fast. The general ill-feelings, how- ever, will diminish day by day, until the body is rid of its poisons, at which time a feeling of comfort will be exper- 28 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY ienced — a feeling of mental clarity and physical clean- liness. It is well to know also that the abnormal craving for food, if present at the beginning of the fast, will diminish, and is usually gone after the third day. The first days are the most trying, while the remainder of the fast is comparatively easy. The fact that hunger, or the abnor- mal craving, disappears, has a significance worthy of careful study. When the desire for food disappears it indicates that the habit of eating has been stopped. The sense of taste is normally a safe guide as to the needs of the body. That is, the habit is broken and there is no hunger. This indicates that the body is not ready for food, or the call would come through the sense of taste. The sense of hunger will remain absent until such time as the body has need for food. To refrain from eating until real hunger is sensed is to give the body a chance to thoroughly "clean house. " This is called a "complete" fast. The length of a complete fast depends largely upon the amount of "house cleaning" there is to do. Those whose health is fair and who have good bowel movements require but a short or moderate fast, a few days to two weeks. Those whose bodies are filled with toxins, and whose elimination is poor, may require a fast of from two to six weeks. The approximate average length of a fast, when con- ducted by an expert, is twelve days, and is for chronic diseases. Acute sickness requires a much shorter time. There are many who really require a long fast for their chronic disease, but because they do not have the courage to go through with one, or because it is otherwise inadvis- FASTING 29 able, several short fasts should be taken. Those who de- sire to fast for more than ten days should consult books wWch present the subject more extensively than this book does, so that various symptoms which may arise may be more fully understood. By far the best course to pursue is to consult a fasting expert. During the fast, when the body is making strenuous efforts to rid itself of the poisons within it, ill feelings may be expected. The symptoms will vary, depending upon the disease. They occur principally during the early days of the fast. Nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness and faintness are apt to occur. Those who fast should not make the fact known to any one, if it can be avoided. The popular fear of "star- vation" is so great that the faster will be discouraged, before he has proceeded far, and will be tempted to yield to the persuasions of friends and relatives to break the fast prematurely. One's relatives, noting the pale or haggard looks of the faster, become frightened, and urge him to abandon the idea. They fail to understand that the collapse of the tissues of the face is due to their flim- siness and has no harmful effect upon the body what- ever, and that after the process of rebuilding is started, the tissues will be firm, and the color much more healthful than before. To deprive an alcoholic or a drug fiend of his cus- tomary liquor or drug causes certain physical disturb- ances. The same thing occurs when the stimulation, caused by excessive or improper eating, is stopped. But to insist that one must follow the diet to which he has been long accustomed is the same as saying that liquor v sb:^i V imk ~zi tit :•: — lis iiih ::::_: tr.tr: i\ :: i~ i:t~ .r. i : . : i : .t : : ^i • t f tc ~. ". t = r i. t:: i~ : _".: : : :;•;•: : _:- -r i :is: :: ±-t :ir. ~ \ :zz/r. .\ i :l?: I: : _:_.!.. l: :i:^ :.: ~i>t ±t -it :: :r.t :: — •: : :.i.~. i rri~'t:r~\;.: .r. " i'.-: -i:~. i.i _r_:E l:15 ." :.' i " ' '_' z'7 '.'■'. —~"Z ' 11 - ; "i 1 1 r*. 1 1 ~ .."*. t'7 . . " t*t . r\-T : t : : nzLZz ;\i::t —Z :ir. i'. in no: V l:.- ::' :i>zzi.z: r:-z ~ : o: ::r. izr t z'.z'r- ':" rt : ~ t r t : ; r t '.: Tht :;l: :■:: : : : PASTING 51 It is absolutely necessary to keep the body warm during a fast, and this must be do n though it is nece — to wrap the person well and place hot irons or a jug hot water at the foot of the bed. Keeping the mind employed is necessary with the :::: ierate'.y si:k, while the acutely sick are hardly :::> : us of what is going on about them. Less sleep is required during a fast than under normal conditions, and the patient should not be alarmed if he finds he can sleep only three or four hours during the twenty-four hours of the day. However, those who have suffered with insomnia are likely to sleep many hours more than before the fast, due to the fact that the fast is gradually removing the causative or exciting factor- :: the insomnia. The great desire to eat. experienced during the early days of the fast, can be lessend by drinking hot or cold water to which a few crops of lemon juice have been added. Cold water usually has a better effect than hot. It is a tonic, and does not debilitate. ( Everyone, except possibly very young children, would be great/.* berter.ted by fasting at least ::te aay month, even when in normal health. The reason for this is readily found in the improper eatmg habits of our so- called civilization. A further benefit of this regular fasting each month is that it gives one training in self-control, which will be especially helpful in times of emergency when one is forced to fast Fasting strengthens the wall-power and produces clear- ness of mind. sting rids the body of poisons which cause irrita- 32 RIGHT FOOD — TH£ RIGHT REMEDY tion of the nerves and nervousness. Except where thin- ness is a natural condition, fasting is usually followed by an increase in weight, due to the fact that the fast has corrected some physical condition that is responsible for the thinness. While tens of thousands of the most marvelous cures can be cited as a result of fasts lasting ten to seventy-five days, it should be remembered that prolonged fasts will not grant immunity to future disease. It is necessary that our daily habits conform to the laws of Nature. The question, "What will fasting cure?" is frequently asked. We learn under the present topic that fasting is a remedial factor in every condition where it is necessary to conserve energy — a necessity in the cure of nearly every disease. In the case of mental discord, such as worry, anger, fear, etc., the nerve energy of the body is being mis- directed. The digestive and eliminative organs do not receive their full quota of nerve energy to perform their functions properly. Eating at such a time is a v istake. When one is physically or mentally tired, the nerve energy supplied to the organs of digestion and elimination is likewise deficient; therefore one should not eat until rested. For the same reason the hearty meal of the day should not be eaten until evening, because the digestion at any other time may be so retarded that the food will ferment before it can be digested, thus poisoning the body. Likewise, when suffering pain (even though from an injury) one should fast, for digestive power at this time is also diminished. Fasting will conserve energy, thus hastening the re- FASTING 33 cuperation from mental or physical exhaustion and the alleviation of pain. Inasmuch as the fast will conserve and direct the energy of the body, it will likewise assist in overcoming mental discord. Living on a minimum amount of food for many months will accomplish the same results as a long fast, or a series of short fasts, for the cure of some chronic disease. It is more difficult, however, to eat absteminously to produce similar results than it is to fast, for in fasting there is no hunger to fight against after the first three days, while when eating, an abnormal craving for food must be con- tended with. The best way is to live properly ; then there will be no disease to cure, and no fasting to be undergone. "Dieting" is no strange creed, or idea, or system, or fanaticism. "Diet" is nothing more or less than common sense and science applied to food for our body's needs and continued abundant health and productivity. "Diet- ing" is a manner of living to keep well, happy and strong. If we "dieted," that is, ate correctly, there would be less need of fasting and other curative measures. Breaking thk Fasts : It is necessary to know how to properly break a fast; therefore the following guide is given for those who have fasted from two to twelve days : First Day About one-half glassful of any fruit juice desired, taken three times a day, without sugar. Second Day Three times a day, any juicy fruit desired, taken with- out sugar. 34 right food — th£ right r£m£dy Third Day About two-thirds glassful of fruit juice in the morning (unsweetened) — one pint of milk or buttermilk at noon — one cup of lamb or chicken broth (with fat removed) in the evening. Fourth Day Baked apples or stewed prunes or any fresh or dried fruit, prepared without sugar, with glass of milk or buttermilk for breakfast. Toasted bread and butter with glass of milk or butter- milk and one cooked succulent vegetable x for the noon meal. Lamb chop, chicken or small steak with vegetable or fruit salad and one cooked succulent vegetable for the evening meal. Fifth Day For the first four days, eat as indicated, unless there is a rise in temperature or acute symptoms recurring. After the fourth day continue to eat as outlined for the fourth day and in accordance with the general teachings of this book. If the fast has been "complete," food (fruit juice) will be especially relished, but it will require two or three feed- ings of fruit juice for those who have made an incom- plete fast, before the fruit juice is relished. When eat- ing is once established, extreme care must be taken to prevent overeating, which is decidedly harmful. Note 1. Succulent vegetables are listed on page 165. FOOD POISONING (AUTO INTOXICATION) 35 FOOD POISONING (AUTO-INTOXICATION) If you were offered something to eat or drink bearing the red poison label, you would do some thinking before allowing any of it to enter your mouth, yet when you see the poison labels upon the faces of nine out of ten persons you meet daily, you pass them by, simply calling their troubles afflictions of God. At the same time you hope that a kind Providence will let you pass through life unscathed. These labels are the result of food poisoning, for all foods are poison — even pure water — under certain conditions. No reference is made to the particular poisons peculiar to adulterated foods. Food poisoning is more insidious in its development, and chronic in its outcome. Thousands are slowly poisoning themselves to death by eating beyond their digestive capacity; by eating foods w T hich do not chemically harmonize during digestion ; by eating three or more times a day; by errors in cooking, and by disobeying the laws governing physiological de- mand and supply. In the business and manufacturing world, the choice of material is given first consideration. Wool cloth makes a better garment than shoddy; the metal for con- structing an engine or the wood for building a house must bear close inspection. Yet how many men and women know, or care, anything about the food with which they build their bodies — the temples wherein dwells the Holy Spirit — except that it "tastes good?" Consequently sickness abounds and perfect health is the exception, while not one in a thousand dies a natural 36 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY death. The only "natural death" is that of old age. Death for any other reason is not natural, though many are so described. The term, "natural death," is gener- ally applied where the cause is unknown, or there was no certainty as to what the trouble was. No wonder our race finds itself degenerating. Like a ship built of rotten timber, it goes very well in good weather, with a light load, but when the sea is rougher or the burden heavier, a shipwreck will surely follow. Ill health is so common and good health so rare that most people look upon disease as a matter of course, not a matter of consequence — never giving a thought that their bad habits are its cause. This is true of all diseases — from infancy to old age. Childhood and middle life bring to mind a picture of a routine of physical and mental diseases, while we picture old age as a period of disease, decay and decrepitude, instead of a time when mental and physical faculties should be intact until a natural death closes a well-lived life. In order to attain a desirable end the early years of life should be lived according to Nature's laws. Instead, most persons live as though life was a matter of today only — not a matter of a year or perhaps fifty or seventy- five years from now. If people would learn to look upon the first manifesta- tion of disease as an indication that Nature's laws were being transgressed, or that those who now transgress them must pay the penalty later, they would heed the laws of right living, and make health the rule and disease the exception in their lives. As it is, a healthy child, or his parents, thinks he will always remain well, so gets into bad living habits that grow upon him until he evolves FOOD poisoning (auto-intoxication) 37 into sickness, while the sickly child is taught to take dis- ease as it comes — never being told that it comes from violating Nature's laws. It is very difficult to convince people that they are living improperly, their bad habits are so common, and have grown on them so insidiously. When the body rebels (in the form of disease) against the violation of Nature's laws, the victim blames other things, giving no thought to the fact that his bad habits are responsible for his suffering. It is only because most of us start life with a fair amount of resistance that we are able to survive the abuses we inflict upon our bodies, and live to an average age of forty or fifty years. However, the time always comes when the body can no longer continue being abused, and then we must choose between a reform in our living, or suffering and death. Why not give up bad habits and make a change now? Heed the early manifestations of sickness! What are these manifestations? Miss a meal or two. If followed by a weakness, a faintness, an all-gone feeling, a gnawing in the stomach, it is a positive sign of an overworked digestion, a pro- nounced type of food poisoning, and autotoxemia from faulty or overworked elimination. It is one of the early manifestations of sickness, which, if ignored, may lead to serious or even fatal illness. Dr. J. H. Tilden says : "Overfeeding has many acute ways of manifesting it- self. Sour stomach, acid stomach, described as burning in the stomach, eructating acid, etc., come from over- eating; as a rule it means the eating of too much bread or too much potato, or other starchy foods. 38 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY "A slight deviation from the normal, marked by ner- vousness, irritability, excitability, and lack of self-control, a weariness other than tire that sleep will cure, mean that there is physiological impairment which will not cure it- self without rest, but will grow more intense. The cure must be brought about by removing the cause. "The weakness that is evident when the patient is in bed or sitting quietly, and the weakness known as getting up tired of a morning, are both produced by over-stimu- lation — food poison. "Nerve tensions always indicate food-poisoning. A feeling that the limbs must be moved to relieve tension, and, when moved little or much, no relief is given, should be interpreted as coming from overeating. Many nervous people complain at times of a desire to scream; they are so pent up with an indefinable suffering that they declare they must scream, pull their hair, or cry, in order to get relief ; yet none of these outbursts gives any relief at all. Despondency, gloominess, a feeling. of despair — a feeling that something terrible is about to happen, a feeling as if the 'Sword of Damocles' is about to descend — are indications of the nerve-weakness that follows over- stimulation. All these symptoms are indications of ener- vation and poisoning from faulty elimination. "Men and women who develop prominent capillaries in their cheeks and noses, and whose eyes show redness — red blood-vessels much of the time showing quite pro- nouncedly on the white coat — are troubled with high blood-pressure, and unless the derangement is controlled, apoplexy, paralysis, heart or kidney disease will develop. This physical state favors hardening of the arteries, gall- stones, or kidney stones. " OVEREATING 39 OVEREATING A volume could be devoted to reasons why people overeat. However, all reasons simmer down to this: — "No intelligence guides the eating of those who overeat." In this enlightened age it is difficult to conceive of any- one being in a class whose bodies — the temples of their souls — must be governed by a crippled will power. And if you are in this class, get out of it or some day, earlier than you think, you must pay the penalty. Some eat without a keen relish. Where condiments must be used on meats and fish, and jellies and sauces with bread, in order that the meat or bread may have an agreeable taste, it is a certain sign of a perverted appe- tite — an appetite that needs correcting. Never eat that which you do not relish, because you believe it to be wholesome and beneficial. Be unconven- tional rather than eat things which you do not like, when eating at home or away from home. Think of your health rather than of conventionality. Persons who eat "to save food from being wasted," not only get no good from the food, but waste more than they apparently save — they waste precious nerve energy and commit the graver sin against their bodies by flood- ing it with poison-producing materials. It is better to throw such "stuff" into the garbage can. It is very difficult for most persons to realize that they eat too much, because the habit of overeating is so common and its effects are so insidious. This is why other innocent things are blamed for sickness, instead of 40 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY realizing the real cause and placing the blame where it properly belongs. Not until a person tries to overcome the bad habit of overeating does he realize how the habit has enslaved him. DIGESTION 41 DIGESTION Digestion, the preparation of food within the body for its various uses, takes time. Some foods are easily pre- pared, some with difficulty. Different foods, then, vary in the time required for their digestion. If those requir- ing a short time for digestion are eaten at the meal with those requiring a long time, a delay, or congestion, or excessive gland activity, will ensue, producing fermen- tation. The digestive process of some persons is very slow. If these persons eat foods requiring a long time to digest, the work of digestion will be so long delayed that fer- mentation will occur. Only such foods should be eaten as can be digested without undue delay, for delay favors fermentation. Fermenting or decaying food within the digestive tract not only produces great injury until it is evacuated from the body, but decaying food cannot be digested properly. Instead, the major part of it is evacuated from the body, while only a small percentage is assimilated. This explains why persons whose eating does not conform to Nature's laws are required to eat such great quantities of food. This also explains why some who live properly can live on a phenomenally small amount of food. These latter persons assimilate all of the value of the food they eat. To obtain the best results from our eating, we must eat within our digestive and assimilative power — within our digestive capacity. On this subject, two paragraphs from "Food," by J. H. Tilden, M. D., are quoted:— 42 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY "No person who has any sense of proportion can read the estimates made on food requirements by your best text books without a feeling of disgust at the amount recommended, or, I would say, the amount declared to be necessary for the maintenance of a digestive equilib- rium. "An estimate is made that from four to five thousand calories are required by a laborer. If so, and he were fed milk, he would require ten quarts a day ; or from five to eight pounds of meat a day ; or three pounds of baked beans ; or twenty ounces of butter or fat pork ; or, for an ordinary supply of food for a man not at work, three pounds of bread and three pints of buttermilk. Is it any wonder that men who work hard die early, when fed according to the fuel laws of an engine?" Fermentation, with its resulting carbonic acid gas, alcohol and toxins, is largely responsible for the harm arising from dietetic errors. This is worthy of note at this time, for those beginning a natural diet will notice the absence of the usual "full feeling, " the absence of having had a meal "that will stick to the ribs. ,, This "full feeling" is largely due to overeating and fermentation. The alcohol resulting from the fermentation has an effect not unlike that of alcoholic beverages, and its ultimate result may not come to the surface until perhaps years after the habit of eating improperly has been acquired. This feeling of being "well fed" does not, necessarily, indicate that the person is well nourished. It does indi- cate, however, that there is fermentation from errors in diet. Even eating small amounts of two kinds of foods which are chemically incompatible may produce the same sense of fullness from fermentation as overeating of DIGESTION 43 other foods. This illustration explains why one who follows a normal, natural diet, and combines his food properly, does not experience the same feeling after his meals as when eating haphazardly. After following a natural diet for a short time, one begins to notice a feeling of well-being — of being men- tally clearer and physically cleaner — of being more alert mentally and physically — and possessed of a feeling of satisfaction and consciousness that the change in diet is bringing desired results. A common belief is that gastric pain must be present to indicate dietetic errors. "Nothing I eat hurts me," "I can eat anything," are common expressions. They are made without realizing that gastric pain is chronically present in only a small percentage of persons who are suffering in some way or other from dietetic errors. In fact, it would undoubtedly be better if gastric pains would more commonly and more markedly accompany errors in diet, for the public would then better understand that some relation exists between food and health. 44 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY MASTICATION Never Eat Hurriedly. Rather omit a meal than eat it hastily. If you must hurry, make it a life rule to hurry anywhere or any- thing, but never, never at the table. Food not thoroughly masticated cannot be properly digested and assimilated. Mastication is the first pro- cess of digestion. Unless food in the mouth is chemi- cally and mechanically prepared for the next stage of digestion it will never be properly digested and assimi- lated. Fermentation begins a train of troubles, termin- ating in serious, and often fatal, illness. Improper mastication, hurried eating, is one of the greatest causes of overeating. Proper mastication and insalivation (Fletcherism) has more than a mechanical and chemical part to play in the digestion of food. The proper flow of gastric and intes- tinal juices is dependent upon the manifestation of hunger and taste in the mouth. That is, where hunger is absent and no natural desire for food is present, or the food eaten is distasteful, the normal flow of gastric and intes- tinal juices is deficient. When this condition exists, fer- mentation results. No more important reason can be given for fasting at such a time. The desire for food should be keen — there should be a real hunger, such that the thought of a hard crust of bread will bring saliva into the mouth. A keen desire will usually be for some particular food ; not, however, a desire that may be termed "finicky," which usually calls MASTICATION 45 for pastry and other hearty food to the exclusion of fresh fruits and vegetables. There are those who have an ill-defined general appe- tite, the state in which one says, "Anything will do, I really do not know what I want." A feeling of this kind is not real hunger — it is simply the desire to eat, more as a matter of habit than a necessity, or to satisfy an abnormal craving. The distinction between a normal and an abnormal appetite is marked. If the desire is for a piece of dry bread, you may be sure the hunger is real, but where there is an "all gone" feeling, or a feeling of faintness or gnawing in the stomach, the appetite is abnormal and the craving is for something which will either be stimulating or paralyzing in its effect. A person with this abnormal craving awakens with a bad breath, when the breath should be sweet. He craves food immediately upon aris- ing. If he does not eat at regular periods, a gnawing or burning begins in the stomach ; but as hunger is never recognized from the sensations of the stomach, this desire for food is abnormal. It really comes from an irritation of the mucous membrane of the stomach, and food only produces a fermentation which temporarily paralyzes or deadens the sensations. Anyone in such a condition should live on a non-irritating diet, as fruit, vegetables, and milk or buttermilk, observing closely the general dietary laws. As proper digestion is governed by the sensation of hunger and the taste of food in the mouth, it is evident that digestive disturbances will occur when food is eaten without a real hunger. Digestive disturbances need not necessarily be painful or distressing. Improper digestion 46 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY means fermentation and the production of acids and alcohol which injure the body. To eat when hunger is not present, is to overeat, for the sense of hunger and taste govern the requirements of the body. For this reason those who practice Fletcherism rarely overeat. Fletcherism, by the way, is simply the art of giving proper mouth consideration to what is eaten, the cultivation of a normal desire for natural foods, and the delicate joy of tasting them. The sensations of taste and hunger, unless made abnormal through misuse, are competent and accurate guides to follow as to the needs of the body for food. When mastication is ignored, the keen desire for food becomes blunted, and only a sense of repletion, of stuffi- ness or fullness, indicates it is time to stop eating, and then a dessert is added to make it conclusive. It is difficult to understand why some people, who "live to eat/' rob themselves of most, if not all, the pleas- ure of eating by gulping doWn their food without tasting it. All solid foods require thorough mastication. No food should enter the stomach except as a liquid. Some foods require more insalivation than others. This is especially true of starches — bread, potatoes, cereals. Mushes, soft cereals and other "sloppy" foods should be eaten spar- ingly, as they ordinarily receive little insalivation, and require it most. Milk is a food, and should always be eaten or sipped, not drunk. Soups are also foods which should be insalivated. Change the "hurry-up" breakfast or lunch of coffee and rolls, or pastry, to just fresh fruit, and note the im- MASTICATION 47 provement. Above all things, leave starchy foods out of a "hurry-up" meal, if you must "beat the clock." Many persons apparently believe that the stomach can do the work intended for the teeth. The Creator meant teeth for more than an ornament. Use them ! Chewing of gum wastes energy of the salivary glands. When these glands are made to work, as they are when gum is chewed, they become exhausted, and will not func- tion normally when called upon to supply saliva for the first step in the digestion of starchy foods. The result is serious disturbances of the digestive processes. It is evident that proper mastication and insalivation of food calls for less food at a meal and fewer meals during the day. Especially is the desire for meat reduced. The appetite becomes more discriminating, which leads to a simpler dietary. A joy is experienced in eating. The general health is much improved. One is capable of more physical and mental work. Worry diminishes. The desire to drink abnormal quantities of water, which water-logs the body and overworks the kid- neys, is reduced. The body takes on a feeling of well- being; the mind becomes clearer; a sense of freedom and liberty possess the soul. 48 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY DRINKS AND DRINKING It is as difficult to specify, in general terms, the exact amount of water needed by a body as it is to tell how much food an individual needs without an intimate know- ledge of the individual's conditions. Immediately upon arising in the morning, sipping a glass of hot or cold water is beneficial to many. Drink a glass or two of water during the forenoon and afternoon and before retiring, and just previous to each meal. If very thirsty, drink during the meal, but do not wash the food down with the drink. Do not drink when any food is in the mouth. If thirsty immediately after the meal, drink then, but not again until three hours have elapsed. If one does not have sufficient self-control to keep from drinking within two or three hours after a meal, he should drink water comfortably hot, as this will not slow up the digestion, while cold water will. An increased thirst at meal time or immediately after a meal is often evidence of an abnormal condition, which must be corrected. Discover the reason. Salt and spices aggravate thirst, and a thirst so brought about is abnormal. At no time should drinking-water be ice-cold or too hot. For a good, refreshing drink, have the water, ordin- arily, between a temperature of 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Iced teas and other iced drinks are abom- inable — especially when a person is over-heated or when taken during or immediately after a meal. Cancer specialists are positive that many stomach cancers are caused by taking too much extremely hot DRINKS AND DRINKING 49 liquids into the stomach — not only tea and coffee, but hot soups, etc. Ices, ice cream, etc., unless eaten slowly, in small quantities, and dissolved in the mouth before swallowing, are equally injurious. Foods that are uncomfortably hot or cold to the mouth should not be taken into the stomach. Nature has pro- vided a safeguard in the mouth for indicating the tem- perature of food or liquid — whether it is too hot or too cold. If it is uncomfortable for the mouth, it is much more so for the stomach. This warning should be heeded. The object of drinking is to get water into the body. Tea, coffee, alcoholic beverages, "soft drinks" and other fluids are taken for their taste or sensations, and not of necessity. These drinks are mostly harmful and should be avoided, as plain, pure water will fully meet the needs of the body. Tea, coffee, alcoholic beverages, and "soft drinks" cause high blood pressure and other abnormal conditions — especially of the nervous system. Cocoa and chocolate contain elements which bring on catarrh and rheumatism, and seriously affect the nervous system. These should be used rarely, and with great caution. In any event, water only should be taken between meals, and it is between meals that drug store or soda fountain drinks (soft drinks) are taken. The habit of drinking them is a pernicious one — more pernicious than the habit of drinking alcoholic beverages. Alcohol has slain its tens of thousands, but the drug store soda fountains will slay its hundreds of thousands in the future. "Soft drinks" in nearly every instance are more injurious to women than to men. Nearly all of them have elements that act upon the reproductive organs and cause irrita- 50 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY tion of the ureters, uterus, urethra, or a catarrhal condi- tion of one or more of them. If adults, themselves, have not sufficient self-control to avoid taking these drinks, they should at least have suffi- cient control over their children to prevent them from drinking sodas and eating ice cream between meals. Milk or buttermilk is a food that should be eaten — well insalivated. It should be sipped slowly from a cup or taken with a spoon. It is not a beverage to be drunk. Malted milk should not be taken between meals. Sour fruit juices may be combined with honey, maple sugar, or brown sugar, and water, but these are foods and should not be taken between meals. Take them at meals — meals at which no starches are eaten. "Cambric tea" is one-fourth hot milk and three-fourths hot water, with or without a little honey. During cold weather this may become a part of the meal, as a substi- tute for the tea, coffee or cocoa ordinarily used. Coffee substitutes are usually made from cereals. Dur- ing cold weather these may become a part of the meal, as a substitute for the drinks ordinarily used. Speaking generally, thorough mastication considerably lessens the daily intake of water. Very little, if any, is desired with the meal. It should be understood that a person may drink too much water as well as drink too little. Over-drinking will cause a waterlogged condition of the body and at the same time overwork the kidneys and secreting glands. Some practitioners advocate drinking great quantities of water for the cure of certain physical conditions. Tem- porary results are often obtained, but serious harm comes later. Overworking the glands which furnish secretions DRINKS AND DRINKING 51 to the bowels ultimately results in a stubborn consti- pation. It will be seen, therefore, that water, like other foods, must be taken in moderation. If possible, obtain pure soft water for drinking pur- poses. Very hard water contains elements which the body cannot utilize. Instead, these elements may cause deposits in the body tissues. Very hard water should be distilled. Some of the undesirable elements will be found on the inside of the kettle in which water is boiled. Exceedingly great care should be exercised in using natural spring water. The drainage should be carefully investigated, and all sources of drinking water should be absolutely guarded against possible contamination, especially if near human habitation. This is important. 52 RIGHT FOOD THE RIGHT REMEDY FOOD CLASSIFICATION The food we eat should serve a definite purpose in and for the body. It should be utilized to build, repair, heat, energize or maintain the body. The foods which per- form these functions may be divided into three classes. Class One. Those foods which act as antiseptics, eliminators, laxatives and purifiers of the body. Class Two. Those foods which build or rebuild the body, known as building foods. Class Three. Those foods which supply warmth and energy. Most foods perform more than one function — that is, they may be both building foods and heat and energy- producing foods. For practical purposes, however, each food is placed in the class in which it does its greatest work. If foods are thus classified it will be easy to understand their proper combination in a meal. This arrangement also makes it easy to determine how much of each kind of food will be needed daily to maintain health. Indis- criminate mixing of foods at a meal produces disease. Class One is chiefly composed of raw fruits, raw and cooked non-starchy vegetables. Class Two consists chiefly of meats, fish, and legumes. Class Three comprises starch, sugar and fat. After the discussion of the respective foods of each Class, rules will be given to enable the reader to choose the proper foods and the proper amounts. CLASS ONE FOODS 53 CLASS ONE FOODS The foods of this class are chiefly the raw fruits and raw and cooked non-starchy, or succulent, vegetables. These are named in Lists A, B, C, D, E. F, G, H and I, page 165 et seq. The average person has a very limited knowledge of the importance of these foods in diet, the quantity that should be eaten, and their preparation. These foods are of primary importance to normal health, for they contain vital food salts. These salts enter the chemical processes (metabolism) of the body, facilitating the building up of the body and the repair of broken-down tissue, the transformation of food into heat and energy, and the elimination of waste matter. Understanding these facts, the reader will readily appre- ciate why fruits and vegetables are given so much space in this book. The whole question of proper eating is so dependent on the use of food salts, that the foods which are rich in food salts, raw fruits, raw vegetables, and cooked non- starchy vegetables, are discussed before the so-called "good, nourishing foods." Fruits and vegetables are not only "antiseptic, elimina- tive, laxative, and purifying," but are rich in elements that are "building" as well as "heat and energy" pro- ducing. Too often fruits and vegetables are looked upon as "side dishes" ; when, as a matter of fact, many per- sons live exclusively upon these foods, proving thereby that they contain all the elements necessary for nutrition. 