ENCYCLOPEDIA OF
DIET

[iv]

Copyright, 1914

BY

EUGENE CHRISTIAN

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Published August, 1914

[v]

CONTENTS

Volume III

[593]

LESSON XII

Harmonious Combinations of Food and
Tables of Digestive Harmonies
and Disharmonies

CHEMICAL CHANGES PRODUCED BY COOKING

The application of heat to food is comparatively of recent origin in the evolution of mankind. The use of fire involves a certain amount of mental ingenuity, and could not be practised by man's anthropoid ancestors. Anthropoid animals, whether human or ape, have a great amount of curiosity for the unusual and the new.

Man probably began his cooking experiments by soaking hard foods in warm water, then in hot water, or by warming cold foods at his camp-fire. As heat[594] volatilizes the pleasant odorous substance present in many foods, the custom of heating them probably became popular. The habit of cooking spread, as many other novel and interesting customs have spread, from this primitive process to the French chef, regardless of whether the results were beneficial or harmful.

The question whether foods should be eaten cooked or uncooked can best be answered by examining the chemical and mechanical changes produced in the process of cooking, and their consequent physiological effects.

Cooking may be divided into two classes, namely, Moist Heat and Dry Heat. To illustrate:

Sugars are not chemically affected by boiling with water, while starch, cooked with boiling water, or steam, absorbs from three to five times its bulk of moisture, and changes into a soft, pasty, or semi-dissolved mass. Under dry heat, sugars[595] are converted into a brown substance, known as caramel, while starch cooked under a temperature of 300° to 400° of dry heat, is changed into a dextrin, of which toast and zwieback are examples.

Fats are not changed chemically by moist heat; that is, by being boiled in water, but the globules are melted and the hot fat spreads in a film over other material which may be present. In dry heat, fats are chemically decomposed, forming irritating vapors. The odors of frying fat are due to the presence of small quantities of these decomposition products. In larger quantities, and with greater heat, these substances are exceedingly irritating to the mucous membrane of the stomach and the intestines.

The chemical changes produced by heating proteids are of much more importance than are those which take place in other foods. Simple proteids, such[596] as albumin and globulin, are coagulated at a temperature of about 160°. This change is familiar in the coagulation of egg whites under low temperature. Other proteids undergo similar changes, governed by the degree and kind of heat (dry or moist), to which they are subjected. This change in proteid material continues with the application of prolonged heat, until the proteid, under dry heat, is converted into a dark brittle mass, wholly insoluble and indigestible.

If the student will take the white of an egg, and bake it for some time in an oven, he will observe the coagulation or hardening of the proteid. The chemical nature of this change is one of great complexity. The molecules combine with each other, forming almost indestructible substances. The combined or coagulated forms of proteid are represented in nature by horns, hoofs, finger nails, and hair.

[597]

STARCH DIGESTION—COOKED AND UNCOOKED

The student will remember the reference made in Lesson V to experiments concerning the digestibility of starch when taken in various forms. In these experiments, though conducted for the purpose of demonstrating the supposed advantage of excessive cooking, the results showed that at the time the contents of the stomach were removed, all the proteids of the uncooked grain had been digested, while the percentage of proteid digested from the various forms of cooked grain grew less as the cooking was increased. As the chief function of the gastric juice is the digestion of proteids, the real significance of the above experiments was exactly the opposite from that which was intended to be proved.

The statement is frequently made that the starch of grain cannot be digested[598] without cooking, because the cells enclosing the starch grains have indigestible or insoluble cellulose walls. The old theory is that cooking expands the starch and ruptures or tears down these walls, freeing the contents so that the digestive juices may act upon the enclosed starch granules. This is a theory unsupported by facts. The cell walls on the interior of the grain kernel are very filmy, and in the mature grain scarcely exist at all. The analysis of wheat flour shows only a trace of cellulose fiber. Were these cellulose walls within the wheat grain, as this theory commonly teaches, flour would show a liberal quantity of cellulose. The cellulose wall theory, as a necessity for cooking starch, is an excellent illustration of the ease with which a groundless statement or theory may be used to prove or to explain some popular prejudice.

In the process of cooking, the tendency is to render the organic salts contained in[599] food entirely inorganic. This change from organic to inorganic salts is measured by the temperature to which the foods are subjected. Many of these salts are combined with the nitrogenous constituents of food, therefore when subjected to certain degrees of heat they are of little value in the construction of the proteid molecules within the body. This is especially true of fresh or green vegetables.

EXCUSES FOR COOKING OUR FOOD

Inasmuch as the majority of people favor cooking, probably forgetting that about half of the food consumed in the world at the present time is taken in its natural or uncooked state, it may be well to mention some of the views advanced by those who believe that the present diet of cooked grain is better for modern man than an elementary diet, and who[600] attempt to give a natural explanation. One theory is that man has subsisted so long upon cooked foods that his organs have become fitted for a cooked diet, and a cooked diet only. Another view sometimes advanced is, that while cooked foods were originally detrimental, yet by continued use man has become fitted for such a diet and unfitted for a natural diet. These are but other forms of the old belief in the inheritance of acquired characteristics. This belief, however, is steadily losing ground among evolutionists. There is no more reason to believe that a modified function of the stomach would be inherited, than there is to believe that small feet would be inherited among the Chinese women just because these organs are mutilated by local custom.

The best light of scientific knowledge now leads us to believe that the healthy child of today is, in its capacity for nutrition, essentially like the primitive child,[601] and would thrive best upon a varied diet of natural foods.

EXPERIMENT UPON ANIMALS

While I do not claim that the methods of animal feeding apply accurately to man, yet the digestive and the assimilative processes of animals are so closely related to the human processes, that the results obtained in animal nutrition are very instructive to the student of human food science.

About thirty years ago, when the scientific study of agriculture first became prevalent, an experiment was made in cooked food for animals, upon an extensive basis. At that time it was the universal belief that man owed much of his superiority over other animals to the use of cooked food. This argument was put forth with great force and appeared quite reasonable. It was asked whether animals other than man would be[602] benefited by changing to a cooked bill of fare.

During this agitation numerous western farmers put their hogs, chickens, cows, horses, and sheep upon a cooked bill of fare, and many enthusiastic feeders claimed beneficial results. Later the various Governmental Experimental Stations took up the subject and made many careful, complete, and comparative tests of the effects of cooked and uncooked food for animals. The result did not show the expected thing. The cooking experiments in the majority of cases proved injurious, and the general decision of the Government investigators was that cooking food for animals was useless and detrimental to the great live stock industry. Stock food cookery has now become entirely obsolete.

Man is the only animal that cooks his food, and has made great progress in civilization while subsisting on a cooked[603] diet, but cooking is no more the cause of his advancement than silk hats and swallow-tailed coats. He has advanced only according to the degree that he has thought, studied, and experimented. Cooking has undoubtedly enabled man to utilize many things as food, that he could not and would not have used otherwise, but whether this has aided or retarded in his material progress is yet an unsolved question.

FOOD COMBINATIONS

The following tables are designed to convey, in the most condensed and simplified form, the results of my investigations in regard to food combinations.

It is somewhat difficult to give in any one table exact information concerning food combinations under the varying conditions of the body and its ever-changing requirements. The best that[604] can be done is to lay out such groups as are fundamentally harmonious from a chemical point of view.

The particular condition of the patient often reveals certain special requirements which must be dealt with according to the symptoms given off by the body. Many of these combinations, when taken under certain conditions, may appear disagreeable, but this can be overcome by leveling the proportions and limiting the quantity. Quantity is of very great importance for the reason that the most perfect selections of food can be made and blended into perfect chemical harmony, and still disagree with the normal stomach if a quantity is taken in excess of physical demands.

The use of these tables will serve to bring to the student's attention the advantage to be gained from a health-giving and curative point of view, as well as from simplicity in diet.

[605]

In considering the chemical harmony of foods, the student should keep in mind the time required for digestion, which involves not only the question of combining foods at the same meal, but also the taking, within a few hours after eating, of other articles that may produce chemical inharmony. For example: Milk, cereals, and sweet fruits are in chemical harmony, but a lemonade introduced into the stomach an hour or two later would produce inharmony, and be almost as harmful as if it had been taken with the meal.

There are many injurious combinations which the student will learn to omit from a sense of taste and instinct, and while our instincts have in many cases ceased to guide us aright, they will rapidly return and assume command if given a fair opportunity.

The perfect meal can be made from three or four articles, and the entire menu[606] can be changed three times a day, but to take eight, ten, or a dozen things at the same meal, puts the quantity, as well as every article composing the meal, into jeopardy.

After one has eaten a sufficient quantity of food, and the taste has signalled "ENOUGH," something sweet or pungent is introduced. This puts into activity another set of taste buds which will accept a given quantity of another food. However, the stomach has already given off one signal of "enough," hence every pennyweight taken in excess of that amount is that much more than should be eaten.

In order to simplify the making of harmonious combinations, I have grouped the foods whose use I recommend in nine different divisions. A further subdivision of vegetables and fruits might have been made, but this would have increased the number of groups, making them more complicated and less practical.

[607]

HOW TO INTERPRET THE TABLES

In order to ascertain the articles with which any special food will combine, the student should turn to the table headed with the desired article of that group. If foods from three groups are to be considered, the student will look for two of them in the first vertical column on the left-hand side of the page, and will then follow across to the vertical column for the third article.

Figure (1) means especially beneficial
Figure (2) means good combinations
Figure (3) means somewhat undesirable
Figure (4) means particularly harmful

(a) "Fats with" figure (1), under the heading Grains, first table, page 609, means that the combination of "fats with grains" would be "especially beneficial."

(b) "Fats and eggs with" figure (2), under the heading Milk, page 609, means that "fats and eggs with milk" make a good combination.

[608]

(c) "Fats and milk with" figure (3), page 609, under column headed Nuts, means a "somewhat undesirable" combination.

(d) "Fats and acid fruits with" figure (4), under heading Milk, page 609, means that this combination would be "particularly harmful," etc.

It is impractical to print ready reference tables showing the harmony of more than three articles, but the student can judge this sufficiently well for himself by comparing the respective harmonies of the several foods of the group.

[609]

TABLES OF DIGESTIVE HARMONIES AND DISHARMONIES

Fats

(Such as Butter, Salad Oils, Cream, etc.)

[610]

TABLES OF DIGESTIVE HARMONIES AND DISHARMONIES

Eggs

[611]

TABLES OF DIGESTIVE HARMONIES AND DISHARMONIES

Milk

(Including skimmed and clabbered milk, buttermilk and fresh cheese)

[612]

TABLES OF DIGESTIVE HARMONIES AND DISHARMONIES

Nuts

(All common nuts except chestnuts and peanuts)

[613]

TABLES OF DIGESTIVE HARMONIES AND DISHARMONIES

Grains

(All cereal and starchy products)

[614]

TABLES OF DIGESTIVE HARMONIES AND DISHARMONIES

Vegetables

(Leafy or succulent vegetables as lettuce, spinach).
Fresh peas, carrots, parsnips, etc.—Potatoes being starchy, not included.

[615]

TABLES OF DIGESTIVE HARMONIES AND DISHARMONIES

Acid Fruits

(All acid and subacid fruits as listed in Lesson VIII)

[616]

TABLES OF DIGESTIVE HARMONIES AND DISHARMONIES

Sweet Fruits

(All non-acid fruits as listed in Lesson VIII)

[617]

TABLES OF DIGESTIVE HARMONIES AND DISHARMONIES

Sugars

(Cane and maple-sugars, sirup, and honey)

Lesson XIII

CLASSIFICATION OF FOODS
AND
FOOD TABLES

[621]

LESSON XIII

Simple Classification of Foods

While there is a dominating substance in all foods, yet they usually contain many compounds which render them, from a chemical standpoint, very difficult to classify accurately. For example, the principal nutrients in wheat are carbohydrates (starch and sugar), yet wheat contains mineral salts, fat, and protein, the latter being a compound consisting of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur. Wheat would, therefore, be placed in the carbohydrate class, but it would overlap into several other classes. What is true of wheat, is true of nearly all other articles of food. Furthermore, foods do not chemically reproduce themselves when taken into the body, but in the process of metabolism they are converted[622] either into other elements or into other compounds. From this it will be understood that the articles listed under the following headings are classified according to the nutritive substance which predominates in them, and are given for the purpose of guiding the practitioner in the selection of such foods as will supply the various chemical constituents of the body.

Foods which contain two or more substances in generous proportions may appear under two or more of the following headings, as in the case of peanuts. This humble article of food contains 19 per cent carbohydrates, 20 per cent protein, and 29 per cent fat, hence it is listed under the three headings—carbohydrates, proteids, and fats.

The tables comprise the best selections of food available in all countries and at all seasons of the year. They contain everything the body needs under the varying conditions of age, climate, and[623] activity, except, perhaps, in some parts of the frigid zone.

In compiling these tables I have selected only such articles of food as experience has proved most useful.

[624]

SIMPLE CLASSIFICATION OF FOODS BASED ON PRINCIPAL NUTRITIVE SUBSTANCES

[625]

PURPOSES WHICH THE DIFFERENT CLASSES OF FOOD SERVE IN THE HUMAN BODY

While all the articles of food in the four above-named classifications contain other elements than the one under which heading they appear, yet the body uses or appropriates them for the following purposes:

PURPOSE OF CARBOHYDRATES

The carbohydrate substance in food is used by the body chiefly for the purpose of keeping up body-weight; that is, for the purpose of supplying the various fluids which fill the cell-structure. If one is suffering from emaciation, the carbohydrate element in food should predominate. While some of the more soluble proteids, especially milk and eggs, will give a rapid gain in weight, the weight will not be permanent unless sufficient carbohydrates are taken to supply the[626] blood with all the required elements of nutrition, or, in other words, to level or to balance the body requirements.

PURPOSE OF FATS

Fats are used by the animal body primarily for the purpose of producing heat. Food is burned or oxidized in the blood, undergoing very much the same action as does the combustion of coal in a grate. The heat thus generated is delegated to the blood, and the blood, by its circulation, distributes this heat throughout the body. The carbon dioxid or waste matter formed during the circulation, is carried to the lungs, where it reunites with the oxygen which we breathe, and thereby again passes back into the atmosphere.

PURPOSE OF PROTEIDS

Proteid is a compound containing chiefly nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon.[627] Its purpose is to form the muscular and the tissue structure of the body. To use a homely illustration, proteid may be compared to the material which makes the honeycomb, while the carbohydrate substance may be compared to the honey; that is, to the fluids which fill the cells.

Those performing heavy or active muscular labor should eat liberally of the proteid class of foods.

