A Better Way

The reason for these rules in regard to eating becomes very apparent when one has been properly educated in food fundamentals. The application, based upon principle, then becomes plain and the modern housewife, as the home dietitian, may wisely plan the food program for her family in such a way as to apply sensibly the principles upon which all of these fads are founded. She can thus avoid the necessity of having members of her family submit to any one of the above lines of dietetic treatment for the correction of conditions brought on by overeating, undereating, or improper eating of any sort.

An Antitoxic Diet

Briefly we will consider the principles underlying the application of the eight methods given above of overcoming nutritional ills.

1. Fasting: In conditions of auto-intoxication and overloaded digestive tract, excessive putrefaction in the large intestine and a body often supersaturated with nourishment, a fast for a more or less limited time undoubtedly would be indicated. It must be remembered, however, that except perhaps for a short time, the advantage of a complete fast, without the disadvantage, may be obtained by a modified fast such as a food supply limited to those things that will tend to decrease autointoxication, e. g. fruits and fruit juices. These may be taken alone or with a certain amount of green vegetables and perhaps lactic acid foods, as cottage cheese, buttermilk or yogurt.* An occasional meal missed; a day without food or with nothing but fruit will often be found a great advantage. "Abstemiousness in diet is rewarded by mental and moral vigor." - White.

2. Forced Feeding: Less can be said in favor of this plan. However, there are cases where the food supply has long been deficient when it may be found a decided advantage to insist upon the ingestion of food in amounts necessary to supply the excess of nourishment needed to build up a body long weakened and wasted from lack of food. This is to be done gradually and carefully with due regard for existing conditions and dietetic principles. This plan should always be carried out under competent supervision.

Serious Results

3. Low Protein: Those, who have long overeaten of protein food and are suffering the results of protein putrefaction in the intestine and incomplete protein metabolism, often do well for a time on much less than a normal supply of this nitrogenous food until the excess has been eliminated and the body calls for more to keep up actual repair. However, this must be done carefully as an exceedingly low protein diet continued for too long a time will result in weakness, lowered nerve tone, malnutrition and even, because of lowered resistance, in an increased susceptibility to such diseases as tuberculosis. In these cases the ingestion of protein is less than the outgo; the body is out of nitrogenous equilibrium (see footnote page 56), and the results will be serious unless the condition is soon corrected.

*In the dietetic treatment of diabetes, an initial period of fasting is often carried on under the careful supervision of the attending physician.

In Selected Cases

4. The Milk Diet: This diet is valuable in many cases. It permits of an excess of nourishment in an easily digested and assimilated form. Many will take the amount of food units that their body needs and the excess that, because of depleted conditions, they should have for a time in the form of milk better than in any other way. However, we believe that these cases should be carefully selected and that often the same, or even better, results may be obtained by a modified milk diet, or by a diet in which the same advantages may be derived without the absolute restriction. We know of no serious objection to the milk diet as a trial even though the same results might be obtained in another way. The plan is simple and needs not the thorough knowledge of foods necessary in planning a varied diet with the same results in view.

Often little permanent good results from this plan of feeding because the patient, upon going back to his usual dietetic program, returns to the same errors that led to trouble in the first place, so he has gained little in the way of lasting benefit if in addition to the milk diet he has not obtained a knowledge of the normal rational eating that makes for health.

5. The No-Breakfast Plan: This plan we consider a very good one because. First, many have eaten a hearty dinner the evening before, their digestive organs have had to work while they slept and are in no condition in the early morning to take up the work of digesting even a light breakfast. Second, the plan lessens the daily food intake and discourages overeating. Third, the digestive organs should have more rest between meals than they usually get; six to eight hours intervening, being the ideal. With no breakfast and an early lunch this would be accomplished.

It can readily be seen, however, that understanding the principle one may get the same advantageous results by leaving out supper or by eating carefully three times a day.

6. Raw Food Diet: The advantages of this are many:

(1) It ensures an ample supply of vitamines which lessens the amount of protein needed. (See Chapter IX (Vitamines)).

(2) It necessitates thorough mastication.

(3) It prevents rapid eating.

(4) It hinders excessive seasoning and the use of superheated fats.

(5) Many vegetables are more digestible raw than cooked.

These principles borne in mind will enable one to avail himself of all the advantages of the raw food diet without the restrictions. However, too much cannot be said in favor of the eating of vegetables and fruits raw; a certain amount of these taken daily being a decided advantage.

7. Combinations: This is by no means an unimportant subject, and the housewife wishing to feed her family for the best results in health and vigor should be informed as to the principles underlying this phase of dietetics. But here, as elsewhere, those who have only a few rules by which to be guided, without a knowledge of the reasons why, will often fail to accomplish the important results they seek. (See Chap. XVII).

Principles Not Rules

8. "Eat What You Want" For the poor neurasthenic, who has forgotten everything in life but the question of what he dare put into his stomach, this is perhaps the best of all. And it explains the often apparently marvelous results of various faith cures, so called. Too much attention to the digestive tract may be worse than none at all and some may well, for a time at least, "forget it".

Again the importance of intelligent application of principle cannot be too emphatically urged. Let us know our bodies and their needs; supply them wisely and in a masterly way and thus rise above the petty handicaps that hinder us in our endeavor to reach our ideals and to find success.

"There are more things in Heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dream't of in your philosophy." - Shakespeare.