54 RIGHT FOOD — TH£ RIGHT REMEDY FOOD SALTS Before food can be utilized by the body, it must go through the processes known as digestion, assimilation, and absorption. The ultimate result of these processes is the building and nourishment of the body-cells. We eat, therefore, to supply food to a body-cell. A body- cell is the basis of the body. It is the great I AM as far as the living body is concerned. To have a healthy and normal body it is necessary to have healthy and normal body-cells, for the body is but a series of aggregations of body-cells. Body-cells are microscopic. Many are so tiny it re- quires thousands of them to form a bit of tissue barely seen by the naked eye. (Every part of the body is body- tissue, whether blood, bones, teeth, nails, hair, fat, muscles, or nerves). These billions of tiny body-cells form the body tissue; the body-tissue is organized, formed into organs ; each organ has one special work or function to perform in the body ; the various organs form the body ; the body is the man ; and the man is the expression of his Maker, one of the sons of God. To have a healthy, normal body, it is necessary to have healthy, normal body-cells. A body-cell, then, must be considered an individual body in itself, and to become healthy and normal it should be properly fed — fed according to Nature's demands. During the early years of life — the growing period — the food must provide materials for the growth of body cells, which is a stupendous undertaking. After these FOOD SALTS 55 cells have matured, it is only necessary to eat such quan- tities and kinds of foods as will keep them strong, healthy and active. The body is delicate in its construction and can only be strongly built by supplying it with proper foods. The food salts play a great and important part in the construction of normal and healthy cells, and in main- taining their healthy condition. In addition to eating foods to build and rebuild the body-cells, we must eat food which enters into, or is absorbed by, the cells and is there stored for future use, to give heat or energy or both to the body as needed. The transformation of food stored in the body-cells into heat and energy is a chemical process. The food salts play as vital a part in this chemical transformation as they do in the transformation of food into body-tissue, It can be seen, therefore, that it is vitally necessary and essential that the food salts form a part of all foods eaten — whether the food is eaten to build, repair, heat, ener- gize, or maintain the body. Not only do these food salts enter into the chemical process of building and repairing the body, or the pro- cess necessary for storing foods within the body-cells, to be used as the body demands heat and energy, but they also play an equally important part in the elimination of waste matter — the waste resulting from the chemical processes (metabolism) within the body. They aid in the elimination of waste matter through the four great body outlets — the skin, lungs, kidneys, and bowels. The improper elimination of wastes from the body is one of the great causes of ill-health. Improper elimin- ation means the retention within body-cells of poisons 56 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY that should be excreted. Their retention makes the cells unhealthy, and unhealthy cells means an unhealthy body. Improper elimination also means that harmful deposits are often formed within the body. Many of the more hearty or staple foods — such as meat, eggs, bread, and the legumes — often decompose before they can be digested, due to their deficiency in food salts — the salts which are antiseptic or anti-fermentic. The raw fruits and raw vegetables are rich in antiseptic or anti-fermentic food salts, and if eaten with the staple or hearty foods, will almost prevent, or counteract, this decomposition. This is one of the most important reasons for adding raw fruits and raw vegetables to nearly every meal given in this book. An understanding of this principle in dietetics is one of the most essential and vital requisites to a proper knowledge of food in its relation to health. This fact is coming before the public more each day. The question receives consideration under the name of "vitamines" and other terms, but it is the same truth which Dr. J. H. Tilden, since he brought it out many years ago, has been teaching and practicing. Decomposition is prevented and digestion is facilitated by the addition of raw fruits and raw vegetables to the diet. Many who have indigestion, or whose digestion is slow, or who are unable to eat various kinds of foods, will find that the addition of raw fruits and raw vege- tables to the diet will increase the digestive power. The food salts in the raw fruits and raw vegetables more or less balance the meal ; make it a more normal and natural one. The food salts of the raw fruits and raw vegetables FOOD saws 57 act as anti-fermentic agents, neutralizing the toxin- producing tendency of the foods deficient in food salts. The more nearly the meal is made up of natural foods, the more nearly perfect will the digestion be. The more perfect the digestion, the better will be the health of the individual. This book indorses natural foods only ; foods which are not devitalized, as are white flour, corn meal as usually sold, white sugar and other unnatural and devitalized foods. Foods devitalized by either process of manu- facture or method of preparation are not natural foods. They are on the market because the people of the nation do not fully understand that the devitalized foods are dangerous to health, and because manufacturers, taking advantage of the ignorance of the people, have adver- tised and promoted the sale of their devitalized products. The whole ground grain should be the only flour used, and it does not require elaborate machinery. The simple process of grinding is sufficient. Furthermore, many foods are devitalized — robbed of their valuable food salts — by the present-day methods of cooking. The paragraphs devoted to preparation and cooking of foods furnish information of great importance to every person. If we do not eat raw fruits or raw vegetables with a meal, the staple foods tend to decompose and ferment. This decomposition develops poisons or toxins within the body. These toxins cause disease. The development of this poison within the body does not refer to and must not be confused with the poisoning by foods which are adulterated, decayed or decomposed before eaten, but refers to the poisoning caused by eat- 58 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY ing pure foods, unsuited to the individual's needs, eating at improper times, or eating improper amounts. The resulting poisoning is insidious in its development and chronic in its outcome. Sailors, when deprived of raw fruits and raw vege- tables, develop a condition of the body known as scurvy or scorbutus. This scurvy or scorbutus is a decidedly "acid" condition of the cells of the body — of the body itself. The body becomes sour and its fluids acid, due to eating hearty, devitalized foods deficient in food salts. The lack of these salts, and a decreased eliminative power, causes the retention of poisons within the body. The body should, normally, be sweet and its fluids alkaline, and the ONLY cure for scurvy or scorbutus is an abund- ance of raw fruits and raw vegetables in the diet of the patient. Though few persons in America have this scurvy or scorbutus to such a degree as it develops in those totally deprived of raw fruits and raw vegetables, there are large numbers who have the disease in a mild form, known as "acidosis/' a name applied to the condition by Dr. J. H. Tilden many years ago. This is probably the most prevalent disease in America today, for this acid or sour condition of the body is the foundation of many diseases. To combat and correct this prevalent condi- tion is fairly easy when the cause is known. It comes from eating too heartily of the so-called "good, nourish- ing food" — meat, bread, eggs, pastry, and sugar ; and from eating too small quantities of raw fruits, raw vege- tables, and the succulent or non-starchy vegetables. So prevalent is this disease and so ravaging is it in its insidious destruction of health and happiness, that the food sai/ts 59 title of this book might well be "Acidosis — A Product of an Orthodox Diet," for the primary object of the book is to teach a way to health through the dietary correction of acidosis. Not only are many of the common diseases of the body traceable to this "acidosis/' but mental diseases also are traceable to it. Many persons are socially, professionally, and commercially handicapped, because their minds, dulled by acidosis, refuse to act effectively at the proper moment. Many will testify that when a change in diet removed the handicap, success followed. The body of man is made up of the same sixteen elements found in the soil and in plants. There is no creature living on this planet whose body does not contain these sixteen elements. These sixteen elements are obtained in their best proportions and purity in unrefined (natural) foods, indicating that only natural, unrefined foods need be eaten, to supply the human body with its necessary elements. The foods which are commonly eaten — the refined foods — have eight of the elements entirely removed while four elements are removed to the extent of 75%. (McCann). One element cannot take the place of another in the body, nor can the lack of a necessary element be artificially supplied by tonics or medicine. When we eat natural foods the sixteen ele- ments remain intact. Much agitation was caused when it was announced that pellagra was the result of a diet lacking in cell salts. This discovery should warn the public that other diseases, peculiar to other localities and climates, may be simply various forms of acidosis. The acidosis should not be allowed to develop to the pellagra stage (or in fact any 60 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY disease stage). The early indications of acidosis should be heeded, and the faulty conditions corrected. Prof. Simon Baruch says : "There is a striking simi- larity in some of the causes predisposing to infantile paralysis and beri-beri (a form of acidosis). Both are accompanied by fever and paralysis and both are ex- tremely dangerous. Beri-beri is now known to be due chiefly, if not solely, to absence of vitamines (food salts) in the diet. May not infantile paralysis be likewise traceable to some defect in diet. . . . ?" Van Norden describes, in his "Diseases of Metabo- lism and Nutrition/' experiments made in the matter of food salts. He says: "The consequence of even slight loss of alkali (food salts) in the dog is a morbid derange- ment of the nervous system and disturbances of food assimilation. At the expiration of a certain time, death results with spasms." There is no doubt among scientific men but that a diet deficient in food salts is responsible for much of the "nervousness" and many nerve disorders of the present day. Especially is this true in the case of white-bread eating. When the nerves are not obtaining the proper food to keep them in their delicate balance, is it any wonder that nervousness is so prevalent? The consumption of foods containing deficient amounts of food salts and the commission of other dietetic errors contribute to the development of cancer. Packard says that some cases of cancer are due to a diet deficient in food salts. As to the quantity of food salts one may consume, Prof. Sherman says : "It should be clearly understood that an excess of base-forming elements (food salts) in FOOD SALTS 61 the food is not in any sense objectionable, since the oxi- dation processes in the body are constantly yielding such large quantities of carbonic acid that any surplus of base- forming elements (food salts) goes to form bi-carbonates, which not only do not disturb the neutrality, but which act as a reserve material for its maintenance." It is therefore possible, by eating an abundance of fruits and vegetables, to build up a reserve vitality to meet future emergency. Healthy animals (or persons) fed on food from which the natural salts have been entirely removed die more quickly than those fed no food at all. This is because the body of the former spends much of its energy throw- ing off poisons produced by eating the devitalized foods, while the body of the latter is not called upon to expend its energy to rid itself of poisons. This should be a sufficient incentive to every person to eat only natural food — food from which none of the food salts have been removed. Drennin and others point out the necessity of an abund- ance of food salts in the diet of the pregnant mother, as the growing fetus must be supplied with these elements. Drennin asserts that even the mother's tissues are robbed of their reserve of food salts when proper food is not eaten. Hence disease, especially tuberculosis, frequently follows pregnancy. Weigert says: "Tuberculous children succumb more quickly when nourished with sugars and starches. The water content of the organism is inversely proportioned to the natural immunity. Carbohydrates (sugar and starch) diet increases unnecessarily the amount of water in the tissues and prompts a rapid rise in body weight. 62 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY Such children who appear plump, round, and well- nourished, are water-logged and show slight resisting power against infection." Alfred McCann, of New York City, author of many books and contributor to many publications, is untiring in his efforts to show the harmfulness of using the devi- talized foods thrust upon us by food manufacturers, sugar refiners, millers, and others. He describes the death-dealing qualities of denatured food in his report on the foods consumed by the laborers working on the Madeira-Mamore Railroad, a single track railroad, 232 miles long, to connect Brazil with Bolivia for the exploit- ing of the rubber industry. The diet of these men, quite deficient in the vital food salts, very closely resembles the diet of the average per- son. The foods they ate were white bread, white crackers, tapioca, white flour, macaroni, rice, coffee, xarque (a form of dried beef), canned pork and beans, canned sausage, canned jam, corn flakes, oatmeal, con- densed milk, and canned spinach. Four thousand lives were snuffed out in a short period of time as a result of this diet. They died of acidosis, a disease easily avoided by right living. This startling truth should arouse everyone against the use of refined and denatured foods and against the indus- tries producing these products and forcing them upon the public for the sake of the dollars and cents they bring a few greedy stockholders. Far more people suffer from acidosis than realize they have the same disease which killed so many of the builders of the Madeira-Mamore railroad. The acidosis condition is modified somewhat by the consumption of FOOD SALTS 63 natural foods rich in food salts. Many die, however, of this disease. Because persons do not topple over in the streets in paroxysms of pain and die, little or no thought is given to the relation diet may have to the cause of death. Disregarding the natural laws of living does not immediately cause death. It slowly and surely so under- mines the vitality and lowers the resistance that any sud- den or startling cause brings on an acute disease and terminates life. Alfred McCann tells of another test made upon twelve convicts, six of them murderers, in a Mississippi peni- tentiary. Their diet consisted of biscuits, brown gravy, corn bread, grits, hominy, collards, fried mush, rice, coffee, and sugar. Note how closely this diet resembles the diet of the average person, and then read what Mr. McCann says: "Several of the convicts attempted suicide during the test. Two of them, Guy R. James and D. W. Pitts, made formal application to the penitentiary board to be sent back to their cells in order that they might serve their life terms, in preference to continuing further sufferings. (The twelve men were to be pardoned by the governor for submitting to the test)." Alfred McCann has brought the same thing to the atten- tion of the public in another striking manner. The German cruiser, Kronprinz Wilhelm, was forced to put into Newport News on April 11, 1915, after sailing the seas for 255 days, because of the prevalence of acidosis aboard ship, about which her ship surgeons knew nothing. In his book, "This Famishing World/' he says : "Alarm- ing conditions began to develop. Typical symptoms of 64 RIGHT FOOD — TH£ RIGHT R£M£DY paralysis, dilated heart, atrophy of muscles and anemia were marked. Fifty of the men could not stand on their feet. They were dropping at the rate of two a day. It seemed that a curse had descended upon the cruiser and it was plain that the whole crew was rapidly going to pieces. "The Kronprinz Wilhelm would either be manned by five hundred dead bodies in a few more weeks or she would have to make a run of it to the nearest port. "That is why the German cruiser lay at anchor in the James river, a floating wreck, a hospital ship, a lesson to the American experts who cry 'beri-beri and polished rice/ when red meat and white bread are the real issue." Meat and white bread, not rice, were the real causes responsible for the condition aboard this ship. Alfred McCann further says, "Here was a crew of men living in the open air, eating the staple articles of diet, namely : fresh meat, all the fat and cheese they could eat, boiled potatoes, canned vegetables, condensed milk, sugar, tons of fancy cakes, biscuits and white bread, and all the tea and coffee they could drink." Here were these German sailors eating foods typical of the American meals; eating an abundance of "good, nourishing food" ; eating plenty of food that would "stick to the ribs" ; eating the foods you are accustomed to eat. Your diet differs from theirs only in the occasional fresh fruits or vegetables you eat whose food-salts are suffi- cient to prevent such a striking condition as the German sailors experienced. The truths brought out by this lesson in diet should arouse within each person the apprehension that not only ill-health may be due to dietetic errors, but that the ill- FOOD SAI/TS 65 health of the multitudes is directly traceable to bad habits of eating. While the Kronprinz Wilhelm was at Newport News, and after it was evident that the men would respond to no form of medication, Alfred McCann suggested the diet, which, being rich in food salts, corrected their condi- tion. When reading the prescribed diet which follows, note that it is rich in those vital food salts which this book holds forth as essentially necessary to health. "To one hundred pounds of wheat bran add two hun- dred pounds of water. Leach for twelve hours at one hundred twenty degrees Fahrenheit. Drain off liquor. Give each man eight ounces of the liquor each morning. "Give each man one teaspoonful wheat bran, morning and night, until contra-indicated by loose stools. "Boil cabbage, carrots, parsnips, spinach, onions, tur- nips together two hours. Drain off liquor. Discard the residue. Feed liquor as soup in generous quantities with unbuttered whole wheat bread. "Wash and peel potatoes. Discard potatoes. Retain the skins. Boil skins and give liquor to men to drink four ounces a day." Excepting fresh fruit juice and milk, very little else was fed. Alfred McCann gives further proof of the necessity of fruits and vegetables in the diet by relating the exper- iences of Roald Amundsen, leader of the Norwegian Antarctic Expedition in the ship Fram, 1910-1912, and of Donald B. McMillan, the Arctic Explorer. He says, "The Fram crew knew nothing of white bread. Not a man was ill for an hour, yet they faced colossal hard- ships for two full years upon a diet of pemican, consist- 66 RIGHT FOOD — TH£ RIGHT R£ME)DY ing chiefly of oatmeal and dehydrated vegetables, with a little dried ground meat and oat biscuits made of whole oatmeal and milk powder." Donald B. McMillan says, "Four years of eating whole wheat bread, chocolate, dehydrated fruits and vegetables, surely ought to constitute a very thorough test of the nutritive value of these foods. Just such a prolonged test has convinced me that I could live indefinitely even in the Arctic upon such foods. My own experience has confirmed my conviction that they are truly ideal for the use of all explorers and expeditionary forces. "I took with me, 5,000 pounds of whole wheat bis- cuits; 2,000 pounds whole wheat flour; 1,080 pounds de- hydrated vegetables, equivalent to 10,000 pounds fresh vegetables, including potatoes, rhubarb, turnips, spinach and onions ; 12 cases assorted dehydrated soup ; 19 crates yellow-eyed beans; 12 crates pea beans; 150 pounds Scotch green peas; 200 pounds yellow split peas; 1,000 pounds dried apples and apricots ; 608 pounds prunes ; 300 pounds raisins ; 900 pounds chocolate, bitter and sweet; 1,000 pounds brown sugar; 42 cases baked beans; an assortment of nuts, dates, figs, lime juice, grape juice, and a small assortment of canned peaches, pears, cran- berries, apples, cherries, plums, corn, peas, tomatoes and squash. "We all were most decidedly impressed by the won- derful flavor and invigorating quality of the dehydrated fruits and vegetables. " In "The Heart of the Antarctic," by Shackleton, the author says : "In the first place the food must be whole- some and nourishing in the highest degree. During our entire trip from 1907 to 1909, we did not develop a single FOOD SAI/TS 67 case of sickness, relying almost exclusively upon whole wheat biscuit, dehydrated fruits and vegetables, marrow- fat peas, lentils, and kidney beans. "We carried with us dried prunes, peaches, apricots, raisins, currants, apples, dehydrated potatoes, carrots, cabbage, onions, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celery, spinach, parsley, mint, rhubarb, mushrooms, and arti- chokes to the extent of 3,800 pounds, with 2,240 pounds of whole wheat biscuits." The experience of these three men should convince any skeptic of the value and necessity of fruits and vegetables in the diet. These Polar explorers, subjected to incon- ceivable hardships and struggles, unknown to many others, lived on a diet of more than fifty per cent of fruits and vegetables. Nowhere in their diet do we find listed re- fined sugar, white flour, tapioca, spaghetti, macaroni, and the many other unnatural, devitalized, so-called "good, nourishing foods" which are found upon the average American table! Here were these men living largely upon fruits and vegetables which maintained their bodily warmth in a climate far colder than the average American can im- agine. Yet how few people in this country ever think of the importance and necessity of making fruits and vege- tables a part of the winter diet, except to use, as a matter of course, canned vegetables, which are greatly inferior to the dehydrated vegetables eaten by the explorers. Note the similarity of the diets of the sailors of the Kronprinz Wilhelm and the average American; then compare these with the diet of the Polar explorers, re- membering that the Polar explorers remained free from disease. 68 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY DEVITALIZING FOODS The more natural the food — the diet — the more normal the health. What are natural foods? Natural foods are those which come to us in their natural state for our consump- tion. If foods require some method of preparation, such as milling or cooking, they should be so prepared that they retain as nearly as possible their natural elements. There are two ways of preparing foods — the wrong way (it is the common way) which needs no explanation — and the right way, which is explained in this book. Foods should be so prepared that they retain, as nearly as possible, their natural elements. These elements will be destroyed partially, if not wholly, by wrong methods of manufacture or wrong preparation in cooking. Nature, when she prepares foods in her laboratory, compounds them in such a manner that the elements con- tained in those foods harmonize. It should be the aim, therefore, of those preparing foods to prepare them so that the natural elements will not be thrown out of harmony. Foods thrown out of chemical harmony be- come devitalized. White sugar, white flour, corn meal as usually sold, polished rice, pearled barley and hominy are devitalized foods. RAW FOOD VS. COOKED FOOD 69 RAW FOOD vs. COOKED FOOD The American people eat too much cooked food and too little raw food. Many follow a diet of unfired or raw food even to the matter of cereals. This is carrying the idea beyond a practical point. We use so much energy in our every- day intensive work of eternal hustle, it is unwise to tax the digestion by eating raw grains. Cooking raw grains breaks down the cellulose walls, or pockets, around the tiny particles of starch, so that the digestive fluids, prin- cipally the saliva, can act more thoroughly upon the starch. Cooking meat breaks down the connective tissue, which, being thus softened, gives freer access to the digestive fluids. In general, cooking is the application of heat to foods to make them more digestible and more palatable. Too often, however, food is made palatable at the expense of digestibility. That is, some foods, as prepared, are bad mixtures. Some are cooked with such a high degree of heat that the natural food salts are partially destroyed, resulting in an indigestible mass, although it appeals to the senses of taste and smell. Such cooking is not food preparation, and ought not to be tolerated at home or in public eating houses. Those who habitually (which too often means without thinking) eat foods prepared to "tickle the palate" re- gardless of their digestibility, will find that it takes days, perhaps weeks, to develop a normal, healthy taste for natural foods, properly prepared. 70 RIGHT FOOD — TH£ RIGHT REMEDY Complex cooking, which means fancy cooking, is not only dangerous to health, but enslaves the housewife to the perverted appetite of those for whom she cooks. This slavery has sent many a wife and mother to an early grave, or worse, to an invalid's bed or an asylum cell. Complex cooking — fancy cooking — is worse than needless toil. Many wives and mothers would have better health and live happier lives if the time spent in the needless preparation of food were spent in rest and recreation. The time spent in preparing "fancy dishes" could be better used in the preparation of vegetables and salads — the foods which build mental and physical health. As fruits and vegetables should form about two-thirds of all food eaten, special attention should be given to their proper preparation. Many prepared foods are sold on a so-called merit of being "pre-digested." Such foods are not commended, for it is possible that they were prepared in such an extreme degree of heat that all, or nearly all, of their natural elements are destroyed, which would make these foods far from being natural foods. The farther foods are from their natural condition the less suitable are they in the diet. Many good foods, as fruit, are often made almost worthless by the process of preparation. Fruit should be served uncooked, whenever possible, as cooking reduces and throws out of harmony the vital food salts. The same is true of some vegetables, such as cabbage. VEGETABLES 71 VEGETABLES Food-salts, acidosis and the importance of raw fruits, raw vegetables and cooked non-starchy vegetables in the diet, is a revelation to many readers. It may be a greater revelation to know that the usual manner of preparing vegetables is grossly wrong. It is wrong to cook vege- tables with meat, butter or other fat. It is also wrong to cook them in so much water that the water must be drained off. Nature so prepares food in her laboratory that the elements in the food harmonize, and cooking should not disturb this harmony, nor change the composition of the vital elements and food-salts. From a practical stand- point, most of the vegetables placed in Lists A and B should be cooked, although cooking more or less de- organizes the elements and food-salts, the major part of the salts being extracted from the vegetables and dis- solved into the water. This water is generally thrown away, thus wasting the food-salts, the most valuable part of the vegetable. The up-to-the-minute cook has learned that this "orthodox" or conventional way of cooking vegetables, not only lessens the palatability of the food, but requires artificial seasoning. Vegetables should be of good quality. After being prepared, they should not stand long in water, unless they are to be cooked in that water. Enough water should be used to prevent burning, without requiring any to be poured away after cooking. What little is left should be served with the vegetables, or it sometimes may be 72 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY added to soup. Add no salt or seasoning while cook- ing. This should be added before serving, or by the indi- vidual. However, food is better without seasoning. When the lid is tight-fitting it is not necessary to cook with great heat. Boiling with intense heat is a mistake. It makes burning more likely, and the vegetables less wholesome for it tends to de-organize, or throw out of harmony, the food-salts. Steam-cooking is the best way to cook vegetables. When this is not possible, cook at a low temperature (simmering). Time and trouble are saved and the method is good. The pressure cooker and fireless cooker are found satisfactory by many. A double boiler reduces the danger of burning, but requires longer cooking. Whichever method is used, no surplus water should remain when the cooking is completed. When using dehydrated vegetables, it is, of course, necessary to use sufficient water to allow for the absorp- tion that will take place. Then cooking is resumed as with the fresh vegetables. The value and sufficiency of fruits and vegetables as food is well stated by J. H. Tilden, M. D., editor of the Philosophy of Health magazine. "The cow can live ex- clusively on grass, which, for the sake of the dietetic hint it carries, let us call salad or fruit ; for grass, like green vegetable salad and fruit, carries the structural building elements — cell salts, proteins and carbohydrates — enough to wrap the cow in a comfortable coat of flesh. "Dr. Haig, the great English diet specialist, declares that grass, salad vegetables and fruits are all free from uric acid. Uric acid is a product of animal metabolism ; that is, a product of chemical action within the body. VEGETABLES 73 "If cattle can eat grass that is very low in protein, and from that grass can build flesh, and also furnish milk, which is an ideal protein-bearing food, why should it be necessary for man to live on either bread or meat? "If the growing child and the growing calf, both of which require more protein for building than the full- grown (adults), can secure enough building material from the exclusive use of milk, why should it be thought neces- sary for the full-grown of either man or cow to have something more than milk or grass, for surely the adult does not require the "building material" required by the growing child? When then is it necessary to eat any- thing more than fruits, salads and dairy products? "We know from observation that cattle (when grown) thrive well on grass. When it is necessary to have the young mammalia develop into large animals they are encouraged to live on milk. Why? Because milk con- tains the elements necessary for growth. "We have also observed that it is easy to dwarf the young by simply keeping them away from their mothers or from having sufficient milk. Calves deprived of milk grow large abdomens, but otherwise are smaller and are always stunted in growth, and remain so for life. "The facts stated bring out a fact Which cannot be refuted; viz., that man can live better, longer and more efficiently by following a simple, non-complex diet. Those who are really progressive (dietetically) have learned this, but it appears to be very hard for general opinion to shake off the idea that full-grown people must eat largely of foods rich in protein or building material. When an ideal food is to be selected, bread and meat only 74 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY are thought of. This is a mistaken belief, which a little observation and attention to obvious facts will correct. "How many parents have criticized their children for wanting to eat fried chicken to the exclusion of other foods ! I am safe in saying that nearly all parents have said to children : 'If you do not eat bread with your meat, you shall not have any more meat; if you will not eat bread, you are not to have any more jam, preserves or jellies/ A combination of meat and bread is a bad mix- ture, and jam, jellies or preserves are not desirable addi- tions to the diet of either child or adult. If eaten, they should never be eaten with bread. "No doubt a desire to practice economy has had some- thing to do with causing parents to force bread on chil- dren. Economy might better be practiced in some other manner, for the sooner the profession and public learn that eating of bread and meat is a secret of the high cost of living, the better. These foods add to the high cost of living, because they are largely responsible for sickness and the expense attending sickness. "Encouraging people to believe that bread and meat are the staffs of life is the cause of the wholesale over- eating practiced everywhere. Excessive eating of either of these foods builds morbidity of mind and body. These foods taken to excess grow sensual habits. "Fruits and raw vegetables are not looked upon as of any special worth. Most doctors believe that such eat- ing is a slow form of starvation, whereas a diet of fruits, vegetables, dairy products and limited quantities of well- baked whole grain bread will give health and strength for any emergency. "Probably there is ten times as much bread and meat VEGETABLES 75 eaten as should be. The cost in ill-health produced by overeating of these foods is the cause of most of the poverty and crime abounding everywhere, to take care of which the public is severely taxed. "Nitrogen (which is one of the predominant elements of many of the staple foods) is the most deadly enemy of oxygen (which is present in fruits and vegetables). Oxy- gen stands for life, whereas nitrogen stands for death. The advisability of having fruits and vegetables in the diet should thus be apparent/' 76 RIGHT FOOD THE RIGHT REMEDY FRUIT Unfortunately, the value and necessity of fresh and dried fruit in the diet is much misunderstood and much underestimated by the American people. Fruits have been looked upon as "dainties," "side dishes," or "tid-bits," and are used or served usually, to grace the table as a bouquet of flowers might be. They have also been looked upon as low in nutritive value as well as expensive. Fruit is more than a "tid-bit" ; it is a vital necessity in the diet; it is one of the most economical foods on today's market; it is high in nutritive value. To attain the maximum value from fruit it is neces- sary to know what fruits are proper to eat; the proper way of preparing them; the proper time to eat them; and the foods with which they may be eaten. Fresh fruit should usually be eaten in preference to dried fruit, and when purchasing fresh fruit see that the fruit is neither under-ripe nor over-ripe. The unripe fruit is not valuable as a food, for the elements it contains have not reached full development, are not matured and developed as nature intended them to be for consumption. As fruit ripens, it turns from starch to sugar, becoming sweeter and more palatable. Over-ripe fruit tends to decay quickly, and is not wholesome. Ripening bananas undergo a change similar to that in other fruit. The discredit which has come upon bananas is largely due to the fact that they are usually eaten before they are properly ripened. An unripe banana should not be eaten any more than should an unripe melon. The FRUIT 77 best quality bananas are those which are full and plump and show full development of the banana before being picked. The skin should be partially black, not the yellow or golden color that makes the fruit commendable for its appearance only. Bananas are best when covered with tiny brown spots, much like the complexion of a freckled- faced boy. When fresh fruit cannot be obtained, it becomes neces- sary to use dried fruits. Dried fruit should be prepared without chemicals, for the action of these chemicals within the human body produces great harm. Insist that all dried fruits which you purchase are properly dried with- out chemicals. Otto Carque, a distinguished authority on the subject of fruit, is worthy of careful reading. He says: "In the process of drying fruits, sulphurous acid is chiefly employed in the form of fumes of burning sulphur, applied either to the food products themselves in the course of manufacture or to the containers in which the food products are held. Desiccated fruits, pared or un- pared, are subject after the removal of the pit or core, to the fumes of burning sulphur, in what is known as a 'sul- phur box\ The following reasons are given for the prac- tice of sulphuring: (1) To produce as clear and intense a yellow color as possible. (2) To conceal decayed portions of the fruit. (3) To prevent fermentation and decay during the dry- ing of the fruit. (4) To protect the fruit during the drying from flies and other insects, the larvae of which would otherwise develop after the fruit was stored. 78 RIGHT FOOD — TH£ RIGHT R£M£DY (5) To kill the cells of the fruit and thus make the tex- ture more porous, which expedites drying. "There is another reason why sulphur is in favor with fruit growers. Highly sulphured fruits are preserved with a lower degree of desiccation than those not sul- phured, and for this reason a greater weight of fruit is produced from a given weight of the raw material. It is not difficult to preserve a water content of 30 per cent or over in the finished product when liberal sulphuring is practiced. "Numerous experiments carried on by Dr. Harvey W. Wiley, former chief chemist of the United States Depart- ment of Agriculture, have shown that the use of sulphur- ous acid in foods is deleterious, that it never adds any- thing to the flavor or quality of a food, but renders it both less palatable and less wholesome. Sulphurous acid retards the assimilation of food material and overworks the kidneys, which have to remove all the added sulphur from the body. Another effect which the administration of sulphur produces, and one more serious still, is found in the impoverishment of the blood in respect to the num- ber of red and white corpuscles therein. Sulphur, like all other preservatives, as benzoic acid, saccharin, etc., is purely a drug, devoid of food value, exerting deleterious and harmful effects. The addition of any form of sul- phurous acid to products intended for human food should, therefore, be avoided. "Whenever the sulphuring of dried fruit has been criticized or threatened by law, the California fruit packers have claimed that to forbid this practice would ruin a great California industry. This would certainly be a bad thing, but such a calamity need not, however, FRUIT 79 follow the non-sulphuring of fruits," for a well known pure food company in California has put up unsul- phurized fruits for several years. The principal food elements of ripe fruits are the "fruit sugars," whose function, within the body, is to produce heat and energy. All fruits contain sugar ; some, chiefly the sweet fruits, being richer in fruit sugar than others. Because a fruit is acid to the taste, it does not imply that such fruit lacks fruit sugar. It is present in smaller quantities. Fruit which may be eaten raw without sugar will re- quire the addition of sugar to make it palatable when cooked, as cooking causes a chemical change in the ele- ments of the fruits. Dried fruits can, however, usually be prepared without cooking, and without using commercial, or white, sugar for sweetening. Raw fruits stand paramount among all foods as anti- fermentics and anti-scorbutics. That is, raw fruit is the greatest dietary enemy of the development of that pre- valent condition known as "acidosis." The anti-f ermentic and anti-scorbutic qualities of raw fruit lie in the abund- ance of food salts which they contain in their natural state — that is, as they come to us from Nature. When fruits are cooked their natural elements and natural food salts are de-organized or thrown out of har- mony. They almost entirely lose their anti-f ermentic and anti-scorbutic properties, for cooking destroys the life and action of the salts. The fresh, juicy fruits are the best anti-f ermentic and anti-scorbutic fruits. If these cannot be obtained, dried fruits may be substituted. These dried fruits should be free from chemicals, and should be dried 80 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY according to the best methods of drying, or de-hydration, as the process is called. In sections of the country where fresh fruit cannot be obtained the year round, canned fruits are used more extensively than dried fruits. Canned fruits prepared with commercial sugar are not recommended, and none of the menus in this book are intended to include them. If fruits are canned, they should be sweetened with honey, rather than commercial sugar, and should be put up in lacquered tins or glass jars. The latter are preferred. The science of dehydrating food is so simple that any household may dry fruit and vegetables during the season for use out of season. This process has revolutionized the method of keeping foods, and is far superior to the old-time method of canning with commercial sugar. Cooked fruits are not so desirable for many reasons, one being the partial or complete destruction of the anti- fermentic and anti-scorbutic action of the fruit. With this action destroyed, the fruits themselves are more apt to ferment when eaten. Usually, however, cooked fruit is combined with sugar, either at the time of cooking or when served. Not only is this combination bad and con- ducive to fermentation, but the common custom is to eat cooked fruit with bread, cereals, puddings and other starch preparations. Such a combination is dangerous, producing an acid fermentation within the digestive tract, giving rise not only to digestive troubles, but causes that condition known as "acidosis." This custom of combin- ing sugar with fruit and fruit with starch is so common that it will be difficult to accept the truth of the state- ment without going into technical details. Those who care for those details are referred to books on chemistry. FRUIT 81 An intelligent test of this statement in practice will dispel any doubt as to the harm that the combination causes. Inasmuch as many of the staple foods are deficient in valuable food salts, and are further robbed of them by the ordinary method of cooking, other foods, such as raw vegetables and raw fruits, must be supplied in the diet to prevent, partly, if not wholly, the fermentation of foods deficient in food salts. Jams, jellies and preserves are not recommended. If used, they should be made with honey, not sugar. They should never be eaten with bread or other starch foods. Many artificial fruit flavors are made in the laboratory to resemble the odor and flavor of fresh fruits; such as apple, peach, pineapple, strawberry, raspberry, and banana. These lack nutritive qualities and, in many in- stances, are actually dangerous, because they are used to disguise foods which in themselves are not good food. Artificial fruit flavors are used instead of pure fruit juice almost entirely at soda fountains, and are harmful, if not dangerous, to drink. Many persons suffering with rheumatism omit acid fruits from their diet entirely, reasoning thus: Rheuma- tism represents an acid condition of the body. Acid fruit will increase the acid condition, therefore the rheumatism will be worse. Their reasoning is a fallacy because they do not understand that fruit acid and the acid causing rheumatism are not the same. They are direct opposites, as explained by Philip B. Hawk, Ph. D. : "Another deep-seated popular misconception is that per- sons afflicted with rheumatism should not eat acid fruit, such as oranges, peaches, plums, lemons and grapefruit. This idea is based on the belief that "fruit acids" cause 82 RIGHT FOOD TH^ RIGHT REMEDY an increase in the acid content of the tissues of a rheu- matic individual, and thus aggravate the disease. "It can easily be shown, by chemical analysis of such fruits, that the acid taste is due to the presence in the fruit of the salts of certain organic acids. But in the course of the transformation of these salts in the body, they yield carbonates, which instead of being acids are the exact opposite : that is, alkalies. . . . There is no good reason why acid fruits should be eliminated from the diet." Strawberries, or other berries, should never be made into shortcake or eaten with starchy food. The mixture is bad and causes serious digestive disturbances. This is one reason why strawberries apparently disagree with many persons. Some persons claim they cannot eat fruit because dis- tress follows the eating. This is only true of those out of health — the auto-toxemic — those who really need fruit the most. To forego the pleasure of eating fruit is to lose a benefit. The distress felt after eating fruit is largely due to the improper use of other food-stuffs, par- ticularly starches. A few days of right living will re- move the causes of the distressing effects. No person can afford to omit fruit from the diet, and should not do so. Better omit anything else from the diet. DEHYDRATION 83 DEHYDRATION Dehydration is the process of removing water from vegetables and fruits, so that they will not decay. The process is simply a method of passing heated air over the fruits or vegetables at a temperature low enough to pre- vent changes in the cell structure, so that the fruit or vegetable retains its full food value, and the vital food salts are unaltered by heat, as happens when they are cooked. Dehydration supersedes the old-time and laborious canning methods. 1 Millions of persons living in northern zones do not eat a green salad or a succulent vegetable from late summer to the early part of the next. These millions live with- out the most essential food that Nature gives, their winter- time conception of a vegetable being a boiled potato or a can of tomatoes. Dehydrated fruits and vegetables are nearly equal to the fresh product. Some, who live (as most city people do) where the fruits and vegetables are more or less stale before they are eaten, declare them superior to the fresh product. Dehydrated foods not only will create a year-round consumption, equal to the consumption during the fruit and vegetable season, but they bring to those living far from gardens and orchards the benefit of these essential foods. Increased consumption of these foods will not produce a shortage. Millions of tons now wasted, be- Note 1. Detailed information can be obtained from the U. S. Department of Agriculture bulletins. 