Under normal conditions, natural hunger will call for the quantity of proteid needed. The tendency, however, should be toward the minimum; that is, one should take the lowest quantity of proteid that the body requires to keep up the cell-structure. (See Lesson VI, p. 216.) Modern investigations have shown that, in many cases of extreme athletic tests, a low proteid diet has given the greatest endurance. This is accounted for by the fact that nearly all carbohydrates, especially of the grain family, contain from 8 to 12 per cent of[628] proteids, which is quite sufficient, in many instances, to supply the body with all the tissue-building material necessary.

Inasmuch as the several nutritive elements found in a single article of food are better proportioned by Nature, than man can usually proportion them, the relation of one substance to another will be better divided if the entire meal be made to consist of only one kind of food, and both digestion and assimilation will therefore be more perfect. Under these conditions the blood will be laden with very little waste matter, which is the thing that reduces our powers of endurance. Therefore, when it is possible to secure the carbohydrate, the proteid, and the fatty substances from a single article of food which will give to the body greater strength and endurance than when we secure these substances from several sources, we should confine our menus to single articles of well-proportioned food. This thought, carried to its logical[629] end, leads one more and more, as experience progresses, toward the mono-diet system.

PURPOSE OF MINERAL SALTS

Mineral salts serve two distinct purposes in the body:

1 They assist in building up the cartilage and the body-structure

2 They assist in the digestion, and in the dissolution of other foods, especially of the carbohydrate group, and more especially of the grain family

Grains are very difficult to subdivide into their constituent elements; that is, to reduce to a solution so fine that assimilation will be perfect. A liberal use of the foods containing mineral salts aids very materially in this process of solution.

[630]

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DIGESTIBILITY AND ASSIMILABILITY

The true interpretation of the word "digestion" is the preparation of food by the action of:

1 The saliva

2 The gastric juice

3 The bile, and

4 The pancreatic juice

When food is properly prepared by mastication by the time it reaches the pancreas, it should be thoroughly split up or subdivided, in which state it is ready for assimilation.

The true interpretation of the word "assimilation" is the absorption of all food substances through the walls of the intestinal tract, and the final passing of them into the circulation.

It is nothing unusual, however, for a person to become afflicted with predigestion,[631] and, at the same time, with poor or faulty assimilation; in other words, digestion being too rapid, and assimilation being too slow. This condition frequently occurs in cases of superacidity. On account of the excess of acid, the food digests or passes from the stomach prematurely; that is, before it has been dissolved by the action of the hydrochloric acid. The food, thus super-charged with acid, passes from the stomach into the lower intestines, and sets up a condition of irritation. This irritation or swelling of the mucous surface (lining) of the intestines, closes the small canals, or winking valves, as they are sometimes called, thus seriously interfering with the passing of the dissolved food matter into the circulation.

The following table is designed to show the comparative assimilability of the leading articles of food, together with their starch, sugar, and water content:

[632]

TABLE SHOWING COMPARATIVE ASSIMILABILITY AND CARBOHYDRATE AND WATER CONTENT OF CEREALS, LEGUMES, AND VEGETABLES

[633]

* While all the vegetables mentioned in the above table belong to the carbohydrate class, yet the starch element contained in them is very much more assimilable than the starch contained in grains or legumes, therefore these vegetables may be eaten freely by those having rheumatic or gouty tendencies.

The starch and the sugar content in fresh vegetables appears low owing to the fact that they contain a large percentage of water. Eliminating the water, these foods rank in their starch and sugar content with cereals and legumes, and are much more easily digested and assimilated. In other words, if the chemist should reduce the water content to the same per cent as that of cereals, the carbohydrate content would rise in the same ratio as the water content is reduced. Both the starch and the sugar content of these vegetables is more digestible, and more readily assimilated than the starch and the sugar found in cereals and legumes.

[634]

PURPOSE OF THE VIENO TABLE

The student should remember that not only the quantity but the quality of food must be considered. The vieno system of food measurement, as herein explained, is the simplest system of food measurement that has ever been published. It is amply complete, and accurate enough for the purpose for which it is intended, and that is the calculation of the energy and the available nitrogen contained in natural dietaries.

This measurement is really a quantitative measurement; that is, it measures the quantity, not the quality. In order to have a full knowledge of a bill of fare, it is necessary to know, in addition to the quantity, the exact chemical nature of each particular food, and also to know the other foods with which that food will combine.

This food table tells accurately the amount of energy that may be derived[635] from food by chemical analysis, but it does not tell the amount of energy that the body must expend in the work of assimilation. This cannot be given in a table, because it varies with the individual and the condition of his digestive organs.

[639]

LESSON XIV

VIENO SYSTEM OF FOOD MEASUREMENT

The amount of nutrition contained in a given quantity of food is often a determining factor in curative dietetics.

The two most important things to be considered in prescribing foods are:

1 The amount of energy contained in a given quantity

2 The amount of available nitrogen or tissue-building material in a given quantity

ENERGY

Energy is the power to do work. That form of energy with which we are most familiar is mechanical energy, as raising a stone or turning a wheel.

[640]

Heat is another form of energy. Heat and work can be converted into each other. The steam-engine turns heat into work, while a "hot box" on a car-wheel is a case of work being turned back into heat.

Experience shows that a definite amount of heat will yield a definite amount of work, so that the amount of heat produced by a given amount of food, when combined with oxygen, is taken as a measure of its energy. This is ordinarily expressed in calories, a calorie being the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one thousand grams of water one degree on the centigrade thermometer scale.

The use of these terms need not concern the student. Instead of using the calorie I will use a unit which is equal to one hundred calories. I have selected a unit of this size because it gives about the ordinary service of food at meals which is easily measured and remembered.

[641]

NITROGEN

Nitrogen is the chemical element that is most concerned with the function of life. All animal tissue contains nitrogen, which forms about one-sixth part, by weight, of all the nitrogenous or protein substances.

If we were to take a hundred pounds of lean meat, or muscle, and evaporate from it all the water, we would have about eighteen pounds of dry material left. If we should analyze this dry substance, we would find that about one-sixth, or three pounds, would be the element nitrogen. Thus we say that muscle contains eighteen per cent of protein, or three per cent of nitrogen. In ordinary practise the protein is mixed with fats and salts, and cannot be measured by simply drying out the water, so the chemist finds the amount of nitrogen present and multiplies by 6.25, which gives[642] about the correct per cent of protein. This method is not exact because the per cent of nitrogen in various proteids is not always the same, but it will give an intelligent average. I will discard the use of the term protein, and refer to the amount of nitrogen directly.

All compounds of the element nitrogen are not available as food. For example: The nitrogen of the air, of ammonia gas, or gunpowder cannot be utilized in the animal body. The nitrogen in foods only refers to available nitrogen. Compounds containing other forms of nitrogen are not foods, but are frequently poisons.

SYSTEMS OF FOOD MEASUREMENTS COMPARED

THE "OLD" SYSTEM

Under the old system of food measurement, feeding the human body cannot be made a practical science for the masses, therefore a new system becomes necessary.[643] That we may more fully appreciate the value of a new system, let us consider the methods hitherto available.

Suppose a man is using two quarts of milk a day, and wishes to determine the amount of available nitrogen or tissue-building material and energy it contains. Under the old system he must get a book on food analysis, or send to Washington for a Government bulletin. If he does not understand the meaning of the terms and figures used, the tables would be useless to him until he goes to a chemist to have them explained. He is now ready to work out the nutritive value of his milk, and proceeds as follows:

First, he gets the number of cu cm in the milk, thus—952.8 (number cu cm in 1 quart) x 2 = 1905.6, number of cu cm in 2 quarts of milk. Second, he gets the weight of his milk in grams—1.032 (number grams in 1 cu cm of milk) x 1905.6 = 1966.57, number of grams in 2 quarts of milk.

[644]

He now turns to a table of analysis which tells him that milk contains 3 per cent of protein, 3½ per cent of fat, and 4½ per cent of sugar. As the amount of nitrogen in milk is approximately one-sixth of its entire protein, he would now get 16 per cent of the 3 per cent (.16 x .03 = .0048), which is the percentage of nitrogen contained in milk.

His next step would be—1966.57 (number grams in 2 quarts of milk) x .0048 = 9.44, the number of grams of nitrogen in 2 quarts of milk.

I will not explain the way in which the energy would have to be figured, but will merely give the arithmetical processes by which the result is obtained:

3  ×  4.1  =  12.3
3.5  ×  9.3  =  32.55
4.5  ×  4.1  =  18.45
12.3  +  32.55 + 18.45 =  63.30
1966.57  ×  63.30 = 124483.88
124483.88  ÷  100 =  1244, the No. of calories or energy (heat units) contained in two quarts of milk.

[645]

THE NEW OR "VIENO" SYSTEM

To a unit of food-energy which is equal to one hundred calories (see last paragraph on "Energy"), I have given the name of Vieno, derived from "vital" and "energy," and pronounced vi-eń-o. The Vieno system, therefore, will measure all foods by vi-en-os, or units of energy equal to one hundred of the chemist's calories. One vieno of milk is one-sixth of a quart, or two-thirds of an ordinary glass. From this it is readily seen that two quarts of milk will give twelve vienos of energy, or, if we wish to express it in the chemist's term, twelve hundred calories.

The table also states that milk has a nitrogen factor of .8. Therefore, if we wish to know the amount of nitrogen in the two quarts of milk, all we need do is to multiply the number of vienos by the nitrogen factor; 12 x .8 = 9.6, which figure[646] represents the nitrogen consumption expressed in grams. (See explanation of fourth column of table.) These results are practically the same as those obtained by the old system of computation, but expressed in simpler terms. Thus we see that the vieno system of computing food values is unique in its simplicity, and will be a very material aid in putting Food Science on a practical basis.

NECESSITY FOR A SIMPLE SYSTEM

Things are commonly measured by volume, or by weight. That volume could not be made sufficiently accurate in the measurement of food values is evident. A bushel of lettuce leaves would contain much less food value than a bushel of wheat. Weight would seem to be a fairer way to compare foods, but all foods contain[647] water, which may vary from five to ninety-five per cent. A pound of turnips, which is nine-tenths water, would not be comparable with sugar, which has scarcely any water.

Even if it were not for the water, weight would not be a fair method of comparison because some foods are of more value per pound than others, owing to their difference in chemical composition. For instance, a pound of butter gives about two and one-fourth times as much heat to the body as sugar.

As before mentioned, the two chief food factors which we ought to measure are energy-producing and tissue-building power.

All true foods when assimilated in the body produce some energy. In fact, only such substances as produce bodily energy, when combined with the oxygen taken in through the lungs, can be correctly termed food.

[648]

I have taken this energy-producing power of food as the best basis for measurement and comparison. The nitrogen could have been taken as a unit, and the energy figured by a table, but it is simpler to use energy as a unit (as given in column 3, p. 655), and figure the nitrogen in the various foods by means of a table which gives the amount of nitrogen per unit of energy. (Column 4, p. 655.)

Multiplication of units of energy (column 3) by the nitrogen factor (column 4) is necessary because the ratio of nitrogen to energy is different in each food.

EXPLANATION OF TABLE

In the table that follows, I have attempted to give in the simplest way the amount of each particular food that one vieno equals.

The second column shows, in the plainest language possible, what one vieno of[649] food equals—as, one vieno of barley equals one ounce; or, one vieno of nuts equals one rounded tablespoonful, etc. This method is, of course, only approximate, as in some foods it is impossible to find a simple term to express the amount of one vieno. This is especially true of cooked foods because of the varied amounts of water contained. In such cases the way for the student to become familiar with a vieno is to weigh one pound of the raw material, and, after it is cooked, weigh it again, and then calculate the water content.

The definition given in the second column in the case of milk, butter, eggs, and cheese is fairly accurate. The description given in the case of cereals and bread is also fairly accurate. In the list of fresh vegetables, no attempt has been made to describe one vieno by volume, as, vegetables being loose and bulky, it is practical to measure them only by weight.

[650]

In the case of fresh fruits, one vieno has been defined as "one large orange" or "six plums," etc. In such cases allowance for the non-edible portion has been made; all weights given in the table consider only the edible portion.

In the case of nuts, the definition of a vieno in so many spoonfuls is fairly accurate. This is done only as an illustration, and not continued throughout the table. The student should use only the second column of the table for rough work, and to help him figure the approximate amount of one vieno.

The third column of the table, which gives the number of vienos or the amount of heat-energy in one pound, is the column to which the student should refer in his work. A pound of food referred to in this column invariably means one pound of the edible portion.

The way for the student to calculate the amount of food in one vieno is to take[651] a pound of the food that he is to use and divide it equally into as many portions as the number in the third column. For example: If one pound of wheat is given as equal to sixteen vienos, the student should weigh a pound of wheat and divide it into sixteen portions, and each of these portions will equal one vieno.

The fourth column of the table gives the approximate nitrogen factor; that is, the percentage of nitrogen by weight in one vieno. This column is to be used for computing the amount of nitrogen in the diet under all ordinary circumstances. The student should take the total number of vienos of each food and multiply this number by the nitrogen factor. The product will be the approximate amount of the nitrogen consumed, expressed in grams. This is the direct method of ascertaining the amount of available nitrogen in food.

[652]

If in reading other works, the student finds the amount of nitrogen given in decigrams, he needs only to divide by ten in order to reduce it to this system, as a decigram is one-tenth of a gram. Likewise, protein can be reduced to grams, or decigrams, by a simple process of multiplication and division, as follows: Sixty grams of protein contains practically ten grams (one hundred decigrams) of nitrogen. Divide the amount of protein by six to change protein to the nitrogen unit. That is (Protein ÷ 6) = amount of nitrogen in grams.

The old-fashioned food table gave the amount of protein in per cent by weight, making it necessary to weigh the food, figure the amount of protein by multiplying the weight by the per cent, and then reducing this according to the rule given above. I explain this so that the student may be able to compare results expressed in the old table, with the vieno method,[653] but in all practical work the student should use only this direct method which is much more simple and accurate.

The fifth column of the table gives the weight of one vieno in grams. This adds no new information, but only gives the weight of one vieno in the metric system. It should be used by those who wish to be accurate in their work, or by those who take a scientific interest in their dietary.

The last column of the table gives the actual amount of nitrogen in one vieno of food expressed in grams. This is the accurate figure from which the approximate nitrogen factor for ordinary use has been derived. For example: The actual amount of nitrogen in one vieno of chestnuts is .396. If this number is multiplied by the number of vienos of chestnuts eaten, we would have the actual number of grams of nitrogen consumed. Suppose ten vienos of chestnuts are eaten; we would multiply .396 by ten,[654] which would give us 3.96 grams of nitrogen. For ordinary purposes, I use the nearest decimal, which is .4, and which I give in the fourth column as the nitrogen factor. Those who wish to figure the nitrogen with scientific accuracy should use the figures given in the last column of the table, as in the example I have given.

The Vieno system of food measurement is new, and is intended to give to the practitioner and to the housewife the greatest aid in balancing or proportioning the diet. I have therefore included in the following tables, all classes of foods, many of which I do not recommend or use in my scientific work.

[655]

TABLE OF FOOD MEASUREMENTS

DIRECT METHOD OF CALCULATING AVAILABLE NITROGEN IN FOOD

Multiplying the number of vienos (column 3) by the nitrogen factor (column 4) will give the amount of available nitrogen in the various foods, expressed in grams

[656]

TABLE OF FOOD MEASUREMENTS—(Continued)

[658]

[660]

[662]

[664]

HANDY TABLE

The weight of such foods as meat, fruit, etc., is so nearly equal to that of water that the weight may be calculated from the size, if that is known.

Milk is slightly heavier than water, while oils or fats are lighter.

[665]

Lesson XV

CURATIVE
AND
REMEDIAL MENUS
CONCLUDED

[667]

LESSON XV

Curative and Remedial Menus

INTRODUCTION

Scientific eating consists in selecting the food the body requires according to age, occupation, and climate. These requirements can be supplied with a very few articles. The necessary changes in diet can always be made by varying the proportions. It is possible to select, for each of the four seasons of the year, three or four articles that will contain all the elements of nourishment the body needs, therefore true food science leads one inevitably toward the mono-diet plan; that is, making a meal of only one kind of food. Owing to our inherent desire[668] to sit at the "groaning table" we may yet be a long distance from the mono-diet plan, but the science of human nutrition points with unerring certainty toward simplicity. It should be remembered, however, that one may eat, under nearly all conditions except extreme superacidity all he desires of one or two things—one preferred.

In the light of modern medicine, no food has any specific curative property. Foods become curative only as they remove abnormal conditions, and they will remove abnormal conditions just to the extent that they can be perfectly digested and assimilated, and to the extent that waste matter is thoroughly eliminated from the body. In this way all possible resistance is removed, and Nature will build up the dis-eased and broken-down tissue in obedience to the law of animal evolution. This constructive process we call "curing."

[669]

While the menus for each season of the year may seem to vary but little, especially when compared with the conventional omnivorous diet, yet experience has proved that the fewer the articles composing the meal, the better will be the results.

COOKING

SOME IMPORTANT FACTS REVEALED BY MODERN SCIENCE

The object of cooking is to tear down the cell-structure of foods, and to make them more digestible. After the cell-structure is demolished, every degree of heat to which foods are subjected injures the foods instead of improving them.

GRAINS

Grains should be cooked whole. They should be cleansed, well covered with[670] water, and boiled until the grains burst open as in making old-fashioned corn hominy. This will often take from three to four hours' constant boiling.

Cereals prepared in this way are more delicious, more nourishing, and far more healthful than any of the prepared or patented "breakfast foods," while the cost is perhaps about one-eighth or one-tenth of that of the popular patented products.

VEGETABLES

The old or popular method of cooking vegetables is to cover them generously with water and to boil them much longer than is necessary, then to drain off the water, season, and serve. By this process the mineral salts, in many cases the most valuable part of the food, are dissolved, passed into the water, and lost. In this way many excellent articles of food are greatly impoverished and reduced perhaps 50 per cent in nutritive value.

[671]

The time vegetables are cooked should be measured by their solidity. As an example, spinach can be thoroughly cooked in about fifteen minutes. In this way some of its elements are volatilized, giving it a delicious flavor and taste, while if cooked in an abundance of water, from half to three-quarters of an hour, which is the customary way, its best nutritive elements are lost by draining away the water, and it is rendered almost tasteless.

COOKING EN CASSEROLE

All succulent and watery vegetables such as cabbage and spinach, beans, carrots, onions, parsnips, peas, squash, turnips, etc., should be cooked in a casserole dish.

Prepare vegetables in the usual manner as for boiling. A few tablespoonfuls of water may be added to such articles as green beans and peas, beets, carrots, cauliflower, onions, parsnips, etc. Cover,[672] and place in an ordinary baking oven until the vegetable is thoroughly cooked or softened. In this way vegetables in reality are cooked in their own juices, rendered much softer, more digestible, more delicious, and all their mineral salts and other nutritive elements are preserved, making them also more nutritious.

RICE AND MACARONI

Rice, macaroni, and spaghetti are exceptions to the above rules. They should be cooked in an abundance of water and thoroughly drained. In this way the excess of starch which they contain is disposed of, and their nutritive elements are better balanced. They are also rendered much more palatable and digestible.

FRUITS

If fruits can be obtained thoroughly ripe, they should never be cooked.

[673]

Dried or evaporated fruits can be prepared for the table by soaking them thoroughly in plain water for a few hours, or over night. In this way the green and inferior pieces are exposed and can be discarded. The excess of water can be boiled down to a sirup and poured over the fruit. In this way the fruit-sugar is developed, and sweetening with cane-sugar becomes unnecessary.

Soaking as above described is merely a process of putting back into the fruit the water that was taken out of it by evaporation or dehydration.

It is evident that that part of the fruit which will not soften sufficiently by soaking, to become palatable, was not ripe enough for food.

CANNED FOODS

The average table, especially hotels and restaurants, are supplied largely from canned foods. A process of perfect[674] preservation of foods has never been invented and probably never will be. No matter how well foods may taste, they undergo constant chemical changes from the time they leave the ground or parent stalk until they are thoroughly decomposed. All vegetables, therefore, should be used fresh, if possible.

BUTTERMILK

An excellent quality of buttermilk may be made as follows: Allow sweet milk to stand (well covered) in a warm room until it thickens or coagulates; whip with an ordinary rotary egg beater without removing the cream.

HOME-MADE BUTTER

Sweet butter may be made in a few minutes from ordinary cream by placing it in a deep bowl and whipping with a rotary egg beater.

[675]

SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING THE SELECTION
AND THE PREPARATION OF CERTAIN
ARTICLES MENTIONED IN
THE MENUS

THE BANANA

The banana is a vegetable. It is one of our most valuable foods, as well as the most prolific. It will produce more food per acre, with less care and labor, than any other plant that grows.

While the banana grows only in the tropical countries, it is equally as good and useful to people of the northern zones.

Bananas that are transported to the North are cut green, and often immature; that is, before they have attained their full growth. This latter variety should never be used. In their green and unripened state, they are wholly unfit for food, and for these reasons there has arisen a broadcast prejudice against this most excellent article of diet.

[676]

HOW TO SELECT AND RIPEN BANANAS

Care should be exercised to select the largest variety—only those that have attained their full growth on the parent tree. If bananas cannot be procured "dead ripe" from the dealer, they should be purchased, if possible, by the bunch, or a few of the lower "hands" can be purchased and left on the stalk. They should be kept in the open air (that is, uncovered), in an even, warm temperature, and the end of the stalk covered with a clean white cloth, or immersed in water, kept fresh by changing daily. In this way the banana will mature, ripen slowly, and be almost as delicious as if obtained ripe from its native tree.

Bananas should not be eaten until they are "dead ripe"—black spotted. In this state, the carbohydrates which they contain are as readily digestible as fresh milk.

[677]

BAKED BANANAS

Peel large ripe bananas; bake in an open pan in a very hot oven from ten to fifteen minutes, or until slightly brown.

Baked bananas make a delicious dessert served with either of the following:

a Cream

b Nut Butter

c Dairy Butter

d Both dairy butter and a sauce made by
gradually diluting nut butter with a
little water, until a smooth paste is
formed

Bananas need much mastication, not for the purpose of reduction, but for the purpose of insalivation.

RECIPES

RECIPE FOR CODDLED EGG

Place an egg in a pint cup; cover with boiling water and allow to stand, covered, five or six minutes.

[678]

RECIPE FOR UNCOOKED EGGS

Break the number desired into a narrow bowl; add a teaspoonful of sugar to each egg, and a pinch of salt; whip very briskly with a rotary egg beater from five to eight minutes.

To each egg a teaspoonful of lemon juice and half a glass of milk may then be slowly whipped into the mixture, if desired.

RECIPE FOR BAKED OMELET

Whip two eggs very thoroughly for about five minutes; add a dash of salt, a dessert-spoonful each of corn-starch and of heavy cream. Bake very lightly in a small pan.

FISH AND FOWL
SELECTION AND PREPARATION

If we must eat the flesh of animals the young should be selected. It contains[679] more digestible protein, especially albumin, than the old or matured animal, and has had less time in which to become contaminated by unhygienic habits. Both fish and fowl should be baked, boiled, or broiled; never fried.

RECIPE FOR PREPARING GREEN PEAS IN THE POD

After thoroughly cleansing the desired amount of fresh tender peas, unshelled, put them into a covered pot or casserole dish; add a few spoonfuls of water, a little butter and salt, and cook slowly until thoroughly softened; serve in the pod.

The peas may be eaten by placing the pod between the teeth, and then giving it a gentle pull. This strips off the outer coating or pulp, leaving only the thin film of cellulose.

NOTE: The pea pulp, or substance upon the pod, is rich in mineral salts,[680] highly nutritious, slightly laxative, and an excellent aid in the digestion of other foods. It is a better balanced and a more valuable food than the pea.

PUMPKIN

Pumpkin may be made very delicious by stewing or boiling in just enough water to prevent burning. Mash well and put through a colander. Season and serve same as squash, or, prepare as directed, and bake until slightly brown.

VEGETABLE JUICE

Chop fine and boil carrots, peas, asparagus, or any other fresh vegetable from eight to ten minutes in sufficient water to make the amount of juice required; strain and serve.

The tender parts of the fresh vegetable may be thoroughly cooked, put through a colander, and served as a purée.

[681]

HOW TO MAKE SASSAFRAS TEA

Crush the bark of the red sassafras root, allowing a piece as large as a silver dime to each cup. Add the quantity of water desired; simmer from five to ten minutes. Drink with cream and sugar.

WHEAT BRAN

Wheat bran is the outer coating of the wheat grain. Chemically, it is pure cellulose, which is insoluble and indigestible in the ordinary digestive solvents of the body.

Wheat bran serves a valuable medicinal purpose in the stomach and in the alimentary tract. When introduced into the stomach, its cell structure fills with water, and it increases from four to eight times its size in its dry state. It excites both stomach and intestinal peristalsis, thereby preventing stomach indigestion,[682] and by carrying the water along down the intestinal tract, it prevents intestinal congestion, or what is commonly called constipation. Wheat bran may be properly called an intestinal broom or cleansing agent.

Man, in the process of preparing his food, has invented expensive and complicated machinery for removing all cellulose and roughness from his diet. He has suffered both stomach and intestinal congestion just to the extent that this refining process has been carried on. Bran puts back into the diet not only what modern milling methods have taken out of it, but that which civilized habits of refining have eliminated from our food. It therefore naturalizes the diet, promotes digestion, cleanses the mucous surfaces of both the stomach and the intestines, and prevents congestion in the ascending colon, which is the primary cause of appendicitis, so called.

[683]

BRAN MEAL

Bran meal is the product of the entire wheat, ground coarsely, and mixed with a certain per cent of wheat bran. It makes an excellent bread.

Bread made from bran meal acts on the digestive and the alimentary organs, the same as the pure bran, only in a milder capacity. It also aids the stomach in the digestion of other foods. It is more nourishing than wheat flour, for the reason that it is better balanced, containing all the carbohydrate and the proteid elements of the grain.

Bread made from bran meal is better in the form of gems baked in small gem rings.

This meal requires neither baking powder nor soda, and should not be sifted.

CHOICE OF MENUS

Wherever two menus are given, choice may be exercised, but whichever menu[684] is chosen, it should be taken in its entirety. In other words, do not select articles from one menu and combine them with articles mentioned in another menu. Neither should any article of food be eaten with a particular menu, other than that which is mentioned therein. By observing these suggestions, the proper combinations of food are observed, which is equally as important as the selections.

NOTE: In this volume there are some menus which contain combinations of food classed as No. 3 in Lesson XII, "Tables of Digestive Harmonies and Disharmonies," pp. 609 to 617 inclusive. This is explained by the fact that said "tables" are laid out for the normal person, while the menus were prescribed for the treatment of some special disorder, or for the purpose of removing some offending causes.

[685]

NORMAL MENUS

The following menus are intended for those possessing normal digestion and assimilation of food; that is, for those having no digestive disorders.

INTRODUCTION TO NORMAL MENUS

While a majority of the menus composing this volume were prescribed for the purpose of removing the causes of some specific disorder, a vast number of those treated remained under the care of the author long after they had become normal or cured, as the transition from dis-ease to health is usually termed.

Another large number of comparatively healthy persons, recognizing the relation between diet and health, came under the care of the writer for the purpose of having their diet selected, proportioned, and balanced according to age, occupation, and the season of the year.

[686]

The excellent results that were obtained, in nearly all such cases, emphasized the importance of giving a set of normal menus for normal people. All the following menus have been tested, under the direction of the author, and have been chosen because they gave the desired results.

[687]

SPRING MENU
FOR THE NORMAL CHILD

From 2 to 5 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• A few soaked prunes, with cream
• A small portion of coarse cereal, thoroughly cooked
• From one to two glasses of milk

LUNCHEON

• A baked potato
• Onions or carrots, well cooked
• Milk

DINNER

• Home-made vegetable soup or cream soup
• Green peas or asparagus tips
• A baked potato
• Milk

[688]

SUMMER MENU
FOR THE NORMAL CHILD

From 2 to 5 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• One very ripe peach
• A small portion of coarse cereal
• A baked sweet potato
• Milk

LUNCHEON

• Cream of rice, bean, or pea soup—home-made
• Whole wheat crackers, with butter
• Milk

DINNER

• A baked potato
• Peas or lima beans
• Whole wheat crackers or bran biscuits
• Milk

[689]

FALL MENU
FOR THE NORMAL CHILD

From 2 to 5 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• Cantaloup or a very ripe peach
• Coarse cereal
• Milk

LUNCHEON

• A baked potato or whole wheat gem
• A coddled egg (See recipe, p. 677)
• Milk or junket

DINNER

• Cream soup—home-made
• Mashed turnips or carrots
• A very ripe banana, with cream and sugar

[690]

WINTER MENU
FOR THE NORMAL CHILD

From 2 to 5 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• A baked apple, with a little sugar
• Cereal—small portion
• Milk

LUNCHEON

• One or two bananas
• Milk

DINNER

• Corn hominy—small portion; thoroughly cooked
• Milk

[691]

The articles of food for children ranging from two to five years of age are about the same. The proportions, however, should be administered according to age.

The child from two to three years of age may be given a glass of milk between meals, but should eat a very light dinner, consisting of only two or three articles, while the child from three to five, especially after it has engaged in vigorous play, can, with safety, follow the menus herein prescribed.