84 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY cause unable to reach a market, will be dehydrated at the field and orchard when the needs demand it. The trans- portation problem will also be simplified, for one barrel of dried vegetables is equivalent to thirty barrels of the non-dried. This method is superior to the common method of dry- ing fruits with sulphurous acid. CLASS TWO FOODS 85 CLASS TWO FOODS The foods belonging to this class, chiefly lean meats, fish, fowl, game, legumes, and nuts, build or rebuild the body. Bread and other products made from the whole grain of wheat, Indian corn, oats, barley, rice, rye or buckwheat, also belong to this class, because they contain some building elements. However, they are listed under Class Three, their predominant function being the pro- duction of heat and energy. Vegetarians and non-vegetarians have long differed over the foods of this class, especially over meat, their discussions bringing the food issue to the front. The discussion of the subject from a moral or humani- tarian standpoint will not be taken up here. Some contend that meat is essential to health, ridi- culing the non-meat eater as a fanatic. The vegetarian, on the other hand, looks with contempt upon meat eating, declaring it to be responsible for most of the ills of the world. Each side has some element of truth. The improper use of meat is responsible for much harm, but the same is true of foods which the vegetarian substitutes for it. The best scientific investigations and experiments in food problems indicate that meat is not strictly neces- sary, and that the health of the American people would really be better if meat were eliminated from the diet, for the diet of the average person contains enough "build- ing" material without the addition of meat. Meat, usually eaten with other hearty foods, supplies an excess of build- ing foods. 86 RIGHT FOOD — TH£ RIGHT REMEDY Undeniable findings of scientists, after long and care- ful investigation, prove that the normal human body can- not utilize more protein (building material) daily than is contained in approximately four ounces of either beef- steak, roast beef, sausage, chicken, fish, ham or lamb chops ; in fact, any meat excepting that which is very fat. This amount of protein (building material) is emphati- cally declared to be the extreme limit — even for gluttons, and that any amount eaten in excess of this must be excreted as waste from the body, at the expense of the kidneys. | v .*q As the daily diet of the average person contains more than the required amount of protein, even if meat is omitted, it is evident that it is not necessary in the diet. Unless we greatly reduce our daily consumption of other foods, which also supply protein (building material), such as the grains, legumes, etc., meat should be omitted. If, however, the individual insists on having meat in his diet, he must understand the simple dietary laws that govern meat eating. The meat packers are trying to offset the tendency to eat less meat by extensive advertising. They urge the public to eat more meat, declaring that it gives one more "pep" — more energy — that it will make "human dyna- mos." Such advertising benefits the packers, but it cer- tainly has no thought for the welfare of man. Meat is not an energy-producing food — it is a building food, simply helping to repair the worn-out body cells. The body cells do not wear out sufficiently, regardless of how hard a man works, to require more than four ounces of meat, or its equivalent, a day, and any amount eaten be- yond that does not produce heat or energy; it simply CLASS TWO FOODS 87 stimulates, and the packers mistake this stimulation for energy — for "pep." The time comes when meat ceases to be stimulating — there is a reaction — for stimulation, When carried beyond a given point, is ALWAYS followed by a reaction, and the "human dynamo" must go to the "junk heap," for continued stimulation wears out the ner- vous system, producing kidney disease, hardening of the arteries, and heart trouble. Meat is a stimulating food, and that is why. its harmful effects are usually misinter- preted — why the stimulation is mistaken for "pep," "ginger," energy. Many vegetarians would have us believe that omitting meat will dispel disease and bring health. This is not true. It is necessary to go further than this. It is just as essential to health for a person to know the food laws governing vegetarianism, as it is for the meat eater to know the laws governing meat eating. Those familiar with menus recommended by the major- ity of vegetarian writers know that fruit, vegetables, bread, baked beans, rice, potatoes, and nut butter may often be included in the menu of one meal. In fact, many of the diets advocated by vegetarians are capable of pro- ducing greater harm than the average diet of the meat eater. Diseases brought on by excessive amounts of meat must be cured by withholding meat, but if an excessive intake of some meat substitute is taken, a cure will not neces- sarily follow. Poison is poison, whether one kind or another, and disease is disease, whether caused by an ex- cessive intake of meat, or by an excessive intake of a meat substitute. On this subject, Dr. J. H. Tilden says: 88 RIGHT FOOD — TH£ RIGHT REMEDY "Whatever else food does for the body, it is first, last and all the time a stimulant. Food in required quantities gives the body the stimulation necessary, but when used in excess of bodily requirements, it overstimulates. It is then that food becomes a drug — a poison. "So far as health is concerned, there is no difference, except in degree, between the over-stimulation from meat, which is albumin, and over-stimulation from alcohol. The effect of both is enervating, and when enervation is pronounced, elimination is inhibited, and auto-toxemia follows. "What difference does it make whether we die from diabetes, caused by starch poisoning, or from neuritis or delirium tremens, caused by alcohol poisoning, or from rheumatic heart disease or apoplexy, caused by meat poisoning ? "Poison is poison. It is all a matter of degree. Meat poisoning cannot kill more surely than bread poisoning. Suppose meat creates acute inflammatory rheumatism, and starch or bread causes bursal rheumatism, and alcohol brings on gout — can there be much choice ?" MEAT 89 MEAT Meats should be of good quality, and should come from healthy animals. The average individual has little supervision over this important factor, depending upon Federal and State inspection. Cattle that have been forced in their feeding (stall-fed) to such degree that the flesh is surcharged with poisons generated within the body of the animal, or hogs that are fattened to the point of fatty degeneration, cannot be called wholesome food. Yet this is the meat commonly sold on the market and gives the vegetarians one of their chief arguments against meat eating. Sheep are amazingly free from the diseases prevalent among cattle and hogs, because they will not eat many of the foods commonly fed to the hogs and cattle. M. B. Ravenel is responsible for the statement that an average of twenty per cent of the hogs brought to slaughter are tubercular, due mainly to bad food. It is said that scarcely a herd of cattle is free from the disease. Meat of good quality should be properly cared for from the time of killing to the time of consumption. Commercialism often places meat utterly unfit for food before the consumer. The traveling public is at the mercy of those who dispose of meat unfit for food, and it is usually advisable for the traveler to order no meat other than beef steak, mutton, or lamb, as these are more apt to be of good quality than other meats. Sea food, such as fish, oysters and clams, are unsafe foods to order 90 RIGHT FOOD — TH^ RIGHT REMEDY in a public eating house unless such houses are under very strict observation. The following suggestions should be of assistance to purchasers of meat and fish, enabling them to distinguish the healthy from the unhealthy. Pork and veal are pale in color. Other meat should have a healthy red color. It should be a dark, rich, but dull red. A purplish color indicates that the animal died a natural death — was not slaughtered. Meat of a pale pinkish or bluish color should be rejected as coming from diseased animals. A blazing red color indicates that the meat has been chemically treated. (McCann). Wet, water-logged, soggy, soft, gelatinous, flabby meat is always poor in quality. Freshly-killed or merely chilled meat is comparatively dry. Meat which discharges its juices on the platter in large quantities is frozen meat which has been thawed. Meat is a poor conductor of heat. That is, heat pene- trates to the centre of large pieces very slowly. Dr. Woodhead, of the British Royal Commission, has found that the center of a joint weighing six pounds never obtained a higher temperature than 104 degrees Fahren- heit, during ordinary cooking. This is not sufficient to destroy parasites that may be in the meat. He found that cooking meat by boiling was the most trustworthy method. Boiling, however, does not always produce the most palatable meat. If the water in the meat, or water in which the meat is cooked, is discarded, the residue becomes a starvation food. The breast of chicken and game is digested more easily than any other form of meat. Meat with a large percentage of fat is difficult of diges- MEAT 91 tion. If the digestion is below normal, pork, which is the fattest of meats, should not be eaten. Lamb and mutton are probably the most wholesome of all meat foods, because sheep are quite free from the diseases affecting a large proportion of the steers and swine offered for slaughter. Mutton is more digestible than beef, because its fibers are much finer and its connective tissues loose. Veal is considered difficult of digestion, because of its insipid taste. It does not stimulate the flow of the diges- tive juices as much as other meats. Bacon is not, strictly considered, a "building food" like other meat. Fat bacon is nearly pure fat. Bacon can be eaten by many without marked ill effects, but it is one of the richest foods known and should be eaten in small quantities. It should be eaten sparingly except in very cold weather, for it is a fat — an oil — and is a producer of heat. Beef tea or beef extract should never be used. It is usually made from the flesh of old cows, known in the packing industry as "canners" or "downers." In boil- ing, the cast-off cells of the old flesh and the waste pro- ducts of its muscles are dissolved in water, consequently they form the extract or "tea." And then the remainder — the solid parts which are left — sometimes become "canned corned beef," or "roast canned beef." (McCann). Be cautious about fish. Know that it is fresh. In northern Europe only live fish are sold. Fish with "sunken" eyes have long been dead, and should never be bought. Fish is eaten in the same dietary combination as other meats. Fish putrefy more quickly than the flesh 92 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY of animals, hence should rarely, if ever, be eaten unless digestion is sound. Oysters and clams should be very fresh, and eaten in the same dietary combinations as other meats. Meat in any form is deficient in food-salts and should not be eaten unless accompanied by fresh fruit, fresh vegetables or cooked non-starchy vegetables. Flesh foods putrefy very quickly when held at a tem- perature of about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Flesh foods, if not properly and promptly digested, remain long enough in the moist temperature (which is about 100 degrees Fahrenheit) of the digestive tract to putrefy, thus creat- ing poisons in the body. This is important and should be reason enough for the use of only strictly fresh meat in very small amounts in the diet. Flesh foods decompose rapidly when taken out of cold storage. chsess 93 CHEESE "Store" cheese is a "building food," and a good meat substitute for those who have good digestions. It can take the place of meat in the meal and should be eaten with the same dietary combinations as meat. (See page 181). Only those with very good digestions should eat cheese (excepting cottage cheese) at a meal where starch — bread or crackers — is eaten. Cheese, like meat, should be eaten with fruits and vegetables. There are about 350 varieties of cheese, many highly flavored, due to bacterial action. Those with a strong odor should be left alone. Only mild cheeses should be eaten. The best cheese is that known as "cottage cheese." This is an ideal meat substitute and one of the best of building foods. It, with fruits and vegetables, should usually be the only foods eaten at any one meal. 94 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY EGGS Eggs are a common and popular "building food," tak- ing the place of meat with many people. They are a poison to some people, especially those with coated ton- gues, slow digestions, or sluggish livers. Such persons should never eat eggs. Eggs are often causative factors in catarrhal conditions and should be eliminated (tempor- arily at least) from the diet of anyone having catarrh of any of the mucous membranes — nasal catarrh, catarrh of intestines, leucorrhea, etc. Eggs should not, ordinarily, be eaten with starch, but should be eaten with fruits and vegetables. Four eggs weekly is a maximum for anyone with good digestion, provided the individual eats no meat or meat substitute on the day eggs are eaten. Even the hardest worker should not eat eggs in quantities. Eggs are best from a digestive standpoint when strictly fresh and prepared in a manner known as "coddling." (Page 293). Raw eggs and (i egg nog" are a delusion, especially so in those diseases accompanied by loss of flesh and strength. Prof. Sherman found that raw eggs remain in the stom- ach longer than soft boiled eggs. The digestive fluids apparently digest an egg more easily when the capsules of the cells have been broken down by cooking. It is a delusion to feed quantities of raw eggs to those seriously ill. Under such a method of "stuffing," which some choose to call "dieting," patients will grow worse 3GGS 95 and die. Is it any wonder that dieting has been brought into disrepute! Besides being a "building food," a single egg contains fat equal to one and one-half ounces of fat meat! (Tilden). That is why eggs for breakfast usually cause a heavy, lazy feeling in the middle of the forenoon. They should substitute meat and be eaten at the "meat" meal only; not for breakfast. Eggs contain a surplus of phosphorus that overstimu- lates the nervous system. To feed eggs to children is a crime. 96 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY LEGUMES DRIED BEANS, PEAS, LENTILS AND PEANUTS Dried beans and peas are both meat and bread in the dietary, are exceedingly concentrated and, unless eaten strictly within digestive capacity, are very difficult to digest. Ignorance of these facts leads to abuse of their use. Many persons, with slow or weak digestions, can digest meat, but cannot digest beans or peas, because improperly cooked, insufficiently masticated, or eaten in quantities beyond the bodily requirements. Legumes require thorough mastication, for they are "bread. " That is, they are very starchy, and improperly masticated starch is certain to cause digestive disturb- ances. Legumes are also "meat/' for they are rich in building material — containing twice as much per pound as meat. If four ounces of lean meat is declared sufficient for even the hardest worker, it is obvious that legumes should be eaten in very small amounts — not over two ounces daily by those whose digestions are good, provided no meat, fish, eggs, or other meat substitute is eaten that day. A person should eat very little bread the day legumes are eaten. Two ounces of beans is a startingly small amount. Legumes cannot be highly recommended as an addition to the diet, for most persons will not eat them in moder- ation. Dr. J. H. Tilden puts the gist of the subject thus: "The composition of beans and peas, compared with that LEGUMES 97 of other foods, gives them the appearance of being superior to all others in food value, and, if fully as diges- tible, they are superior to other foods. But, 'there's the rub' — they are not so easily taken care of by the digestion, and living on them exclusively, or nearly so, will cause premature aging and bowel disease. " Beans and peas, if eaten, must be properly prepared, masticated thoroughly, and eaten within the digestive capacity. Beans and peas are ordinarily prepared by soaking them in water over night, pouring off the water the following morning. More water is added, the whole, perhaps, par- boiled, and the water again drained off. More water is then added in which the beans are cooked. This method removes most of the food-salts — the salts necessary to prevent the fermentation of the beans or peas during digestion. Proper preparation and cooking retains these food salts. (See page 294). What has been said about peas and beans applies also to lentils, which are not in common use in this country. They are the most valuable of the legume foods and should be used more. Beans, peas and lentils should be used in about the same dietary combinations as meat, except that it is not advis- able to eat them with decidedly acid fruits. They are best when eaten with raw green vegetables. 98 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY PEANUTS The peanut is not a nut, but a legume, and belongs to the dried bean, dried pea and lentil family. It is one of Nature's most concentrated foods — containing about forty per cent fat, twenty-five per cent building material and twenty-five per cent heat and energy-producing ele- ments, making it more concentrated than many other foods. Like other concentrated foods, it is usually eaten in excessive quantities. Two ounces of peanuts is a very liberal serving for the main part of a meal. Yet it is common for a person to eat four, six or even eight ounces between meals. Peanuts are best prepared by moderate roasting; a high roast frees fat acids that irritate the lining of the stomach. Peanuts require thorough mastication. Per- sons with defective teeth should grind peanuts before using them. As peanuts are so concentrated, they should not be eaten with other concentrated foods — nuts, meat, cheese, dried peas or dried beans. They are best used with fruits or vegetables. Peanut butter may be sparingly used with bread if one is in good health. Peanut butter is becoming very popular. Some brands are chiefly a paste and contain more flour than peanuts. The peanut butter should be in very fine granules. Pea- nut butter can be made at home, by using the pulverizing attachment accompanying food choppers, first blanching the peanuts by placing them in a coarse bag and rubbing vigorously. It may be necessary to add or remove oil PEANUTS 99 from the peanuts — depending upon the oil content of the peanut used. The Virginia peanut is deficient in oil. The Spanish peanut is rich in oil. A blend of the two gives a butter of about the right consistency. Peanuts for peanut butter should be only moderately roasted. If kept too long the butter will become rancid, hence it is best to make it in small quantities. Store it in a cool place. Those in good health may substitute peanut butter for dairy butter, but on account of being so concentrated and containing such a large percentage of "building material" not more than one-half ounce (a level tablespoonful) should ordinarily be used at a meal. One ounce would be a very large serving. Peanut oil is readily obtainable on the market for use on salads. Olive oil is superior, and cottonseed oil is inferior, to peanut oil. 100 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY NUTS Too little thought is given to nuts as a food, except as they terminate a "Soup to Nuts" meal. It is as absurd to end a hearty meal with nuts, which are rich in fat and building elements, as it is to end the meal with a dessert of fat beefsteak. Eating nuts in this absurd manner, as well as eating them late at night, or when not needed, has made "indigestion" synonymous with nuts. Nuts being very concentrated, one pound equaling about two and a half pounds of beefsteak, should be eaten in small quantities. Two ounces of nut meats are sufficient for one meal. They should be eaten only as a part of a meal, and can be substituted for meat in a "meat" meal. Nuts are used in about the same combinations with other foods as meat. That is, they may be eaten with fresh or dried fruits and raw or cooked vegetables. Nuts should be well masticated. If the teeth are defective, the nuts should be ground in a hand mill. Most of the nut foods on the market are largely, and sometimes entirely, made of peanuts, because peanuts cost from ten to twenty per cent less than true nuts. Most nuts should be blanched, because the hull or skin is irritating to the lining of the stomach. To blanch the nuts, soak them in warm water until the skins can be easily removed. Cocoanuts and Brazil nuts have to be peeled. English walnuts, almonds, pecans and Brazil nuts are the most extensively used in this country. The filbert, one of the best of nuts, should be more commonly used. NUTS 101 Chestnuts are very starchy, and really are not a meat substitute. They should be boiled or roasted before eaten, and should only be eaten as a part of a simple meal. Cocoanuts should not be eaten by those having slow digestions or weak stomachs. 102 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY CLASS THREE FOODS Just as the body requires certain elements to build it up or keep it in repair, so does it require certain elements to produce internal heat and energy. These heat and energy-producing elements are found in starch, sugar and fat. Perhaps three to five times as much heat and energy- producing food is eaten as is necessary. The over- consumption is largely due to ignorance of the necessary and normal amount a person requires, and popular ideas on this matter are quite inaccurate. An individual may be lazy, "tired," listless and low in energy, and to over- come this is urged to increase his consumption of energy- producing foods. It appears logical, but it is absolutely incorrect. The individual's condition is due to too much staple food, and his body, it might be said, is filled with "clinkers." These "clinkers" should be removed, and this can ONLY be accomplished by temporarily with- holding the staple foods and eating raw fruits, raw vegetables and cooked non-starchy vegetables. STARCH 103 STARCH The principal starchy foods in daily use are bread, cereals, or any product made from wheat, Indian corn, oats, barley, rice, rye, buckwheat, sweet potatoes, white potatoes and American Artichokes. Dried beans, dried peas, lentils and peanuts are also very starchy, but they have been listed with the building foods — Class Two. 104 RIGHT FOOD — THE) RIGHT REMEDY BREAD AND CEREAL Starch is largely consumed in the form of grain ground into flour or meal ; rye and wheat being ground into flour, and corn and oats into meal. Corn is much used in the form of hominy and grits. Nearly all the grains enter into breakfast foods. As the grains furnish most of our starch supply, and three to five times the required amount of starch is eaten, the discussion of starch eating and "starch-poisoning" is largely confined to the subject of grains ("Bread and Cereals" ). "Starch-poisoning" and "acidosis" are really synony- mous terms, for the latter is invariably caused by over- consumption of starch and sugar, both by the vegetarian and the non-vegetarian. As Dr. Tilden says, "What dif- ference does it make whether or not we are ill and die of a disease brought about by eating too much meat, or one caused by eating too much sugar and cereal starch?" The only difference is in the trade-name applied to the disease — the name given to the disease which the indi- vidual may have, as a result of his improper eating. The bad habit of eating too much starch is rapidly growing as a result of the "no-meat eating" movement, and the large quantity of starch consumed is probably due to its excellent keeping qualities, its ease of prepara- tion and its apparent cheapness. It is true that grains (starch) can be stored and kept indefinitely, but is a food cheap when its improper use brings disease with its at- tending miseries? The ease and simplicity of its pre- paration is responsible for its over-consumption, but would it not be wiser to give more time to the preparation BRKAD AND CEREALS 105 of life and health-giving foods, such as fruits and vege- tables ? Many, abandoning meat-eating for a heavy bread eating regime, become nervous wrecks, due to elements con- tained in cereals which over-stimulate the nervous system. Nervous people, invariably hearty eaters of bread, should abstain from this food, at least temporarily. Potatoes and the fresh and dried sweet fruits should furnish the substitute. We need starch, but in moderation, properly prepared, properly cooked, and in its natural form. Starch is eaten by many as a "fill in." Bread seems to be the handiest food for this purpose, but when it is eaten beyond the normal requirements it detracts from the physical and mental health of the individual, render- ing him less efficient and less progressive, and actually holds him in bondage. These persons are eating the least expensive food, so far as the first cost is concerned, yet it proves eventually to be the most expensive because of the handicap placed upon the individual by its over-con- sumption. "Starch-poisoning" (acidosis) is America's most pre- valent disease — more prevalent than the diseases caused by alcohol, tobacco, and famine ; more prevalent because almost everybody overeats on sugar and cereal starch and is starch-poisoned, whereas the percentage suffering from the other causes is relatively small. The digestive tract of the food-drunkard — the starch- poisoned — is like a fermenting vat, with its accompany- ing carbonic acid gas and alcohol irritating the whole system, paralyzing the brain, beclouding the judgment, and reducing efficiency in exactly the same manner as 106 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY does alcoholic liquor. Grain alcohol is made by a process of fermentation not unlike the process within the digestive tract of many who indulge in imprudent eating, converting themselves into human distilleries ! Their digestive tracts resemble a beer vat at a brewery or a mash tub at a dis- tillery, especially if they eat freely of sugar. This explains why those who eat an excess of cereal starch find it so difficult to give up the habit. Surely, there can be no difference, from a moral standpoint, between those who generate the alcohol within their own digestive tracts, and become food drunkards, and those who drink alcoholic liquors for the "jag" it gives them ! There is absolutely no reason for drinking alcohol in any case, and surely the crime is just as great if committed by the food drunkard who takes his alcohol in the form of food ! The penalty that must be paid is the same, nevertheless. This question is worthy of the earnest thought of those who abhor alcoholic liquors and at the same time carry a good-sized "jag" from alcohol generated by their foods. The habit of over-eating cereal starch (bread) is difficult to overcome, because it is identically the same as the "jag" habit. The fermentation and formation of carbonic acid gas and alcohol, caused principally by overeating starch foods, is superinduced by bad mixtures of food, such as sugar combined with starch. Particular attention, therefore, is directed to the matter of combination of foods in all meals. The primary rule is : DO NOT OVEREAT. How much starch should be eaten? The answer can- not be given in ounces, but it is safe for the adult to observe the following rule : Eat concentrated starch only once daily. This starch is usually bread, and should be BREAD AND CEREALS 107 eaten at the "starch" meal. While potatoes are starchy, they sometimes may be eaten at the "meat" meal. Dried beans, dried peas, lentils and peanuts are starchy, as well as rich in building elements. Should these be substituted for meat in the "meat" meal, one must be careful not to overeat of them. The legumes are such hearty foods that they practically supply a "meat" meal and a "starch" meal in one. Hence, it is advisable that the other two meals of the day, when legumes are eaten, be confined chiefly to fruits and vegetables. This is the only safe way to avoid taking too much concen- trated food that day. Particular attention should be given by those above 35 or 40 years of age to bread eating, for less bread is needed as one gets older. By referring to the topics concerning children, it will be observed that two starch meals daily are recommended. This is because the growing child needs more whole wheat bread than the adult. Above 35 or 40 years of age bread should be partially dropped from the diet, and sometimes should be dropped altogether, potatoes and sweet fruits being substituted, but not at the same meal. Bread is commonly made with yeast, and eaten before it is twenty-four hours old. This is another bad habit of diet which needs correcting. The argument offered in its favor is that "everybody uses it." Very true, but does the fact that the majority of men use tobacco make the use of tobacco commendable? The fact that a wrong habit is practiced universally does not make that habit right. Fresh yeast bread has a marked tendency towards fer- mentation and the formation of carbonic acid gas and 108 RIGHT FOOD — TH£ RIGHT R^MED 1 ! alcohol. It should, therefore, be used very sparingly by those in vigorous health, and not at all by people in poor health. By never eating bread less than forty-eight hours old, and then toasting it, you avoid some of the harmful effects of eating yeast bread. Bread made with baking powder is wholesome, and its making is simplified. Choose the very best baking powder, for many powders on the market are worthless. Bread or biscuits can be made more wholesome by oven-toasting, because toasted bread is usually more thor- oughly chewed and insalivated. Bread, cereals or any kind of starch require very thorough insalivation as the first process in their digestion, or much harm may follow. (See page 44). Many who have abandoned meat eating declare that whole wheat is a panacea for all ills and that the more whole wheat or whole grain is eaten, the speedier the cure. Nothing is farther from the truth! Frequently these "food reformers" are more obstinate in acknow- ledging the truth in the matter of food than those who have never known there was a proper way of eating! Anything in excess may produce great harm, whether it is whole grains or pure water. Moderation should be a guide. This book indorses the undevitalized, whole grains only — grains as Nature grew them — not the devitalized product, whether that product be white flour, pearled barley, polished rice, degerminated corn meal, spaghetti, macaroni, "breakfast" foods such as the "farinas," cream of the wheat, corn flakes, etc. Grain products not made from the whole grain are not natural foods. They should never be used. BREAD AND CEREALS 109 On this question of refined products, Alfred McCann says, in referring to the foods consumed by the men on the Madeira-Mamore Railroad, "In addition to the white bread (acid-forming) were enormous quantities of hard, white crackers (acid-forming) and tapioca (acid-form- ing) made from the root of the native cassava plant. Like farina, cream of the wheat, corn flakes, toasties, pearled barley, degerminated corn meal and polished rice, tapioca is a refined, denatured, demineralized, high- caloried, acidifying food. Supplementing these one- sided units of nutrition were large quantities of lard (acid-forming), cofifee, sugar (acid-forming), and xarque (acid-forming). A few bags of rice (acid-forming) were also included.'' Whole grain flours are made from the entire grain — wheat, corn, rye, rice, etc. Many of the so-called graham, whole wheat, or entire wheat flours do not represent the whole grain, but are simply trade names. Bear this in mind when purchasing whole wheat flour. Better still, follow the suggestion given elsewhere, and grind the whole grains at home, or in a community mill, to insure their freshness and purity. Millers found an opportunity to make fortunes by dis- couraging the use of whole grains as used by our fore- fathers, giving, instead, a product passed through com- plicated processes of milling. They discouraged the use of whole grains by extensive advertising, demanding a great price for placing their product upon the market, because of the "processes" through which they put the grain. With a simple grinding of the whole grain the public would benefit by a low cost of grinding and placing upon the market. But, by advertising complicated pro- 110 RIGHT FOOD — TH^ RIGHT REMEDY cesses, the public took what was offered and paid what was demanded by an industry which supplied it with devitalized food. Such has been the growth and domin- ation of the industry, it is nearly impossible to obtain pure, ground whole grains on the market. Many of the grains advertised as such are "fakes," pure and simple. When whole grains are desired it is advisable to buy direct from some reliable pure food house, rather than accept the word of the local grocer as to the reliability of the product. The cereal dealer and miller will assert that it is impos- sible to successfully market a breakfast food or whole wheat meal or any of the other grains in their natural state because they become "stale" and "spoil." During hot and germinating months, they are subject to attack by weevils and other insects. The coffee roaster, the egg dealer, the milk man, and the butcher have all adopted means and methods whereby their products are furnished fresh to the public. Imag- ine the butchers killing a year's supply of cattle at one time ! Neither is it necessary to grind grains a year in advance. They should be prepared at reasonable inter- vals to insure their freshness. If more little grinding mills were used in preparing wheat at home, the miller would soon change to rational methods. More of these mills should be in the homes or communities and the whole grains ground as required. They are inexpensive. Freshly ground grains have a better flavor, and are, of course, more wholesome. Flours are advertised according to grades. The phrase "high grade" does not indicate that the flour has more nutritive value than any other flour. On the contrary, it BR£AD AND CEREALS 111 simply means that the higher the grade, the more often it has been through the milling process, and hence the more it has been robbed of its food salts. The Chinese are sometimes mentioned as a people who have lived almost exclusively upon rice, which also is starchy. The rice which forms a large part of their diet is the NATURAL BROWN rice, which has not gone through the peeling and polishing process like the devital- ized white rice sold in this country. The Chinese, how- ever, eat five times as much green vegetables as Amer- icans do. Contrary to common belief, rye bread is more difficult to digest than wheat bread. Corn bread is more difficult to digest than either. Both rye and corn flour should be made from the whole grain. The germ of the corn should be included, for this contains essential food salts. Dr. Charles A. Dubois of New York City, says : "The elimination of starch and sugary foods, including candies and syrups, from the diet, is essential to the treatment of pyorrhea. There is no such a thing as local tooth disease. The condition that leads to decay is always systemic. " "Breakfast food" millionaires have taken the place of patent medicine millionaires. Money formerly spent in advertising nostrums, now goes for exploiting, under fancy names, wheat, corn, and oats, cooked, partly cooked, overcooked, digested and "predigested." These products are destined to cause more disease and death than the products of the patent medicine men. If eaten as suggested in the following paragraphs, modern "breakfast" foods are generally better than the sticky, slimy, oatmeal porridge which is eaten with a mix- ture of milk and molasses or sugar, a mixture admirably 112 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY adapted to produce alcoholic fermentation in the stomach. This porridge, served as a sort of religious rite at break- fast, often lays the foundation for life-long dyspepsia. The chief drawback of oatmeal porridge and all kinds of mushes is that they are not insalivated, and starch, if not thoroughly insalivated, becomes indigestible and harm- ful. Further than this, the addition of sugar makes the mixture extremely bad, for this induces fermentation and the formation of gas and alcohol. The all-ready-to-eat "breakfast" foods should be eaten dry, and thoroughly masticated for proper insalivation. This cannot be done when they are wet and softened with milk or cream. The milk should be sipped after the cereal is eaten. Melted butter may be poured over the dry cereals, and the other cereals may have melted butter or a very small amount of cream. However, thorough insalivation is necessary. No sugar or sweetening should be used other than perhaps the dried sweet fruits, and then only when the digestion is quite good, or fermenta- tion will result. Experiments show that an ounce of dry, well-cooked cereal food, when well masticated, will produce two ounces of saliva, whereas, mush, gruel and other moist cereal foods cause the secretion of only a very small amount of saliva — less than one-fourth the amount pro- duced by the same food in a dry state. This proves con- clusively that cereals should be eaten dry. Not only are many of the "breakfast" foods prepared with such a high degree of temperature that they become devitalized, but they may also be made from devitalized grain. There is little nutriment in such foods. The matter of food salts has been very thoroughly BREAD AND CEREALS 113 covered, but it is not out of place here to state that the devitalized grain products are so low in life and health- giving properties that during experiments, animals have died more quickly when fed exclusively on devitalized grain (white flour) than others on whom experiments were made at the same time and who were given no food at all. These experiments are conclusive evidence, and the reader can readily see why none of the devitalized foods are commended in this book. The same experi- ments have also been made with "pure" white sugar. Some "breakfast" foods taste like sawdust, and many people eat them as they take castor oil, because they think it "does them good." This is an absurd contention! The best way — and the simplest way — to use cereals is to prepare the whole grain in a fireless cooker, or according to the recipes in the accompanying Cook Book. It is essential that bread be properly baked. Much of the "home made" bread of today is heavy, soggy and worse than indigestible, for perhaps seventy-five per cent of the bread is raw starch. Such bread delays the diges- tion of other foods and readily ferments. Bread when properly made is "light" and porous. The bake shop, furnishing as it does, its products to the consumer at a lower cost than the home can furnish them, is responsible to a great extent for the over-con- sumption of bread and pastry in the cities. Their pastry is, of course, not commendable. Their bread is usually made of devitalized grain; very few bakeries using the whole grain. Like home-made bread, baker's bread must be well baked to be at all commendable, and should not be eaten when freshly baked. Bakers make a so-called whole wheat and graham 114 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY bread, which usually is a combination of bran, mixed with white flour, and colored with low grade molasses. (McCann). In the process of milling, parts of the whole grain other than the bran, are discarded. The discarded parts contain necessary food elements ; hence it can be seen why these flours are a delusion. These facts make it imperative that we buy our whole wheat flour from a reliable pure-food dealer, or grind it at home. Bread, or any cereal starch, should not be eaten with commercial (white) sugar, fresh or cooked fruit, meat, fish, dried beans, dried peas or lentils. The very acid fruits, such as grape fruit, should be especially avoided at a starch meal. Bread is a concentrated starch, and is the only con- centrated food, except moderate amounts of dairy butter, nut butter, or oil, to be eaten at the meal where it is permissible to eat starch. If bread is omitted, another concentrated starch may be used instead. By observing these suggestions, as well as other suggestions in this book, overeating of the staple foods can be prevented. Grains are considered acid-forming. That is, they are considered capable of producing "acidosis," because they are low in the anti-fermentic and anti-toxic food salts. This makes cereals one of the great causes of hardening of the arteries and premature aging. To overcome the acidity that may be caused by the grains, the meal should be partly composed of salad plants or vegetables — foods which are abundantly rich in these anti-fermentic and anti-acid food salts. Acid and sub-acid fruits, such as oranges, grapefruit, berries and plums, should not be eaten with starch. (See page 160). POTATOES 115 POTATOES The potato, including the sweet potato, Jerusalem arti- choke and the yam, is an ideal starch food when pro- perly cooked. The general health would be greatly im- proved if it were more generally substituted for bread and cereals. It is easily digested, very nutritious, and is not acid-forming, as are the grains. After the age of 35 or 40 years, when it is not advisable to use much grain, the potato may well take the place of bread and cereals. The potato should usually be eaten in the same com- bination as bread — that is, with the raw and cooked non- starchy vegetables, with the possible exception that it may be eaten with meat by those with good digestions. In doing so it is necessary to add a salad and cooked non-starchy vegetable as a part of the meal. Many ills attributed to eating potatoes with meat is due to over- eating, rather than the combination. Potatoes should be cooked as directed in the Cook Book. (See page 295). Those who "diet" to reduce Weight usually omit pota- toes from their menu, believing them to be very starchy, yet they continue their usual consumption of bread and sugar — two foods far more responsible for obesity than potatoes. The obese should eat potatoes to the exclusion of bread. 