[692]

SPRING MENU
FOR THE NORMAL YOUTH

From 5 to 10 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• A banana, with cream
• Milk or an egg
• Corn hominy

LUNCHEON

• A potato, or whole wheat bread, with butter
• Clabbered milk or cottage cheese

DINNER

• Peas, turnips, or carrots
• A potato—sweet or white
• Milk or an egg

[693]

SUMMER MENU
FOR THE NORMAL YOUTH

From 5 to 10 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• A peach
• Milk or an egg
• Boiled rice, with either honey or sugar and
• cream

LUNCHEON

• Tender corn or a potato
• Milk

DINNER

• Vegetable soup or cream soup
• Asparagus or string beans
• Tender corn or a potato
• Gelatin or Junket
• Milk

[694]

FALL MENU
FOR THE NORMAL YOUTH

From 5 to 10 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• Prunes or grapes
• Cereal—a small portion
• Cream
• Milk

LUNCHEON

• Boiled onions
• Rice or potatoes
• Milk

DINNER

• One fresh vegetable
• Milk, fish, or an egg
• Potatoes or baked beans

[695]

WINTER MENU
FOR THE NORMAL YOUTH

From 5 to 10 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• Cereal
• Honey
• Milk

LUNCHEON

• Cabbage or cauliflower
• Potatoes or baked beans

DINNER

• Boiled onions
• Corn bread
• Cottage cheese

[696]

SPRING MENU
FOR THE NORMAL YOUTH

From 10 to 15 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• Dried peaches—stewed
• Oatmeal, or corn hominy, with either cream or butter
• Milk

LUNCHEON

• Rice with rich milk

DINNER

• Potatoes, either sweet or white
• Turnips, asparagus, or peas
• Fish, junket, or an egg

[697]

SUMMER MENU
FOR THE NORMAL YOUTH

From 10 to 15 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• Cantaloup
• A banana or a sweet potato
• Corn cake with butter
• Milk

LUNCHEON

• Tender corn
• Milk

DINNER

• Vegetable soup or cream soup
• Spinach, onions, carrots, peas, beans, asparagus—any two of these
• A potato or whole wheat bread

[698]

FALL MENU
FOR THE NORMAL YOUTH

From 10 to 15 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• A banana, with cream and nuts
• Honey or maple-sirup
• Corn cake
• Milk

LUNCHEON

• Baked sweet potatoes, with butter
• Milk

DINNER

• Carrots, parsnips, or squash
• Potatoes, or corn bread, with butter
• Milk
• Nuts, raisins, and cream cheese

[699]

WINTER MENU
FOR THE NORMAL YOUTH

From 10 to 15 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• Oatmeal or flaked wheat, thoroughly cooked; serve with thin cream
• A baked banana
• Milk

LUNCHEON

• One or two eggs
• Whole wheat bread
• Milk

DINNER

• One or two fresh vegetables
• Boiled rice or baked potatoes
• Gelatin or junket
• Milk

[700]

SPRING MENU
FOR THE NORMAL PERSON

From 15 to 20 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• A very ripe banana with cream and dates
• Plain boiled wheat, or oatmeal, with cream
• Milk

LUNCHEON

• Home-baked beans
• Whole wheat gems
• Milk

DINNER

• Cream or vegetable soup
• Asparagus or peas
• Rice or a baked potato
• Egg custard or ice-cream
• Milk or cocoa

[701]

SUMMER MENU
FOR THE NORMAL PERSON

From 15 to 20 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• Melon or peaches
• One or two eggs with whole wheat gems
• Milk

LUNCHEON

• Fresh peas, beans, or carrots
• Corn or potatoes
• Milk—sweet or sour

DINNER

• Boiled onions, beets, or squash
• Potatoes or lima beans
• Lettuce and tomato salad with nuts
• Bran meal gems

[702]

FALL MENU
FOR THE NORMAL PERSON

From 15 to 20 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• Cantaloup
• Corn cake with maple-sirup, or rice cake with honey
• Milk

LUNCHEON

• Broiled fish
• Baked potatoes

DINNER

• Cantaloup
• Turnips, carrots, spinach, peas, beans, or onions—any two of these
• Corn bread or baked potatoes
• Milk or cocoa

[703]

WINTER MENU
FOR THE NORMAL PERSON

From 15 to 20 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• Soaked prunes
• Rice, or corn hominy, with cream
• Very ripe banana with nuts and cream

LUNCHEON

• Whole wheat bread with nut butter and nuts
• Rich milk

DINNER

• Soup
• Winter squash or stewed pumpkin
• Sweet potatoes
• Celery and nuts

[704]

SPRING MENU
FOR THE NORMAL PERSON

From 20 to 33 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• Cherries or very sweet berries with sugar—no cream
• Cereal with butter
• One or two eggs
• Whole wheat muffins
• Milk or cocoa

LUNCHEON

• Peas in the pod
• Baked potatoes or whole wheat gems
• Buttermilk

DINNER

• Soup
• Asparagus or fresh peas
• Potatoes
• A green salad—optional
• Bran meal gems

[705]

SUMMER MENU
FOR THE NORMAL PERSON

From 20 to 33 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• Cantaloup or peaches
• Coddled eggs
• Whole wheat or corn muffins
• Cocoa or milk

LUNCHEON

• Boiled corn
• Lettuce and tomato salad, with nuts and raisins

DINNER

• A light soup
• One or two fresh vegetables
• Rice or tender corn
• Ice-cream or gelatin

[706]

FALL MENU
FOR THE NORMAL PERSON

From 20 to 33 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• Choice of non-acid fruit
• Two baked bananas with cream
• Whole wheat, boiled
• Nuts
• Milk or cocoa

LUNCHEON

• Home-baked beans
• Lettuce, or celery, with nuts
• Cottage cheese with whole wheat bread

DINNER

• Soup—optional
• Sweet or white potato
• String or lima beans
• Lettuce, or romaine, with nuts
• Whole wheat or bran meal gems

[707]

WINTER MENU
FOR THE NORMAL PERSON

From 20 to 33 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• A very ripe banana with dates, nuts, and cream
• Oatmeal or corn hominy—choice; small portion
• Milk or cocoa

LUNCHEON

• A poached egg or a baked potato
• A glass of buttermilk

DINNER

• Tender fish, broiled
• Baked potatoes
• Lettuce, or celery, with nuts and raisins

[708]

SPRING MENU
FOR THE NORMAL PERSON

From 33 to 50 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• Boiled whole wheat, or hominy, or corn bread
• Two eggs or a bowl of clabbered milk

LUNCHEON

• One whipped egg and a pint of milk
• A whole wheat cracker or a baked potato

DINNER

• Cream soup
• Asparagus, peas, turnips, or carrots
• Potatoes or baked beans

[709]

SUMMER MENU
FOR THE NORMAL PERSON

From 33 to 50 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• Berries, peaches, or melon
• A baked sweet potato
• A banana (very ripe) with nuts, cream, and raisins
• Milk or cocoa

LUNCHEON

• Tender corn on the cob, with butter
• A glass of milk—optional

DINNER

• Fresh peas, beans, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, beets—any two of these
• Green corn or a potato
• Lettuce and tomato salad, with nuts
• Orange ice or peach ice

[710]

FALL MENU
FOR THE NORMAL PERSON

From 33 to 50 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• Two large, very ripe bananas, baked; serve with cream
• Whole wheat or graham gems
• One egg or a glass of milk

LUNCHEON

• A large, baked potato and a poached egg
• Cocoa or chocolate

DINNER

• Soup—cream of celery or tomato
• Turnips and lima beans
• Bran meal gems or a baked potato
• Cocoa or chocolate

[711]

WINTER MENU
FOR THE NORMAL PERSON

From 33 to 50 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• Two eggs, coddled
• Whole wheat muffins
• A cup of chocolate or a cup of hot water with sugar and cream

LUNCHEON

• Home-baked beans
• Lettuce or celery
• A few nuts

DINNER

• Carrots, parsnips, or cabbage
• A baked potato
• Broiled fish or a nut omelet
• Cocoa, chocolate, or sassafras tea

Note: Sassafras tea is made from the bark of red sassafras. (See p. 681.)

[712]

SPRING MENU
FOR THE NORMAL PERSON

From 50 to 65 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• A cup of hot water with milk or sugar
• A coddled egg and a baked potato

LUNCHEON

• Junket or a bowl of clabbered milk
• One or two baked bananas

DINNER

• Peas or asparagus
• New potatoes or bran meal gems
• A cup of cocoa or a cup of hot water with cream

[713]

SUMMER MENU
FOR THE NORMAL PERSON

From 50 to 65 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• Peaches, plums, or melon
• Coarse cereal with cream
• Cocoa or hot water with cream

LUNCHEON

• A sweet potato with butter
• Cheese with water-cracker
• Milk or chocolate

DINNER

• Peas, beans, or carrots
• Lettuce or spinach
• Green corn or a potato
• Cottage cheese with cream and a water-cracker

[714]

FALL MENU
FOR THE NORMAL PERSON

From 50 to 65 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• A bunch of grapes or a melon
• Bran meal gems or plain boiled wheat
• Cocoa or hot water with cream

LUNCHEON

• Very ripe bananas with cream
• Dates and nuts
• A glass of milk

DINNER

• Lima beans and creamed onions
• A baked potato
• Whole wheat or bran meal gems

[715]

WINTER MENU
FOR THE NORMAL PERSON

From 50 to 65 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• Soaked prunes
• Baked chestnuts
• Clabbered milk or junket

LUNCHEON

• A bowl of milk with boiled rice

DINNER

• Baked onions and winter squash
• Baked beans
• A cup of cocoa
• One or two whole wheat crackers and cottage cheese

[716]

SPRING MENU
FOR THE NORMAL PERSON

From 65 to 80 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• Two or three very ripe bananas, baked; serve with cream
• Nuts, raisins, and either cream or cottage cheese
• Cocoa or hot water

LUNCHEON

• A bowl of sour milk
• Rye bread or bran meal gems

DINNER

• Cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, or squash
• A potato
• Cheese or an egg

Note: If there is a tendency toward rheumatism, gout, or lumbago, eggs should be omitted.

[717]

SUMMER MENU
FOR THE NORMAL PERSON

From 65 to 80 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• Peaches, pears, grapes, or melon
• A baked sweet potato or potato cakes
• Sassafras tea with cream
• (See recipe, p. 681)

LUNCHEON

• String beans or new peas
• Rye bread
• Cottage cheese

DINNER

• Carrots, squash, beets, or onions
• Lima beans or a potato
• Buttermilk
• Bran meal gems

[718]

FALL MENU
FOR THE NORMAL PERSON

From 65 to 80 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• Melon, persimmons, or a baked apple
• Boiled chestnuts or rice with cream
• A cup of chocolate or a cup of hot water

LUNCHEON

• A bowl of milk with corn bread

DINNER

• Boiled onions, carrots, or stewed pumpkin
• A potato—sweet or white
• A baked banana with cream cheese
• A cup of cocoa or chocolate

[719]

WINTER MENU
FOR THE NORMAL PERSON

From 65 to 80 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• Soaked prunes
• Boiled wheat—small portion
• Cream, hot water, or chocolate

LUNCHEON

• A Spanish onion cooked en casserole
• A baked potato
• Buttermilk

DINNER

• Stewed pumpkin or winter squash
• A sweet potato
• Broiled fish—small portion
• Cocoa

[720]

SPRING MENU
FOR THE NORMAL PERSON

From 85 to 100 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• Two baked bananas, with cream
• Two egg whites, whipped into a glass of milk

LUNCHEON

• New peas in the pod (See recipe p. 679)
• A glass of sour milk

DINNER

• Bean soup
• Baked sweet or white potatoes
• Cottage cheese with cream and sugar

[721]

SUMMER MENU
FOR THE NORMAL PERSON

From 85 to 100 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• Cantaloup
• A bowl of clabbered milk
• Bran meal gems

LUNCHEON

• Purée of rice with milk

DINNER

• A baked or boiled sweet potato
• Purée of peas
• Egg custard or gelatin

[722]

FALL MENU
FOR THE NORMAL PERSON

From 85 to 100 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• Wheat flakes, thoroughly cooked; serve with cream
• Warm milk

LUNCHEON

• A coddled egg with a baked potato
• A cup of chocolate

DINNER

• Cream of celery soup
• Bran meal gems
• A potato
• Cocoa or sassafras tea (See recipe, p. 681)

[723]

WINTER MENU
FOR THE NORMAL PERSON

From 85 to 100 Years of Age

BREAKFAST

• Two very ripe bananas, baked, eaten with nut butter and cream
• Sassafras tea or a cup of chocolate

LUNCHEON

• Cream of potato soup
• Whole wheat crackers

DINNER

• Purée of peas or beans
• A potato—sweet or white
• Chocolate or hot milk

[724]

CURATIVE MENUS

INTRODUCTION TO CURATIVE MENUS

Scientific investigation leads one inevitably to the conclusion that a vast number of so-called dis-eases are caused by errors in eating; that is, by wrong selections, wrong combinations and wrong proportions of food. (See chart, Vol. I, p. 9, showing the number of dis-eases caused by superacidity.) This chart will give the reader some idea of the number of disorders that may originate from one source or from one fundamental cause.

While superacidity is a true dis-ease, and may cause all the disorders shown on this chart, yet behind superacidity there is a parent cause, namely, wrong eating. In the light of these facts, it is obvious that a department of curative and remedial menus should constitute an important feature of this work.

[725]

For each patient who came under the care of the author (over 23,000 in all), there was prescribed an average of six menus, covering a period of six weeks. Each patient was required to keep an accurate record of his or her diet, and the symptoms that developed after each meal. This record was either brought to the author in person, or sent to him through the mails.

From this vast amount of data and clinical experience, the writer was enabled to select all the menus composing this volume, from those that had proved successful in the various disorders treated. This volume, therefore, is composed of only such menus as gave the desired results. It represents the refined experience of twenty years' active practise in Scientific Feeding.

[726]

MENUS FOR SUPERACIDITY

SPRING MENU

ABNORMAL APPETITE
SUPERACIDITY

Abnormal appetite is caused by the surplus acid which is left in the stomach after digestion has taken place. This surplus acid causes irritation of the mucous membrane of both the stomach and the pylorus. The supersecretion of acid, in turn, is caused by overeating, by taking foods in combination which are chemically inharmonious, by sedative and intoxicating beverages, by tobacco, and by all stimulating drugs. The logical remedy, therefore, is to omit the use of these things, and to regulate the diet according to age, occupation, and chemistry, and to drink copiously of water both at meals and between meals.

[727]

BREAKFAST

• Plain or flaked wheat, boiled very thoroughly; serve with butter, cream, and nuts
• A baked or broiled banana

LUNCHEON

• Purée of pea soup, made from the pod
• Baked potatoes
• One egg, boiled two minutes, or lightly shirred

DINNER

• Spinach or dandelion, cooked
• Boiled onions, peas, asparagus—any two of these
• A very small portion of tender fish (optional)
• A baked potato
• Gelatin or junket

Note: For all cases of superacidity, see "Importance of Water-drinking," Vol. II, p. 434.