116 RIGHT FOOD — THE) RIGHT R£M£DY FATS Fats and oils are practically identical in their chemical composition and serve the same purpose in the diet. They are found in nearly all foods, the fats chiefly in cream, butter, cheese, fat meat, fat fish and other animal pro- ducts; the oils in nuts, olives, peanuts, cocoanuts, and cottonseed. Butter, cream, olive oil, and ripe olives are the best fat foods. Cottonseed oil, of which the cheaper salad oils are made, is not very desirable. A moderate amount of fat in the diet is necessary. The diet of many persons contains altogether too much fat, causing biliousness and digestive disturbances. One in- dication of too much fat in the diet is an acid eructation, which leaves a pungent, burning sensation in the throat. The juice of a lemon at such a time will bring relief, but the amount of fat eaten must be reduced. Fats are very concentrated. Not more than one ounce of butter or two tablespoonfuls of olive oil, or their equivalent, should be eaten daily. The butter used on bread and for seasoning cooked foods, and the olive oil used on salads is more than sufficient for the average person's needs. Fat is a heat-producing food, and should be eaten very moderately during warm months. Too large a propor- tion of fat and other staple foods, and not enough fruits and vegetables cause most of the dull, tired feeling accompanying summer weather. Bacon, which is nearly all fat, should not be eaten dur- FATS 117 ing warm months, and only moderately, if at all, during cold months. If butter cannot be afforded, oleomargarine, which is made from beef suet, may be substituted. This is not as good a food. It would be wiser to spend the same amount of money for butter, and use less. Many butter substi- tutes made from nut oils are better than oleomargarine. Olive oil is far superior to cottonseed oil, or peanut oil, and should be used when obtainable. Do not choose a heavy oil, as it is difficult to digest. Buy only pure and unadulterated oil, exercising care and caution, for many of the domestic and imported oils are adulterated, some brands containing odorless petroleum. (McCann). Fried foods are generally very bad combinations, are mostly indigestible, and the excessive heat required for frying produces chemical changes in the fats, resulting in harmful acids. Peanut butter, so much advocated and used by vege- tarians, is a very concentrated food, and is more difficult to digest than dairy butter. Those using it will do well to recognize this fact. Ripe olives are rich in oil. Pickled olives, uniformly black, are dyed with copperas, and are injurious. Ripe olives, when canned in a weak salt solution, are not as good as the dried variety, but are far superior to the green, unripe olives, which contain no nutriment, but irritate the digestive tract. 118 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY SUGAR Sugars serve the same purpose in the body as starches, producing heat and energy. Natural sugars are indispen- sible in the diet, but refined white sugar, as we consume it today, is one of the nation's greatest curses ! Natural sugars are those found in fruits and root vegetables. The commercial sugars and syrups are unnatural and artificial. The human body obtains all the sugar it requires from natural foods, making the addition of commercial sugar unnecessary. Men, for the sake of dollars and cents, developed a process of making sugar from the sugar cane and sugar beet, and foisted it upon the public. Alfred McCann tells how these men, instead of giving a clean, wholesome, brown sugar to the public, prejudiced the public against its use, destroyed the market for it, and left the field clear for their refined, white sugar. The white sugar manufacturers inaugurated, in 1898, one of the most violent advertising campaigns ever wit- nessed in this country. Each advertisement showed a picture said to be an enlarged photograph of a horrible looking animal described as a cross between a louse and a lizard. To prove that such a creature really existed in all brown sugar, they employed a commercial chemist in Dublin. He, like many other commercial chemists who earn fat fees for furnishing "scientific" support for many food indecencies, furnished them with a statement, for a specific consideration, that he had found this louse- lizard monster in brown sugar. So violent was their advertising campaign that the SUGAR 119 public writhed in disgust at brown sugar. The brown sugar industry, completely destroyed, was supplanted by the refined white sugar industry. These sugars and syrups that have been forced upon the public are among the nation's greatest curses, because they are decidedly unnatural foods and are eaten in too great quantities. They are absolutely devoid of food salts — those valuable elements which make a healthy body and keep it so. Further than this, sugar is made to take the place of the more important foods in the diet. It is true that sugar produces heat and energy, but when the body derives its heat and energy from this source, its power of obtaining it from other sources is lessened. Starches are energy-giving foods, and the digestive organs must be strong and active if starchy foods are to be eaten. Sugar gives little exercise to the digestive organs, which, through non-use, lose much of their func- tioning powers. This is simple, common sense, and may be illustrated by placing one's arm in a sling for a long period of time. The arm, performing no duties, eventu- ally becomes weak and atrophied. The same is true of the brain, for exercise is necessary to mental health. What is true of one set of muscles or organs, is true of the others. Sugar is not only devoid of the life-giving cell salts and a destroyer of digestive power, but causes food fermen- tation with resulting carbonic acid gas and alcohol. A piece of bread and butter will not be digested if enough heat is supplied by the sugar. Nature — digestion — will not work on bread and butter when it has sugar — when it can get the required heat and energy from the sugar without effort. Sugar will be absorbed first — 120 RIGHT FOOD — TH£ RIGHT REMEDY whether eaten at a previous meal or at the same meal. The bread, left to ferment, will produce starch-poisoning and acidosis. Sugar not only disturbs the digestion of starch, but of every other food. When, through disturbed digestion, meat remains long within the digestive tract, it putrefies. Putrefaction is ptomaine poisoning generated within the person's own body. Ptomaine may not develop, but the putrefaction will cause glandular infec- tion, or break down the resistance to a predisposed disease tendency. Sugar may be the true cause of Bright's disease, although meat bears the burden of condemnation. Further, sugar robs the body of the proper amount of cell salts, because the sugar is made to take the place of the more vital foods (fruits and vegetables) which are abundantly rich in these salts. The lack of a proper amount of cell salts means impaired health. Those who eat much pastry, which is deficient in anti-fermentic or antiseptic cell salts, are very susceptible to disease, be- cause their blood is impoverished of its antiseptic or anti- fermentic properties. Dr. J. H. Tilden says: "Sugar is not digested in the stomach, but in the intestines. If digestion is slow in the stomach and if sugar is retained there any length of time, fermentation follows. To continue eating sugar under such conditions day after day causes irritation and inflam- mation to be developed, then ulceration follows, and later on cancer. This is one way in which a cancer is developed." In any disturbance of the stomach, such as catarrh of the stomach, recovery is practically impossible with the continued use of sugar. Sugar should not be used, as it is irritating. The mouth at once fills with mucus when SUGAR 121 sugar is put into it. The same thing happens in the stomach. The daily use of sugar disturbs and irritates the entire digestive tract. Sugar is responsible for the national bad habit of eating desserts, for it induces people to eat without hunger. Fol- lowing a hearty meal, a simple dessert of an apple or a dish of berries would not ordinarily be palatable, while pudding, pie or sauce made with sugar is readily accepted. Sugar may be called a "palate-tickler," as it induces overeating. Sugar has a very harmful effect upon the teeth. Sugar-eating, with other dietetic errors, is responsible for practically all tooth troubles — especially in children who are fed so much acid-producing foods, sugar and starch. The teeth of the nation are degenerating, because so much mushy, sloppy food is eaten that they do not get enough work to keep them healthy. Few soft cereals and mushes would be eaten if sugar were not added to stimulate the appetite and cause over- eating. This is also true of hot bread and cakes. Maple sugar, honey, or maple syrup are good in their place, but certainly are out of place when served with griddle cakes, inducing overeating. Griddle cakes are little more than raw dough, and should have no place in the diet of any- one who respects his or her digestion. Those who change from the "orthodox" or customary method of eating to a rational one will lose weight and strength, temporarily. This is ascribed to the new food, when it is but a reaction from the old method. There is no difference, except in degree, between the poisoning caused by sugar and starch and that caused by alcohol and other drugs. Delirium tremens frequently follows 122 RIGHT FOOD — THE} RIGHT R£M£DY the giving up of alcohol. When the system is deprived of the alcohol produced by food fermentation, the result will be similar, but in a lesser degree. The weakened condi- tion will be felt for a little time after giving up the bad dietary habits, but as the body adjusts itself to a more normal condition, strength will return with increased mental and physical health. Do not return to the bad habits, believing it is neces- sary ! To declare that it is necessary to return to the old conventional method is the same as saying that liquors or drugs are so essential to the welfare of the alcohol or drug fiend that their use should be continued. Breaking bad habits is a matter of will-power, and the longer bad habits are followed, the greater will be the power neces- sary to break the habit. Sugar favors the development of soft, flabby muscles. Athletes who hold physical honors year after year eat no sugar. The fall of many athletes is due to ignorance of the harm of sugar eating, combined with other dietetic errors. When more sugar, or any other food, is consumed than is necessary to maintain the normal body heat, the liver, kidneys, lungs, skin and other organs of the body are whipped into action to dispose of the excessive amount eaten. These organs, taxed beyond their strength, gradu- ally break down, and disease follows. NATURAL SUGAR 123 NATURAL SUGAR Natural sugars are those found in fruits and root vege- tables, and are indispensable in the diet. The daily diet of vegetables supplies a small amount of sugar, but the sweet fruits, which are rich in sugar, can supply the body with all the sugar it needs. The craving of the old or young for something sweet is normal and natural, but under no circumstances should anything but natural sugars satisfy this desire. Sweet fruits are abundantly rich in fruit sugar as well as the valuable food salts which are not found in commer- cial sugar. It is these food salts that make the sweet fruits — raisins, dates and figs — so valuable to the diet. Fruit sugar does not irritate the mucous membrane as commercial sugar does. Fruit sugar is easily digested and assimilated, and rarely produces fermentation, unless eaten with starchy food. Persons who cannot eat starch because it produces fer- mentation, should eat sweet fruits. These will supply the needed sugar for heat and energy, while the omission of starch from the diet will allow the digestive organs to return to normal. The menus in this book call for many sweet fruits, because of their great food value, because they are our best heat and energy producers, because of their food salts, and because their use makes it unnecessary to eat so much cereal starch. As raw fruits and vegetables furnish elements for cell- building, (body-building), and also furnish heat and 124 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY energy, the body requires but a small part of the hearty, staple foods ordinarily eaten. More energy is wasted to dispose of the surplus staple foods overtaxing the body than is used for the daily mental or physical work, thus depleting the individual's reserve of mental and physical energy, so often needed in an emergency. HONEY MAPLE} SUGAR DARK BROWN SUGAR 125 HONEY— MAPLE SUGAR DARK BROWN SUGAR These are extracted, concentrated sweets, and should be sparingly used in the diet by those in good health, and never by those who are ill. Those troubled with inflamed stomachs, fermentation and gas should entirely omit them from the diet, for they have a tendency to produce fer- mentation, with the resulting carbonic acid gas and alcohol, when eaten with other food — especially starchy food. Such persons should not even eat sweet fruits (or any other fruit) with starchy food. Honey, maple sugar and dark brown sugar are open to the same objection as refined, white sugar in that they are deficient in food salts: not as deficient, however, as refined, white sugar. They cannot, therefore, take the place of sweet fruits, which are rich in food salts. Those in good health who use honey, maple sugar or dark brown sugar should use it only to sweeten sour fruits or in making confections or ice cream, and in sweetening cereal coffee, or tea-kettle tea. While cooked fruits are not recommended, because cooking greatly reduces the anti-fermentic, anti-scorbutic action of fruits, yet such cooked fruits as require sweeten- ing should be sweetened with honey, maple sugar or dark brown sugar, instead of refined, white sugar. The sweetening should be very sparingly used. Fruits so cooked and sweetened should never be used by any except 126 RIGHT FOOD — TH£ RIGHT REMEDY those in sound health, with no digestive troubles, and should never be eaten at a meal containing starchy food. Confections or ice cream made with honey, maple sugar, or dark brown sugar are, of course, never com- mended, except to those in sound health. Even then, they should be sparingly used. While honey, maple sugar or dark brown sugar should be the only sweetening used in cereal coffee or tea-kettle tea, the drinks are better when sweetening is omitted, because the sweetening may cause gastric fermentation when taken with other food — especially starchy food. The dark brown sugar referred to in this topic is sugar less refined, and not quite so harmful, as the white com- mercial sugar so commonly used. Much of the maple sugar on the market is adulterated with refined, white sugar. Hence, care is necessary to obtain sugar which is not so adulterated. The Bible mentions the honey Jacob sent to Joseph, the ruler of Egypt, three thousand years before the first sugar refinery was built. Honey extracted from the comb by rapidly whirling the frame, is more economical than honey sold in the combs, because combs can be used again and again. When bees are constantly required to build their cells, they lose not only energy, but time which could be spent in gathering honey. John Burroughs says, "It is calculated that twenty-five pounds of honey are used in elaborating one pound of comb, to say nothing of the time lost." He further says, "Honey is a more wholesome food than sugar, and modern confectionery is poison be- side it. Beside grape sugar, honey contains manna, muci- HONEY MAPLE SUGAR — DARK BROWN SUGAR 127 lage, pollen, acid and other vegetable odoriferous sub- stances and juices. It is a sugar with a kind of wild natural bread added. The manna itself is both food and medicine and the pungent vegetable extracts have rare virtue. Honey promotes the excretions, and dissolves the glutinous and starchy impedimenta of the system. " Honey, if it stands long, will granulate and become solid. This may be remedied by heating to 160 degrees Fahrenheit for half hour or more. The heating, how- ever, detracts from its fine flavor. In purchasing honey, obtain that which has not been so heated. The flavor and color of honey depend upon the source of the bees' food supply, and the idea that flavor or color makes one honey more or less wholesome than another is mere superstition. Do not keep honey in a moist, cool place. It should be kept dry and warm. A temperature of 100°, as found in many attics, will not harm it. Where salt will remain dry is a good place to keep honey. Using starch and sugar (any sweetening) together, as in baking, is a very bad combination, and should be avoided. Those who insist upon using such baked goods should bake with honey, maple sugar or dark brown sugar instead of white, refined sugar. Substituting honey for commercial sugar in cooking or baking, however, must not be done indiscriminately, for the desired results from its use may not be obtained until some experiment- ing is done. 128 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY MILK To avoid confusion, milk has not been listed with any of the three great classes of food. It might properly be placed in all three classes, for it is rich in food salts, contains building elements and heat and energy-producing elements. Milk is a food; not a beverage. It should be eaten — sipped slowly — and mixed with the saliva before swallow- ing. Sipping milk not only aids its digestion, but in- creases its nutritive value. A quart of milk is equivalent to about one pound of steak or eight eggs. It is as easy to overeat milk as it is to overeat other foods. A glass or two of milk, taken as a beverage instead of water with a hearty meal, is equiva- lent to adding a quarter to half pound of steak to the other food. Catarrhal conditions of any of the mucous membranes indicates overeating. Persons who use milk as a beverage at ordinary meals overeat, increasing the catarrh. These persons should eliminate milk from the diet, or else use it as a food in the proper combinations with other foods. When milk is used, other hearty, staple foods must be omitted to prevent overeating. The harm caused by over-supplies of milk, applies to the milk products — cheese, cream, or buttermilk. Milk, which is produced in the tissues of the animal, cannot be wholesome if it comes from unhealthy animals. Little regard is given to this fact, which is one reason why milk from a herd is usually preferable to that from a miuc 129 single cow, unless the individual cow is given very good attention as to its care and food. Cows should be properly fed and housed. Not only must milch cows be properly fed to assure their good health, but they must be fed to produce good milk, for this also depends upon the food they eat. The cow's food should be such that her milk will contain an abundance of food salts. The more food salts contained in the milk, the easier is it to digest. As cow's milk some- times is deficient in food salts, juices of fruits and vege- tables rich in food salts, should be included in the diet of infants who are as young as two weeks if they are fed on cow's milk. The addition of these necessary ele- ments aids digestion and helps prevent an acid condition of the body. Milk should have the strictest sanitary care. This problem is more serious to the people in the large cities than to those living near the milk supply. To insure the milk reaching the consumer "fresh," various methods have been evolved to prevent souring. Preservatives, such as boric acid, borax, salicylic acid, benzoic acid, and formaldehyde are often used to keep milk from souring, but state and municipal governments, realizing the great harm caused by their use, are trying to diminish, or abolish, such practices. Pasteurization is a process commonly employed to pre- serve milk. It has many drawbacks, however. Cleanli- ness and careful handling of milk will do much to keep it pure and overcome the tendency to sour. This care is important, as unclean milk cannot be made clean by sterilizing or pasteurizing. Milk, which is unfit to eat without being pasteurized on account of the bacterial life 130 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY it contains, is certainly not fit to eat after pasteurization, for the poisonous products of bacterial life would still remain. Arrangements for handling milk properly have been perfected in many dairies, and during the Paris Exposi- tion a dairy in Illinois sent non-pasteurized and non- sterilized milk to Paris where it was received unsoured and unspoiled. Certified Milk. "This term is properly applied only to milk produced under sanitary conditions of exceptional excellence, by the most painstaking methods, and under the constant supervision and inspection of a Milk Com- mission. " (Sherman). Unquestionably, certified milk is the best milk that can be purchased, and the day is fast approaching when it will entirely take the place of pasteurized milk. Pasteurizing milk requires heating to a certain degree of temperature and holding at that point for a stated length of time. In sterilizing, the milk is heated to a much higher temperature than in pasteurizing and is more harmful. The result of these heating processes is that the elements of the milk (and no food is so quickly affected by a temperature above the normal) are de- organized — thrown out of harmony. The result of feed- ing pasteurized milk to children will be better understood after reading the following quotation from Dr. E. M. Hill of New York City: "It has been my fortune for a number of years to over- see the feeding of many hundreds of babies on pasteur- ized milk, and after numerous and careful experiments, I am forced to believe that in the vast majority of cases it produces rickets, scurvy and kindred diseases if given MIUC 131 continuously — these diseases being cured with the feeding of raw milk with no other treatment. Several years ago, when there was so much talk of the virtue of pasteurized milk for babies, I examined several hundred babies so fed, and found that ninety-seven per cent of them showed signs of rickets, scurvy, and scrofulosis. It was only after these careful observations that the fallacy of heated milk in infant feeding was made known to me." Souring of milk is a natural process, but when this pro- cess is interfered with by sterilizing or pasteurizing, it becomes interesting to know the result. Therefore the following is quoted from the late Dr. C. S. Carr : "Natural milk allowed to sour will not putrefy, but if the milk has been pasteurized or sterilized the germs of fermentation (souring) have been destroyed, which gives the germs of putrefaction a chance. Such milk will not sour, in a natural way, but will putrefy and become poisonous. "Beware of milk that has been pasteurized or sterilized ! It cannot sour — it can only putrefy. If eaten immediately after pasteurization or sterilization it is not poisonous, but very unwholesome. The milk's nutritive qualities have been impaired and its use induces severe constipation. But if pasteurized or sterilized milk is allowed to stand, except on ice, it will very soon putrefy and become poi- sonous." Milk — a food of Nature — can never be improved in the laboratory any more than Nature can be improved in the laboratory. On this subject J. H. Tilden, M. D., says: "The laboratory-built man is all right, except that he does not breathe ; his arteries do not bleed. The labor- atory egg will not hatch. Laboratory cures are all right, 132 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY but they do not cure. Scientific education, with Nature left out, is all right, but it does not educate. Synthetically created life is enough to put spectacles and a vision- haunted visage on the father of the laboratory children, but the latter will never squeak, squall, nor stamp their toe-nails off. They may have hearts, but they will never palpitate with love — never!" Animal foods have a tendency to cause an acidity (acidosis) of the body, but milk is the least apt of animal foods to do this. The tendency is there, however, and to prevent this, fresh fruits and fresh vegetables should be used. In the case of infants, the fruit and vegetable juices, obtained by crushing, should be fed as directed on pages 257 and 258. As soon as the child is able to use its teeth, the fruits and vegetables themselves are given. Milk is the normal and natural food of infants. The present-day custom of weaning the child early, feeding it bread and breakfast foods instead of milk, perverts the normal, natural desire for fruits and vegetables. The more nearly normal and natural the children's living habits, the greater will be their desire for fruits and vege- tables, the natural foods. If children are started along the right path of living, their lives are quite certain to be lived in accordance with Nature's laws. The child fed too much bread and cereals instead of milk, not only fails to develop a desire for fruits and vegetables, but also loses all desire for milk, except to quench thirst. Skimmed milk is normal milk from which the fat has been removed. It is economical, and should be more ex- tensively used for food than it is. The fat elements lack- MIIvK 133 ing in skimmed milk can be obtained from other fats at a lower cost than the price of the cream, although cream is one of the most wholesome fats. Milk combines well with practically all other foods except meat, fish, eggs, nuts, cheese and legumes. It should be omitted when these foods are eaten because the meal will contain too much building material if used with them. Bread and milk is not a bad combination, but the bread, softened with the milk, escapes the required insalivation, with fermentation certain to follow. The better way would be to toast and butter the bread, eat it dry, and sip the milk. The addition of a salad to a meal of bread and milk adds food salts which will prevent or lessen fermentation. Milk combines well with fruits ; a proven fact quite con- trary to customary belief. The very acid fruits may be eaten with milk alone, or with milk and vegetables. If starch is eaten with milk, fruit should never be used. Use salad vegetables with starch. Many persons have such sensitive stomachs that prac- tically all foods commonly eaten give distress. Fruit, vegetables, and milk constitute a non-irritating diet and is usually the proper one to follow. "Top milk," frequently referred to, is the upper half of a bottle of very rich milk or the upper third of average milk. This contains the greater proportion of the valu- able fats found in milk. Canned milk (condensed and evaporated) is prepared by "sterilizing" or condensing processes, where a high degree of heat is applied to the milk. The heat de-organ- izes the elements in the milk, rendering it inferior to raw milk. Where it is necessary to use canned milk (such 134 RIGHT FOOD — THE) RIGHT REMEDY occasions should be rare), buy small cans, promptly emptying the can and using its entire contents immedi- ately. It is safer to throw away the unused portion than to save it for future use. Condensed milk should never be fed to children. It contains too much commercial sugar, and is disease- producing. Those having catarrh should carefully read the follow- ing from Dr. J. H. Tilden's book, "Food" : "Milk taken with ordinary meals builds catarrh. Why? When milk is used as a table beverage, few persons give any thought 'to its food value, but eat as much of the common food of the table when taking milk as when taking water. This crowding of nutrition, by forcing the mucous mem- branes to take on the function of eliminating superfluous waste matter, develops a catarrhal state that will be fol- lowed by hay-fever, asthma, or catarrhal inflammations of various mucous membranes. Pneumonia and other acute diseases follow in the wake of crowded nutrition. Fibroid tumors and uterine catarrh are always found among women who have broken down their health by crowding their systems with food, bringing on gastro-intestinal jjndigestion, constipation, autotoxemia, etc." BUTTERMILK 135 BUTTERMILK Buttermilk, real pure buttermilk, is the by-product of the manufacture of butter — the fats of the milk forming the butter, and the remainder of the milk, the buttermilk. Buttermilk is, then, soured milk without the cream. What has been said of the value of milk can be said with equal emphasis of buttermilk. The buttermilk commonly sold is made by adding Bul- garian bacillus to sweet milk, thus hastening the process of souring. There is no reliable evidence to warrant the use of Bulgarian bacillus. It is one of the fallacies the public has accepted without question. The proper way to make buttermilk (if it cannot be obtained from churned butter) is to allow the milk to go through the regular process of souring until it becomes clabber ; then beat it thoroughly with an egg beater. The cream may be skimmed off before beating, should there be an objection to taking the cream. Much of the so-called "buttermilk" sold at soda foun- tains is worthy of strict investigation before it is used. In one of America's large cities there has been advertised and sold a special brand of buttermilk which the adver- tiser declared to be "better than buttermilk." Imagine it ! Upon inspection this "buttermilk" was found to contain a preservative. What has been said relative to pasteurizing and steriliz- ing milk is worthy of attention while we are on the sub- ject of buttermilk. On this subject, the late C. S. Carr, M. D., says: 136 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY "It is a great mistake to suppose that old, sour butter- milk is poison when made from natural milk. Lactic fermentation of milk is wholesome, no matter how far it may be advanced. At the same time that milk is exposed to the lactic ferment germs, it is also exposed to putre- factic germs, but the germs of putrefaction have no chance to get in their work so long as the germs of lactic fermentation are at work. They are stronger and they destroy the putrefactive germs, or at least prevent them from getting a foot-hold. " Milk should never be tampered with to improve upon Nature. When the natural process of souring is inter- fered with, the process of putrefaction or decay begins its work. f \ Buttermilk, as a food, can be used by many who cannot tolerate sweet milk. This is due, undoubtedly, to the fermentation which has taken place, and the absence of cream. As it is a food, and not a beverage, it should be taken as cautiously as milk, and in the same dietary combinations. Some persons claim that buttermilk is a "cure all." There is no "cure all" among foods. COMMERCIAL MILK SUBSTITUTES 137 COMMERCIAL MILK SUBSTITUTE The public, having great faith in manufactured foods, tends to set aside milk for the more condensed foods. This is done without scientific reason — it is simply com- mercialism and ignorance. The laboratory cannot im- prove upon Nature, yet milk, the natural food of the young, is set aside for the unnatural foods often substi- tuted for it. The inability of the child to thrive on natural milk is usually due to overeating, and that is when the parent makes frantic efforts to find some milk substitute. Feed the child properly, and milk substitutes will soon pass out of existence, resulting in mentally and physically stronger children. Then there will be no beaming faces of fat babies making their debut to the world through adver- tising literature of the multi-millionaire child-food manu- facturers. 138 RIGHT FOOD — THE) RIGHT REMEDY SALT— CONDIMENTS— SPICES— VINEGAR The public knows very little of the harm arising from using too much salt and spices. Spices are often recom- mended to increase, or produce, or create, an appetite. A stimulated appetite is a false one. The spice increases the secretion of gastric juice — whips it into activity. Many condiments blister and inflame the skin when applied. In the stomach they produce similar irritation, and their habitual use causes gastric and intestinal catarrh. In those parts of Old Mexico where peppers are freely used, chronic gastritis is the rule rather than the excep- tion. Comparative experiments made by giving the patient test meals with and without pepper, mustard, etc., show that condiments hinder rather than aid digestion. Experiments on animals made by French investigators with extracts of mustard, pepper, and other condiments, show that these substances produce hardening of the arteries. Their use is positively dangerous to persons with high blood pressure. Salt and condiments are preservatives, but the food should not be preserved ; it should be broken down and assimilated as soon as possible. Salt added to meat and vegetables while cooking has a tendency to harden the fiber, making it more difficult to digest. Vegetables, prepared as directed in the Cook Book, will adequately supply the body's demands for vital salts, obviating the necessity of using common table salt either in the preparation or in the seasoning of food. Pickles, hardened by the action of vinegar and salt, SAI/T — CONDIMENTS — SPICKS — VINEGAR 139 are almost indigestible, resisting the action of the gastric juice as would sawdust or pebbles, and are a source of great irritation and even inflammation and chronic disease. Green olives (not the ripe variety), brandied peaches, and even preserves, are in the same category. Fresh, crisp cucumbers are wholesome for persons whose digestive organs are in a fair condition. Lemon juice, mixed with water, should be substituted for vinegar. The acid of vinegar has been shown by Boix to be twice as active as alcohol in producing gin-liver. It is unwhole- some for well persons, and must be rigorously excluded from the diet of those with weak digestions. Table salt or chloride of sodium must not be confused with the natural food salts. Sodium chloride is a very concentrated, inorganic salt, and the American people eat twenty times as much of it as is really necessary. The custom is one of habit, rather than necessity. Salt is irritating and poisonous to the mucous membranes, and should be cautiously used by those having digestive dis- turbances, or catarrh. Many have ceased to "catch cold" after giving up salt. To break the dangerous habit of using too much salt is to use less of it upon the food, becoming accustomed to the salt-less flavor. The natural taste of many foods is destroyed by the addition of salt. Salt aggravates a desire for water, and too much water- drinking waterlogs the system, and weakens the digestion. The salt habit may easily be broken by eating more ripe, juicy fruits. Lemon juice is especially recommended. 140 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY DESSERTS Desserts increase the "high cost of dying." Desserts are foods usually eaten after sufficient amounts of other food has been consumed. Desserts, generally unneces- sarily eaten, are harmful, their use causing overeating. To eat rich desserts is equivalent to eating a second hearty meal the moment a first hearty meal is finished. Desserts should be eaten only at a meal where prac- tically everything else is excluded. The combinations here given, as well as those under Lists Yl, Y2, Y3, Y4, are a guide to those, who, forced by conventionality, must take desserts. Those in bad health should never eat desserts, for it makes their meals too complex, and the more complex the meal the more difficult it is to regain health. i Desserts usually contain a considerable amount of sugar, which overburdens the system, interferes with digestion, and causes disease. Nothing undermines the health so quickly as refined sugar. Honey, maple sugar, or dark brown sugar may be used in desserts instead of white sugar, but eaten only by those whose digestion is sound, and then it should not be made a practice. Simple desserts, such as fresh fruit, berries, prepared dried fruit (such as prune whip), or baked apples may be used with a meat meal. Only upon rare occasions may ice cream and fruit ices be taken as the dessert with a meat meal. If a hearty meal has been eaten, ice cream or ices will chill the stomach, delaying digestion. DESSERTS 141 Cup custard, ice cream, or junket should be eaten only with fruit meals. Puddings, except on rare occasions, should be rigidly- excluded from the diet, as they usually combine some starchy product with sugar, a mixture sure to produce fermentation. No puddings of any kind should follow a starch meal. Neither should they follow meat meals, for the combination is bad. Tapioca, often used in pud- dings, should never be eaten. Alfred McCann says, "Tapioca is a refined, denatured, demineralized, high- caloried, acidifying product/' What more need be said against it? 142 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY OUR FOOD REQUIREMENTS No knowledge is so valuable to a person as that which will keep him "at par" mentally and physically. Such knowledge requires much study. Everyone should be sufficiently concerned about his eating habits to know the fundamental laws. Then he can formulate his own menus, as well as those of other members of the family. The whys and wherefores of proper eating should be so well understood that one will know what best to eat under all conditions ; when well or ill, in warm or cold weather, while doing sedentary work or heavy manual labor. It may require months to obtain this knowledge, but it is worth while to continue studying until it becomes "second nature," or instinctive. This knowledge will be valuable throughout the entire life. The body needs foods which purify it by acting as antiseptics, eliminators, and laxatives. Chief among these foods are the fruits and vegetables. Foods are also needed to build or rebuild the body. Meats, fish, eggs, cheese, legumes, and nuts largely com- prise this list. Foods are further needed to heat and energize the body. Starches, natural sugars and fats do this. The next task is to apportion properly these three classes of foods in the diet. The general rule for adults is: Approximately tzvo-thirds of the diet should consist of fruits and vegetables. The reverse of this rule is the customary way of living OUR FOOD REQUIREMENTS 143 — that is, the staple foods comprise the major part of the food eaten, while fruits and vegetables comprise the minor part. Fruits and vegetables are looked upon as "side dishes" and considered of little importance. Many persons are living exclusively upon these foods, proving conclusively that they contain all the elements necessary for bodily nutrition. These persons enjoy better health than those who live otherwise, which is generally a sufficient reason for making fruits and vege- tables the major part of the diet. A listing of fruits and vegetables under the heading of "antiseptics, purifiers, eliminators and laxatives" instead of "heat and energy" producers and "building and re- building" foods, is really misleading, for fruits and vege- tables contain all the elements needed to properly nourish the body. Such a listing is made to differentiate these foods from the so-called "hearty" foods, which have a tendency to produce acidosis in the body. It is quite im- possible for fruits and vegetables, in themselves, to do this, so when they form the major part of the diet, the diet is almost certain to be a proper one — free from acid- producing foods, yet containing the same elements to nourish the body as are found in the heartier foods. That is why fruits and vegetables should predominate in the diet, if good health is desired. Many people eat the hearty, staple foods, not knowing that it is unnecessary for them to do so. Many also eat devitalized foods, not knowing that this is harmful. The following suggestions will help in the selection of the proper foods for the adult : It is not necessary to eat white bread, hominy, grits, corn flour (as usually sold), macaroni, spaghetti, etc., for 144 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY the starch they contain, when whole grains and potatoes furnish the starch in a more natural form. The commercial (white) sugar and syrup so much used, should be excluded from the diet, and sweet fruits and honey should take their place. Olive oil, butter, cream, peanut, cocoanut and other vegetable oils should furnish the fats, rather than fat meats, which should be avoided. The building foods, meat, fish, eggs, fowl, legumes, etc., have a legitimate place in the diet, but the amount of these foods required by anyone is phenomenally small. Overeating any one of these is harmful. Vegetarians state that it is quite impossible to overeat on the legumes, yet legumes are more difficult of digestion than meat. Many should not eat eggs, while meat should be tabooed by others. Fish should be cautiously eaten by the seden- tary worker. Fish putrefies rapidly. It may become a dangerous food, unless the digestion is sound and the individual has vigorous health. Four ounces of meat daily, or its equivalent, is enough for anyone — even gluttons. It is easy to over- eat on building foods, for four ounces, or the equiva- lent of that in some meat substitute, is not a great amount of food. There are some persons who do not even require that much. As the whole grain bread or cereals, dairy products, fruits, and vegetables contain enough building elements, it is difficult, if not impossible, to prevent taking build- ing foods beyond the normal requirements if hearty building foods, such as meat, eggs, fish, legumes, etc., are eaten oftener than at one meal a day. Therefore, one meal is called the "building food," "protein," or OUR FOOD REQUIREMENTS 145 "meat" meal, where foods rich in building elements can be specifically eaten only at this meal. To take these hearty foods at any other meal is dangerous. It is even dangerous to take them for this meal, if the other foods of the day contain sufficient amounts of building material, as they usually do. For instance: the build- ing elements contained in the whole wheat bread eaten at the noon meal, and the building elements contained in the fruits and vegetables eaten at any of the three meals, usually provide sufficient building elements with- out the addition of meat or any of its hearty substi- tutes, such as fish, eggs, nuts, or legumes. However, if meat or its equivalent are eaten at this "meat" meal, the amount eaten must be very small. The major part of a meal should consist of cooked vegetables, raw vege- tables (as a salad), fruit, and in some instances, potatoes. In choosing foods for the "starch" meal (the noon meal), limit the meal to one concentrated starch, which should be the minor part of a meal, the major part of a meal consisting of raw and cooked vegetables. Whole wheat bread will most likely form the con- centrated starchy food at this meal. This starchy food contains a certain amount of building elements, but it is eaten at this meal for the heat and energy it produces. Because the whole wheat bread contains these building elements, we need to include in the diet (at the meat meal) only a very small amount of either meat, fish, eggs, legumes, or nuts. The daily needs of building elements are very small, but it is necessary to eat more heartily of the heat and energy-producing foods. The general public, however, 