[728]

SUMMER MENU

ABNORMAL APPETITE
SUPERACIDITY

BREAKFAST

• A melon or extremely ripe peaches; melon preferred
• Two or three eggs, whipped; flavor with sugar and fruit-juice, and add half a glass of milk to each egg

LUNCHEON

• A liberal portion of tender corn, with butter
• Half a glass of milk

DINNER

• A green salad with grated nuts
• Any two fresh vegetables
• A very small portion of fish
• A small, baked potato
• Cantaloup

Drink one or two glasses of water at each meal.

[729]

FALL MENU

ABNORMAL APPETITE
SUPERACIDITY

BREAKFAST

• Cantaloup, or very ripe tomatoes with a sprinkle of sugar and a spoonful of cream
• A morsel of smoked fish
• A baked potato or a bran meal gem

LUNCHEON

• A green salad
• Turnips, Brussels sprouts, onions, green corn, lima beans—any two of these
• A wheat muffin or a slice of corn bread

DINNER

• Slaw or celery
• Any vegetable from the luncheon selection
• Baked beans or a baked potato
• Junket or gelatin

The noon meal should be omitted if the breakfast is late.

[730]

WINTER MENU

ABNORMAL APPETITE
SUPERACIDITY

BREAKFAST

• Three egg whites and one yolk whipped, eaten with baked bananas and thin cream
• Bran meal gems
• Salted almonds

LUNCHEON

• Boiled Spanish onions
• A baked potato

DINNER

• Cream of pea soup or corn soup
• Celery or slaw
• Carrots or parsnips
• Spinach, with egg
• Baked dried beans or a sweet potato

Drink an abundance of cool water at each meal.

If the patient is suffering, or recovering from a severe attack of stomach irritation, the quantity of solid food should be reduced, and the quantity of water increased.

[731]

SPRING MENU

SOUR STOMACH (SUPERACIDITY)
IRRITATION OF STOMACH AND INTESTINES

On rising, drink two glasses of cool water. Devote from three to five minutes to vigorous, deep breathing exercises.

BREAKFAST

• Whole wheat or a corn-meal gem
• Two eggs very lightly cooked
• Half a cup of wheat bran, cooked and served as a porridge, with butter and salt
• Half a glass of water

LUNCHEON

• Tender asparagus, peas, or beans
• New potatoes
• A small portion of wheat bran
• A glass of water

DINNER

• New peas or asparagus
• New potatoes, baked
• Whole wheat, boiled; serve with butter
• A glass of water

[732]

At least two glasses of water should be drunk between breakfast and luncheon, and between luncheon and dinner.

The quantity of food may be slightly increased as the patient improves, and the meals may be varied by changing the vegetables current in the market. The general combinations and the proportions, however, should be observed for two or three weeks.

[733]

SUMMER MENU

SOUR STOMACH (SUPERACIDITY)
IRRITATION OF STOMACH AND INTESTINES

Immediately on rising, drink two glasses of water.

BREAKFAST

• Cantaloup, or very ripe peach—neither sugar nor cream
• Tender corn, scraped from the cob; cook slightly with a whipped egg and butter, stirring constantly
• A glass or two of water
• (Mastication should be very thorough)

LUNCHEON

• String beans and either young carrots or onions
• A baked potato
• One egg, prepared choice

DINNER

• Fish—very tender
• A baked potato
• A green salad with nuts
• An ear of tender corn
• A glass or two of water

Just before retiring, drink two glasses of water.

[734]

FALL MENU

SOUR STOMACH (SUPERACIDITY)
IRRITATION OF STOMACH AND INTESTINES

Observe the instructions in regard to water-drinking and deep breathing, which were given in connection with the spring menu.

BREAKFAST

• Cantaloup, peaches, or persimmons
• A glass of clabbered milk
• One whipped egg
• A small portion of steamed or boiled whole wheat
• A tablespoonful of clean, wheat bran

LUNCHEON

• Choice of the following—
•  
• a Two or three exceedingly ripe bananas (red variety preferred), eaten with cream, two figs, and either nuts or nut butter
• b A baked sweet potato

DINNER

• Lettuce, endive, or romaine salad, with dressing or olive-oil and whipped egg
• Tender corn or string beans
• A baked potato
• A baked banana

[735]

From one to three glasses of water should be drunk at each of these meals—half a glass at the beginning; a glass during the progress of the meal, and a glass at the close.

[736]

WINTER MENU

SOUR STOMACH (SUPERACIDITY)
IRRITATION OF STOMACH AND INTESTINES

On rising, drink two or three glasses of water, and take vigorous exercise and deep breathing.

BREAKFAST

• Two heaping tablespoonfuls of plain wheat, thoroughly cooked, or simmered over night; eat with butter and nuts
• One or two eggs, either whipped or cooked two minutes

The entire meal may consist of boiled wheat and butter, with a very little cream, unless the weather is exceedingly cold, in which event the wheat may be reduced in quantity, and two, or even three, whipped eggs taken.

LUNCHEON

• A liberal portion of baked sweet potato
• Stewed pumpkin or winter squash, with either butter or olive-oil
• A cup of chocolate

[737]

DINNER

• Carrots, parsnips, turnips, beets, onions—any two of these
• A small portion of tender fish or fowl; or, an egg preferred
• A baked potato
• Celery, or slaw, with nuts

Avoid overeating. Stomach fermentation is caused largely by taking into the stomach a quantity of food in excess of digestive ability or of bodily requirements. The logical remedy, therefore, is to limit the quantity of food, or to increase the amount of physical exercise.

[738]

SPRING MENU

SOUR STOMACH—INTESTINAL GAS CONSTIPATION

On rising, drink a glass or two of water, eat a spoonful of cherries or berries, and devote a few minutes to vigorous exercise.

BREAKFAST

• Half a cup of wheat bran
• One or two red bananas—very ripe; baked if preferred. Served with either a spoonful of nuts or nut butter
• Raisins and cream

LUNCHEON

• Two tablespoonfuls of wheat bran
• Two eggs—preferably whipped
• Lettuce, with young carrots and grated nuts
• Boiled onions
• A baked potato

DINNER

• Wheat bran
• Choice of the following vegetables, baked in casserole dish: peas, asparagus, or onions
• Spinach, with egg
• A few spoonfuls of plain boiled wheat
• A baked potato

[739]

Drink two glasses of cool water at each of these meals.

Just before retiring, take a small portion of wheat bran, and spend at least ten minutes in vigorous exercise.

[740]

SUMMER MENU

SOUR STOMACH—INTESTINAL GAS CONSTIPATION

Drink copiously of cool water, and take a brisk walk or vigorous exercise and deep breathing before breakfast.

BREAKFAST

• Cantaloup or peaches—no cream
• Half a cup of wheat bran, cooked
• Whipped egg—a dash of sugar
• A baked banana—very ripe
• One or two glasses of water

LUNCHEON

• A green salad
• An ear or two of tender corn, masticated very thoroughly
• Nuts
• Wheat bran
• A glass or two of water

DINNER

• A green salad
• Choice of two fresh vegetables—peas, corn, beans, okra, eggplant beans, okra, eggplant[741]
• A potato
• Cream cheese with nuts and raisins
• A small portion of bran, cooked
• Water

Cool water should be drunk freely at meals, and mastication should be thorough.

[742]

FALL MENU

SOUR STOMACH—INTESTINAL GAS CONSTIPATION

First Day: On rising, drink two glasses of water, and devote three or four minutes to Exercises 3 and 5. (See Vol. V, pp. 1344 and 1345.) Inflate the lungs every fourth or fifth movement to their extreme capacity.

BREAKFAST

• Steamed or boiled whole wheat
• A tablespoonful or two of coarse wheat bran (This may be cooked, and served the same as any ordinary cereal, and eaten with butter and salt)
• One or two exceedingly ripe bananas (baked if preferred), eaten with cream and nut butter
• One egg whipped very briskly, to which add a teaspoonful each of sugar and of lemon juice while whipping

LUNCHEON

• Four glasses of milk, drinking half a glass every six or eight minutes

DINNER

• Choice of two of the following vegetables:
• Carrots, parsnips, squash, beets, tender cabbage[743]
• A baked potato or whole wheat bread
• A green salad or celery
• One egg, whipped (The egg could be omitted, and the combination of foods would still be well balanced)
• Wheat bran

Just before retiring, take a spoonful of wheat bran in half a glass of water. Exercise as prescribed for the morning.

Second Day: The same as the first, increasing the quantity of food, if hungry. The noon meal could consist of two eggs, prepared as prescribed, and one fresh vegetable, uncooked, such as carrots or turnips, eaten with a green salad and either nuts or olive-oil. A banana, with very thin cream, might also be taken.

Third Day: Practically the same as the second, varying the breakfast by omitting eggs, allowing it to consist of bananas, soaked prunes and cream; or, oatmeal in small quantity, with thin cream; or, if agreeable, let it consist of the same articles as prescribed for the first day.

[744]

FOURTH DAY:

BREAKFAST

• A cup of hot water
• Bran meal gems, with butter
• Bananas, with soaked prunes, and either nuts or nut butter (Bananas should be baked unless very ripe)

LUNCHEON

• Two egg whites and one yolk rolled with whipped cream into a very rare omelet
• A small, baked potato

DINNER

• Anything in the way of a salad—celery, lettuce, cabbage
• String beans, parsnips, pumpkin, squash, onions, or carrots
• One egg whipped or cooked two minutes
• A baked potato or baked beans

Just before retiring, take a heaping tablespoonful of wheat bran and the exercises which were prescribed for the first day.

Fifth Day: Same as the fourth.

Sixth Day: Same as the first, repeating the diet, day by day, for twelve or fifteen days.

[745]

WINTER MENU

SOUR STOMACH—INTESTINAL GAS CONSTIPATION

Immediately on rising, take a cup of hot water, into which put two tablespoonfuls of wheat bran. Devote from three to five minutes to deep breathing exercises.

BREAKFAST

• Half a cup of wheat bran cooked from twenty to thirty minutes; eat with cream and a very little salt
• One or two very ripe bananas, with cream and nuts
• Whole wheat, thoroughly cooked

LUNCHEON

• Boiled onions, carrots, or squash—any one or two of these
• A bit of green salad or celery
• A baked white potato—eat skins and all
• A tablespoonful of wheat bran, either cooked or uncooked

DINNER

• A bit of slaw or celery
• Spinach, carrots, parsnips, beets, turnips, pumpkin, or squash—any one or two of these pumpkin, or squash—any one or two of these[746]
• Baked beans or baked sweet or white potatoes
• A small portion of fish or chicken (If this is not convenient, an egg, lightly cooked, may be eaten)

If something sweet is desired, a small portion of plain ice-cream or gelatin may be eaten once a week.

From one to two glasses of water should be drunk at each of these meals.

If it is cold, and something hot is desired, a cup of sassafras tea, made from the bark of the red sassafras root, may be taken at the morning and the evening meal. (See p. 681.)

Just before retiring, devote three or four minutes to deep breathing exercises.

At the beginning of the evening meal, or on retiring, two or three tablespoonfuls of bran may be taken in a little hot water. The quantity of bran may be reduced according to the condition of the bowels.

[747]

SPRING MENU

STOMACH AND INTESTINAL CATARRH

Catarrh of the stomach is merely a form of chronic irritation caused by a residue of hydrochloric acid in the stomach following the process of digestion. This condition is augmented by intoxicating and stimulating beverages—tobacco, liquor, beer, tea, coffee; by acids, such as vinegar, lemon, grapefruit, and pineapple juices; by cane-sugar, cereal starches, and meat. The remedy, therefore, is found in eliminating these things, and in confining the diet to the following foods:

Inasmuch as the primary cause of stomach catarrh is supersecretion of hydrochloric acid, an abundance of pure water should be drunk at meals and also between meals.

[748]

BREAKFAST

• A cup of hot water
• Egg whites, whipped, mixed with lukewarm milk; drink slowly

Drink a cup of hot water about 11 a. m.

LUNCHEON

• A cup of hot water
• A green salad or one fresh vegetable
• A new potato, baked; serve with butter
• Rice, simmered over night; serve with rich milk
• Half a cup of water at close of meal

Drink a cup of hot water about 4 p. m.

DINNER

• A cup of hot water
• Two fresh vegetables
• A new potato, baked
• Bran gems, with butter
• An egg, or a very small portion of either tender fish or chicken

Mastication must be perfect.

Bread, flour, and cereal products should be omitted, with the exception of a very[749] limited quantity of thoroughly cooked rice and wheat bran.

Sweets, desserts, tea, coffee, all sedative and stimulating beverages, and drugs and narcotics should be omitted.

Water should be drunk copiously both at meals and between meals.

[750]

SUMMER MENU

STOMACH AND INTESTINAL CATARRH

BREAKFAST

• A bit of subacid or non-acid fruit—pear, peaches, plums, or melon
• Whipped eggs, using an excess of whites
• An extremely ripe banana, baked, eaten with very little thin cream

LUNCHEON

• A green salad with nuts
• Tender corn or string beans
• A baked sweet or a white potato

DINNER

• A salad with grated nuts—no dressing
• One or two fresh vegetables—corn, peas, beans, carrots
• A baked white potato
• A whipped egg, or fish, if engaged in manual labor
• A very ripe peach or a melon

[751]

FALL MENU

STOMACH AND INTESTINAL CATARRH

BREAKFAST

• A melon or a very ripe peach
• Two or three glasses of fresh milk, taken slowly
• Half a cup of wheat bran, cooked

LUNCHEON

• A very small portion of green salad, with grated nuts
• Tender corn, lima beans, or lentils

DINNER

• A green salad, with grated nuts
• Stewed pumpkin or squash
• Corn, carrots, or parsnips
• A baked potato or baked beans

[752]

WINTER MENU

STOMACH AND INTESTINAL CATARRH

BREAKFAST

• A pint of junket
• One whipped egg

LUNCHEON

• Vegetable soup
• Boiled onions, carrots, or turnips
• An egg or a small portion of tender fish
• A baked potato

DINNER

Choice of the following cooked in a [B]casserole dish:

a Cauliflower, cabbage, or Brussels sprouts

b Carrots, parsnips, or turnips

A baked potato

A vegetable salad with ripe olives and nuts

[B] For cooking en casserole, see p. 671.

[753]

MENUS FOR FERMENTATION

SPRING MENU

FERMENTATION—INTESTINAL GAS FEVERED STOMACH AND LIPS CANKERS ON TONGUE

BREAKFAST

• A glass of cool water
• Three or four egg whites and one yolk, whipped; sweeten slightly; add half a glass of milk
• Gelatin, without fruit, or two extremely ripe bananas baked in a casserole dish

LUNCHEON

• Carrots, parsnips, or turnips
• Peas or asparagus
• A white potato, either baked or boiled

DINNER

• Cream of asparagus soup, made rather thin
• Peas in the pod (See recipe, p. 679)
• A new, white potato, baked; serve with very little butter
• One egg, whipped
• A glass or two of cool water

[754]

An abundance of cool water should be drunk between meals, and from one to two glasses at meals.