146 RIGHT FOOD — THE) RIGHT REMEDY consumes from three to five times the necessary amount of these elements, which is largely responsible for that most prevalent disease — acidosis — in all its various forms. Starch, sugar, and fat furnish heat and energy, and it is of these foods that people overeat — chiefly on starch and sugar. Those who eat pork usually consume too much fat. It is difficult to break the habit of starch and sugar eating, because improperly eating these foods generates alcohol within the digestive tract, giving a quiet "jag." When the adult eats concentrated starch (whole wheat bread, rice, etc.) at more than one daily meal, it is quite impossible to prevent overeating. Therefore, the noon meal is named the "starch" meal, so that concentrated starchy foods — heat and energy producers — will be specifically eaten only at this meal. The starchy food eaten at the noon meal is not the only food providing heat and energy elements, for we bountifully obtain heat and energy from all of the fruits — especially the sweet fruits. The fruits, perhaps with dairy products, usually comprise the morning meal, so this meal is named the "fruit" meal. The fruit in this morning meal provides heat and energy, as does the fruit eaten at the night meal — the meat meal. The dairy products used (if at all) in the morning meal also pro- vide heat and energy — a very large amount of it. Butter used on bread at noon provides the same elements, and oil used on the salads at the noon and night meals — or butter, olives or nuts — contribute to the supply. All vegetables contain heat and energy elements, as well as building elements! Heat and energy elements are thus obtained from OUR FOOD REQUIREMENTS 147 various sources — enough to meet the bodily require- ments. Obtaining these elements from fruits and vegetables is advantageous, for fruits and vegetables are not acid- producing ; they are anti-acid foods ; they do not cause acidosis. This is important, for the hearty foods (cereals, meat, fish, eggs, legumes, etc.) are acid- producing, and fruits and vegetables in the diet counter- act this acid production in the body, and are a neces- sary accompaniment to every meal, even though the quantity of hearty foods eaten is just the amount neces- sary to maintain bodily nutrition. To eat twice the amount of the staple foods necessary to maintain bodily nutrition necessitates eating twice the amount of counter- acting elements (the food salts in fruits and vegetables) to offset the acid produced by the staple foods. When too many staple foods are eaten, it is a physical impos- sibility to eat sufficient neutralizing foods — fresh fruits and raw vegetables. It is therefore necessary to cut down the hearty foods to just the bodily requirements. Sick people should decrease their consumption of the staple foods, and eat more fruits and vegetables ; for their bodies, in an "acid" condition, need the abund- ance of food salts found in fruits and vegetables to overcome this acid condition of the body. The only cure for the dying men on board the Kronprinz Wilhelm was the cure recommended by Alfred McCann, practi- cally nothing but fruits and vegetables. McMillan, Amundsen, and Shackleton knew that they could not keep well during their polar expeditions unless the bulk of their diet comprised anti-acid foods (fruits and vegetables). Four thousand men died in the con- 148 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY struction of the Madeira-Mamore Railroad, because their diet lacked fruits and vegetables. Several convicts of the Mississippi State Penitentiary attempted suicide rather than go on with an experiment which they were undergoing to determine the value of food salts in the human diet, which experiment was nothing more than to deprive these men of fruits, vegetables, and milk. These instances prove beyond doubt that if anti-acid foods (fruits and vegetables) do not comprise two-thirds of your diet, acidosis will develop in some form or other. If you are sick, it is more necessary than ever to follow the rules suggested. The sick are more than ever in need of the anti-acid foods, and less in need of the hearty, staple foods. Omitting the hearty, staple foods from your diet, and living on fruits, vegetables, and a moderate amount of dairy products instead, entails no bad consequences. The menus in this book call for much non-sterilized or non-pasteurized dairy products (milk, buttermilk, and cottage cheese). These foods are fairly well balanced; that is, they cannot be said to be strictly anti-acid, yet there is far less tendency for them to produce acidosis than the more staple foods in the diet. When dairy products are combined with uncooked fruits or vege- tables, the diet becomes anti-acid. The dairy products are almost anti-acid, yet they are very nutritious, and for these reasons are advocated. Milk and buttermilk should be used as foods, not as beverages. They should be insalivated. Where there is catarrh they should be omitted. (See pages 128 and 134). Overeating on the hearty, staple foods is largely due to excluding fruits and vegetables from the diet. Those OUR FOOD REQUIREMENTS 149 who eat heartily of staple foods generally eat lightly of fruits and vegetables. Hearty eaters usually have per- verted appetites — morbid appetites. Such persons never realize what the body demands in the way of foods — they care only for foods which are stimulating or paraly- zing in their effect, as they ferment within the digestive tract — and fruits and vegetables are not apt to do this. To overcome the habit of not eating enough fruits and vegetables, cut down the quantity of staple foods, which will be followed by an increased desire for fruits and vegetables. While fruits and vegetables should form approxi- mately two-thirds of our diet, it is quite impossible to state in ounces the amount to be eaten daily. One thing certain, however, is that few persons have servings of vegetables and salads of sufficient size. The "orthodox" or conventional idea of a salad is a tablespoonful of raw or cooked vegetables, served with some rich dressing on a lettuce leaf, whereas the vegetable salad should usually be as much lettuce, etc., as can be conveniently placed on a lunch plate. Fresh, crisp vegetables are bulky, but when thoroughly masticated are reduced to less than one- fourth the bulk they had before being eaten. A food chopper simplifies the making of some of the vegetable salads, such as cabbage slaw, and when a salad is thus made, the bulk is somewhat reduced, and a full vegetable dish would then be considered an average serv- ing. Servings of salads of this size may seem large, but they are no larger, proportionately, than should be eaten, as compared to the amount of staple foods eaten, bearing in mind that fruits and vegetables should comprise two- 150 RIGHT FOOD — TH£ RIGHT R£M£DY thirds of the diet. The food chopper is helpful in extracting vegetable and fruit juice for infants. The exact amount of food each person requires must be left to his own intelligence, and should be based on fundamental principles. Age, temperament, condition of health, kind of work, climate, etc., are factors which influence our requirements. The diet of children and growing young persons differs from that of adults. Their diet must contain more building foods, for during the years of bodily growth, the cell activity is the greatest. When the body reaches full development, at about twenty-five years, the demand for these building foods is greatly decreased, and food is needed only to supply warmth and energy and to re- build the body tissues. To continue to supply building foods beyond the building needs is as foolish as it would be for a contractor to have a hod carrier continue to carry up bricks after his building had been completed. A part of this book is devoted to the feeding of chil- dren. While considering the subject of building foods, it is well to note that in the children's menus we have depended upon milk, whole wheat bread or whole wheat cereals, fruits and vegetables to furnish the building material, rather than meat, eggs, and fish, which foods have a tendency to bring on sex disturbances as well as other diseases. Legumes are also avoided in the menus, as they, too, are unsuitable. As an adult advances beyond middle age, there is less and less need of building material, for cell activity is gradually decreasing. Those in advanced age need little more than enough to furnish heat and energy. These indi- viduals are, of course, not as active as in earlier years, OUR FOOD RSQUIRKMKNTS 151 and not so much energy is consumed. Their diet should consist largely of fruits and vegetables, buttermilk (or perhaps milk), limited quantities of whole wheat bread or potatoes once daily, and meat — if any — not oftener than once a week. It is necessary that the aged be moderate in all habits of life, as well as in their eating. Moderation means adding years to life, and life to years. It is reasonable to suppose that there is a difference in the food requirements of the sedentary worker and of the physical laborer. In the first place, the sedentary worker does not wear out the bodily tissues to the extent that the physical laborer does. Neither does he require so much energy-producing food. While the food requirements of the sedentary worker are different from those of the physical laborer, the physically active usually persuade themselves into eating a much larger quantity of hearty food than is required. They never really put themselves to a fair test of two to four weeks to learn just what the bodily demands are as to food. They pass by fruits and vegetables, looking upon them only as "side dishes," declaring that they must have "good, nourishing food" — "something that will stick to the ribs." They take advantage of their hard work as an opportunity to "get by with it" — to "get by" Nature's laws. Most of these persons who are con- tinually making an effort to hoodwink Nature are those Who are held in physical and mental bondage. The physical laborer is governed by the same laws of proper eating as the sedentary worker, and must pay the penalty, according to the degree of his transgression of the laws of Nature. He should eat natural foods. He does not require more than four ounces of meat or its 152 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY substitute daily, which means that he needs little of build- ing food besides that which he obtains from whole wheat bread, fruits and vegetables and dairy products. His heat and energy foods should include fruits, vegetables, butter on bread and oil on salad. Concentrated starchy foods (whole wheat bread, rice, etc.) should be eaten at only one meal daily. Knowing that the arduous physical worker needs only four ounces daily of meat or its substitute, it is certain that the sedentary worker needs less than that amount. Neither does the sedentary worker require as much energy-producing food. Therefore, if concentrated starches should not be eaten more than once daily by the physical worker, the mental worker surely should not take them oftener. If the sedentary worker ate as much food as the phy- sical laborer, he would quickly break down. He does not get the exercise needed to "work off" so thoroughly the bad effects of his dietetic errors. The physical laborer, however, does not give as much attention to his diet as the sedentary worker, and it is quite certain that the laboring class suffers from sickness more than the class doing sedentary work. Even with hard physical work, they cannot utilize all the food they eat. Our food requirements vary with the severity of the weather and the temperature of the air. Our bodily comfort, as far as heat and cold are concerned, largely comes from the food we eat. In general, fats, sugars and starches may be said to be the heating foods, while fresh fruits and succulent vegetables are the cooling foods. Such a listing is arbitrary, for fats, sugars, and starches are heating only OUR FOOD REQUIREMENTS 153 as they depend upon fruits and vegetables in the diet, for heating foods cannot heat the body as burning coal heats water. The heat and energy foods perform their function within the body, properly or improperly, de- pending on whether or not our diet contains sufficient food salts, such as are found in fruits and vegetables. That is, food salts are necessary to convert heat- producing foods into bodily warmth, and they are neces- sary to convert energy-producing foods into energy. Food salts are also necessary to facilitate the repair of broken down bodily tissues, and to convert building food within the body, so that it may be properly utilized to build or re-build the body. Food salts are also necessary to counteract an acid condition of the body and prevent acidosis. Neither can the body properly eliminate its waste matter without these food salts. If the diet, even though the weather is cold, is deficient in fruits and vegetables, the body will become clogged with waste matter, inducing a tendency to chronic colds, constipation, catarrh, pneumonia, influ- enza and other diseases. When the bodies of persons are in this condition it is quite impossible to experience bodily comfort, as far as heat and cold are concerned. The safest rule to follow in apportioning our food is to have it consist of approximately two-thirds fruits and vegetables. The remaining third would consist of meats, starches and dairy products, the building, and heat and energy-producing foods. When it is cold we need more heating foods, but as we increase our consumption of the staple heating foods, so must we also proportionately increase our consumption of food salts, which will aid the body in properly utilizing 154 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY the heating foods we eat. The best way is to obtain the heating elements and the food salts from the same food. This can be done by using sweet fruit which is both heat- ing and rich in food salts. Sweet fruit serves better in the diet than the more hearty foods commonly eaten dur- ing cold weather. We can also obtain heat from increas- ing our consumption of butter, cream, and foods contain- ing oil, such as nuts and undegerminated corn meal, in- stead of using fat meats for this purpose. We may also increase our consumption of the whole grains up to a given point, remembering, however, that bread has a ten- dency to produce acidosis and should be eaten at one daily meal only. During the warm months fewer heating foods are re- quired, so the diet should include a smaller quantity of heating foods than when it is cold. People, complaining of the heat, eat ice cream and drink soda water to keep cool. Ice cream and soda water (any of the bottled drinks) cool the body only temporarily. These provide the body with elements — sugar and fat — which ultimately heat it, and are disturbers of digestion. The ice cream habit is an abominable one, while the innocent-looking glass of soda water usually comprises about one-sixth of its weight in refined, white sugar — an article that should never be used. Our winter-time "colds" are largely due to general or localized congestion brought about by the retention of poisons which are not properly eliminated, because of a lack in the diet of the food salts contained in fruits and vegetables. The poisons represent "clinkers," or food improperly utilized, because the diet does not contain food salts proportionate to the amount of hearty, staple foods OUR FOOD REQUIREMENTS 155 eaten. When we increase our consumption of hearty- food, we must proportionately increase our intake of fruits and vegetables, or acidosis (disease) will result. Fruit is often considered the cause of "summer com- plaint" by those who do not understand diet. These per- sons urge that no fruit be eaten. General bad dietary habits are the real cause, and when these are corrected, "summer complaints" will not occur. The laxative and purifying qualities of fruit precipitate an attack, and, as a matter of fact, the so-called "summer complaint" is a much-needed "house-cleaning." Eating fruit with starch causes much of the distress attributed to fruit. The ease with which meat may be kept during the cold months is largely responsible for the habit of eating so much of it in the winter. Bodily changes differ but little during cold or warm months, and the body's requirements of meat (or its substitute) do not change much from season to season. 156 RIGHT FOOD — THE) RIGHT REMEDY FOOD COMBINATIONS Food combination — which foods to combine at a meal — is a mystery to many. It is a science, but the laws of proper food combination are simple and easily compre- hended. They are fundamental to a proper knowledge of diet. The reasons for eating certain mixtures of food are not difficult to understand, and, when known, each person can formulate his own menus. The diet of many persons may be correct from the standpoint of food selection, but because the mixtures (combinations) are bad, the best results are not obtained from eating the food. The combinations in many in- stances may be positively injurious. Digestion is a chemical as well as a mechanical pro- cess, and the digestive organs and fluids can work only upon a small variety and a small quantity of food at one time. Numerous foods at one meal, besides giving too great a variety to permit good digestion, induce over- eating. The excess food remains in the digestive tract, ferments, and produces acidosis, because the digestive organs do not and cannot take care of the food eaten beyond the bodily requirements. Those who search for rules permitting five or six varie- ties of food at a meal will be disappointed, for there are no such rules. The suggestions relative to food combina- tions are for those who will conform to Nature's demands, who will eat but two or three foods at a meal, and who will not overeat even these few varieties. FOOD COMBINATIONS 157 A combination of foods (which means a meal) should be based upon the ten essential principles following, which must be observed when formulating all menus. To ascertain whether these principles are being observed make a list of all of the foods, and their proportionate amounts, eaten at each meal for six consecutive meals, and compare them with these essential principles. This is the best way to determine whether your eating habits are bad, and if they are, they can be corrected before it is too late. Principle I DO NOT OVEREAT! This rule is of primary importance. To observe every other rule of diet and ignore this one means failure to reap the fullest benefits of right eating. The body can utilize a certain amount of food; no more. The excess must be excreted from the body at the expense of precious nerve energy. Principle 2 Eat only NATURAL foods, correctly prepared. Never eat white flour, polished rice, spaghetti, macaroni, vermicelli, tapioca, degerminated corn meal, corn flakes, cream of the wheat, farina, bakers' cakes and pastries, commercial white sugar or syrup, commercial ice cream, "soft drinks," jams, jellies, marmalades, preserves, fruit canned with white sugar or syrup, condensed milk, canned or "potted" meats, salt meat, salt fish, or egg or milk sub- stitutes. 158 right food — the right remedy Principle 3 The three meals of the day should be : "Fruit" meal in the morning. (See page 211). "Starch" meal at noon. (See page 216). "Meat" meal in the evening. (See page 223). This will insure the taking of sufficient, yet proper, foods in proper combinations. Principle 4 Eat no more than four kinds of food at a meal ; fewer are better. Principle 5 Fruits and vegetables (properly prepared) should com- prise two-thirds of the total amount of food eaten daily. This is necessary to supply the body with sufficient food salts. Principle 6 Every meal should include at least one variety of fruit or non-starchy vegetable. These are anti-fermentic, anti-acid, anti-scorbutic, laxative, and purifying. Use the vegetables with starchy foods, and fruit or vegetables with the meat meals. If legumes are eaten at the "meat" meal as a meat substitute, use vegetables in- stead of fruits, which do not combine well with the starch of the legumes. Fruit or vegetables, to retain their purifying qualities, must be properly prepared. Cooking fruit reduces its FOOD COMBINATIONS 159 antiseptic, anti-toxic, anti-scorbutic, and purifying quali- ties, if it does not totally destroy them. Fresh, uncooked fruit has more antiseptic and anti-fermentic properties than fruit that has been robbed of these properties by cooking. Raw, salad vegetables contain more antiseptic and anti- fermentic properties than cooked vegetables. It is neces- sary to retain the water in which vegetables are cooked, as many of the food salts are dissolved in the water. Follow Cook Book directions closely for best results. Principle 7 Eat only one concentrated food at a meal. Choose either meat, fish, eggs, cheese, bread, cereal, rice, etc., using meat, fish, eggs (List P) at the night meal, and a starchy food at the noon meal. Meat (a building food) is not allowed with bread or other cereal foods (heat and energy foods), not because the combination is chemically incompatible, but because it gives two concentrated foods at the same meal. Two concentrated foods usually means overeating — even in the case of the hardest worker. Overeating causes fermen- tation. Fermentation produces carbonic acid gas, alcohol, and acids. These produce "acidosis" — the great contrib- uting cause to almost every disease in the medical cate- gory. The simple rule of eating only one concentrated food at a meal will clear up most of the mysteries re- garding food combinations. Principle 8 Never use commercial sugars and syrups. 160 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY They are dangerous, and doubly so when used with starchy food. Principle 9 Dried sweet fruits, honey, maple sugar, and dark brown sugar do not combine well with starchy foods. The combination has a tendency to produce fermenta- tion. Sick people should never use them at the same meal. Even those in robust health with sound digestions should not make it a practice. If ever eaten together, the meal must be a very moderate one. Sweet fruits should be used with dairy products, other fruits, vege- tables, and very moderately with nuts. Persons who "fill up" easily with gas have a stomach irritated by the fermentation of food. In the morning they experience a gnawing in the stomach and an "all- gone" feeling. This condition is a "red lantern" — a danger signal — a manifestation of on-coming illness. The diet of such persons should consist largely of fruits and vegetables, with some dairy products. These persons should decrease the amount of staple foods, and give special attention to combinations. They should never eat fruits (acid or sweet) with starchy food. Principle 10 Acid fruits and acid vegetables (tomatoes) should never be eaten with starchy foods. Non-starchy vegetables only should be used at the "starch" meal. Starch digestion begins in the mouth, where, normally, the saliva is alkaline. If acid fruit is eaten with starch, FOOD COMBINATIONS 161 the first essential step in the digestion of starch is inter- fered with, resulting in fermentation of the starch in the digestive tract, and the fermentation of carbonic gas and alcohol. The legumes — dried beans, dried peas, lentils — are starchy, and cause digestive disturbances if eaten with acid fruit or tomatoes. Vegetables, instead of fruit, should be eaten at the meal when legumes are eaten. As stated under Principle 6, page 158, it is necessary to include in each meal at least one food (fruit or vege- tables) which is anti-fermentic, anti-acid, anti-scorbutic, laxative, and purifying. This is very important, as the food salts in the fruit or vegetables are necessary to over- come, partially or wholly, the tendency to fermentation likely to follow the eating of hearty, staple foods. The simplest rule to insure proper combinations and prevent bad combinations is this: Eat salad vegetables (or cooked vegetables) with the starch meal, and acid and sub-acid fruits with the meat meal. The average salad dressing (except those containing a large amount of lemon juice, as French dressing) does not contain sufficient acid to cause digestive disturbances when eaten with a vegetable salad at a starch meal. 162 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY FOOD LISTS List A Cooked non-starchy vegetables B Non-starchy vegetables to be used for greens C Raw vegetables to be used for salads D Raw acid vegetables to be used for salads E Cooked acid vegetables F Fresh acid fruits G Fresh sub-acid fruits H Fresh sweet fruits I Dried acid and sub-acid fruits J Dried sweet fruits K Melons L Bananas M Milk and buttermilk N Cottage cheese O Nuts P Concentrated "building foods" (lean meats, eggs, cheese, etc.) Q Concentrated "building foods" (legumes) FOOD LISTS 163 List R Concentrated "building foods" which also are starchy S Concentrated starches (heat and energy producers) T Concentrated starches (potatoes, yams and arti- chokes) U Concentrated starches which also are "building foods" V "Breakfast" foods, so-called (home-cooked) W "Breakfast" foods, so-called (commercial) X Honey, maple sugar and dark brown sugar Y Cereal coffee and teakettle tea Yl Desserts (junket and custard) Y2 Desserts (ice cream) Y3 Desserts (fruit ices) Y4 Desserts (cooked fruits — not preserves) Y5 Desserts (preserves, jams, jellies) Y6 Commercial (white) sugar and syrup Y7 Dairy butter Y8 Oils Y9 Cream Y10 Bacon Yll Fat fish Y12 Pie and cake Y13 Chocolate, confections and candy 164 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY List Y14 Vinegar Y15 Oysters, crabs and clams Y16 Gravies Y17 Fruit juices FOOD LISTS 165 List A Cooked Non-Starchy Artichoke (French) Asparagus Beets Beet-tops Beans (fresh green) Carrots Celery Chive Dandelion (young) Dock (sour) Cow-slip Corn (green) Egg-plant Garlic Kale Kohlrabi Vegetables Cauliflower Leek Mullein Okra Onion Peas (fresh green) Pumpkin Parsnips Peppers (sweet) Rutabagas Spinach Swiss chard Squash Salsify Turnips Turnip-tops Combine with any food These cooked non-starchy vegetables, with raw vege- tables, fruits and the dairy products, are our most essen- tial foods, for they furnish the vital food salts which are necessary to health and life. They should be served at nearly every meal, except the morning or fruit meal. They give much of the "bulk" to a meal. If omitted, too much hearty, staple foods are likely to be eaten. Careful attention should be given to the preparation and cooking of these vegetables. 166 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY Canned vegetables should never be used when fresh or dehydrated vegetables can be obtained. Canners frequently put up soaked dried peas or soaked dried lima beans for the fresh product. Such goods should never be used. FOOD LISTS 167 List B Non-Starchy Vegetables to be Used as Cooked Greens Beet-tops Leek Brussels sprouts Mullein Chive Rutabaga-tops Dandelion (young) Swiss chard Dock (sour) Spinach Kale Turnip-tops The above-named vegetables also appear in List A, but are here given, for they are commonly used for greens. Combine with any food The discussion given under List A applies equally to this list. More greens in the diet lessen the need of laxatives, cathartics and "blood medicine." 168 RIGHT FOOD — THE) RIGHT REMEDY List C Raw Vegetables to be Used for Salads Cabbage Carrots (grated) Celery- Chive Cucumbers Endive Garlic Leek Lettuce Onion Olives (ripe) (a fruit) Peppers (sweet) Parsley Radishes Scallions Water cress Combine with any food This list does not give all the vegetables that may be used for vegetable salads. Any in List A may be used if desired, by chopping finely or running through a chop- per. Neither do the recipes in the Cook Book comprise all ways of making salads, for practically any combina- tion of vegetables, or vegetables and fruits, is permis- sible, provided acid and starch are not combined in a meal. Raw vegetables must be included in every starch meal, and raw vegetables or raw fruit in every "meat" meal. (See List A). FOOD USTS 169 List D Raw Acid Vegetables for Salads Tomatoes Combine with any other food except starches, such as bread, cereals, and legumes. (See page 160). 170 RIGHT FOOD — TH^ RIGHT REMEDY List E Cooked Acid Vegetables Tomatoes Rhubarb Combine with any other food except starches Fruits and vegetables when cooked, lose much, if not most, of their antiseptic qualities and are not nearly as valuable in the diet as when raw. Rhubarb contains a considerable amount of oxalic acid ; hence it should be avoided. FOOD USTS 171 List F Fresh Acid Fruits Apples (some varieties) Loganberries Blackberries Nectarines Cranberries Oranges Currants (red) Pineapples Gooseberries Plums (some varieties) Cherries (some varieties) Quinces Grapefruit Raspberries Grapes (some varieties) Strawberries Lemons Tangerines Limes Combine with any food except starches It is not necessary to eat these acid fruits with starch. There are many opportunities of taking them at the fruit meal or the meat meals. Use the vegetables in Lists A and C with the starch meal. (See page 160). All fruits combine well with milk ; a proven fact quite contrary to customary belief. It is difficult to say just how this fallacious belief began, unless someone was foolish enough to die after using them together in a meal. Combining them in a meal is never harmful, unless the meal contains other ingredients — especially starch, — or when the person is so ill that no food whatever should be taken. The objection to this combination may be due to the curdling of the milk by the acid fruit, which is not a valid one, for the first step in the normal digestion of milk is curdling. 172 RIGHT FOOD — THE) RIGHT R£M£DY List G Fresh Sub- Acid Fruits Apples (some varieties) Huckleberries Apricots Peaches (some varieties) Cactus Loquots Cherries (some varieties) Mulberries Elderberries Plums (some varieties) Guavas Prunes (some varieties) Grapes (some varieties) Pears (some varieties) Combine with any food except starches Sub-acid fruits do not contain as much acid as the acid fruits. (See page 160). FOOD LISTS 173 List H Fresh Sweet Fruits Currants (black) Pears (some varieties) Grapes (some varieties) Persimmons Mangoes Prunes (sweet) Peaches (some varieties) Combine with any food except starches (See page 160) Sweet fruits, both fresh and dried, are heat and energy producers, and take the place of cereal starch and com- mercial (white) sugar in the diet. They are among Nature's best foods. They can be used by those who are "starch-poisoned" and must refrain from eating any cereal starch. 174 RIGHT FOOD — THE) RIGHT REMEDY List I Dried Acid and Sub- Acid Fruits Apricots Loganberries Apples (some varieties) Prunes (some varieties) Blackberries Plums (some varieties) Currants (some varieties) Pears (some varieties) Peaches (some varieties) Raisins (some varieties) Raspberries Combine with any food except starches (See page 160) These fruits should be prepared without cooking, and should be eaten in the same combinations as indicated for List F. FOOD LISTS 175 List J Dried Sweet Fruits Currants (black) Raisins Dates Prunes (sweet) Figs Peaches (some varieties) Combine with any food except concentrated starches (See page 160) 176 RIGHT FOOD — THE) RIGHT REMEDY List K Bananas Combine with any food Bananas should be eaten only when ripe, indicated by the skins turning black. Ripe bananas are a sweet fruit, but are not included in that classification, because they ferment rather easily. They should not be eaten as a part of a hearty meal, for they are a very concentrated food. (See page 76). The banana is not a juicy fruit, as are those in Lists F, G, and H. Some persons think a fruit salad is a banana served with mayonnaise on a lettuce leaf. The fruit salads referred to in this book are those made with juicy fruits. Bananas, when not quite ripe, may be baked in the skin, but are not as good as the raw, ripe ones. Before putting in oven for baking, remove from the skin, scrape off the white covering, and replace in the skin. FOOD USTS 177 List L Melons Muskmelon Casaba Cantaloupe Watermelon Combine with no other food except fresh fruits, for they tend to ferment quickly, especially when eaten with other food. 178 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY List M Buttermilk Milk Combine with any food except meat, fish, eggs, cheese and nuts There is nothing incompatible in the combination of milk or buttermilk with the above-named foods. It is not recommended because it induces overeating. Milk combines well with fruits. It may be eaten at the starch meal, provided the milk is slowly sipped and not used to soften cereals or bread before eating. Milk is a food, requiring sipping. It must not be poured into the stomach as a beverage. FOOD IvISTS 179 List N Cottage Cheese Combines with any food with which milk combines, as it is a milk product. It is one of the best foods, and should more frequently take the place of meat and dried beans. "Store" cheese is not highly commended for regular use because it is so concentrated that its use in the diet induces too great a consumption of building foods. "Store" cheese, grated, may be added in small quan- tities to a salad with no other dressing. 180 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY List O Nuts Combine zvith fruits, salad vegetables and cooked non-starchy vegetables Do NOT combine with any of the staple foods, such as bread, cereals, dried beans, dried peas, meat or cheese. They are not chemically incompatible, but when eaten at a meal with other hearty foods, they induce excessive ingestion of food. (See page 100). In moderate amounts, nuts may be eaten with bread. FOOD usts 181 List P Concentrated Building Foods Lean Meats (all kinds) Fowl Nuts (except chestnuts) Eggs Sea Food Game Cheese Combine with Fruits Raw vegetables (Lists A and C) Cooked vegetables (Lists A and B) Tomatoes (Lists D and E) Do NOT combine with Each other, or Other concentrated foods as Bread Cereals Legumes There is no chemical incompatibility in combining these foods with other concentrated foods, but overeating is the invariable result. Raw fruits and raw vegetables contain the vital food salts which prevent, or at least partially overcome, the fermentation arising from the use of staple foods. Raw fruits or raw vegetables MUST accompany the meal when any of List P foods are eaten. This is very important. 182 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY Salt meats and salt fish are objectionable because the salt makes them difficult to digest. Never use them. Mock meats, such as protein roasts, steaks, cutlets, etc., are highly commended by vegetarians. They are made from legumes, nuts, or other meat substitutes, and are generally fried in oil. They are often composed of bad food combinations, and made worse by the manner of preparation. They should never be used. FOOD lists 183 List Q Concentrated Building Foods. (The Legumes) Dried Beans Lentils Dried Peas Peanuts Combine with Cooked non-starchy vegetables. (Lists A and B) Raw vegetables. (Lists A and C) Do NOT combine with Each other Bread Meat Cereals Cheese Fruit Eggs Other concentrated food Legumes should not be eaten with any other concen- trated food, because they are themselves very concentrated and one of the most dangerous foods on account of the fermentation usually resulting from their thoughtless use. Raw fruits and raw vegetables contain the vital food salts which prevent, or at least partially overcome, the fermentation arising from the use of staple foods. Raw vegetables MUST be used with legumes. In combina- tion with fruits, the legumes, which are starchy, will ferment very rapidly. (See page 160). Legumes are both building foods and heat and energy producing foods. Therefore it is not necessary to take much other starch at any other meal of the day. These other meals should be light, and consist principally of fruits and vegetables. 184 RIGHT FOOD — TH£ RIGHT REMEDY Legumes, which are meat substitutes, should be eaten at the meat meal only. In moderate amounts, nut butters may be eaten with bread. ( See page 99) . FOOD LISTS 185 List R Concentrated Building Foods which also are starchy (Heat and Energy Producing) Dried Beans (all kinds) Any product made from Dried Peas the whole grain of Lentils Wheat Peanuts Indian corn Bread Oats Cereals, or Barley- Rice Rye Buckwheat Combine with Raw vegetables. (Lists A and C) Cooked non-starchy vegetables. (Lists A and B) Do NOT combine with Each other Eggs Meat Other concentrated foods Cheese Fruits The foods listed above are given simply as a matter of information, for the legumes are considered "meat" and should be eaten at the "meat" meal only. The grains and cereals are considered starches and should be eaten at the "starch" meal. See Lists Q and S for combinations. 186 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY List S Concentrated Starches (Heat and Energy Producers) Sweet Potatoes Any product made from White Potatoes the whole grain of Yams Wheat Artichokes (American) Indian corn Bread Oats Cereals, or Barley Rice Rye Buckwheat Combine zvith Raw vegetables. (Lists A and C) Cooked non-starchy vegetables. (Lists A and B) Milk, buttermilk or cottage cheese Nuts in moderation Butter in moderation Oil in moderation (on salads) Do NOT combine with Meat Fish Eggs Legumes Other concentrated foods Fruit (except sweet fruit when digestion is excellent) Each other FOOD LISTS 187 When food is thought of, bread first comes to mind. Bread is a universal idea for "food," but it is generally restricted to the baked product of a mixture of grain flour and water, with or without salt, yeast, baking powder, sugar, shortening, and other ingredients. The universal use of starchy grains, as bread, at every meal, is a matter of custom and habit, and it will require time and self- control to use bread but once daily. Cereal starch quickly ferments, especially if eaten beyond the digestive capacity or in combination with fruit; or with concentrated foods. It is very concentrated (much more so than potatoes) and should be the only concentrated food in a meal, except moderate amounts of butter, nut butter or oil. If eaten with milk, the milk should not soften the bread or cereal, for this induces insufficient insalivation and fermentation. Raw green vegetables should always be eaten with cereal starch to furnish food salts to counteract the acid- forming tendency of starch when eaten alone. This is important, as many do not, or will not, eat vegetables every time they eat starch. Should it be impossible to have a green vegetable with the meal, the starch should be omitted or eaten with extreme moderation and caution. Dried sweet fruits should be eaten with starch only when the digestion is excellent. 188 RIGHT FOOD — THE) RIGHT REMEDY List T Concentrated Starches Sweet Potatoes Yams White Potatoes Artichokes (American) Combine with Raw vegetables. (Lists A and C) Cooked non-starchy vegetables. (Lists A and B) Milk or buttermilk Cottage cheese Do NOT combine with Meat Fish Any other concentrated food. (Lists P and Q) Fruits Potatoes are less liable to ferment than cereal starch, nor are they as concentrated as cereal starch. Persons with good digestions may sometimes add moderate amounts of properly cooked potatoes to a meal of hearty, staple foods. Raw vegetables, however, should always accompany the meal to counteract any fermenta- tion that might arise. FOOD LISTS 189 List U Concentrated Starches {Heat and Energy Foods, which are also Building Foods) Dried Beans (all kinds) Any product made from Dried Peas the whole grain of Lentils Wheat Peanuts Indian corn Bread Oats Cereal, or Barley Rice Rye Buckwheat Combine with Raw vegetables. (Lists A and C) Cooked non-starchy vegetables. (Lists A and B) Oil in moderation Do NOT combine with Meat Cheese Eggs Other concentrated foods Fruits Each other These foods are listed here simply as a matter of information, for the legumes are considered "building foods" and can be substituted for meat at the "meat" meal. (See Legumes, List Q, page 183). 190 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT R£M£DY The grains and cereals are considered starches, to be eaten at the "starch" meal only. No acids should ever be used with the foods in this list. FOOD LISTS 191 List V "Breakfast" Foods (Home cooked) (Cereals made from the whole grain) Combine with Raw vegetables. (Lists A and C) Cooked non-starchy vegetables. (Lists A and B) Milk, buttermilk or cottage cheese Nuts in moderation Butter in moderation Do NOT combine with Meat Fish Other concentrated food Fruit (except sweet fruit when digestion is excellent) Each other The so-called "breakfast" foods should ordinarily be eaten at the "starch" meal and without a dressing. Milk should not be used on cereals, as it generally prevents thorough insalivation. The common custom of serving sugar with these foods causes much of the glandular in- fection — tonsil and throat troubles — in children. No sweetening should ever be used on cereals except the sweet fruits, and then only when the digestion is ex- cellent. See list W, page 192, for further information regarding combinations. 192 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT R£M£DY List W "Breakfast" Foods (Commercial) (Food made from the entire grain) Combine with foods as in Class V Many dry, so-called "breakfast" foods, as Shredded Wheat and Triscuit, are not breakfast foods, but concen- trated starch foods, and should only be eaten at the "starch" meal. They require much insalivation, and are much superior to the soft, mushy cereals in the diet. When softened with milk, the dry "breakfast" foods are no better than the home prepared foods, and much harm from fermentation may follow their use. Many of the manufactured foods are devitalized by being cooked to death. These should never be used. Many of the manufactured foods are not made from the entire grain. These should never be used. Corn flakes, the "farinas," etc., may belong to this class. Raw green vegetables should always be eaten with cereal starch to furnish food salts which help counteract the fermentation and acid-forming tendency of starch when eaten alone. If cereal starch must be eaten for breakfast, and it is impractical or impossible to have a green vegetable with that meal, the cereal should be eaten with extreme caution. Nothing but dairy products and a hot drink should accompany the meal. Dried sweet fruits may be used with "breakfast" foods only when the digestion is excellent and the meal is a moderate one. FOOD LISTS 193 (See List V, page 191). Pop corn, which is very difficult to digest, should be eaten only by those in good health, as it ferments very easily. 194 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY List X Honey Maple Sugar Dark Brown Sugar -*&'- See page 160 for a complete discussion of the com- bination of these foods. FOOD USTS 195 List Y Beverages Cereal coffee Tea-kettle tea These beverages have no food value, except when milk or sweetening is added. They usually are desired only when it is cold and chilly. Their habitual use is not com- mended. They must never be used to "wash down" food. Only honey, maple sugar or dark brown sugar may be used for sweetening, but it is best to omit sweeten- ing altogether. If the beverage is taken at a meal con- taining starchy food, sweetening should never be used. List Yl Desserts Custard Junket These desserts should be made with honey, maple sugar or dark brown sugar; never with commercial white sugar. Desserts are not commended. If eaten, they should be eaten at a meal of fruit and dairy products only. 196 RIGHT FOOD — THE) RIGHT REMEDY List Y2 Desserts Ice Cream Ice Cream made with white, commercial sugar or syrup is a dangerous food, especially when eaten in com- bination with starch. When made with honey, maple sugar, or dark brown sugar the combination is slightly less harmful, but is a combination which is not com- mended. The best way to eat ice cream is with fresh, juicy fruit, (not preserved or canned fruit or fruit syrups). The ice cream habit is abominable, and is a causative factor in thousands of cases of "summer com- plaint." The temporary sensation after eating ice cream is cool- ing, but the ultimate result is a "heating" of the body, due to the sugar and fat in the ice cream. This is why the habit is more harmful during warm weather than during cold. The public does not generally know that there is a machine known as a "homogeniser" with which the ice cream maker may incorporate cocoanut fat, lard or other vegetable or animal fat, with glucose, skimmed milk, or skim milk powder and water, to form ice cream. A form of glue may be used as "bodifier," while imitation flavors and colors are freely usd. (McCann). Commercial ice creams should be strictly avoided. See page 48 relative to action of cold foods. See page 140 relative to desserts. FOOD LISTS 197 List Y3 Desserts Fruit Ices These should be made with honey, maple sugar or dark brown sugar instead of commercial sugar. Ices or ice cream with a meal chills the food in the stomach, delays its digestion, and their habitual use will cause serious digestive disturbances. Fruit ices should be eaten only with fruit, dairy pro- ducts, and "meat" meals ; never with starch. See page 48 relative to action of cold foods. See page 140 relative to desserts. List Y4 Desserts Cooked fruits Canned Fruits (not preserves) The anti-fermentic action of fruits is altered by cook- ing, due to the de-organization and change of their food elements, making cooked fruits less desirable than the uncooked. Canned fruits are not recommended. If used, they should never be eaten at a meal with starch. They may be eaten at a "meat" meal, with dairy products, or vege- tables. If canned fruits are eaten at a meat meal, fresh 198 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY fruit or raw vegetables should also be eaten to balance the loss of the anti-fermentic action of the cooked fruits through cooking. Cooked fruits, like canned fruits, are not recommended. Refined white sugar should not be used in canning. 1 Cooked fruit should never be eaten with starch. List Y5 Desserts Preserves Jellies Jams Marmalades Never Recommended These desserts have all points against them. They are prepared by boiling at a very high temperature, are mostly all sugar, and are used principally with bread, crackers or cake, giving an extremely large amount of sugar with a forced consumption of starch which the body likely does not need. The commercial varieties are not to be considered as having any value whatever. It is not only a waste of money to purchase them, but they are actually harmful to health, particularly of children. NOTE 1. The U. S. Department of Agriculture has issued a bulletin on canning without sugar. FOOD USTS 199 List Y6 Commercial Sugar and Syrup Never recommended for reasons explained under the chapter on sugar. If forced to eat white sugar through conventionality or otherwise, take some anti-fermentic and anti-toxic foods, raw fruit or raw vegetables, to par- tially overcome the harm arising from the use of the white sugar. No one can hope to attain good health if indulgence in commercial sugar or syrup is continued. List Y7 Dairy Butter Combines with any food when used as a dressing for salads or cooked vegetables, or on bread, potatoes and cereals. Frying and greasy cooking with butter is almost as abominable as with hog's lard. Frying lessens the value of food, and makes digestion more difficult. Butter and all other extracted fats should be used in great moderation. List Y8 Oils All commercial greases, lards, oils, and "shorteners," except pure olive oil and peanut oil, should be rigidly excluded from the diet. 200 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY List Y9 Cream Combines with any food Cream or churned cream (butter) should be wisely eaten or its value is lost. The tendency to overeat by adding cream to the meal may cause catarrhal conditions. It should be used, if at all, very cautiously and moder- ately. Cream may be used with fresh fruit and, very moderately, with cereals. List Y10 Bacon Combines with Fruit Vegetables Bread in moderation (by those who are well) Potatoes in moderation (by those who are well) Do NOT combine with Meat Legumes Cheese Dairy products Fat bacon is nearly a pure fat, and very concentrated. It is not the proper food on which to start the day's work, because the energy required for its digestion could be better used in the daily work. FOOD USTS 201 Heed this rule: — "Do not eat two concentrated foods at the same meal." This applies to bacon as well as to other foods, except that bacon may be moderately eaten with starch, as in sandwiches, which should always be eaten with some raw vegetable. Fruit should never be taken with the sandwiches because the combination of fruit and starch is bad. Bacon with raw fruits, or raw vegetables, or cooked non-starchy vegetables, is a better food combination. Bacon, a heat-producing food, should be eaten sparingly during the warm months, and never by anyone with a poor digestion. Lean bacon is not as concentrated as fat bacon, and is therefore less likely to be eaten in excess. List Yll Fat Fish Fat fish, such as mackerel and salmon, is difficult to digest, and should not be eaten by those with weak digestions. Lemon juice is usually sufficient as a dressing. The addition of butter to the dressing makes the dish too fat. Do not eat fat (except butter, or oil on salads) at any other meal of the day. To do so furnishes too much fat and causes digestive disturbances. Fat fish is not a good food for hot weather, as it is heat-producing. 202 RIGHT FOOD — THE) RIGHT REMEDY List Y12 Pie and Cake The conglomerate mixture (sugar, fruits, starch, fat) in pie makes it impossible to recommend it. Raisin bread, made with the whole meal flour, is cake enough for normal, unspoiled appetites. This should be eaten only in the combinations given for bread. List Y13 Chocolate Confections Candy Chocolate, in candy or as a beverage, cannot be recom- mended. As a beverage it contains properties having the same harmful effect upon the nervous system as coffee and tea. Confections and candy, usually made with white com- mercial sugar, glucose or other commercial substitutes, cannot be recommended. Candy and confections, when honey is used, are more wholesome, but they should never be eaten except as a meal consisting of nothing but candy and milk, or candy and fruit. Only those in sound health, with no catarrh, should even eat candy made with honey. Candy-eating is a pernicious habit. The candy store that undermines, as it does, the health of child-life, should be placed under government control. If allowed to exist at all, it should be licensed as saloons were licensed. FOOD LISTS 203 Too much cannot be said against the habit of candy-eat- ing. Parents who give children money for candy are responsible for many of the children's diseases, their future bad health, and, often, their early death. Candy-eating, besides the direct harm it causes, kills the desire for natural foods. It is commonly believed that "home-made" candy is "pure" and less harmful than the commercial varieties. It is not the purity or the impurity of the ingredients, but the ingredients themselves, chiefly sugar, which are harm- ful. This erroneous belief has no foundation, for "home- made" candy is made with the same sugar as its commer- cial relative. Neither is there any difference in the degree of harm caused by "high grade" chocolates or "lollypops." "Pure" stick candy is another fallacy. Sugar is respon- sible for the harm of candy-eating, and as it is so uni- versally used for candy, no candy can be recommended. We may have "pure" whiskey or "pure" carbolic acid, which means that they are not adulterated. In the same way the word "pure," when used in a commercial sense, means that the food is not adulterated — that no foreign substance has been added. It does not convey to us, however, any idea as to the wholesomeness of that food — it does not tell us that many of the food elements (food salts) have been wholly or partially removed, through the process of manufacture or preparation. Bear this in mind when anyone claims a product to be wholesome — that is a natural food — simply because it is labeled "Guaranteed under the Pure Food and Drugs Act." NOTE. See page 118 relative to sugar. 204 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY List Y14 Vinegar Never to be used. See Salt, Condiments, page 138. List Y15 Oysters Clams Crabs These are classed as meats, although their food value is much lower. The food value of an oyster stew lies in the milk, rather than in the oysters. These foods should be used in the same combination as meats, with fruits and vegetables, but NEVER with starch. An oyster stew with crackers is often sufficient to precipitate a serious, if not fatal, illness. Greater than the danger of the harmful combinations often made with these foods, is their possibility of caus- ing infection, and perhaps death. The simpler, more natural foods should be used in preference. List Y16 Gravies Rarely do we find a household, where thought has been given to food, using gravies. Most gravies are made of bad mixtures and, continually used, cause serious digestive disturbances. FOOD USTS 205 List Y17 Fruit Juices Lemon Cider (sweet) Lime Pineapple Orange Grape Fruit juices are excellent as a food — a meal — but when taken as a beverage, with or without other foods, and without regard for their food properties, are responsible for much stomach derangement. A glass of grape juice, orange juice, or pineapple juice, is recommended as a food when eaten alone, slowly sipped, and takes the place of a meal. It is not recommended when used in a meal con- taining starchy food, or as a beverage to be taken from the soda fountains at random. These pure, unadulterated, non-sterilized fruit juices must not be confused with the "soda waters" sold in bottles or dispensed at soda fountains. Commercial sugar or syrup should never be used to sweeten fruit juices. Honey, maple sugar, or dark brown sugar may be used very moderately for this purpose. The so-called fruit juices sold at drug stores and soda fountains are so loaded down with sugar, or sugar sub- stitutes, that their use is dangerous, and most of them, instead of containing pure fruit juices, are made from substances harmful to health. Avoid all drug store or soda fountain "fruit juices" unless they are the pure, non-sterilized, unadulterated fruit juices, unsweetened with commercial sugar or syrup. Fruit "punches" are objectionable because served be- 206 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY tween meals and are sweetened with commercial sugar or syrup. Anyone whose digestive weakness causes fermentation, should use extracted grape juice cautiously, as it ferments easily. It should never be used when breaking a fast. Orange juice is best. Use fruit juices alone, with dairy products, or at a "meat" meal. Never use them with starchy food. Bottled fruit juice is usually prepared by a sterilizing process which renders it much inferior to fresh juice because the food salts are largely, if not wholly, destroyed by the heat. Sterilized fruit juice should never be used. M£NUS 207 MENUS The meals outlined in this book represent what scientific investigation, based on practical experiment, has demon- strated to be the best for the average adult. Menus are not classified according to city or country environment, light or heavy work, active or sedentary occupations, in or out of doors. To avoid confusion, self-bias, or morbidity, all adult menus are listed under only three headings : — "Morning Meals," "Noon Meals," and "Night Meals." Each must be studied to learn the why and wherefore of one's eating. Particular attention should always be given to the rule that only one concentrated food, as starch, meat, fish, eggs, legumes, fats, should be eaten at a meal. This is contrary to the prevalent idea of "balanced" meals — meals wherein so much protein, carbohydrates and nitrogenous food must be eaten at each meal. The body cannot be fed according to the fuel laws of an engine. Such feed- ing has been a failure. This "calory" theory was formu- lated through tests upon "diet squads," comprising persons of normal and vigorous health. The results so obtained cannot guide those who are abnormal — the sick. Such "calory" rules, requiring one to eat complex meals, in- duce overeating, causing digestive disturbances, and undermine the health. Menus are given for three meals a day because most people eat that way. Twice a day is a better plan and more conducive to health. If three meals are eaten a day, one meal, at least, 208 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY should be a very light or moderate one, and it is better that this meal be the morning meal. If the morning meal is omitted, the noon and evening meals will remain as outlined. One should not eat as much at the noon meal as is ordinarily eaten at both morning and noon meals to- gether, if the morning meal is omitted. The propor- tionate amount of fruits and vegetables should prevail in the diet, and all general rules followed as to the com- bination of foods in a meal. FREQUENCY OF MEALS 209 FREQUENCY OF MEALS There is an old saying, "Light breakfasts and lunches for good mental work." No brain worker can do his best thinking while digest- ing a hearty meal. The manual laborer must avoid over- eating, for heavy physical work also retards digestion. In both cases large amounts of nerve energy are expended. The hearty meal of the day should be eaten when the cares and hard work of the day are over. For most individuals, this will be the evening meal. Those who persist in eating hearty meals at night, as well as at morning and noon, will surely come to grief. If the first two meals are lunches, the third meal may be a hearty one. Hearty breakfasts clog body and brain; it is not the natural way to begin the day. Many people, omitting breakfast entirely, testify that they profit mentally and physically thereby. Those who have dispensed with breakfast find that the appetite for that meal disappears. Those who think they must have breakfast never tried seriously to omit it. A few days' test is not a fair trial; it is not sufficient to overcome the life-long habit of breakfast eating. When the first attempt is made to break the habit, considerable gastric distress will be experienced. There will be a feeling of faintness, an all-gone feeling, a gnawing in the stomach, and invariably a headache. The greater this distress, the stronger the reason for giving up the habit 210 RIGHT FOOD — TH£ RIGHT REMEDY of breakfast eating. The distress is evidence that the food which one eats in the morning has been stimulating or paralyzing the nerves, and this would ultimately have a disastrous effect upon the body. As each day passes the distress will lessen, and the benefit of omitting break- fast will be realized. Exceptions, if any, to the "no-breakfast" rule, would be in favor of those doing heavy physical labor, whose breakfasts should consist of easily digested foods, such as fruit and milk. A further exception seems necessary, and that is addressed to the large class in the cities engaged in severe mental labor for six to eight hours during the middle of the day, without rest and opportunity to eat properly. For such persons, the necessity of the case makes it advis- able to eat light or moderate breakfasts and to eat no more until night. Growing children may eat three meals a day, but not of the rich, hearty foods usually eaten. The part of this book devoted to the feeding of children explains their meals. In no case should food be eaten within an hour after rising; two hours is better. Mothers who feed their children upon awakening and those adults who eat break- fast in bed, should take this seriously to heart. Allow an interval of five to six hours between meals, and permit nothing but water to enter the stomach between meals. This applies to children as well as to adults. Giving children lunches between meals is a bad practice, and not at all necessary. Eating bed-time lunches is a very bad habit. MORNING MEAL 211 MORNING MEAL It is more difficult to adopt a proper breakfast regime (or the no-breakfast plan) than to correct bad eating habits with regard to other meals. Why? The answer is long, but of great importance. Most persons' food, on account of bad eating habits, ferments in the digestive tract. This fermentation pro- duces a paralyzing or stimulating effect on the nerves of the stomach, akin to that produced by a drug on an addict, and continues as long as food is in the stomach. By morning the food has usually passed out of the stomach, and with it, the stimulating or paralyzing effect. There is now a craving for food which will ferment and pro- duce the same paralyzing or stimulating effect similar to that experienced by the drug fiend when the effects of a dose of his accustomed drug have passed away. To eat the commonly accepted breakfast, which gives a feeling of fulness — that sense of having had a meal which will "stand by" — is wrong. Such a practice does not build health, but undermines it with the poisons gener- ated by fermentation. When breakfast is first omitted, or a very moderate one eaten, no fermentation will occur to paralyze or stimulate the nerves of the stomach. The nervous system, denied its customary stimulation, makes known its grievance through ill feelings, such as faintness, gnawing in the stomach, dizziness, etc. These ill feelings will pass as the health improves through right living, and when 212 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY health is again normal, the missing breakfast will produce no ill effects. Omitting breakfast is the best relief for an overworked and much irritated stomach. If something must be eaten in the morning, let it be only uncooked fresh fruit, with- out sugar. Cereal coffee, with a spoonful of cream, but no sugar, or tea-kettle tea, with no sugar, taken with the fruit will help to allay the ill feelings arising from a cur- tailed or omitted breakfast. Dr. Harry Ellington Brook, one of the foremost dieti- tians of the country, has some of his patients omit all food for breakfast, except fresh uncooked fruit (without sugar) and a single cup of weak soluble coffee, to which is added a spoonful of cream, but no sugar. This mild stimulant, he believes, better compensates the patient for the loss of his usual hearty breakfast than fruit alone. Very sour fruit sometimes discomforts the autotoxemic — those who have rheumatism, nervousness, nervous stomachs, any catarrhal condition, or those who are underweight. These persons should use milder fruits — sweet oranges, mild apples, pears, and sub-acid fruits. Our daily food requirements are phenomenally small, and are amply supplied by two meals daily. The sick certainly should eat nothing more in the morning than the "fruit" breakfast just explained. Nor does a healthy person require more than the "fruit" breakfast. Such a person, having little or no food fer- mentation, does not experience the intense craving for food in the morning. This craving indicates food fer- mentation and that an irritated stomach needs rest. Many, the laboring classes in particular, whose life habits and teachings concerning food have been so in- MORNING M£AI, 213 correct, will find it difficult to accept the truth about light or no breakfasts, insisting they must have hearty break- fasts of "good, nourishing food." Hearty breakfasts, "to give strength" for the day's work, are a delusion, for today's work is done with reserve stores of energy re- ceived from food eaten previous to the present day. Food is not digested, assimilated and absorbed until long after it is eaten. In some cases the period is twelve hours. When digestion is slow it may be as many as twenty- four hours. Many men doing heavy physical labor omit breakfast entirely. Their unanimous testimony is that they men- tally and physically profit thereby. These men are un- usually free from physical and mental bondage, and are alert in mind and body. Their faces do not carry the evidences of sensuality. Unsuitable, devitalized foods and wrong methods of living hold the manual laborer in mental bondage. There is nothing, other than habit and custom, to justify the manner in which the laboring classes commonly eat their foods. The foods usually eaten cost more than the proper foods do. A correct diet, intelligently followed, gives mental and physical health. All persons are governed by the same general and fundamental principles of diet. To those who believe they need a heartier breakfast than the "fruit" breakfast, these suggestions are offered : The nutritive value of a breakfast of fresh, uncooked fruit may be increased by adding to the meal dried sweet fruits, or sweet fruits and milk, buttermilk or cottage cheese. (See page 134). Such a meal provides the body with more "calories" than the conventional or "orthodox" breakfast, for fruits 214 RIGHT FOOD — the; right remedy and dairy products are foods of quality, not quantity. The public, ignorant of their great food value, does not realize that a meal of these foods gives more real nour- ishment than a breakfast of mushes, potatoes, breads, griddle cakes, syrup, sausage, pork, ham, eggs, etc. It is common for a country breakfast to consist of oatmeal, pork chops or ham and eggs, fried potatoes, bread and butter or griddle cakes and sausage or syrup, pie, cake or pudding, and coffee, cream and sugar. A common city breakfast includes fruit, especially grapefruit, with lots of sugar, cereal with cream or milk and sugar, tgg with salt and pepper, buttered toast, and coffee with cream and sugar. Such combinations are extremely bad, and are terrible handicaps to impose upon the body. These "orthodox" or conventional breakfasts are the ones which usually produce a sense of fullness — a sense of having eaten a meal which will "stand by" — because of the fer- mentation of the food. The combination of starchy food and fruit in a meal is conducive to fermentation, so a breakfast of simply fruit, or fruit and dairy products, should never include starchy foods. Experience proves that a breakfast of fruit and dairy products not only furnishes a sufficient supply of nutri- tion for the average physical laborer, but supplies more nutrition at less expense to digestion and the pocketbook than the "orthodox" breakfast. City workers (see page 210) who omit their noon meals, and adopt fruit and dairy products for their break- fasts, should make the other meal of the day a "meat" meal, with fruits and vegetables. Sweet fruits are rich in heat-producing elements, and MORNING MEAL 215 should be eaten more extensively during cold weather, rather than in warm. Very acid fruits have a tendency to cause a sense of chilliness when eaten on cold morn- ings, so should be omitted. Those suffering with rheumatism, nervousness, ner- vous stomachs, irritability or underweight, should choose the milder fresh fruits instead of the very acid. Those who insist upon having starch for breakfast should heed these suggestions: A starch breakfast may consist of buttered zwieback, oven-toasted whole grain bread, Triscuit, or Shredded Wheat, and a cup of cereal coffee or tea-kettle tea. The nutritive value of the meal may be increased by adding milk, buttermilk, or cottage cheese, but the value is more apt to be lessened by the danger of overeating. (See page 134). When a starch breakfast is eaten it is necessary to omit fruit, which contains vital food salts so necessary to everyone, because fruit does not combine with starchy food. Such breakfasts not only deprive the body of food salts, but develop a tendency to eat too much starch. To prevent this (and possibly starch poisoning), very little (if any) starchy food should be eaten at the other meals of the day. If starch is eaten for breakfast, it must be omitted from the noon, or "starch," meal. The noon meal in this case should consist of fruits and vegetables principally. City workers, or others, who omit their noon meal, but take a starchy breakfast, should make the other meal of the day a "meat" meal, with fruits and vegetables. 216 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY NOON MEAL Before reading further it would be well to read again the special suggestions given for menus on page 207. To gain a substantial understanding of food in relation to health, some statements require reenforcing, or special emphasis, justifying many instances of repetition. No brain worker can think well and digest a hearty meal at the same time. The manual laborer must avoid overeating, for heavy physical work also retards diges- tion. In both cases the nerve energy necessary to digest the food is diverted. The hearty meal of the day should be taken when the heavy cares and hard work of the day are done. For most individuals this is the evening meal. Those who persist in eating hearty meals morning, noon and night, will surely come to grief. If the first two meals are light or moderate, the third meal may be hearty. An adult should not eat concentrated starches, bread and cereals, more than once daily. Starches should not form part of the meal where concentrated building foods, meat, eggs, dried beans, dried peas, nuts, or lentils, are eaten. An ideal "starch" meal should consist of : One concentrated starch. (See List S). One or two cooked vegetables. (See Lists A and B). One raw vegetable. (See Lists A and C). Moderate amounts of dairy butter, nut butter, or oil (on salad). Desserts should be omitted from all "starch" meals. NOON M£AL 217 No fruit or tomatoes should be eaten at a "starch" meal. Meat, or a meat substitute, should never be eaten at a "starch" meal. The evening meal is the non-starchy meal or "meat" meal, at which meat or its substitute may be eaten. The menus outlined for the noon meals are offered as a guide. To better understand them it is necessary to read the topics which specifically discuss the foods com- prising a "starch" meal. It is also necessary to read the paragraphs explaining the combinations of various foods to understand why some foods should be included in the meal, while other foods should be excluded. Circumstances may necessitate eating the "evening" or "meat" meal at noon. If this is done, eat the "noon" or "starch" meal at night. Never eat two "noon" or "starch" meals in one day, nor two "evening" or "meat" meals in one day. This would unbalance the food elements. In the following menus, foods listed in the "Substitute Food Lists," may be used instead of those named in the regular menus. 218 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY 'STARCH" MEAL MENUS Substitute Food Lists S T Baked potatoes (Butter may be used to dress A C potatoes) Lettuce A B M N Young green peas Buttermilk Vegetable soup (except tomato soup) (Soups must be used moderately) S T Toasted whole wheat bread. (Dairy butter may be used on toast) ABC Asparagus ABC Beet greens or young green peas A C Raw cabbage. (Use mayonnaise dressing on cabbage; never vinegar) S T Whole wheat bread. (Dairy butter may be used on bread) ABC Cooked string beans and carrots A C Cucumber and lettuce salad (without vinegar) ABC Beet greens S T Steamed (unpolished) rice A C Celery, lettuce, or sliced cucumbers (without vinegar) ABC Asparagus S T Baked potatoes ABC Vegetable soup (except tomato soup) (Soups must be used moderately) A C Raw cabbage 'starch" meai, menus 219 Vegetable soup (except tomato soup) (Soups must be used moderately) Whole wheat bread or toast Cooked carrots and young green peas Raw cabbage Whole wheat bread Asparagus Carrots or beet greens Celery or lettuce Potatoes Turnips Carrots and young green peas Lettuce Toasted whole wheat bread Celery Milk or buttermilk Potato (baked) String beans Asparagus Lettuce Vegetable soup (except tomato soup) (Soups must be used moderately) S T Toasted whole rye bread ABC String beans B C Spinach A C Raw cabbage Ripe bananas, with raisins, dates or figs, and cream over top (no sugar) Milk or buttermilk Subst Food itute Lists S T A B c A C S T A B A B c A C S T A B A B A C S T A C N S T A B A B c A C 220 RIGHT FOOD — THE) RIGHT REMEDY Substitute Food Lists S Rice M Milk or buttermilk A C Lettuce S T Whole wheat bread Cottage cheese M Buttermilk A C Lettuce F G H I J K Fresh fruit salad Milk or nuts (No starch when fruit is eaten) Ripe bananas Fresh berries with cream Buttermilk or nuts (No starch when fruit is eaten) S T ABC ABC Potato String beans Cauliflower S T ABC ABC A C Whole wheat bread String beans Asparagus Celery S T ABC Whole wheat bread Vegetable soup (ex (Soups must be used moderately) A C Celery A Winter squash A B Parsnips N Milk or buttermilk A C Raw cabbage 'starch" meal menus 221 Substitute Food Lists S T Baked potatoes A B String beans ABC Asparagus A C Lettuce or sliced cucumbers (without vinegar) Bananas F G H I J Dates. (No starch when fruit is eaten) Milk Corn on cob String beans Baked squash Tomatoes. (No starch when tomatoes are eaten) Young green peas Carrots Lettuce or cucumbers (without vinegar) I J Dish fresh berries. (No starch when fruit is eaten) Whole wheat bread Carrots Young green peas Lettuce Corn bread Asparagus Vegetable salad Corn on cob Cooked onions Milk Berries. (No starch when fruit is eaten) A B A B A B A C D A B A B A C F G H S T A B A B A C S T A B A C A B C A B c X F G 222 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY Substitute Food Lists Baked potatoes A B Young green peas A C Lettuce A B Squash A B Corn on cob A Squash A B Turnips F G H Berries. (No starch when fruit is eat S T Baked potatoes A B Turnips ABC Vegetable soup (except tomato soup) A C Lettuce NIGHT M£AI, 223 NIGHT MEAL The ''night" meal is named the "meat" meal. It may be a vegetarian meal, however, but has been so named the "meat" meal for practical explanations of food combina- tions. An ideal "meat" meal should consist of : Meat or a substitute for meat. A salad of either uncooked fruits or raw vegetables. One or two cooked non-starchy vegetables. Meat and its substitutes are discussed in Lists M, N, O, P and Q. If legumes, which are starchy, are eaten as a meat substitute, omit fruit and use raw vegetables instead. Lists A and C name the vegetables to be used in salads when legumes are eaten as a meat substitute. If legumes are not used as a meat substitute, then use either the raw fruits named in Lists F, G, H and I or the raw vegetables named in Lists A and C. If legumes are not used as a meat substitute, tomatoes (Lists D and E) may be used. Meat or its substitute should never be eaten at this "meat" meal, if enough building material has been eaten at other meals of the day. The meal should then consist of fruits and vegetables. No cereal starch should be eaten at the "meat" meal. If one has good health and sound digestion, potatoes may, in some instances, be added to the meal. A raw vege- table salad should then be used in iht meal instead of fruit. If potatoes are used in the meal, never use toma- 224 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY toes in that meal, as the combination of acid and starch is bad. Desserts should be rigidly excluded from the meal, except simple fruit desserts, prepared without commer- cial sugar. Even they should not be eaten if legumes are used as the meat substitute, because the combination of acid and starch is bad. "meat" meal menus 225 "MEAT" MEAL MENUS Substitute Food Lists M N O P One tgg Baked white or sweet potato A B Cauliflower A C Cabbage slaw or vegetable salad M N O P Q Baked lima beans B Dandelion greens A B String beans or young green peas A C Lettuce or vegetable salad M N O P Lamb chop A B C D E Sweet corn A C D F G H Fruit or vegetable salad M N O P Fresh fish A B Parsnips A B Beets A C D F G Fruit salad, tomatoes, or vegetable salad M N O P Fresh fish A B C D E Corn on cob A B C D E Parsnips C D F G Grapefruit M N O One tgg Baked white or sweet potato B Spinach A C Lettuce or sliced cucumbers (no vinegar) M N O P Beef steak A B C D E Corn on cob A B C D E Cauliflower A C D E F G Vegetable or fruit salad or tomatoes 226 RIGHT FOOD — THE) RIGHT REMEDY Substitute Food Lists M N O P A B C D E A B C D E A B C D E Beef steak Spinach Tomatoes Grapefruit M N O P Q A B A B A C Beef steak Cooked onions Carrots Vegetable salad M N O P A B D E ACDFGH Lamb chop String beans Sliced tomatoes or vegetable salad M N O P A B C D E A B C D E ACD ACDEFG Roast beef Cooked onions Beets Vegetable salad Grapefruit or cabbage slaw M N O P T A B A C Fowl Baked sweet or Spinach Vegetable salad white potatoes or cabbage slaw M N O P Q A B A C Baked lentils Cooked onions Vegetable salad or cabbage slaw M N O P Fresh fish A C D E F G H Fresh tomatoes A B C D E String beans Y3 Fruit ice (use cautiously, moderately, and only when digestion is excellent) EATING WHEN AWAY FROM HOME: WHEN TRAVELING 227 EATING WHEN AWAY FROM HOME: WHEN TRAVELING That person certainly deserves sympathy, who, accus- tomed to wholesome food, is obliged to eat at the aver- age eating house. It is difficult to determine who de- serves the more sympathy : the man at the mercy of the public eating house chef or he who is a guest at a course dinner. The former can choose, but the latter is under conventional obligation to eat what the hostess serves. Conventionality reigns supreme at the dining table of the hostess, and much harm is due to conventionality — eating what is served. St. Paul long ago wrote, "Eat what is set before you, asking no questions for conscience sake." That may have been a safe thing in his day, but were he living today, we are sure his great brain and judgment would never have allowed such advice to escape his lips. Rather, he would denounce many of the popular eating habits. To eat properly, it is not necessary to become a "food crank" (most food cranks are dyspeptics). Nor is it necessary to offend the hostess. To avoid harm from eating is simple. Do not overeat. Eat only a small part of the serving, rather than all of it. Bread, the never- failing accompaniment of a meal, should be omitted, for nothing creates disturbances more quickly than the addi- tion of fresh yeast bread to the ordinary meal. Avoid sugar. When the dessert is served, eat little of it, if any. The good conversationalist has an advantage, for he can keep up a banter of talk, a sort of barrage fire, 228 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY as it were, to divert the attention of the hostess from the food he is not eating. A banquet is often the last straw to break the camel's back. Many lives are sacrificed at the banquet table. Because food is served is no reason why it must all be eaten. "Luncheons" and "Pink Teas," usually a part of those gatherings of women wherein news is dissected and gossip disseminated, are as needless and unnecessary as the most needless thing one can imagine. People who give much attention to these affairs would better use their time, money and food for the millions who have scarcely enough food to exist. The regular meals of the day are quite sufficient, without the addition of a "luncheon." If a luncheon is eaten, omit the meal next preceding, or if unexpected, the meal following. At public eating houses and on dining cars, meals are often served "table d'hote" (pay for everything and eat what you can). Some do get all they can and "can" all they get, actually stuffing themselves. It is a case of sacrificing health for the sake of getting full returns for the money invested. It is not difficult to order food at public places, if the rules of food combination govern the selections. The breadstuffs, usually very fresh, are not commended, and should be excluded. The soups are usually highly seasoned. They should be excluded. If meat, fish or eggs, are ordered, give double orders for fruit, cooked non-starchy vegetables or salad vegetables. Such an order might shock the waiter. Limit the meal to these foods. Foods containing much sugar should not be eaten at all, which excludes most of the desserts. EATING WHEN AWAY FROM HOME \ WHEN TRAVELING 229 Travelers generally overeat, the principal cause of most seasickness and trainsickness. When traveling, less food than usual is required, and meals should be simple. Good fruits and vegetables are usually difficult to secure at country eating houses. The keepers aim at a reputa- tion of serving meals that will "stand by," usually serving "meat and 'taters," with baked beans and rice as the vegetables (which they positively are not). Rather than eat heavier and heartier foods, order dry toast and milk, or dry toast and an egg, with whatever vegetables can be obtained. Meats in the country are usually served plain. These, with potatoes and vegetables that may be obtained, will be satisfactory. Order a large serving of cabbage slaw without vinegar. Omit sugar and pastry. Avoid taking many foods at the meal. Holiday seasons are usually followed by epidemics of colds and grippe. This universal condition is due to over- indulgence in foods. The holiday seasons are food "sprees." The custom is bad, and it is fast being recog- nized that after the Christmas dinner or the New Year's dinner, Death reaps its largest harvest. Like the holidays, many find the Sabbath — the day set aside for rest — to be an ideal day for a food debauch. On Sunday, the day when the average individual is the least active, if the listless, slouchy, stupor evidenced may be called activity, the greatest amount of food is eaten. The custom is bad for the mother, wife, or cook, who must work the entire forenoon to prepare the meal. Many of the pious-faced, stone-hearted, narrow-minded saints think the Biblical injunction not to work on Sunday applies to themselves only, and not to the cook and serv- ant, or even to the already-overworked house-wife. 230 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY Many vacationists and campers also seem to think their recreational periods are good for food sprees. It is to be hoped that the day will soon be gone when immense throngs go into the country during "boarding season/' to perform unheard of gastronomical stunts by eating every- thing in sight — simply because "board and room" are so much "per," and they are "going to get their money's worth." Vacation time or camping time is a rare opportunity for mental and physical rest and rejuvenation — a time for real recreation. The time should be eagerly taken advan- tage of and everything done to improve the mind and body. Thousands, unfortunately, are compelled to eat away from home, as guests of friends, at boarding schools, at boarding houses, at institutions. Circumstances force upon these thousands devitalized foods, white bread, polished rice, white sugar, foods improperly cooked, bad combinations, etc. The following suggestions will lessen and help overcome the harm caused by such "dieting." Do not overeat. This rule is of primary importance, and depends solely upon exercising one's will-power. Observing every other rule of diet and ignoring this will result in failure to produce the desired results. Eat few foods at a meal. Bad combinations are re- sponsible for much harm. Take every possible opportunity to obtain any fresh fruits, raw and cooked vegetables, which furnish the vital salts necessary to overcome the acidity (acidosis) arising from eating the common hearty, staple, devital- ized foods. Eat no foods sweetened with white sugar or syrup. DATING WH0 AWAY FROM HOME): WHEN TRAVELING 231 If devitalized foods are served at a meal, eat lightly at that meal and perhaps at the next. Have a temporary- fast. Then, when the next meal comes with suitable food, eat sufficient of it, but do not attempt to make up the quantity lost at the previous meals. 