Fevered stomach is caused by fermentation of food—hyperacidity. After the diet is balanced so as to be chemically harmonious, the next most important thing is copious water-drinking at meals and between meals.

See Vol. II, p. 434.

[755]

SUMMER MENU

FERMENTATION—INTESTINAL GAS FEVERED STOMACH AND LIPS CANKERS ON TONGUE

Immediately on rising, drink a glass or two of water. Also take vigorous exercise and deep breathing.

BREAKFAST

• Cantaloup, or watermelon, eliminating the pulp
• Half a pint of junket or gelatin
• A baked banana or bran meal gems

LUNCHEON

• A liberal portion of fresh green corn, boiled or steamed in the husk; eat with a very little butter

DINNER

• Two fresh green vegetables
• Choice of fish or an egg
• A baked potato

From one to two glasses of water should be drunk at each of these meals, eliminating all sweets and acids.

[756]

If there is a tendency toward constipation, half a cup of wheat bran, cooked, and served as an ordinary cereal, should be taken at the morning and the evening meal.

[757]

FALL MENU

FERMENTATION—INTESTINAL GAS FEVERED STOMACH AND LIPS CANKERS ON TONGUE

Immediately on rising, drink a cup of cool water, and take vigorous exercise and deep breathing.

BREAKFAST

• A bunch of California grapes
• One egg—coddled (See recipe, p. 677)
• Choice of very ripe bananas, baked—served with butter and thin cream, or a corn-meal muffin
• A cup of hot water into which put a little sugar or cream

LUNCHEON

• Two or three eggs whipped very thoroughly, to which slowly add a teaspoonful each of lemon juice and of sugar while whipping. Add half a glass of milk to each egg

EMERGENCY LUNCHEON

• A scrambled egg or a morsel of fish, eaten with a baked potato
• A boiled onion
• A cup of water

[758]

DINNER

• Choice of carrots, parsnips, squash, or string beans, seasoned with a little butter
• A baked potato or green corn
• A cup of milk

EMERGENCY DINNER

• Two baked potatoes
• A boiled onion
• A glass of milk, and an egg, if desired

If one is engaged in heavy manual labor, the food may be increased beyond the amount herein prescribed. The combination, however, should be observed.

The emergency luncheon is to be taken if one does not like the regular luncheon. The same rule should be observed with the emergency dinner. The regular luncheon contains considerable protein, which is very necessary in these conditions. The emergency dinner contains the same in another form. The one may be chosen which appeals most to natural hunger.

Now and then the breakfast may consist of one or two extremely ripe bananas, eaten with nut butter and cream, and one or two whipped eggs.

[759]

WINTER MENU

FERMENTATION—INTESTINAL GAS FEVERED STOMACH AND LIPS CANKERS ON TONGUE

BREAKFAST

• A small bunch of grapes
• Two egg whites and one yolk, whipped very fine, into which whip a teaspoonful of sugar. Whip until stiff and smooth
• One or two exceedingly ripe bananas, baked, eaten with cream
• A cup of hot water with a little sugar and cream

LUNCHEON

• A baked potato or a bran meal gem
• A boiled onion or baked squash

DINNER

• Vegetable soup
• One fresh vegetable such as carrots, parsnips, squash, or turnips
• A baked potato—eat skins and all
• A cup of chocolate, or a whole wheat cracker

If the tongue should become coated, or the mouth sore, the amount of food[760] prescribed for the evening meal should be reduced until digestion is perfect, which can be aided largely by drinking copiously of water.

If the bowels should become slightly constipated, take two heaping tablespoonfuls of wheat bran in a cup of hot water just before retiring. It is not necessary to masticate the bran. Devote two or three minutes to deep breathing exercises, Nos. 1 and 5, as shown in Vol. V, pp. 1343 and 1345.

The eggs can be taken uncooked, without whipping, if preferred.

[761]

MENUS FOR CONSTIPATION

SPRING MENU

CONSTIPATION (CHRONIC) NERVOUSNESS

First Day: Immediately on rising, take half a cup of wheat bran, in hot water, and eat a tablespoonful of soaked evaporated apricots.

Devote five minutes to exercises Nos. 3 and 5. (See Vol. V, pp. 1344 and 1345.) These should be taken vigorously, before an open window, and before dressing. Then take a cool shower bath and a vigorous rub down.

If possible, take half an hour's walk before breakfast.

BREAKFAST

• Half a cup of coarse wheat bran, cooked ten minutes; eat with thin cream
• Two bran meal gems
• Two large, very ripe bananas, with thin cream and either nuts or nut butter (The bananas may be baked if preferred)
• Two glasses of water

Devote two or three minutes to exercises 3 and 5, about ten o'clock, if possible.

[762]

LUNCHEON

• A dozen soaked prunes and one very ripe banana
• Two tablespoonfuls of nuts, or a rounded tablespoonful of nut butter (The prunes, the banana, and either the nuts or nut butter may be eaten together)
• One egg, whipped, or cooked two minutes (If whipped, add sugar and lemon juice)
• Peas or asparagus
• Half a cup of coarse wheat bran

Drink two glasses of water during the progress of the meal.

DINNER

• A salad of lettuce, asparagus, peas or carrots; or anything green, eaten with either nuts or nut butter
• One egg, coddled; serve with butter and salt
• A baked potato or a whole wheat muffin
• A cup of wheat bran, slightly cooked if desired, and eaten with thin cream
• Two glasses of water

Just before retiring, take half a cup of wheat bran.

Second Day: The same as the first, slightly increasing the quantity of food if there is a tendency toward weakness or unusual fatigue.

[763]

Third Day: The same as the second, varying the meals by changing the vegetables.

Fourth Day: On rising, eat a cup of soaked apricots, and take the exercises which were prescribed for the first day.

BREAKFAST

• A cup of wheat bran, with cream
• A cup of hot water
• The juice of one sweet orange
• A small portion of plain wheat, boiled (simmered over night)
• One egg, coddled

LUNCHEON

• A dozen soaked prunes
• Two extremely ripe bananas, with two tablespoonfuls of nuts
• Three or four figs, and cream cheese—fresh
• Two glasses of water

DINNER

• A cup of hot water
• A cup of wheat bran
• Two large, boiled Spanish onions
• One other vegetable
• A baked potato
• One glass of cool water

[764]

Just before retiring, eat a few soaked evaporated apricots, or half a cup of bran.

Note: The apricots should be omitted if there is a tendency toward sour stomach (premature fermentation), or rheumatism.

Fifth Day: the Same As the Fourth.

Sixth Day: The same as the first.

Repeat this diet until the bowels become normal. The bran and the apricots may then be reduced according to the condition of the bowels, and the quantity of vegetables, eggs, and other solids increased sufficiently to meet the demands of normal hunger.

[765]

SUMMER MENU

CONSTIPATION (CHRONIC) NERVOUSNESS

Immediately on rising, eat two or three very ripe peaches or plums, and drink a glass or two of water. Devote from five to ten minutes to vigorous exercise and deep breathing, especially exercise No. 3. (See Vol. V, p. 1344.)

BREAKFAST

• A dish of sliced peaches—very ripe; a little sugar, but no cream
• Half a cup of wheat bran, with a spoonful or two of crushed wheat, thoroughly cooked (simmered over night)
• An ear of tender corn—prepared choice

LUNCHEON

• A liberal portion of tender corn
• A lettuce and tomato salad, eaten with grated nuts

DINNER

• A liberal green salad, with grated nuts
• A baked sweet potato
• Fresh peas, beans, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, corn—any two of these
• A portion of wheat bran, cooked

[766]

If the above menus do not seem sufficient to sustain the body while performing manual labor, one or two whipped eggs may be added.

Just before retiring, eat three or four ripe peaches, or a large bunch of blue grapes, swallowing seeds without mastication. Take exercises as prescribed for morning.

From two to three glasses of water should be drunk at each of these meals.

[767]

FALL MENU

CONSTIPATION (CHRONIC) NERVOUSNESS

(For general instructions see Spring Menu.)

Just after rising, eat a bunch of grapes.

BREAKFAST

• Cantaloup or melon
• Wheat bran and a small portion of whole wheat
• Two or three baked bananas, eaten with raisins and nuts

LUNCHEON

• Celery or slaw
• One fresh vegetable
• An ear of tender corn or a baked potato
• Wheat bran

DINNER

• Lettuce and tomato salad
• Okra, eggplant, cauliflower, carrots, squash, cabbage, string beans—any two of these
• Chicken or fish—very limited portion
• A cantaloup or a baked banana

[768]

From two to three glasses of water should be drunk at each of the above meals, and mastication should be very thorough.

[769]

WINTER MENU

CONSTIPATION (CHRONIC) NERVOUSNESS

Immediately on rising, take the juice of a sweet orange.

For general instructions see Spring Menu.

BREAKFAST

• Two extremely ripe bananas, eaten with nuts or nut butter (The bananas may be baked if preferred)
• A liberal portion of whole wheat, boiled until very soft—simmered over night; serve with butter or cream

LUNCHEON

• Spinach, with an egg
• Endive, kale, or cabbage
• Peas, beans, lentils, or corn

DINNER

• Celery, with nuts
• Carrots, parsnips, beets, onions, stewed pumpkin, or squash[770]
• A small rare omelet, or a very small portion of fish; omelet preferred
• A potato

A glass of pure apple cider may be drunk just after rising, and just before retiring.

From two to three glasses of water should be drunk at each of the above meals.

[771]

SPRING MENU

CONSTIPATION—AUTOINTOXICATION LOW VITALITY

Choice of the following menus:

A spoonful or two of coarse wheat bran should be taken both at breakfast and at dinner; also, just before retiring, a glass of water and a few pieces of soaked evaporated apricots.

(The apricots should be omitted if there is a tendency toward either fermentation or rheumatism.)

[773]

SUMMER MENU

CONSTIPATION—AUTOINTOXICATION LOW VITALITY

Choice of the following menus:

SUPPLEMENTARY MENU

• Corn
• Spinach
• Two egg whites—poached or whipped
• A potato
• A salad
• Water and wheat bran

If there is a craving for something sweet, let the evening meal consist entirely of ice-cream and three or four glasses of water. All sweets may be omitted, however, if they do not especially appeal to the taste.

Take vigorous exercise and deep breathing just after rising, and just before retiring.

[775]

FALL MENU

CONSTIPATION—AUTOINTOXICATION LOW VITALITY

Just after rising, eat a large bunch of grapes and drink a glass of water.

Choice of the following menus:

Just before retiring, take wheat bran or eat a large bunch of grapes.

[777]

WINTER MENU

CONSTIPATION—AUTOINTOXICATION LOW VITALITY

BREAKFAST

• A small portion of plain wheat boiled until soft, or until the grains burst open; serve with cream and salt
• A cup of wheat bran, cooked, eaten with butter and salt
• Two egg whites and one yolk
• One exceedingly ripe banana—must be very ripe; eat with one fig, cream, and a spoonful of either nuts or nut butter
• A cup of hot barley water

LUNCHEON

• A spoonful of wheat bran
• A portion of boiled onions
• A baked white potato—skins and all—with butter and salt
• A cup of hot barley water

DINNER

• A salad of anything green
• Choice of carrots, turnips, eggplant, parsnips, or squash, cooked in casserole dish—no cream
• A baked white potato [778]
• A baked white potato
• A morsel of fish or chicken, or an egg, cooked two minutes, eaten with butter
• (One of the fresh vegetables should be made very hot with red pepper, or a small capsule of red pepper may be taken at the close of the meal)

From one to two glasses of water should be drunk at each of these meals.

Either grapes or wheat bran should be taken just before retiring. The wheat bran may be taken uncooked in hot water.

If constipation is not relieved after taking the quantity of bran prescribed, increase the quantity until the desired results are obtained, then gradually decrease the quantity, taking it only at the morning and the evening meal.

[779]

MENUS FOR GASTRITIS

SPRING MENU

GASTRITIS

In severe cases of gastritis, all food, and even water should be omitted. As the patient begins to recover, water, cool or hot, may be taken, and after a time, when normal hunger appears, the following suggestions in diet should be observed:

BREAKFAST

• Choice of the following—
• a One large, very ripe banana, baked; preferably en casserole
• b A baked white potato, with butter

LUNCHEON

• Onions, or fresh tender peas, thoroughly cooked, en casserole
• A baked potato

DINNER

• Peas, asparagus, or onions
• A baked potato or rice (If rice is chosen, a tablespoonful of clean wheat bran should be eaten)

[780]

As the patient recovers, the articles composing the meals may be increased, confining entirely to such foods as peas, asparagus, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, beets, spinach, and the green salad vegetables.

[781]

SUMMER MENU

GASTRITIS

In regard to the omission of food in severe cases, see Spring Menu.

BREAKFAST

• Cantaloup or melon, discarding the pulp of the melon
• Two or three egg whites, lightly whipped with a sprinkle of sugar

LUNCHEON

• Tender peas, string beans, green corn, or young carrots, thoroughly cooked
• Bran meal gems

DINNER

• Carrots, parsnips, squash, spinach, or turnip-tops
• Graham gems or a baked potato

[782]

FALL MENU

GASTRITIS

BREAKFAST

• A cantaloup or very ripe peaches—no cream
• Baked chestnuts, or boiled rice, with butter
• A tablespoonful of wheat bran in hot water

LUNCHEON

• Eggplant, okra, or a Spanish onion
• Tender corn or a potato

DINNER

• Celery or lettuce
• Nuts and ripe olives
• Green corn or a baked potato
• Carrots or winter squash

[783]

WINTER MENU

GASTRITIS

BREAKFAST

• A baked banana
• A spoonful or two of plain wheat, boiled
• A cup of hot water

LUNCHEON

• Winter squash, or onion, en casserole
• A baked potato
• Celery hearts

DINNER

• A light vegetable soup—no crackers
• Celery
• Carrots or parsnips
• A potato

For instructions in cooking "en casserole," see p. 671.

[784]

MENUS FOR NERVOUS INDIGESTION

SPRING MENU

NERVOUS INDIGESTION

Nervous indigestion is a condition in which the mucous membrane of the stomach is in a chronic state of irritation caused by hydrochloric acid fermentation.

The appetite is usually keen; sometimes ravenous. This, however, is the best evidence that the diet should be limited to just enough food to sustain strength when no manual labor is performed.