232 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT R£M£DY DIET OF COUNTRY PEOPLE It would seem that the average length of life of the farmer, who is physically active, outdoors in uncontamin- ated air most of the time, should be greater than that of the city sedentary worker. But it is not. Improper eating is usually the cause of his lessened years of acti- vity and productiveness. The farmer is rapidly coming into line regarding his food. He has learned the lesson largely through dairy feeding, for silos dot the country everywhere, indicating that the cattle are getting their winter salad. There is no good reason why the farmer should not have the best of food — the best and the greatest abund- ance of fruits and vegetables. Yet he consumes far less of them than the city dweller. He passes by the fruits and vegetables, because his fallacious belief labels these as "side dishes," and he must have "good, nourishing food" — something that will "stick to the ribs." Farmers eat too much starch. They become starch- poisoned. Acidosis is developed, with its sequence of various diseases. Farmers also eat too much fat meat, and certainly too much lean meat. Particularly is this true during the cold months — the "butchering season." When the most careful and extensive experiments have proven that no one — not even the glutton — requires more than four ounces of lean meat or its body-building equi- valent daily, is it any wonder the farmer breaks down with disease! Too many declare they have "no time to eat slowly," DIET OF COUNTRY PEOPLE 233 hurrying through their meals until sickness renders them unfit for work. Then they spend weeks, months, or even years, recovering from the illness brought about by ignoring Nature's law. When a farmer retires to the city after active farm life, he usually continues to eat as heartily as before. This is one reason why many farmers die soon after retiring. The wives of many farmers are responsible for much of the ill-health of their families, by trying to rival others in the community for the honors of "setting the best table." It is best for the doctor and the undertaker! These farmers' wives serve the hearty foods in great abundance. They give no attention to the proper pre- paration and serving of fresh fruit and raw and cooked non-starchy vegetables, one thing in the diet that has had the least attention, but needs the most. Ninety-nine out of every hundred cooks do not know they drain away the most vital elements of our foods when they pour away the juices in which vegetables have been cooked. The same is true of potatoes. The potato water should be used in soups. Many wives make themselves slaves to the appetite of the "men folks" and hasten themselves into early graves. This is unnecessary. The simpler the diet the better the health and the less work in preparing meals. "Canning season" is being superseded by "dehydrating season," assuring out-of-season use of vegetables and fruit. Salads must not be omitted from the cold weather diet. The U. S. Department of Agriculture will furnish upon request, booklets recommending the proper method of storing fruits and vegetables. 234 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY Living in the country is no excuse for being careless about the diet. Nature recognizes no boundary lines between city and country, but exacts a toll from all, measured in severity by the degree with which her laws have been violated. LUNCHES TO CARRY 235 LUNCHES TO CARRY Millions, who are not able to eat their noon-day meal at home or in the public eating house, carry box lunches. To them the following suggestions are offered. The morning meal, the "fruit" meal, (if three meals are eaten), should consist of fruits and perhaps dairy products. (See page 211 relative to eating starchy foods with this meal). (See "Morning Meal, page 211). The night meal, the "meat" meal, should consist of meat or a substitute, cooked non-starchy vegetables and a salad of raw fruit or raw vegetables. No starchy food should enter this meal. (See "Night Meal," page 223). The "Noon Meal" — the lunch which is carried — should be the "starch" meal, the only one during the day at which starch is eaten. (See page 216 relative to eating starchy foods with this meal). Whole wheat bread, which should not be eaten when freshly baked, will most likely furnish the starch for this meal. The bread may be formed into sandwiches, with fillings as suggested. The meat fillings are to be used only occasionally, for the sake of variety, and only by those in sound health. Meat with bread induces overeating — the consumption of too great an amount of the building elements contained in the meat. If meat is used in a lunch, no meat, or its substi- tute, should be eaten at the night meal — the "meat" meal — nothing except fruit and vegetables. Uncooked vegetables must accompany every box-lunch to supply food salts, which are deficient in the sand- 236 RIGHT FOOD — TH£ RIGHT REMEDY wiches. Use celery, lettuce, leaves of cabbage, or vege- table salads as suggested in the Cook Book. Cooked fruit, preserves, pastry, cake or dessert must not be eaten. Coffee and tea, often carried and drunk hot or cold, are harmful. Cereal beverages should be substituted. For a cool drink, water is best. BOX LUNCH MENUS 237 BOX LUNCH MENUS Raw vegetables must accompany each of these sug- gested lunches. Whole wheat bread only should be used for all these sandwiches. Sandwiches with filling of cottage cheese ; or cottage cheese and sweet peppers ; or peanut butter. Sandwiches with filling of minced ripe olives. Sandwiches with filling of a small amount of mild cheese. Sandwiches with filling of egg. (See Cook Book). Sandwiches with filling of chicken. (See Cook Book). Sandwiches with nut filling. (See Cook Book). Sandwiches with filling of lettuce and mayonnaise. Sandwiches of ground sweet fruits and nuts. (These are very concentrated). The Cook Book gives additional suggestions for sand- wiches. Eat lightly at this meal, otherwise the benefits sought will be lost. The best mental or physical work is not possible when the body must employ much of its energy to digest an excessive meal. Nor can digestion be pro- perly carried on without resultant fermentation and aci- dosis. Do not eat the hearty meal until you have rested from the hard work of the day. The physically active should pay particular attention to lunches, for they generally are a bad mixture (bad com- bination) of foods; too great in quantity; and improper as to the selection of food used. The physically active 238 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY have accustomed themselves to eat a larger quantity of hearty foods than is required. Some know it is wrong, but use their hard work to "get by with it" — to "get by" Nature's laws. Continually opposing Nature's plan of living is not freedom, but mental and physical bondage. Such a one barely ekes out an existence, but should he accumulate enough financial wealth to live without labor for the rest of his life, illness and even death comes years before it ought to punish him for his wrong living habits. Discussing the laboring man who asserts that he must eat heartily of "good, nourishing food," meaning an abundance of bread and meat, Dr. J. M. Peebles says, "How does he know that he cannot live without these hearty foods? Has he ever tried to live without them? I have seen the porters of Smyrna, in Asia Minor, bear- ing burdens of two, three and four hundred pounds, and that all day ; and yet their food was a few handf uls of grapes and figs, or dry bread, a bunch of dates, and some olives. "I have seen the Spaniards and half-castes of Mexico, Yucatan and Central America toiling in the mines, or by the olive-press and the wine-press by day, and dancing at night to the music of the guitar, and yet they subsist upon melons, fruits, bananas, and whole grain bread dipped in olive oil. "I have seen Chinamen in Canton and other parts of the Empire bear upon their shoulders the sedan chair, sixteen hours a day, or work in the fields the same length of time, and eat nothing but unpolished rice and vege- tables. "All historians know that the old Roman armies, who built the roads and aqueducts, practiced in gymnasiums BOX LUNCH M£NUS 239 and marched under heavy baggage and armor, conquering the world, lived largely upon fruits, dry wheat, and barley bread dipped in sour wine/' Most farmers aim for a certain financial goal, and "retire" when it is reached. Their period of retirement is usually brief, for they continue to eat as heartily as they did when working hard on the farm, where the mus- cular exertion and active respiration and circulation helped greatly in disposing of the excess food by oxidation. Many of the submerged individuals of humanity, never making an effort to conform to Nature's laws, suffer according to the degree of their sins, while those who search for the truth to make themselves more efficient in their work and a greater blessing to the world, are greatly rewarded for their efforts. The former cannot be whipped into line, while the latter, shown the way, will follow the truth. This explains the many futile attempts for sociological improvement. Much space might be devoted to the sub- ject, but this suggestion ought to be sufficient to direct the attention of some sociological workers and reformers to this vital question. 240 RIGHT FOOD — THK RIGHT REMEDY DIET FOR THE OVERWEIGHT Obesity and health are never synonymous. Obesity usually results from eating too much sugar, starch and fat, and should be looked upon as a disease. Some individuals inherit a tendency to excessive weight, which should be controlled. The bodies of these persons should be round and sleek, but not burdened. Excessive weight prevents normal functioning of the vital organs, and otherwise handicaps the individual. Double chins and rolls of fat on the back of the neck and head are danger signals, often indicating heart and kidney diseases, and should be heeded. Drugs taken into the system to reduce weight are always injurious. The best way to lose weight is to live properly and eat sparingly of fattening (Class Three) foods. It is not necessary entirely to omit fattening foods from the diet, but they must be reduced to a minimum. The amount of food needed to maintain the body is so surprisingly small that many who "diet" to reduce will not lose weight, for they still overeat. To overcome this, decrease the quantity of the fattening (Class Three) foods, and the frequency of meals, until loss of weight occurs. Do not overeat on the building foods, (Class Two). A moderate amount of lean meat does not influence the weight. Increase the quantity of the "eliminators" (Class One), until they are used almost exclusively in the diet, for they not only serve as foods, but aid in elim- ination and in reconstructing unhealthy body cells into healthy ones — a process necessary for the fullest health. DIET FOR THE OVERWEIGHT 241 The best plan of eating for these persons is to adopt the t\vo-meal-a-day plan, following the menus given under "Morning Meals" for the first meal, and making the second meal a "meat" meal, at which meal fruits and vegetables must be eaten. 242 RIGHT FOOD — THE) RIGHT REMEDY DIET FOR THE UNDERWEIGHT Gaining weight is an obsession to some people. Persons naturally thin should not attempt to force a gain of weight. Thinness is not necessarily an indication of disease. If it is, the disease must be eliminated, instead of increasing the weight by eating excessive quantities of eggs, milk, olive oil and "good, nourishing food." The thin individual in good health, indicated by an active mind and a body free from disease, is more for- tunate than one who is fat. The thin, active man is built for speed rather than comfort; excessive weight usually prevents activity. Those who eat to gain weight, generally eat beyond their assimilative power, ruin their digestion, and set the course for the ill health which follows. The amount of food eaten should be reduced, for the most common cause of underweight is overeating. An additional loss of weight may occur at first, but this loss is chiefly due to the elimination of the poisons and waste that have accumu- lated through overeating. This temporary loss of weight will be followed by an increase in weight of the normal, healthy tissues. Thinness is also due to other dietetic errors, which must be corrected. If guided by the natural laws of eating, weight and health will follow. Be wary of unsafe and unsound advice to eat heartily of "good, nourishing food" (which means an excess of the staple foods). Do not use drugs or nostrums to stimulate the appetite. Most weight-producing "tonics" DIET FOR THE UNDERWEIGHT 243 may cause a temporary gain in weight, but will result in an overstimulated, and consequently impaired, digestion. Those who are very thin and nervous ought to eat sparingly of the very acid fruits. Sweet and sub-acid fruits, milk, cottage cheese and vegetables should pre- dominate in the diet. As such persons usually have gastric or intestinal fermentation, particular attention should be given to the combination and choice of foods, omitting those which are difficult and slow of digestion. % 244 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY LAXATIVE FOODS— CONSTIPATING FOODS It is difficult to classify foods according to their laxa- tive or constipating properties, for the best foods, eaten unwisely, may cause either condition. Constipation, a national disease, is most frequently caused by eating too often or by overeating. Constipa- tion does not begin in the stomach or bowels, but in the mouth. Eating beyond the digestive capacity produces gas distention. Frequent distention of the bowels weakens their muscular and glandular activity, gradually paralyz- ing them. A chronic constipated condition, besides other serious consequences, reduces the excretion of lubricants from the intestinal glands and liver, and destroys the muscular power necessary to move the mass of food through the bowels. If the intestines, through lack of muscular power, cannot control the contents of the bowels, especially if the food eaten is irritating, a diar- rheal condition will result. Natural bowel movement depends upon the observance of the general dietary laws — following Nature in respect to food, rather than eating certain foods with the idea of overcoming the constipated condition. Foods which are concentrated in form and lack bulk, such as meat, white bread, sugar, cheese, and the legumes, are constipating when eaten freely. These, lacking the bulk necessary to exercise the bowels and keep them strong, are usually overeaten, causing bowel derange- ments. Nature's foods — fruits and vegetables — are generally LAXATIVE FOODS — CONSTIPATING FOODS 245 laxative. They give bulk to the food, as well as supply the necessary food salts to build healthy body tissues, which means better health for the intestinal glands and muscles. These natural foods give all the necessary roughage (bulk) without using bran, when it comes separate and apart from the whole grain. Bran-eating may actually aggravate many cases of constipation, for roughage is laxative if taken in moderation ; but when taken whole- sale, it so irritates the bowels that they lose their delicate sensitiveness, and constipation follows. Bran taken as part of the whole wheat is natural, but when taken as a cathartic, it becomes a medicine. Bran may be used in an emergency to overcome constipation by adding it to cereals, or in baking, until the bowels move normally without the bran. Overeating and frequent eating are the chief causes of constipation. Other contributing causes should be determined and corrected. One common contributing cause is neglecting to establish regular movements of the bowels at certain hours daily. Many constipated individuals do not realize their condi- tion. Their bowels move in a sausage mill fashion — what goes in must come out. The entire bowel is dis- tended and the fecal matter is actually forced out by the pressure of the incoming food. Normally, there should be two or three bowel move- ments daily. If the fecal matter is foul, or accompanied by foul gas, it indicates sluggish bowel action, and poisons, formed in the bowels, are absorbed into the blood, poison- ing the entire body. These persons have auto-toxemia (self-poisoning), a foundation of disease. It is practic- 246 RIGHT FOOD THE RIGHT REMEDY ally impossible to get well under such conditions, which can only be corrected by right living and proper eating. Enemas, while valuable in acute attacks of illness, can- not cure chronic constipation. Use enemas in prefer- ence to drugs. An enema should be taken in the knee-chest position, knees and the top of the head on the bed, allowing the water to pass well up into the large intestine, which cannot occur when sitting erect. If invalids cannot do this, they should lie on the back. Sedentary workers are often constipated, due to mus- cular inactivity. They should exercise the trunk of the body vigorously by bending and twisting movements each morning and evening. Natural deep breathing, using the trunk muscles and diaphragm, is a great help. To cure diarrhea, the fundamental cause should be reached — improve the health of the intestines by proper eating instead of eating "constipating" foods, such as quantities of pasty food. Such a procedure defeats the object of the acute attack — which is to rid the intestines of their contents, so that they may rest and regain strength. Adding food at such a time is contrary to the requirements of Nature, which is pleading, "I have too much ; eat no food." Copious enemas of hot salt water will assist in ridding the bowel of its contents. The diarrhea will cease in one to two days, and, if no food is eaten for the following twelve to thirty-six hours, the bowel will be sufficiently rested, so that another attack will not be precipitated, if the diet is given careful attention. WHAT IS DIS£AS£? 247 WHAT IS DISEASE? Disease is perverted health — health gone astray. It is a diversion from normal to abnormal. For the abnormal to become normal, it is necessary to determine just what constitutes normal ; to determine just where the normal ended and the abnormal began. This is dealing with the law of cause and effect, for without going back to the cause, health cannot be brought about. Many persons remain ill because they do not under- stand this law; or because they depend upon therapeutic practitioners who do not understand it, but who attempt to bring health by treating only the effect — the result of the cause. When the child starts on an abnormal path, disease results. Adult ill-health often starts during childhood. Life is largely a matter of habit, and at no time are good or ill-habits so easily formed as during infancy and child- hood. Improper feeding of infants and children is one of the greatest causes of ill-health of the young. 248 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY DIET DURING PREGNANCY Pregnancy does not give a woman a reason to overeat. Most women who eat to excess, double the quantity con- sumed when they become pregnant, causing disturbed digestion, "morning sickness ,, and a long train of other difficulties. Pregnancy is a natural condition, and should not be accompanied by such exaggerated physical disturbances. As it is a natural condition, Nature prompts the woman to eat just what is needed for her own nutrition and for the growth of the fetus, and it is not necessary to "eat for two." The woman should make her diet as nearly normal as possible, by eating natural foods. The diet during pregnancy should not be materially different from what it is at other times. Fresh vegetables and fruits should be eaten freely. Coffee, tea, cocoa, condiments, too much meat and cereal starch (bread and cereals) are to be avoided. DIET FOLLOWING PREGNANCY 249 DIET FOLLOWING PREGNANCY The same natural condition should continue through the nursing period as exists during pregnancy. The growing child will require more nourishment than the growing fetus, which will manifest itself in the desire of the mother to take an increased amount of food. She will eat the additional amount without giving the matter any special thought. Overeating occurs when the idea of "eating for two" is adopted. The result is indiges- tion. A loss of normal appetite will follow this, for the digestive apparatus must have a period of rest after this overfeeding. Tonics to increase the appetite or specially prepared foods, such as patent foods, gruels and quan- tities of soups and cocoa, further complicate conditions, necessitating the substitution of bottle feeding for the natural process of nursing. The condition of the mother is reflected in the nursing child, which becomes cross and nervous, and often seriously ill. The diet of the nursing mother should be much the same as during pregnancy, with an abundance of raw and cooked vegetables in preference to the hearty foods. 250 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY CHILDREN The general ideas regarding the feeding of children, especially infants, are so abominably erroneous, that it may be difficult for many persons to accept the truth on this subject. There is sufficient evidence to show that diet is a great causative factor of the prevalence of sickness and the high mortality rate of infants. The fault must be man's, for the Creator certainly would not put infants into this world and curse them with sickness. Some infants are born into the world with vitality below par — handicapped before birth by the perverted health of the mother. These infants should receive the best of care and feeding, for they are more in need of intelligent guidance than those better born. Most of the infant morbidity and mortality are un- necessary, and preventable. The health and welfare of the child are more or less under the control of the parents. Few parents would knowingly make their children invalids and sufferers throughout life, or kill them outright. But there is a criminal ignorance of the laws of health, and parents, proclaiming their ignorance by their own ill-health, can- not be expected to guide their children aright. There are many other contributory causes for the ill- health of children, besides wrong eating. Discipline, essential for the adult, is more so for the child. Lack of proper disciplinary training of children is one great cause CHILDREN 251 for the many "misfits" — so many who fit into life as a round peg into a square hole. Children are young animals. Some require training, teaching or educating with the aid of physical punishment, while others do not. Few parents realize that child- training is a science in itself, and that it is the birthright of every child to be properly equipped for adult life. Dr. Truby King says, "The time par excellence for the growth of the brain and nervous system is during the prenatal period and the first two years of life. "The whole future of the individual is determined for him before he is four years old, just as that of the calf is determined by the time he has reached the age of six months. " The sixth International Conference of Physio-Therapy, in April, 1913, declared: "National immunity to disease is very closely allied to nutrition. As soon as a slight dis- turbance of nutrition occurs the child loses this natural immunity. "An infection of the mouth with thrush is not possible in a normal-born and breast-fed child. The bottle-fed child is at a great disadvantage, as compared with the breast-fed child. "One sided nutrition with carbohydrates (starches, sugars, table syrups, candies, white breadstuffs, denatured breakfast foods, refined cereals) injures the immunity of children. "Tuberculous children nourished with such carbo- hydrate foods succumb more easily than those nourished on natural foods. "The water content of the body is inversely propor- tional to the natural immunity. Water-logged tissues lose 252 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY their immunity. Refined foods increase unnecessarily the amount of water in the tissues, and promote a rapid rise in body weight. "Children fed on a carbohydrate diet become water- logged, fat, and show slight resisting power against in- fection. "The lack of absorbable calcium salts in the diet favors water-logging." These statements deal a death-blow to the common opinion that the "nice fat babies," of baby shows and baby food advertisements, are healthy babies. Plump- ness (water-logged tissues) has nothing to do with muscle tone, with normal functioning of the glands, with vitality or resistance to disease. A fat child succumbs more quickly than a child that is thin, but muscular. Milk is rich in the absorbable calcium salts mentioned, while denatured cereals, white sugar, white bread, candy and ice cream are deficient in them. A child fed on milk has better health than a child fed otherwise, although a child fed on milk may not be "fat as butter." The lives of approximately 400,000 children under ten years of age are snuffed out each year, and we do not shudder at the ignorance of child-feeding that exists. Not only do these deaths bring deep sorrow, but thousands of mothers must go through travail, possibly sacrifice their own lives, to bring these children into the world. For what ? To die through ignorance ! The children had better not been born. There should be a burning desire in the heart of every parent to know the truth. They should ask themselves whether there is not some connection between these deaths and the 25,000,000 pennies spent daily by children for CHILDREN 253 candy, a polite name for child-poison. They should ask themselves if there is not some connection between this candy eaten and the 200,000 operations performed each year in this country for adenoids. "The Care of Children," by John H. Tilden, M. D., should be owned by every parent. Dr. Tilden has prac- ticed fifty years, and his experience, research and thought, have made him a foremost authority on the subject of health. "How to Feed the Baby/' by C. E. Page, M. D, of Boston, Mass., contains many valuable suggestions for parents. 254 RIGHT FOOD — THE) RIGHT REMEDY BABY FEEDING Babies are usually overfed by too frequent feeding. Several hours (at least four hours if the child has normal health and good digestion, and longer if the child is not well) are required to digest a meal. To feed oftener not only brings on indigestion, but leads to serious illness. The child must have a chance to digest one meal before another meal is given. Some argue that the child should be fed frequently because its stomach is small. The child also is small, for certainly the great wisdom of the Creator has seen to it that the stomach was sufficiently large. It would be quite impossible for adults (their size proportionate to that of infants) to eat the amount of food commonly given to babies. This overfeeding is largely responsible for the deaths of over 150,000 infants every year. Many of those who do not die are handi- capped through life. The baby should never be fed during the night, any more than an adult. The child who is not taught to expect food at night will sleep soundly until morning. The restlessness of children at night is largely due to the customary way of feeding. If the baby awakens and cries, only water should be given. When infants are overfed, the surplus milk spoils in the digestive tract. This fermentation, irritating the nervous system, makes the child cross, brings on skin eruptions, gastro-intestinal disorders, catarrhal conditions, adenoids, meningitis, and other diseases. As with adults, improper feeding of children blunts the BABY FADING 255 normal hunger. This is replaced by an abnormal craving, makes the child fretful, unless allayed by frequent feed- ings. This is one important reason for training children to eat properly from the beginning. The mother's milk is the natural food, and she should nurse the infant at least nine months ; longer is better. Nursings should be limited to five daily periods ; four are better. The weaning should be gradual. Begin weaning by substituting one meal a day of goat or cow's milk for a breast feeding. About ten days after this is started, substitute another daily meal of milk, and two weeks later substitute all goat or cow's milk. Fre- quently, before the child is weaned, the mother will give but two feedings. One or two feedings of milk will have to be substituted. Avoid, if possible, weaning the child during the hot summer months, for its vitality is then lowest, and pure fresh milk is difficult to obtain. It should be remembered that after the weaning age milk is not a complete food, as it is almost entirely defi- cient in iron, a surplus of which is stored up in the new- born infant's liver. This gradually decreases. There- fore, after weaning, raw vegetable or raw fruit juice should certainly be given the child. If artificial feeding is necessary, the best substitute for milk is fresh, clean, goat or cow's milk that has not been boiled or pasteurized. In extremely rare instances only should anything but milk be given the infant. For very young infants, goat or cow's milk should be slightly diluted with pure water, which can be gradually lessened until undiluted milk is fed to the child. If the infant is fed only three times daily (four at the most), it may be given all that it will 256 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY take each time. (To feed oftener and allow it to have all it will take is wrong, and indigestion will certainly follow). This is the best way to feed infants artificially. It is not only simple, but assures good health to the child. Pure, fresh milk (diluted or undiluted) is better than modified milk. However, those who care to use modified milk should follow this schedule : Child's age in days 2 to 7 Amount of Milk Ounces 3 Amount of Water Ounces 6 Amount of Milk Sugar Teaspoonfuls 2 7 to 10 4 8 2/ 2 10 to 15 5 10 4 15 to 30 6 10 2 table spoonfuls Child's age in months 1 Amount of Milk Ounces 7 to 8 Amount of Water Ounces 12 Amount of Milk Sugar Tablespoonfuls 2H 2 10 to 11 15 3/ 3 15 to 16 16 4/2 6 22 to 24 10 to 12 Ay 2 8 26 to 28 8 to 9 4/2 9 28 to 30 7 to 8 4/ From the ninth month to the end of the year, gradually increase the amount of milk, so that one quart or thirty- two ounces of undiluted milk will be given daily at the end of this time. The amounts stated are the average amounts to be given. Some children will not require nearly so much. Do not force the feeding, or feed oftener than three or four, or, at most, five times daily. From the eighth to the tenth month the child may have a hard whole-wheat biscuit on which to cut its teeth. It will learn to eat by biting on this. BABY FEEDING 257 When the baby is ten to fifteen days old, a little fruit or fresh vegetable juice each day thereafter will be bene- ficial. This maintains the alkalinity of the body fluids, which will resist disease. It also supplies elements necessary for cell construction, lacking in milk. The juice of sweet oranges, sweet ripe pineapples, blackberries, raspberries, lettuce, celery, raw cabbage, raw spinach and raw carrots may be used. Mash the fruit or vegetable and strain off the juice, preparing it daily. The fruit juice can be put into the water or the vege- table juice into the milk. Begin feeding these juices about the tenth to fifteenth day after birth, giving one- quarter teaspoon ful (daily) at ten days; three-quarter teaspoonful at one month; two teaspoonfuls at two months ; two tablespoonf uls at eight months ; and three tablespoonfuls at ten months. Many artificially prepared foods contain too much starch, and, if fed to a baby, will cause disease, because a child cannot digest starch until the end of the second year. The safest and best way is the simplest. Feed the baby nothing but milk; prepared as directed, if bottle fed ; adding the fruit and vegetable juices at the proper times. Children thus fed will have healthy bodies. Never give babies or young children even the smallest amount of commercial (white) sugar. 258 RIGHT FOOD — THE) RIGHT REMEDY 12 to 18 Months Some mothers believe this is the time to begin feeding meat, bread, potatoes, puddings and so on, and sometimes will actually force the child to eat these adult foods. Such feeding is criminal. The natural food for children at this age is milk, with the addition of fruit and vegetable juices — nothing more, except, perhaps, hard, whole wheat bread for cutting the teeth. The number of meals should be reduced from five or four to only three. The first meal will consist of all the milk the child desires. The second meal will consist of all the milk the child will take, including the fruit or vegetable juice, prepared and given as already directed. The juice of sweet prunes or figs, preferably given during the cold months, if pre- pared without sugar, may be added to the list of fruits. Sometimes children at this age may be fed celery pulp or spinach, prepared as follows : Run through a mill and through a coarse sieve. To two tablespoonfuls of this, add the juice of one sweet orange or a like amount of juice from berries, apples or pears. The fruit should be ripe and sweet. This should be fed before the milk at the noon meal. The third meal should consist only of milk, and as much as the child desires. If the child is thirsty between meals, only water should be given. BABY FEEDING 259 18 to 24 Months Children of this age should be fed the same as from twelve to eighteen months, except that fruit and vege- table pulp can be given regularly at the noon meal. These pulps should be eaten before the milk. Tomato juice may now be added to the list of fruit and vegetable juices. Avoid very sour fruits. Milk should be given from the bottle, not from the cup, until the end of the twenty-fourth month. This assures better insalivation of the milk. It is wrong to give starch — bread or cooked cereals — at this age, although it is commonly done and is advocated by many physicians. Omit all sugar. One great habit of mothers is to give children from this age up, between meals, bread and butter, with a thick layer of sugar on that — sometimes even condensed milk on bread and butter. This deserves the severest censure as it is almost certain to produce sickness, or death, or life-long agony. Fresh, sweet fruit in warm weather, and the dry sweet fruits — raisins, figs, and dates — in cold weather supply a natural and easily assimilated sugar. Feed these accord- ing to the directions given on pages 257 and 258. It is also a grave mistake to feed meat, fish or eggs at this age. The milk supplies enough of the elements found in these foods. Meat, fish and eggs overstimulate the nervous system, and lay the foundation of future bad health. The first and third meals should consist of milk only. 260 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY 25th Month to 5 Years Foods requiring mastication, except the whole wheat bread or biscuit used during the teething period, cannot safely be given children until the beginning of the twenty- fifth month, the beginning of the third year. They should not be given even then if the child is not able to thor- oughly masticate and insalivate the dry cereals or toasted whole wheat bread. For this reason the following sample menus are rather too liberal until the child is thirty or thirty-six months old. The transition from the 18-to-24 Months diet to the 25th Month to 5 Years diet, should be gradual — that is, do not pass quickly from the 18th to the 24th month feeding to the feeding here given. In the beginning give mostly milk, feeding the other foods, especially starchy foods, sparingly. The safest way until the child is thirty-six months old is to give : Morning meal : Fruit and milk. Noon meal : Dry cereal, or toast, and milk. Night meal : Vegetables, fruit and milk. When feeding the child according to the following sample menus, starchy foods (bread, cereals, potatoes) should be given only at two daily meals. The other meal should comprise fruits and dairy products, or fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. This meal may be eaten at any of the three daily meal times. Proper combina- tion of children's foods should be rigidly enforced. They should never be allowed to eat between meals. Mastication is absolutely essential to proper assimi- lation, and is one of the first training courses the child should undergo. Children fed cereals or bread soaked BABY FEEDING 261 in milk or other liquids will not acquire the art of masti- cation and insalivation. Dry whole wheat products are ideal foods for mastication, and should be eaten dry. They should not be soaked in milk or washed down with milk or water. 262 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY MENUS Three to Five Years (Twenty-fifth month to five years) Substitute Food Lists Morning meal: V W M Noon meal: A C A B Night meal: J T Morning meal: Cooked whole wheat (No sugar on any cereal) Cottage cheese or milk Milk or buttermilk Vegetable salad String beans Milk or buttermilk Dates (Only when well. See note) Whole wheat toast Natural brown rice (unpol- ished), cooked with raisins or dates, and served with butter (no sugar). (Only when well. See note) M Milk oon meal: A B C D Cooked vegetables or vege table salad F G I I J Orange M Milk or cottage cheese ight meal: A C N Baked potato with butter Celery Milk or buttermilk BABY FEEDING 263 Substitute Food Lists Morning meal: F G H I J K Apples M Milk Cottage cheese Noon meal: A C Vegetable salad Whole wheat toast Milk or buttermilk Night meal: A C Baked potato Celery Milk or buttermilk Morning meal: W Puffed wheat (eaten dry, with no sugar) Milk or buttermilk Noon meal: A B C K Vegetable pulp or vegetable salad F G H I J Baked apple N Milk or buttermilk Night meal: Baked potato with butter ABC String beans N Milk or buttermilk Morning meal: V W Whole wheat toast (no sugar on cereal) Milk or buttermilk Noon meal: F G H I J K Soaked prunes Milk or buttermilk 264 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY Substitute Food Lists Night meal: W ABC C N Whole wheat bread toasted, with dairy butter or peanut butter Spinach Celery- Milk or buttermilk Morning meal: V W Whole wheat cereal (never use sugar on any cereal) Milk or buttermilk Noon meal: ABC Vegetable pulp or vegetable salad F G H I J K Fresh fruit Milk or buttermilk Night meal: W Whole wheat bread with dairy butter or peanut butter. ABC Asparagus Milk or buttermilk Morning meal: W Whole wheat toast Milk or buttermilk Noon Meal: F G H I J K Soaked prunes ABC String beans Milk or buttermilk Night meal: W J Shredded Wheat Dates (Only when well. See note) Milk or buttermilk BABY FEEDING 265 Substitute Food Lists Morning meal: W Shredded Wheat Milk or buttermilk Noon meal: ABC Carrots A C Lettuce F G H I J K Apple Cottage cheese Night meal: T W Well baked whole wheat bread J Figs (Only when well. See note) Milk or buttermilk NOTE: Sweet fruit and starch should never be combined in a meal, except when the child is strong- and robust, and then use the sweet fruit in moderation. 266 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY YOUNG CHILDREN Stereotyped menus cannot be given for children nor adults. The menus suggested are simply a guide to in- sure a sufficient quantity of properly combined foods at each meal. The menus just preceding are liberal enough for children three to five years old, and especially liberal for three-year old children. It might be advisable to feed children separately, to prevent their crying for the adult foods they should not eat. Children fed on simple, natural foods have all the appe- tite necessary, and need not be coaxed to eat. If coaxed, they generally overeat. If the child has no desire for food do not force it to eat. One, two or even three meals omitted will more than likely be beneficial. Nothing but pure water should enter any child's stomach between meals. Children fed between meals lose their normal desire for simple, natural foods, and will not eat at the regular meal times unless foods are so prepared as to falsely stimulate the appetite. Children who eat normally and regularly, will eat simple, natural foods with a keen appetite. Children should be given only water when thirsty. Milk is a food, not a beverage to allay thirst. It should be sipped from a spoon, rather than drunk from a cup or glass, to insure better insalivation. Candy-eating, one of the greatest hindrances to chil- dren's health, is a habit wholly fostered by adults. If it YOUNG CHILDREN 267 is not formed, it need not be fought later. The child's craving for sweets is normal and natural, and should be met by the natural sugars (sweet fruits) as part of the meal, and not by candy between meals. Giving ice cream to children is a bad practice, and, during the hot months especially, is one of the great causes of digestive disturbances. Strong, robust chil- dren may eat home-made ice cream in moderation — not more than once a week. This should be part of a meal consisting of fruit only — no starch, meat, or legumes. During acute illness of children, digestion is suspended, as in adults, yet the common practice is to continue feed- ing. Only those ignorant of the laws of Nature will feed during acute illness. The crying of the child is for exercise or on account of pain, and not from hunger, although the majority interpret crying as a call for food. Fresh fruit juice may be given three times a day, and water at intervals. When the child is recovering, give the foods to which it is accustomed and do not try to make a change of foods. Mothers and nurses invariably believe that when digestive disturbances occur, the quality of milk is the cause. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred this is not true. The cause lies in the quantity. This is one great reason why artificial foods are used to substitute milk, although milk is the normal and natural food for the infant and child. Changing food does not relieve an overworked digestion ; a fact not generally known, be- cause few realize that digestion can be overworked. Particular attention should be given to the necessity of fruits and vegetables, especially raw salad vegetables, in the diet. 268 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY It is a grave mistake to feed young children meat and fish. Eggs should never be used. Children should be taught to masticate their food thoroughly. SCHOOL CHILDREN 269 SCHOOL CHILDREN Health education is fundamental for success, yet it is given very little attention in the public schools, and almost entirely neglected at home. Child life is governed by natural laws. If these laws are broken, the children cannot have the best physical and mental health. Per- mitting children to eat for the simple pleasure of eating, often brutalizes and vulgarizes their habits, implants selfishness, and causes physical and mental disease. Provide the children with just sufficient food for build- ing and maintaining the body and storing up that energy necessary for later life, and train them early in those habits of right living upon which their success in life depends. Many who might become successful in any field of activity fall short, or utterly fail, of their highest achievements, through improper training when children. Children must be taught mental and physical hygiene. They should be taught self-control— one of the noblest qualities of character. They must be taught to respect and reverence their bodies. Most of the schools teach physiology, and devote more or less time to physical exercise, but give no intelligent attention to the feeding and building of the body — to secure for it all the elements necessary to normal develop- ment. There are schools for the correction of moral perversi- ties and for ethical training, yet the students are per- mitted to eat in a manner that builds moral idiocy, or at least prevents the development of the moral sense. 