BREAKFAST

• A pint of clabbered milk with a light sprinkle of sugar, if desired
• Two tablespoonfuls of clean wheat bran, well cooked; serve with cream

LUNCHEON

• Onions, en casserole, or fresh peas
• Bran meal gems or graham muffins
• A baked potato
• A glass of water

[785]

DINNER

• Peas, asparagus, onions—any two of these
• A potato and bran meal gems
• A glass of buttermilk
• A spoonful or two of bran prepared as for breakfast

SUMMER MENU

NERVOUS INDIGESTION

BREAKFAST

• Cantaloup or baked bananas
• Two or three egg whites, lightly poached
• One or two bran meal gems
• A glass of milk

LUNCHEON

• Peas, string beans, carrots, okra—any two of these
• Tender corn or a baked potato
• Spinach, with egg
• A spoonful or two of wheat bran

DINNER

• Young carrots, string beans, or squash
• Tender corn, lima beans or a baked potato
• Gelatin, if something sweet is desired; a very small portion, and very little sugar

[786]

FALL MENU

NERVOUS INDIGESTION

BREAKFAST

• Persimmons, cantaloup, or a baked banana
• A baked potato
• Half a glass of milk
• A spoonful of wheat bran

LUNCHEON

• Two and one-half to three glasses of fresh milk
• Two tablespoonfuls of wheat bran

DINNER

• Eggplant, okra, Brussels sprouts, tender spinach, string beans, carrots, or onions—one or two of these
• A baked potato or rice

Note: From one to three glasses of cool water should be drunk at each of these meals.

[787]

WINTER MENU

NERVOUS INDIGESTION

BREAKFAST

• Very ripe bananas with cream
• Two bran meal gems with butter, or two tablespoonfuls of plain boiled wheat

LUNCHEON

• Vegetable soup—omit crackers
• Cauliflower, boiled onions, or carrots
• A baked potato

DINNER

• Soup—cream of corn or of rice
• Celery, ripe olives, and nuts
• Carrots, parsnips, beets, turnips—choice of two of these
• Bran meal gems or a baked potato
• A spoonful or two of wheat bran (A glass or two of water should be drunk at this meal)

Note: Acids, sweets, white bread, oatmeal, corn hominy, and the cereal foods from which the bran has been removed,[788] should be entirely omitted in all cases of stomach irritation, of which nervous indigestion is merely an expression. The use of tea, coffee, tobacco, all stimulating and intoxicating drinks should also be discontinued.

[789]

MENUS FOR NERVOUSNESS

SPRING MENU

FOR BUSINESS MAN

THIN—NERVOUS—IRRITABLE INSOMNIA—STOMACH AND INTESTINAL TROUBLE

Menu No. 1 is for use at home where one can get all the staple vegetables prepared as directed.

Menu No. 2 consists of emergency meals to be taken when away from home.

They practically contain the same nutritive elements, however, but in slightly different proportions.

Intestinal gas can be largely controlled by thorough and complete mastication.

If the use of milk should cause slight constipation, the constipation can be relieved by taking a small portion of wheat bran, either cooked or uncooked, at both the morning and the evening meal.

[791]

SUMMER MENU

FOR BUSINESS MAN

THIN—NERVOUS—IRRITABLE INSOMNIA—STOMACH AND INTESTINAL TROUBLE

Choice of the following menus for a week or ten days:

[792]

Note: From one and a half to two glasses of water should be drunk at each of these meals.

If constipation occurs, soaked prunes or soaked evaporated apricots may be taken just before retiring. A glassful of water in which the prunes or apricots have been soaked should also be drunk just after rising.

If stomach-acidity or intestinal fermentation should occur, omit all acid fruits and regulate the bowels by the use of wheat bran.

One hour during the day should be devoted to vigorous physical exercise.

[793]

FALL MENU

FOR BUSINESS MAN

THIN—NERVOUS—IRRITABLE INSOMNIA—STOMACH AND INTESTINAL TROUBLE

First Day: Immediately on rising, drink one glass of cool water and eat half a pound of Concord grapes. Eliminate the seeds, but thoroughly masticate and swallow the skins.

Devote from five to six minutes to exercises Nos. 3 and 5. (See Vol. V, pp. 1344 and 1345.) Inflate the lungs to their fullest capacity at every third or fourth breath.

BREAKFAST

• A cantaloup
• One or two exceedingly ripe bananas, baked; must be very ripe—red variety preferred; serve with thin cream
• One cup of hot water

LUNCHEON

• A lettuce and tomato salad
• An ear of tender corn

[794]

DINNER

• Choice of boiled corn, string or lima beans
• (With the corn, eat a teaspoonful of either nut butter or nuts; masticate to exceeding fineness)
• A lettuce and tomato salad, with a simple dressing
• One coddled egg

From one and a half to two glasses of water should be drunk at each of the above meals.

Just before retiring, eat a small bunch of Concord grapes and drink half a glass of water.

Devote from five to ten minutes to exercises Nos. 3 and 5, as above directed, giving special attention to deep breathing. Endeavor to inflate the lungs to their fullest capacity every third or fourth breath.

Second Day: The same as the first, slightly increasing the quantity of food if desired. This may be done by more thorough mastication and by devoting more time to exercise.

[795]

Third Day:

BREAKFAST

• Two or three exceedingly ripe peaches, eaten with grated maple-sugar
• Two or three egg whites poached, served on a crisp cracker; or, one whole egg if the appetite will accept it
• Half of a cantaloup
• A cup of hot water or cocoa

LUNCHEON

• Cooked spinach or a green salad
• An ear of tender corn
• A potato
• A glass of water

DINNER

• String beans and young onions—cooked
• A green salad
• A bit of fish or white meat of chicken, with a baked potato

[796]

Fourth Day:

BREAKFAST

• Cantaloup or peaches
• One or two extremely ripe bananas, baked, and eaten with cream
• One large pulled fig, with cream
• One glass of water

LUNCHEON

• Cantaloup
• One whole egg, coddled
• A baked sweet or a white potato

DINNER

• Corn, lima beans, or a potato
• A cup of hot water

Fifth Day: The same as the first.

Sixth Day: The same as the second, and so on, day by day, for about twelve days.

LETTER OF ADVICE

ACCOMPANYING ABOVE MENU

Rise at a regular hour every morning. Take a lukewarm sponge bath, following[797] it by a cool splash and a vigorous rub down, practising deep breathing all the while.

Before dressing, devote from two to three minutes to exercises Nos. 3 and 5. (See Vol. V, pp. 1344 and 1345.) Take these movements calmly.

Do not worry. Masticate all food to infinite fineness. Take plenty of time to eat.

Inflate the lungs to their fullest capacity one hundred times a day. This is of very great importance.

If the quantity of food prescribed is more than the appetite calls for, eliminate any one thing entirely, or reduce the quantity of the whole.

[798]

WINTER MENU

FOR BUSINESS MAN

THIN—NERVOUS—IRRITABLE INSOMNIA—STOMACH AND INTESTINAL TROUBLE

First Day: Immediately on rising, drink two cups of cool water and devote from five to ten minutes to vigorous exercise.

BREAKFAST

• A cup of hot water
• A small portion of boiled wheat or rice
• One or two eggs, coddled
• Cocoa or chocolate

LUNCHEON

• Three eggs, whipped; add a glass of milk and a flavor of sugar and fruit-juice

DINNER

• Carrots, parsnips, turnips, winter squash—any two of these
• A baked potato
• A small portion of fish or chicken (white meat); or, one egg prepared choice, eaten with either a baked potato or a bit of whole wheat bread

[799]

Just before retiring, repeat the exercises which have been prescribed for the morning, and, if constipated, take two or three tablespoonfuls of wheat bran in hot water.

Second Day: Same as the first, slightly increasing the quantity of food, if hungry.

Third Day: Same as the second, adding one or two whipped eggs for breakfast, and changing vegetables to suit the appetite for luncheon and for dinner. Nearly all vegetables such as beets, carrots, parsnips, and turnips may be substituted for one another.

[800]

Fourth Day:

BREAKFAST

• A cup of hot water
• Two eggs lightly poached; or, a very rare omelet rolled in nuts and whipped cream, eaten with a whole wheat muffin
• A cup of chocolate
• A liberal portion of wheat bran, cooked and served as an ordinary cereal, with butter and cream

LUNCHEON

• Three eggs. See recipe, p. 678.

DINNER

• Endive, lettuce, or celery
• Choice of any two fresh vegetables
• A potato or a whole wheat gem

Exercise as prescribed for the first day.

Fifth Day: The same as the fourth.

Sixth Day: The same as the first, repeating these menus for a period of about three weeks.

For diet and general instructions in regard to nervousness, see menus for "Fermentation" and "Superacidity." See also Lesson XVII, "Nervousness—Its Cause and Cure," Vol. V, p. 1211.

[801]

MENUS FOR SUBACIDITY

SPRING MENU

INDIGESTION (CHRONIC)

BREAKFAST

• A dish of very ripe berries or apricots
• A cup of hot water
• A baked white potato, served with a very little butter and salt
• One or two egg whites, lightly poached
• Half a cup of wheat bran, cooked twenty minutes

LUNCHEON

• A cup of hot water
• Two or three bananas, baked in casserole dish. (For baked bananas, see recipe, p. 677)

DINNER

• A cup of hot water
• Purée of peas
• A baked white potato, asparagus, or carrots
• Half a cup of wheat bran cooked, served as an ordinary cereal

[802]

A few tablespoonfuls of pineapple juice should be taken half an hour after each meal.

The above menus may be increased in quantity as the digestion improves, taking special care, however, not to overeat. Fresh vegetables, from the list given below, may be added to the noon and the evening meal, as the season advances, and the patient becomes stronger.

• Asparagus
• Beans
• Brussels sprouts
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Parsnips
• Peas
• Spinach
• Squash

[803]

SUMMER MENU

INDIGESTION (CHRONIC)

Immediately on rising, drink a cup of water, and devote from five to ten minutes to vigorous exercise, with deep breathing.

BREAKFAST

• Melon or peaches
• A large red banana, baked, or broiled in butter; eat with soaked prunes
• One egg, either coddled or whipped

LUNCHEON

• Melon or cantaloup
• A liberal portion of gelatin, with thin cream

DINNER

• A light vegetable soup
• A very small portion of green salad
• A very little tender fish or chicken—white meat
• Baked potatoes or green corn
• Any fresh vegetables
• A small portion of wheat bran, cooked

[804]

FALL MENU

INDIGESTION (CHRONIC)

Immediately on rising, drink a cup of water, and devote a few minutes to vigorous exercise.

BREAKFAST

• A bunch of Tokay or Malaga grapes
• One or two eggs, coddled or poached
• A baked white potato
• A cup of hot water

LUNCHEON

• Purée of corn or beans
• One or two egg whites, whipped

DINNER

• Stewed pumpkin or squash
• A baked white potato
• One extremely ripe banana (black spotted), eaten with cream

[805]

WINTER MENU

INDIGESTION (CHRONIC)

BREAKFAST

• A cup of coarse wheat bran
• Whole wheat, cooked until the grains burst open; serve with thin cream or rich milk, and either a spoonful of nuts or nut butter (This should be masticated exceedingly fine)

LUNCHEON

• One egg whipped very fine, or boiled one and one-half minutes; if whipped, add a sprinkle of sugar; if boiled, eat with a baked potato
• A very small vegetable salad—grated carrots, onion, and lettuce leaves

DINNER

• Boiled onions, carrots, or parsnips
• A baked white potato
• Half a glass of milk, mixed with one whipped egg white

Take a spoonful or two of wheat bran and a spoonful of pineapple juice at the close of this meal, either cooked, or in hot water, uncooked.

[806]

The above menus are the minimum of food for this condition. The quantity may be increased according to the demands of normal hunger. Hunger, however, should be determined by labor or exercise. Abnormal appetite, caused by supersecretion of acid in the stomach, is very often mistaken for hunger. In such cases, the patient should cease eating before the appetite is satisfied.

[807]

INDIGESTION (ACUTE)

In nearly all cases of acute indigestion, food should be omitted. The patient should be given hot water morning, noon, and evening, and, if possible, a stomach tube should be inserted, and the hot water and stomach contents removed. If this cannot be done, the patient should drink copiously of hot water, and vomit as much of it as possible. After the stomach has been cleansed, a cup of coarse wheat bran, or a large bunch of Concord or blue grapes may be given (if they are in season), swallowing skins, seeds, and pulp. Both bran and grapes are preferable to laxative medicines, and much more effective. The high enema should be administered, thus removing the contents of the lower bowels. After the stomach and the bowels have been thoroughly cleansed, if the patient is not able to exercise, artificial manipulation of the abdomen should be[808] administered for a period of half an hour three times a day. These suggestions may be repeated until the patient is relieved, when the diet for chronic indigestion may be followed in rather modified form, omitting the heavier vegetables, and increasing the lighter foods.

[809]

MENUS FOR BILIOUSNESS

SPRING MENU

BILIOUSNESS—HEADACHE SLUGGISH LIVER

Supersecretion of bile by the liver is termed biliousness. This may be expressed by the presence of bile in the stomach, which usually causes headache, beginning at the base of the brain, and after five or six hours settling over the eyes. This is sometimes associated with nausea or sick headache.

Again, the excess of bile is absorbed into the blood, causing the skin to become yellow and spotted, and sometimes it assumes the appearance of jaundice.

Biliousness is caused by taking an excess of sweets, coffee, liquors, fats, and sometimes starches—cereal, bread, etc. The remedy, therefore, is a very simple one, and largely confined to elimination, vigorous exercise, deep breathing, and copious drinking of water.

The following menus are suggestive. The diet may consist of any group of fresh, natural foods which are in season.

[810]

BREAKFAST

• Grapefruit, oranges, pineapple, or berries
• Eggs, whipped, flavored with fruit-juice, and a bit of sugar
• A banana, baked, or eaten uncooked, if very ripe

LUNCHEON

• Vegetable soup
• One or two fresh vegetables
• Spinach or green salad
• A small portion of fish
• One egg
• Junket or gelatin

DINNER

• A green salad
• Spinach or dandelion
• Asparagus, peas, or any fresh vegetable
• Baked beans or lentils
• A baked potato
• Gelatin

Sufficient coarse wheat bran should be taken at each meal to keep the bowels in normal condition.