270 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY A manufacturer is constantly striving to use the best of materials in his product, but educators give little or no attention to the material necessary for the proper construction of the bodies and brains of their students. The dullness and backwardness of many students is frequently due to improper eating. Nervous and irritable students may lack a keen appetite for real food. Such a child should be removed from the irritating influences, put to bed, and given nothing but water until the irrita- bility has ceased. Until the nervous system becomes normal, give nothing but toasted whole-grain bread and a glass of milk, or a little fresh fruit, at separate meals. SCHOOL CHILDREN 271 MENUS FOR School Children Having Lunch at Home Suggestions given on page 266, also apply to school children and young persons Substitute Food Lists Morning meal: V W Cooked whole wheat (no sugar) Milk Noon meal: ABC String beans A C D E | Vegetable salad or cabbage F G H I J j slaw or fruit salad Milk Evening meal: Whole wheat bread with dairy- butter J Dates (Only when well. See note) ABC Raw or cooked vegetables Morning meal: V W Natural brown rice cooked with raisins and served with cream or butter (no sugar) (Only when well. See note) Milk or buttermilk Noon meal: A B C D E Raw or cooked vegetable F G H I J Fresh fruit M Milk 272 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY Substitute Food Lists Evening meal: S T W Baked potato with dairy butter A B Corn on cob A C Celery or cabbage slaw Morning meal: V W Toasted whole wheat bread with dairy butter Milk or buttermilk Noon meal: F G H I J Fresh or dried fruit A B C D E Carrots A B C D E Fresh green peas Milk or buttermilk Evening meal: S T Baked potatoes with dairy butter A C Cabbage slaw ABC Asparagus Morning meal: V W Shredded Wheat (no sugar) M Milk Noon meal: F G H I J K Fruit salad with ground nuts over top M Cottage cheese or milk Evening meal: S T Whole wheat toast A C Vegetable salad ABC Dandelion greens Morning meal: V W Cooked whole wheat grains with butter or cream (no sugar) J Raisins (Only when well. See note) SCHOOL CHILDREN 273 Substitute Food Lists Noon meal: F G H I J K Fresh fruit A C D Celery Milk Evening meal: M N S T W A C Milk or buttermilk Baked potatoes with dairy butter Vegetable salad Morning meal: V W j Shredded wheat with cream (no sugar) Dates or raisins (Only when well. See note) Milk Noon meal: ACFGHIJ Fruit salad A B C D E Cooked vegetable Milk or buttermilk Evening meal: S T A B A C Whole wheat bread toasted Vegetable soup Celery or lettuce NOTE: Sweet fruit and starch should never be combined in a meal, except when the child is strong- and robust, and then use sweet fruits in moderation. See page 160. MENUS FOR School Children Having Lunch at School School children, unable to eat their noon-day meals at home, are handicapped. However, the best plan for them follows : 274 RIGHT FOOD — THE) RIGHT REMEDY Morning meal: Noon meal: Evening meal: A "starch" meal as given for meals" on pages 271, 272 and 273. morning A "fruit" meal of fresh and dried fruits and milk or buttermilk. No starchy foods. A "starch" meal as given for "evening meals" on pages 271, 272 and 273. If more convenient to carry sandwiches instead of fruit and milk for the noon meal, the daily meals should be arranged as follows: Morning meal: Noon meal: Evening meal: A "fruit" meal of fresh and dried fruits and milk or buttermilk. No starchy foods. Sandwiches, without fillings of meat, eggs or jellies, accompanied by a few stalks of celery, or a few leaves of lettuce, or cab- bage. (No fruit, cake or pastry). A "starch" meal as suggested for "evening" meals on pages 271, 272 and 273. MENUS FOR School Children The menus outlined in the two preceding chapters are the best for young persons. These menus give a starchy food at two daily meals, with one meal a "fruit" meal, comprising fruit and dairy products, and perhaps vege- tables, but no starchy food. These menus furnish suffi- cient building foods without the use of meat or eggs, which are undesirable in the diet of young persons. If meat or eggs must be used, which should not be often, SCHOOL CHILDREN 275 the menus must be changed from the two-starch-meals-a- day plan to one which allows the use of meat and eggs. In this case, one meal of the day should be a "fruit" meal, comprising fruits and dairy products, perhaps vege- tables, but no starchy food. Another meal of the day should be a "starch" meal. The meat or eggs being eaten at the evening meal, this meal will be the "meat" meal. The arrangement for the day is as follows : Morning meal: Noon meal: Evening meal: Substitute Food Lists A "starch" meal as given on page 271. If the noon meal becomes a "starch" meal, as when sandwiches are eaten, then only fruit and dairy products should be eaten for breakfast; no starchy food. If this meal is eaten at home, menus for "noon meals" on page 271, should be fol- lowed. If this meal is not eaten at home, the best plan is to eat only fresh and dried fruit and milk or buttermilk at this meal. If this is done; that is, if fruit and milk are eaten at noon, then the morning meal may be a "starch" meal as given for "morning meals" on page 271. However, if sand- wiches are carried for this noon-day lunch, then the breakfast should consist of fruit and milk or buttermilk; no starchy food. As follows: "Evening" Meals for School Children When Meat or Eggs Must Be Used. M N O P Nuts or eggs or meat ABCDEFGH Fruit or vegetable salad ABE Cooked non-starchy vegetables 276 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY Substitute Food Lists M N O P ABE A C D F G H M N O P A C D E F G H ABE Cheese or nuts or eggs or meat Cooked non-starchy vegetable Vegetable salad or cabbage slaw Fowl or eggs Fruit salad or grapefruit Cooked non-starchy vegetables M N O P A C D F G H ABE M N O P A C D E F G H ABE A B M N O P ABE A C D E F G H Nuts or eggs or meat Vegetable salad or cabbage slaw Cooked non-starchy vegetable Cottage cheese or milk or eggs or meat Vegetable salad Cooked non-starchy vegetable Vegetable soup (soups should rarely be given to children. See page 287) Cottage cheese Cooked non-starchy vegetable Tomatoes COOK BOOK VEGETABLES 277 VEGETABLES At sea level the boiling point is 212 degrees Fahrenheit, and boiling is indicated by a vigorous agitation of the water. Simmering heat is a moderate heat of about 180 degrees Fahrenheit. In this, bubbles form on the bottom of the vessel, rise upward and break without causing violent agitation. The succulent or non-starchy vegetables in Lists A and B are usually improperly cooked. A general discussion as to the preparation of vegetables will be found on page 71. Vegetables may be served with any of the following dressings. Persons with weak digestions should use dressings sparingly, as they are concentrated. Mayonnaise Sweet or sour cream Olive oil Butter Lemon juice may be used on the greens if attention is given to the proper combination of acid and starch. (See page 160). Flour or starch dressings, so-called cream dressings, are bad. No seasoning or dressings should be added until the cooking has been completed. Sweet corn on the cob should be put into cold water, and cooked five to seven minutes after boiling begins. Spinach is usually improperly cooked. Wash well and drain. Cook in a vessel containing only two or three 278 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY tablespoon fuls of water. Spinach will wilt and cook in its own juice in 15 to 20 minutes of slow cooking. It should be served with the juice, which may be strong to the palate unaccustomed to its real taste. Greens of all kinds should be cooked in the same way as spinach. More water, however, is generally needed. Asparagus is best and most palatable when cut into small pieces, boiled and served with or without dressing. Egg plant should not be fried. Cook it as other vege- tables. Cabbage has not been included in Lists A and B, be- cause it is best eaten raw in a salad or as a slaw. Cooked cabbage has a great tendency to ferment after it is eaten. Sauerkraut is not commendable, for the brine hardens the fiber, making it difficult to digest. Onions are best when baked. This also helps to keep the room free from their odor. Any two vegetables may be cooked together; none should be cooked with meat. fruits 279 FRUITS Most of the fruits can be and should be eaten un- cooked. Dehydrating fruits conserves all the natural elements without change. It is unnecessary to can them by cooking, which detracts from their food value. Fruits should be eaten for their natural taste and the vital ele- ments they contain, and not served as an excuse to eat commercial sugar used as a sweetener. It is neither necessary nor advisable to cook dried fruits, prunes, peaches, pears, raisins, etc. They should be put into a deep dish or fruit jar, and covered with hot water. Cover tightly. Allow to soak twelve to eighteen hours, when they will be as tender as though stewed. This method retains the full value of the fruit. Cook- ing produces a chemical change, making it necessary to add sugar. If the soaked fruit is not sweet enough, a small amount of honey, maple sugar, or dark brown sugar may be added. Dried fruit is more rapidly prepared by simmering. Cover with hot water and place it over a fire where the heat is not sufficient to boil the water. To bake apples, core and place in a deep pan with about one-fourth cup of water to each apple. If apples are sweet, add no sweetening. If sour or tart, add not more than one teaspoonful of honey, maple sugar or dark brown sugar for each apple. When baked, serve with their proportionate amount of juice. Grapefruit should be served with very little, if any, sweetening. Use honey, maple sugar or dark brown sugar. Never use white, commercial sugar. 280 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY SALADS The "orthodox" or conventional idea of a salad is a tablespoon ful of raw or cooked vegetable, two or three slices of tomato, or a half ripe banana, served on a lettuce leaf with some rich dressing, or vinegar. Salads are those raw vegetables and fruits found in Lists ABCDEFGH, which may be eaten separately or combined with one another. For variety, some foods not appearing in the above- named lists may be used under certain conditions, and are listed in the following paragraphs : (1) Dried sweet fruits may be used in nearly all fruit salads. They take the place of commercial sugar as a sweetener and frequently make it unnecessary to use salad dressings. The dried sweet fruits, being concentrated "fruit sugars," are heat and energy producers. If more dried sweet fruits were eaten, less cereal starch (bread), which most persons overeat, would be consumed. (2) Nuts are very hearty and nutritious, and their use in salads makes it possible to reduce the meat or meat substitute portions, as the nuts themselves are a meat substitute. To eat nuts without diminishing the amount of meat in the day's rations is wrong. (3) Bananas are hearty and nutritious, and should never be eaten as a part of a hearty meal. They alone should constitute a meal or be eaten only with other fruit or with dairy products. (See page 176). Raw vegetables and fruits supply the body with the vital food salts which cannot be supplied by other foods. SALADS 281 If the diet is to be beneficial these salads MUST be made of the proper material — raw vegetables and raw fruits. Salads should be simple. When complex, they are difficult to digest, and much of the good sought is lost. If temporary or permanent conditions make it impos- sible to obtain raw vegetable and fruit salads, eat the ingredients in their simplest forms — raw fruit, such as oranges, apples, peaches, pears, grapes, etc., after the meal. If the meal contains starch, acid fruits should not be eaten. Instead, several stalks of celery or leaves of cabbage will, in a way, take the place of the vegetable salad. There is no good reason why a salad, or its substitute, cannot be a part of every meal for which a salad is indi- cated. The so-called potato salad, a dish of messed-up boiled potatoes, is not recommended. Neither does the so- called "fish" salad or "meat" salad merit the name "salad." They should never be used. Allowing vegetables to stand in cold water an hour or so adds to their crispness. A food chopper simplifies salad making. Use it to grind up many of the vegetables in List A. Any raw vegetable or raw fruit may be eaten singly as a "salad" or may be used in combination with others in these lists. The following salads, which do not represent all the combinations possible, illustrate the simplicity with which salads can be made : Apples, oranges and raisins Apples, celery and dates Apples, cabbage and raisins Lettuce, oranges and raisins or dates 282 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY Cherries and pineapple, sweetened with honey Cantaloupe and berries Grapes, tomatoes and chopped figs or dates Apples, pears and nuts Peaches, one kind of berry, and nuts Apples, grapefruit and nuts Apples, oranges and nuts Pineapple, strawberries and nuts Peaches, raisins and pecans Lettuce, grapes and nuts Cabbage, celery and nuts Celery or lettuce, pineapple and nuts Apples, celery and nuts Cabbage, apples and nuts Strawberries, bananas and nuts Pears or peaches, sliced bananas and raisins Apples, pineapple and bananas Lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers Lettuce, tomatoes and onions Lettuce, celery and cabbage Lettuce, celery and canned tomatoes (fresh when in season) Lettuce, celery, apples and grapes Lettuce and cucumbers Lettuce and celery Lettuce and tomatoes Lettuce and grated carrots Cabbage and celery Cabbage, celery and watercress Cabbage, tomatoes and onions Cabbage, celery and sweet red or green peppers Cabbage and cooked beets salads 283 Cabbage, onions and lettuce Celery and tomatoes Endive and tomatoes Onions and tomatoes Onions, tomatoes and cucumbers Onions and sweet red or green peppers Onions, tomatoes and sweet peppers Watercress and onions Watercress and tomatoes or cucumbers Cold Slaw: Put a head of cabbage into cold water to make it crisp ; run through chopper or cut fine ; serve with dressing of sweet or sour cream mixed with lemon juice. Carrot Salad: Mix one cup grated carrots, two-thirds cup chopped celery, and four tablespoons tomatoes (or equivalent of fresh ripe tomatoes, if in season). Serve on lettuce leaves with dressing. Cabbage Slaw and Vegetables: Chop one head cabbage, to which add leaves of large head of lettuce, four tomatoes, large stalk of celery, and one small cucumber if in season ; serve with mayon- naise dressing, or one made of olive oil and lemon juice. A winter salad may be had by substituting sweet apples for tomatoes. Cabbage and Pepper Salad : Remove seeds from sweet peppers and stuff with chopped cabbage and celery, adding mayonnaise or French dressing. Ripe olives, which are rich in oil, are much better with salads than extracted oil. 284 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY SALAD DRESSINGS The less dressing used, the better. Raw green vege- tables are best eaten "straight/' Salad dressings vary according to individual taste. The dressings commonly used are too rich. Simple dressings are best. If they are rich, the benefit of the salad will be lost. Oils are concentrated foods, and difficult to digest. Vinegar should never be used, but should be sub- stituted by acid fruit juice, such as lemon (which is best), lime, orange, grapefruit or pineapple. With starchy foods, it is best to use salad dressings containing only a small amount of acid fruit juice. Use a vegetable salad instead of a fruit salad with starchy foods. The following suggestions are offered for salad dressings : (1) A good commercial salad dressing may be used, combining it with equal parts of whipped cream or top milk. (2) Mayonnaise dressing requires more labor to make than the effort is worth. The simplest formula is : Beat the yolk of a raw egg in a mixing bowl. Add one-half pint (8 ounces) of olive oil, drop by drop, stir- ring continually. Then add a few drops of lemon juice, then a few drops more oil, alternating until the desired amount of dressing is made. Lemon juice thins the dressing while the oil thickens it. The desired consist- ency is thus obtained. One yolk is sufficient for nearly one pint of dressing. SALAD DRESSINGS 285 (3) Onion juice or onion salt can be used in many salads. (4) Olive oil and lemon juice (French dressing) Oil Sour cream Sweet cream Cream and honey Honey Cucumber juice (5) Any acid fruit juice, such as lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit or pineapple, may be used alone as a dressing or may be combined with : Olive oil Peanut oil Cottonseed oil Honey Top milk Sour cream Sweet cream Use salt very sparingly at all times. 286 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY DAIRY PRODUCTS Clabbered Milk : Put fresh milk into an earthen dish (never metal), cover, but not air tight. Allow to stand undisturbed in a warm place until as thick as baked cus- tard. Chill and serve. Raw, unpasteurized milk must be used. Pasteurized milk will not clabber properly. Instead of souring, it decays. Cottage Cheese: Put clabbered milk into a muslin bag, hang in a cool place and let drain. Do not drain entirely dry, but leave some whey in the mass. Beat thoroughly with an egg beater, adding top milk. Finely chopped sweet peppers, onion, ripe olives or sliced tomatoes may be added if desired. After the milk clabbers, beat with- out delay, to prevent its becoming bitter. Real buttermilk is what remains of the milk after the butter has been removed by churning. It can be made at home by thoroughly beating clabbered milk with an egg beater. In digestive troubles, it is better to clabber and beat skim milk. Skim milk can be bought from the dairyman at a low price, then clabbered, and beaten. In this way any family can afford their own pure buttermilk. Custard: Beat one egg, add one cup milk, one tea- spoonful of honey, nutmeg, mix well and bake in oven. Junket: Cannot be commended if sugar is added. It is made by purchasing rennet tablets at the drug store, adding to sweet milk, and then putting aside where it will not be disturbed until coagulation occurs. soup 287 SOUP Soups should be avoided by those with a weak diges- tion. They cause gas. Hot soups are decidedly objectionable. (See page 48). They should be eaten only when moderately warm and made of vegetables rather than meat. Meat extracts and meat soups are more stimulating than nourishing in their effect upon the body. The largely advertised bouillon cubes contain little more than salt. They are practically devoid of nutri- ment and are too stimulating to be used often. Vegetable soups, when properly and freshly made, con- tain food value. Many vegetables left from a preceding meal, which otherwise would be wasted, can be utilized in soup. No better stock for soup can be obtained than the water in which potatoes have been boiled. Simply add onion, celery, or other vegetables, which must be thoroughly cooked before adding to the potato stock. This makes one of the best and most economical soups, it can be quickly prepared and is rich in vital food salts. Celery leaves should be saved and used for this soup. Flour or corn starch should never be used for thicken- ing soups. Soups made entirely of the legumes — dried beans, dried peas and lentils — cannot be commended, for they are very starchy and require more mastication than is ordinarily given them. Starches of all kinds require thorough in- salivation. Legumes may enter into a vegetable soup as explained on page 288. 288 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY Vegetable Soup : Take equal parts of three to five of the succulent or non-starchy vegetables (See List A), chop fine or run through food chopper. Cook until tender. Proper consistency of soup is made by adding boiling water, hot milk, or boiling water and hot milk. Do not boil the milk. Season with butter. A proportionate amount of potatoes may be ground with the other vege- tables to give body to the soup, though it is better to eat the soup without this addition of starch. Any left-over vegetables from a meal may be used in this soup. Milk should not be added if any of the legumes are used. Persons with slow digestions or digestive disorders should never use legumes in soups. Tomato soup will perhaps aggravate any digestive dis- turbance, or any condition arising therefrom, more quickly and surely than when tomatoes are eaten in any other way. None except those with normal digestions should eat it. The most wholesome way to make it is as follows : To one pint of strained, cooked tomatoes, which should be brought to a heat just below boiling point in a double boiler, add one-teaspoon ful of soda. To this, add two cups of hot top milk, salt and a little red pepper. Do not allow the milk to boil. Puree is made by mashing vegetables after cooking, and thinning to required consistency. Soup should never be eaten with other food, except a little toast and lettuce, celery, or a raw vegetable salad. Tomato soup should never be eaten with starchy food. meats 289 MEATS The digestibility and palatibility of meat depends much upon the method of cooking. Many of the varieties of meat are cooked similarly, hence general suggestions only are given. Meats should be seared (very quickly cooking the out- side of the meat) to coagulate or harden the outside, thus preventing the juices from cooking out. This may mean the sacrifice of the outside portion, but it is the secret of good broiling. Meats may be broiled over coals or in a manner known as pan-broiling. In pan-broiling, the meat should be at least one inch thick — the thicker the better. The broil- ing pan should be hot enough to turn the meat white when put into the pan. Instantly turn the meat over and repeat about four times. When cooking with gas, the flame should be extinguished or broiling pan removed long enough to cool the pan to a point where the meat will cook, but not sear. (If cooking on a range, move the pan to the back of the stove and forward again). Finish with enough heat to cook, but not harden the inside of the meat. Meat properly broiled, swells. When cut, the juice freely flows from it. If broiled improperly, the meat becomes hard and tough. If meat is broiled in a wire toaster over the coals, it is apt to become dry. Butter should be added when served. When pan-broiling pork steak, which is fat, pour off the grease. This prevents cooking the pork in the fat. Round steak is one of the cheapest of meats and should 290 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY be cooked by thoroughly searing in a very hot pan. Then add a small amount of cold water and allow to stew over a simmering heat until tender. Do not cook over intense heat, as this hardens the meat fiber and makes it tough. Large roasts of meat are the most palatable. Small roasts for family use may be prepared as "pot roasts" by searing the meat well in the skillet. Then put into a kettle with a small amount of cold water. Bring to a boil and finish cooking over a simmering heat. Too much water should not be used, but should any fluid remain after the cooking is completed, use it for soup or dressing for vegetables. Any meat may be satisfactorily cooked by a method known as "jacket roasting." Make a stiff batter of flour and water. Put a coating of this over the meat. Then around this wrap a paper, and then over this another coat- ing of batter. Roast in an oven a little longer than the regular time, on account of the jacket. When the meat is thoroughly cooked, split the jacket and lift out the meat. Meat thus roasted does not dry out. The more expensive cuts of meats are no more nutri- tious than those which cost less. Tough meats are diffi- cult to make tender by any method of cooking except in a steamer, pressure cooker or fireless cooker. Tough meat can also be run through a chopper, made into a "meat loaf," and baked. To bake, place the meat in a very hot oven for ten minutes, and complete at a moderate temperature. The high heat in the beginning hardens the outside of the meat and keeps the juice within the meat. Baking at too high a temperature causes the entire piece to become tough and more difficult of digestion. MEATS 291 A similar rule is to be observed in boiling meat to pre- vent it from becoming tough. Put the meat into boiling water and allow to boil violently for about ten minutes. Finish cooking at a simmering heat. Hamburger steak should be pan-broiled. Meat and vegetables should not be cooked together. A "stew" should be made by cooking each separately and combining them just before serving. In stewing meat, observe the same principle as in boil- ing, except that in stewing, the meat is not first boiled violently for ten minutes, but the entire cooking is done at a simmering heat. Meat broths can be made by grinding lean meat very fine. Put into cold water, and let simmer (same as for stewing) until cooked. Separate the broth from the meat by straining. If the cooking is done at too high a tem- perature the nutritive elements are solidified and pre- cipitated, leaving a liquid low in nutritive properties. Broths, properly prepared, are beneficial, but their value has been overestimated. A pound of lean meat makes a quart of fairly strong broth. Meat should ordinarily be seasoned at the table or just before removing from the heat, when a moderate amount of salt may be added. Sharp sauces on meat cause over-stimulation and overeating, and should be strictly avoided. Persons with normal appetites do not need them if the meat is properly cooked. 292 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY FISH Fish is most wholesome when baked. Wash, dry thor- oughly, place in tin on greased paper (to prevent sticking to pan), bake until tender, and serve with a dressing of lemon juice and a small amount of salt. If the fish is not fat, add butter to the dressing. Fish may also be baked in the "jacket." In broiling fish, proceed as with meat. Fish should be tightly clasped in a wire holder and held close to the fire until the surface is hardened. It should then be held far enough from the fire to cook, but not dry out. When properly broiled, the fish will be juicy yet thoroughly cooked. Dress with lemon juice and a small amount of salt. Fresh fish only should ever be eaten. Fish out of cold storage decays rapidly. Many cases of ptomaine poison- ing are due to eating fish that has begun to decay. Sggs 293 EGGS Eggs cooked at a boiling temperature are more difficult to digest than when "coddled." To coddle, place the eggs in boiling water, remove promptly from fire and let stand about ten minutes. Eggs that are very large or very cold require a longer time. If the eggs are desired hard, let them remain in the water twice as long. Never fry eggs. To scramble eggs, separate them from shell, put into a dish, thoroughly beat them, adding one teaspoonful of top milk for each tgg used. Put into a buttered pan, resting in another containing water near the boiling point. Stir the eggs until cooked to the desired consistency. Add a small amount of salt and serve. Eggs are very poisonous to many persons and extreme caution should be exercised when they are included in the diet — especially of those not in good health. The idea of "soft-boiled (or raw) eggs for the sick" is a source of danger, a snake in the grass. An absolute fast for the acutely sick is natural and more beneficial than even the smallest amount of food. When the patient is convalescing from an acute illness, it is best to omit eggs, giving the food suggested on page 33. Eggs should be eaten only when the patient is in a normal state of health. Eggs should be used with extreme caution by adults, and should never be used as food by children. 294 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY LEGUMES: BEANS— PEAS— LENTILS The legumes are difficult to digest, and the common method of cooking them makes that process still harder to perform. The legumes are very starchy, and make a very starchy soup. Hearty "bean soups" cannot be com- mended, for they receive too little insalivation. To boil legumes, soak them over night. Cook them the next morning in the same water in which they have been soaked, pouring no water away. Cook until tender. Do not season until served, when butter may be added to suit the taste. To bake beans, first cook as directed above, boiling the water off until the beans are fairly dry, transferring them to an earthen dish for baking. When they are thor- oughly baked, turn down the heat, adding a moderate quantity of finely cut pieces of bacon which have been cooked in a small amount of water. Let stand in the oven a few minutes before serving. Meat, fat, sugar or molasses, or even salt, must never be cooked with any of the legumes. Neither should tomatoes, vinegar or lemon juice (anything which is acid) be used with beans ; for, being starchy, they are subject to fermentation, which tends to increase, unless caution is used in their combinations, and discretion exercised as to the amount eaten. (See page 160). Legumes are not vegetables and should never be con- sidered as such. POTATOES 295 POTATOES Potatoes should be boiled or baked, and never cooked or fried in grease. If potatoes are peeled for boiling, the water remaining after cooking them should never be thrown away, but used in soups instead. 296 RIGHT FOOD — THE RIGHT REMEDY BREAD AND CEREALS Cook oatmeal, rice and other cereals in a double boiler, using about one part cereal to five or six parts water. Cook thoroughly, adding no seasoning until the cooking is completed, when a dressing of butter and a very small amount of salt, or a little salt and top milk may be used. Use dates, figs or raisins as sweetening, but only when digestion is excellent, with no fermentation. Never use commercial sugar. These foods require much more in- salivation than is usually given them. If there is a tendency to insalivate them insufficiently, eliminate them from the diet and substitute drier foods. A very nutritious and inexpensive dish is prepared by cooking whole wheat berries (unground grain) like oat- meal, serving with the same dressing. This is superior to, and costs much less than any other cereal "breakfast" food which may be prepared in the home. The wheat is best prepared by soaking the wheat berry a few hours, allowing it to simmer for three to four hours before serving. No recipes are here given for making whole meal breads or biscuits, as there are many good ways, each cook usually having a favorite one. In all cases, be certain that only the natural, whole grain product is used. Polished rice, white flour, the farinas, and many other similar products are not commended. SANDWICHES 297 SANDWICHES Whole grain, well-baked bread only should be used in sandwiches. Fillings for sandwiches are generally very concentrated, and, with the bread, give two concentrated foods together. Sandwiches with such concentrated fillings as nuts, eggs, chicken, should never be eaten by any except those with excellent digestions, and then only in great moderation. Lunches should be light, making the "meat," or night meal, the hearty meal. Chicken Sandwiches are made by slicing or mincing chicken, adding a small amount of salt or mayonnaise if desired. Egg Sandwiches are made by grinding hard coddled eggs, adding butter, a small amount of salt and olive oil, or mayonnaise. Lettuce may be cut up with the egg, or the leaves placed on each slice of the bread. Nut Sandwiches are made by grinding pecans or English walnuts, adding lettuce if desired. Mix well with a small amount of mayonnaise. Raisin-Cheese Sandwiches : Mix chopped seeded raisins with cottage cheese, and place with lettuce leaves between slices of bread. INDEX INDEX 301 Acidosis, animal foods cause cause and cure caused by bad combinations caused by hearty foods . evil results from most prevalent disease remedy for .... Alcoholic beverages Appetite, forms of time required to make normal Arctic explorers, diet of Artichokes Auto-intoxication .... 59, Page 132 58 156 143 62. 63. 64 105 65 49 45 69 65 186, 188 . 35 Babies 250 foods necessary for 132 milk for . .130 rules for care of 250 Baby feeding 254 general rules for 250 Bacon 116, 200 Bananas 76, 176, 280 Banquets, care necessary at 228 Bathing, rules for 11 Beans, dried (see Legumes) Beverages 48 Body, acid condition of 58 cells 54 Box lunches 235 Bran 245 Bread and cereals 104, 186, 296 " jam 74 " meat 74 Breakfast (see Morning Meal) foods 112, 191, 192 302 INDEX Page Bright's disease 15 Butter, dairy 116, 199 nut 92, 180, 181 Buttermilk 50, 135, 148, 178, 286 Cake .... . 202 Calory theory 3, 207 Cambric tea 50, 195 Camping, diet when . . 230 Cancer 48, 60 Candy 202, 266 Catarrh from using milk . . 134 what it indicates . 16, 128 Cause and effect, law of 9 Cells, body . 54 Cereals (see Starch) (see Grains) 104, 186, 191, kinds to use 108, 112 Cheese 93, 181 cottage . 148, Children cause of their sickness . 247 illness of, what to do . . 267 infant, rules for feeding 250, 254 rules for feeding . 250, 266 school . 269 menus for . . 271 their diet different than adults' . 150 weight not guide to health of . 61 Chocolate 49, 202 Christmas dinner . . 229 Cider . 205 Clams .... 92, 204 Clothing, proper . . 10 Cocoa .... 49 Coffee 49, 195 substitutes 50, 195 Colds, cause and cure 19, 154 INDEX 303 Page Combinations acid and starch 80, 82, 112, 160 for fruit meals 209 " lunches to be carried 236 " meat meals .223 " starch meal 216 fruit and starch 160 general rules for . 156 milk with other foods 133 simple rules for 161 Condiments ' 138 Confections 202 Constipation 50, 244 Cook Book 277 Cookies (see Desserts) Cooking (see Cook Book) "fancy" 70 purpose of . Corn bread Country people, diet of Cows, care necessary for Crabs Cream .... Cucumbers Curing, dietetic, dependent upon fundamental principles of is simple Custard 69 111 232 128 204 200 139 13, 16 9 13 195, 286 Dairy products (see Milk, Buttermilk, Cottage Cheese) . 286 Death from lack of food salts 61 " mental discord 22 natural, what it is 35 when it occurs 18, 24 Dehydrated foods used by explorers 66 Dehydration 83 Desserts 140, 195, 202 304 INDEX Page Devitalizing foods 68 Diabetes 14 Diagnosis, why difficult 20 Diarrhoea 244 Diet advanced age 150 benefit from 43 children's 25, 247 criticisms of 5 during pregnancy 248 errors without gastric pain 43 following pregnancy 249 how long for trial 4 how to begin 3 infants' 250 middle age 150 on dining cars 228 overweight 240 to obtain best results from 41 underweight 242 what it cures . 7, 13 when not home 227 when traveling 227 Dieting, what it is 33 Disease, a blessing 22 "catching" 22 early symptoms of 36 in. which there is wasting away 15 inherited tendency towards 8 predisposition to 13 what it indicates 8, 36. 134 what it is 7, 247 Disease, acute 17 danger signals 17 fasting for 24 of children 267 what causes 13, 17, 20, 134 what it warns of 17, 247 index 305 Page Dressings 277, 284 Drinking, rules for . . . 48, 50 water, temperature of . 48 Drinks, cold ..48 hot .48 Eating when away from home 227 hurriedly . . ... 44 to keep up strength 18, 19, 25 to save food .39 when traveling . . . . . ...... 227 without relish . .39 Eggs . . . . . . . . .94, 181, 293 Eggnog 94 Elimination, improper . . . . . . . . 55 why necessary . .17 Enemas during fast . .30 purpose of . . . . . . .... 18, 246 Environment, adverse .12 aid to health . 5 Farmer, diet for 232 Fast, how to break . . . . . . . .33 Fasting care during . . 30 different from starving .26 ill feelings during . . . . . . .27 necessity for .24 opposition to . .26 rules for . . . . . ... 24 what it cures . . ... . . . . 32 Fats . ... . .116 best obtained from . . . . . . . 144 Fermentation of food . . . . . . . 16, 24, 56 what causes it .41, 156 what it produces 16, 42 Fever 17 306 INDEX Page Fish 85, 91, 181, 201, 292 Fletcherism 44 Flour, kind to use 108 Food, acid forming 109 amount of each kind necessary 142 amount required 42 combinations 156 cranks 4, 227 devitalized 57, 143, 157 drunkards 106 how to select proper 143 to substitute 146 kinds necessary for nutrition 142 poisoning 54, 114 pre-digested 70 preparation of 68 raw vs. cooked 69 requirements 142 temperature of 44 Foods, classification of 52 cooling 152 heating 152 not to be eaten 157 number of kinds at a meal 158 Foods, Class One 53 amount necessary 142, 158 definition of 52 Foods, Class Two 52 amount necessary 144 definition of 52, 85 harm from excessive eating of 74 how to substitute 144 Foods, Class Three 52 amount necessary 143 definition of 52, 102 harm from excessive eating of 74 how to substitute 143 index 307 Food salts Page importance of . . . . .54, 114, 153 where found 59, 75, 79, 112 Fowl 85, 181 Fruit 279, 280 amount to eat 149 and starch • . . .80 canned . 80, 197 contains natural sugar 123 cooked 80, 197 cooking destroys quality of 79 dehydration of S3 dried acid and sub-acid 174 dried sweet 77, 175 kinds to use 77 fresh acid . . .171 fresh sub-acid 172 fresh sweet . 173 its function in body 79 juices 205 kind of to use . ,76 meal 211 necessity of 76, 147 salads 280 Game 85, 181 Gelatin 195 Grain „ 186 kind to use . . . . . . . . . 108 Gravies . . . 204 Greens . . 167 Griddle cakes . . 121 Gum chewing 47 Health, how to obtain . . . . . . . 243 Hearts, weak, and baths . . . . . . . 11 Hobby, get a . . . 23 Honey 125, 194 Hunger, importance of . . . . . . . .44 308 INDEX Page Ice cream 141, 196 harm from 154 Ices 197 Infantile paralysis 60 Inheritance, effect on life 7 Insalivation 44 Jams 198 Jellies 198 Kidney trouble, cause of 16 Laborers, their diet 237 " requirements 151 why handicapped 213 Law governing man 1 mental 1 moral 1 of compensation 1 " God 1 * life 1 physical 1 Laxative foods 244 Legumes 85, 96, 160, 183, 284, 297 Lentils 96 Life, law of 1 Lunches, bed-time 210 between meals 210 to carry 235 Mastication 44 benefit from proper 47 Meat 85, 89, 181, 289 amount necessary 85 general discussion of 85, 89 requirements small 145 substitute requirements small 145 substitutes 144 index 309 Page Melons . . .177 Metaphysics 22 Meals (see Menus) frequency of . 209 "hurry up" .46 when to eat 209 Mental attitude . . . . . . . .21, 26, 32 in sickness 18 right 21 discord . 12, 21 during fasting 26, 32 eating during 21 . inhibits digestion . .21 " elimination 21 produces toxins in body 21 Mental habits, bad, waste energy 23 Menus, best arrangement for 158 breakfast 146, 209, 211 for children 262, 271 infants 254 meat meal ....... 144, 223 morning meal 146, 209, 211 night meal 144, 223 noon meal 144, 216 starch meal 144, 216 how to know if proper 157 how to select foods for 144, 158 rules to govern 156, 207 when lunches are carried . . . . . 235 when not home 230 Milk. .......... 128, 178 canned ..... 133 certified 130 condensed 133 evaporated 133 general discussion of 128 great value of 128 310 INDEX Page Milk importance of in diet 148 necessity for insalivation of . . . 46, 50 skimmed 132 sterilized 130 substitutes 137 top 133 Morning meal, (see Menus) evils of hearty 209, 211 examples of bad 214 for children (see Children) " city workers 210, 214, 215 " laborers 210, 213, 214, 215 " sick persons 212 " well persons 212 rules for 209, 211 starch for 215 Natural death 36 foods 54, 68 sugar 123 Nature, laws of 1, 131 Nerve energy, how to obtain 9, 24 why necessary 8 Nervousness 38, 60 Night meal, (see Menus) rules for ......... 223 Non-starchy 53. 165 Noon meal, (see Menus) rules for 216 Nursing 249 Nuts 85. 100, 180, 181, 280 Oils 116, 199 nut 99 Olives 117, 139 Overdrinking 50 INDEX 311 Page Overeating, cause of sickness . ... . .39 causes of ....... 148, 156 how to prevent 39 importance of not 157 Overweight, diet for 240 potatoes and 115 Oxygen 75 Oysters 92, 181, 204 Pain, fasting to relieve 32 Pasteurization 129 fallacy of 130 Pastry (see Desserts) Peanut butter 98 oil 99 Peanuts 98 Peas, dried (see Legumes) 96 Pellagra 59 Perspiration, benefit of . .11 Physical bankruptcy . . 8 exercise ......... 10 laws ........... 1 Pickles 138 Pie 202 Poisoning, self 35 Potatoes 115, 186, 188 Pregnancy, diet during 248 diet following 249 Preserves 198 Protein 73 Ptomaine poisoning 120 Puddings 141 Putrefaction 120 Raw food 69 fruits (see Fruits) Red lanterns 8, 17 312 INDEX Page Reduction of weight 240 Rheumatism 81 cause and cure 15, 16 from meat eating 16 " starch and sugar eating . . . . . 16 multiple articular 15 not caused by acid fruit 81 Rhubarb 170 Rice Ill Rye bread Ill Salads (see Fruits) (see Vegetables) . . 161, 168, 171, 280 size of 149 vegetables for 168 Salmon 201 Salt 138 Sandwiches 235, 237, 297 School children 269 lunches 273 Scorbutus, cause and cure 58 Scurvy, cause and cure 58 Short cake . . .82 Sickness (see Disease) follows holidays 229 from sugar eating 122 of children, cause of 247, 250 severe, how to avoid 20 what to eat during .... 24, 25, 147, 148 Simmering 277 Skin, care of .10 Sociological workers, why they fail 239 Soda waters 49 harm from 154 Sodium chloride ......... 139 Soft drinks 49 Soup .287 necessity for insalivation of 46 INDEX 313 Page Spices 138 Starch 103 how much to eat 106 meal .216 " menus 216 poisoning . . . ' 104 what, to eat 143 Starch eating, evils of 104 why difficult to stop . . 106 Sugar . . . . . . * . . . . 118, 194 causes Bright's disease 121 commercial 199 dark brown 125 evils of using 118 maple 125, 194 natural, where found 123 responsible for overeating . . . . 121 what to substitute for . . . . . . 144 why difficult to stop using 121 why harmful . .118 Summer complaint 155 diet for . . . 151 Sunday dinner 229 Sunshine, benefit of 18 Syrup, commercial 118, 199 Tapioca 141 Tea, cambric 49, 195 teakettle 49, 195 Teething 256 Thinness 242 Thirst, abnormal 48 Tomatoes 160, 169, 170, 288 Top milk 133 Traveling, rules for eating when 227 Tuberculosis, relation of sugar and starch to . . .61 314 INDEX Page Underweight 242 Vacation, why necessary 23 eating during 230 Vegetables 71, 165, 277 amount to eat 149 combination of 165 how to cook 71 " to prepare 71 importance of 71 raw, for salads 168 Vegetarianism vs. meat eating 85 Ventilation 18 Vinegar 138, 204 Vitamins 56 Water treatments . Weather, influence of . Whole grain . Winter, sweet fruit during diseases, cause of Workers, manual, requirements sedentary, requirements 18 20, 150, 154 108 215 154 151 151 Yams 186, 188 INDDX 315 COOK BOOK Page Bananas 280 Boiling temperature . . 277 Bread . .296 Buttermilk 286 Cereals . 296 Cheese, cottage 286 Cooking foods together 278, 291 Custard 286 Dressings 277, 284, 292 Eggs 293 Fish 292 Fruits 279 Fruit salads 280 Junket 286 Legumes 287, 294 Meat 289 Milk, clabbered 286 Nuts 280 Potatoes 295 Salads 280 Sandwiches 297 Simmering 277 Soup 287 tomato 288 Sweetening for sour fruit 279 Tomato soup 288 Vegetables 277 dressing for . . . . . . . . . 277