[811]

SUMMER MENU

BILIOUSNESS—HEADACHE SLUGGISH LIVER

BREAKFAST

• Soaked prunes, apricots, or berries
• Choice of the following—
• a A very ripe banana, with either nuts or nut butter
• b A baked sweet potato, with dairy butter
• A cup of water

LUNCHEON

• Lettuce, celery, or slaw
• A baked potato or corn
• A cup of junket
• Sliced peaches

DINNER

• Tender corn, peas, beans, okra, or eggplant
• Any green vegetable or a salad
• A whipped egg or a glass of buttermilk
• A melon or peach ices

[812]

FALL MENU

BILIOUSNESS—HEADACHE SLUGGISH LIVER

BREAKFAST

• Grapefruit, oranges, pineapple, peaches, or plums
• A very rare omelet
• A whole wheat muffin, or a slice of corn bread

LUNCHEON

• Green corn or baked beans
• Boiled onions or turnips
• Carrots or parsnips

DINNER

• A salad of anything green, with grated nuts and oil
• A baked sweet potato
• Any fresh vegetable such as turnips, carrots, beets, squash, or stewed pumpkin
• Gelatin
• (One-half pound of grapes an hour after eating)

[813]

WINTER MENU

BILIOUSNESS—HEADACHE SLUGGISH LIVER

BREAKFAST

• Any acid fruit that appeals to the taste
• Two eggs—prepared choice
• A very little corn bread or a baked potato; potato preferred
• Thin cocoa

LUNCHEON

• Two or three bananas, extremely ripe, eaten with nuts, raisins and cream

DINNER

• Cream soup, onions, or celery
• One fresh vegetable
• Baked beans or a baked potato
• A baked banana, eaten with a whipped egg

[814]

SPRING MENU

HEADACHE—TORPID LIVER

BREAKFAST

• Cherries or berries—neither sugar nor cream
• Two bananas broiled in butter, or baked, eaten with cream
• (They may be eaten uncooked if sufficiently ripe)
• A few raisins, with either butter or nuts

LUNCHEON

• Boiled onions—a liberal portion
• A baked potato

DINNER

• Peas or asparagus
• A green salad—just a very little
• Baked beans or a baked potato; potato preferred

Just before retiring, drink a cup of water and eat a dozen ripe strawberries, without sugar or cream. This should be followed by vigorous exercise and deep breathing.

For recipe for baked bananas, see p. 677.

[815]

SUMMER MENU

HEADACHE—TORPID LIVER

BREAKFAST

• Melon, peaches, or berries
• One or two whipped eggs
• A small portion of plain boiled wheat, with very little butter; no cream

LUNCHEON

• Spinach or a green salad
• Any fresh vegetable
• A potato—baked, boiled, or mashed

DINNER

• Cantaloup or melon
• Okra, eggplant, string beans, spinach, Brussels sprouts, carrots, or turnips
• One whipped egg, or a portion of gelatin with cream and fruit

[816]

FALL MENU

HEADACHE—TORPID LIVER

First Day: Immediately on rising, take a glass or two of water and a bit of any juicy fruit—grapes preferred. Devote as much time as possible to exercises Nos. 1, 3, and 5. (See Vol. V, pp. 1343, 1344, and 1345, giving preference to No. 3.) Do not exercise until too much fatigued, but rest every twenty or thirty movements.

BREAKFAST

• A bunch of grapes—California variety; swallow seeds and pulp whole; masticate and swallow the skins
• Half a glass of water
• An egg, cooked one and a half minutes; eat with a potato
• Whole wheat, boiled
• A cup of hot water or chocolate at the close of the meal

LUNCHEON

• One or two fresh vegetables; preferably boiled onions, string beans, or carrots
• A baked potato[817]
• A baked potato
• Anything green in the way of a salad—either lettuce, endive or romaine, with oil, lemon juice, and sugar
• A cup of hot water

DINNER

• A green salad or spinach
• Choice of two of the following vegetables—carrots, string beans, boiled onions, squash, or turnips; preferably boiled onions and carrots
• A baked potato
• Just a bite or two of the proteids, such as egg, fish, or white meat of chicken
• A cup of hot water

Just before retiring, take the juice of half an orange, half a glass of water, and devote as much time as possible to exercises prescribed for the morning.

Second Day: Same as the first, slightly varying the meals according to choice of vegetables.

Third Day: Same as the second.

[818]

Fourth Day: In regard to water-drinking, exercising, and eating a particle of fruit just after rising, see the rules which were given for the first day.

BREAKFAST

• A portion of wheat bran, served with thin cream
• Coarse cereal, with either nut butter or nuts
• A sweet potato, baked, or sliced and broiled in butter

LUNCHEON

• A tomato, stuffed with fine vegetables, and baked
• One fresh vegetable
• A salad or celery
• A baked sweet or, a white potato
• A cup of hot water
• (A cup of cool water during the progress of the meal)

DINNER

• Celery or a salad—a very small quantity
• One fresh vegetable such as boiled onions, carrots, parsnips, or turnips
• Choice of one whipped egg, fish, or white meat of chicken
• A cup of hot water or cocoa
• Half a cup of wheat bran

[819]

Just before retiring, eat a small bunch of grapes, drink a glass of water, and take exercise, as prescribed for the first day.

Fifth Day: Same as the fourth.

Sixth Day: Same as the first.

Seventh Day: Same as the second, continuing for ten or twelve days.

[820]

WINTER MENU

HEADACHE—TORPID LIVER

The element protein slightly predominates in these menus, while the fat-producing nutrients are minimized.

Choice of the following:

[822]

MENUS FOR CIRRHOSIS OF THE LIVER

CIRRHOSIS OF THE LIVER

Cirrhosis is a word derived from the Greek meaning yellow. It was originally intended to convey the idea of over-growth or enlargement of this much-abused organ, but inasmuch as atrophic conditions often show yellow or tawny, there are now two kinds of cirrhosis, namely, atrophic cirrhosis, meaning a shrinkage, and hypertrophic cirrhosis, meaning enlargement of the liver.

Atrophic cirrhosis is caused by alcoholism, often augmented by milder stimulants such as tea and coffee.

Hypertrophic cirrhosis is caused by overeating, especially of meat, sweets, and starchy foods.

The causes of the former should be removed by ceasing the use of tea, coffee, and all alcoholic stimulants, and of the latter by omitting sweets, and limiting the diet in quantity to, or in severe cases below, the actual needs of the body.

[823]

The following menus are laid out for the treatment of severe cases. They are designed both as a counteractive and as a remedial measure.

In mild cases, or as the patient recovers, the diet may be increased in quantity, but it should be confined very rigidly to the articles named in the list below, and in the menus which follow.

Foods to be used in the treatment of cirrhosis of the liver:

[824]

SPRING MENU

CIRRHOSIS OF THE LIVER

BREAKFAST

• Soaked apricots; neither sugar nor cream
• Very ripe bananas
• Nuts

Note: If bananas are not "dead ripe" they should be baked.

LUNCHEON

• Peas in the pod
• Bran meal gems
• Buttermilk

DINNER

• Peas or asparagus
• Lettuce, spinach, or turnip-greens
• Carrots or turnips
• A potato

[825]

SUMMER MENU

CIRRHOSIS OF THE LIVER

BREAKFAST

• Peaches, cherries, apricots, or cantaloup
• Three or four egg whites whipped with a spoonful of cream
• Flaked rye, well cooked

LUNCHEON

• Beans, Brussels sprouts, or cauliflower
• Lettuce and tomato
• A potato
• A glass of buttermilk

DINNER

• Vegetable soup—very little fat
• Any fresh vegetable in above list
• Fish or chicken—very little
• A potato or tender corn

[826]

FALL MENU

CIRRHOSIS OF THE LIVER

BREAKFAST

• Grapes, peaches, or plums
• Two baked bananas
• Whole wheat

LUNCHEON

• Boiled onions
• Squash
• Lima beans or bran gems

DINNER

• Celery or spinach
• Any fresh vegetable in above list
• A potato or corn bread
• Two tablespoonfuls of wheat bran

[827]

WINTER MENU

CIRRHOSIS OF THE LIVER

BREAKFAST

• A baked banana or a baked apple
• A baked potato—eat skins and all

LUNCHEON

• Celery soup
• Corn bread
• Winter squash

DINNER

• Parsnips or turnips
• A potato or baked beans
• Celery, with nuts
• Fish or buttermilk

If the breakfast is late, and the labor is light, the noon meal should be omitted.

[828]

SPRING MENU

CIRRHOSIS OF THE LIVER

BREAKFAST

• Baked apples or very ripe berries without sugar
• A very ripe banana with cream
• Flaked wheat, thoroughly cooked with one-half bran

LUNCHEON

• Peas in the pod—en casserole
• A baked potato

DINNER

• Peas, asparagus, or onions
• A baked potato
• Nuts with cream
• Cheese with water-cracker

From one to three glasses of water should be drunk at each of these meals. Mastication should be very thorough.

For cooking "en casserole," see p. 671.

[829]

SUMMER MENU

CIRRHOSIS OF THE LIVER

BREAKFAST

• Cantaloup, peaches, plums, or berries
• Two tablespoonfuls of plain boiled wheat
• A pint of rich milk; buttermilk preferred

LUNCHEON

• Young onions, lettuce, romaine, or any fresh salad with either nuts or oil
• Carrots, squash, or tender corn
• A baked potato—sweet or white

DINNER

• Vegetable soup
• A Spanish onion, en casserole
• Squash, carrots, parsnips, okra, cauliflower—any two of these
• A baked potato
• Tender corn or lima beans
• Cheese, with nuts and raisins

[830]

FALL MENU

CIRRHOSIS OF THE LIVER

BREAKFAST

• Cantaloup, peaches, or grapes
• One egg, prepared choice
• Bran meal gems or a potato
• A glass of milk

LUNCHEON

• Squash
• Okra, or an onion, en casserole
• A corn muffin or a baked potato
• Celery, or lettuce, with nuts

DINNER

• Vegetable or cream soup
• Celery, or slaw, with nuts—no vinegar
• Winter squash, stewed pumpkin, or a baked sweet potato
• Bran meal gems
• A morsel of cheese, with either raisins or nuts

[831]

WINTER MENU

CIRRHOSIS OF THE LIVER

BREAKFAST

• A baked apple or soaked prunes
• A pint of milk
• Plain boiled wheat or corn hominy. (If hominy is chosen, a heaping tablespoonful of wheat bran should be taken)

LUNCHEON

• Two or three glasses of buttermilk
• Two tablespoonfuls of wheat bran

DINNER

• Cream of tomato soup
• Turnips, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower—any two of these
• A potato or a bran meal gem
• (A small portion of tender fish may be added if much desired)

If there is a tendency toward constipation, two or three tablespoonfuls of wheat bran should be taken, and an abundance of water drunk both at meals and between meals.

[832]

MENUS FOR DIARRHEA

SPRING MENU

DIARRHEA

BREAKFAST

• Two egg yolks, hard boiled
• Zweibach or boiled rice
• A glass of lukewarm milk

LUNCHEON

• A sweet potato or corn hominy
• Two glasses of milk

DINNER

• Cream of rice soup
• Boiled rice or spaghetti
• A glass of hot milk

(If the milk should prove disagreeable, it may be boiled or heated to 200° Fahrenheit.)

[833]

SUMMER MENU

DIARRHEA

BREAKFAST

• Blackberries, sugar, cream
• A sweet potato broiled in butter
• One glass of clabbered milk

LUNCHEON

• Two egg yolks, hard boiled, eaten with rice and cream

DINNER

• Cream of rice soup
• A baked sweet potato
• A water-cracker with cheese and raisins

[834]

FALL MENU

DIARRHEA

BREAKFAST

• Cantaloup
• Two egg yolks, hard boiled
• Toast or zweibach
• Baked chestnuts—cream

LUNCHEON

• Two glasses of milk
• A baked sweet potato

DINNER

• Cream of rice soup
• A sweet potato or baked beans
• Rice or chestnuts
• Cheese, with a water-cracker and almonds

[835]

WINTER MENU

DIARRHEA

BREAKFAST

• Fish balls or two egg yolks, hard boiled
• Chestnuts, rice or a potato
• Chocolate

LUNCHEON

• Two glasses of milk or two cups of chocolate
• Corn hominy or rice

DINNER

• Soup—cream of rice or of corn
• Fish or turkey—white meat, omit cranberry sauce
• Chestnuts, rice, or a sweet potato

Omit water at meals.

Mastication should be very thorough. The principle involved in treating diarrhea is to eliminate from the diet all coarse and fibrous foods, and to limit water, watery foods, and fats to the minimum.

[836]

SPRING MENU

DIARRHEA—DYSENTERY

First Day: Immediately on rising, drink a cup of hot water and devote from five to ten minutes to vigorous, deep breathing exercises, giving special preference to Nos. 3 and 5. (See Vol. V, pp. 1344 and 1345.)

BREAKFAST

• Two eggs, whipped. See recipe, p. 678
• A baked sweet potato, eaten with butter
• A cup of chocolate—very little sugar

LUNCHEON

• Boiled rice
• A glass or two of milk or a cup or two of chocolate

DINNER

• Cream of rice soup or boiled rice
• Peas or asparagus
• Baked beans or a baked sweet potato
• Milk or chocolate

Note: Omit coffee and tea.

[837]

Just before retiring, take vigorous exercise and deep breathing as prescribed for the morning.

Second Day: Same as the first, increasing the quantity of food if weak or faint.

Third Day: Same as the second.

[838]

Fourth Day:

BREAKFAST

• Hot milk or a cup of malted milk
• Sweet potatoes, broiled in very little butter
• A large banana, either broiled in butter, or baked
• (See recipe, p. 677)

LUNCHEON

• A baked sweet potato, boiled rice, or baked beans
• (Make the entire meal of either of these, adding a little cream or milk to the rice, if that is chosen)

DINNER

• Soup—cream of rice or pea
• A very small lettuce salad with oil
• Baked beans or lentils
• Rice or corn hominy
• A cup of junket or a whipped egg prepared as prescribed for the first day

Fifth Day: Same as the fourth, adding a whipped egg to the morning meal, and one or two whipped eggs to the evening meal, if faint or weak, omitting other foods in the same proportion.

[839]

Sixth Day: Same as the first, repeating the diet herein given, for a period of from twenty to thirty days, with variations confined to the things prescribed.

If there be no improvement by the third day, the quantity of food should be materially reduced.

[840]

SUMMER MENU

DIARRHEA—DYSENTERY

On rising, drink a glass or two of cool water.

BREAKFAST

• Cantaloup, watermelon, or blackberry juice
• A liberal portion of boiled rice, with cream
• A cup of chocolate or cocoa, with very little sugar
• Half a glass of cool water

LUNCHEON

• A liberal portion of baked sweet potato, with butter
• A glass of water

DINNER

• Cream of rice soup
• Lima beans or a baked potato
• A glass of milk or a cup of junket
• Cantaloup

[841]

FALL MENU

DIARRHEA—DYSENTERY

BREAKFAST

• One egg, boiled three minutes
• Rice, boiled plain, or baked chestnuts, served with cream and salt
• A cup of hot cocoa

LUNCHEON

• A baked sweet potato
• Boiled onions
• Baked chestnuts, eaten with cream

DINNER

• One egg or a glass of buttermilk
• A baked potato or baked chestnuts
• Turnips, string beans, or carrots
• Rice purée made with milk

Drink a cup of hot water at the close of each of these meals.

[842]

WINTER MENU

DIARRHEA—DYSENTERY

First Day: Immediately on rising, devote about five minutes to exercises Nos. 3 and 5 (see Vol. V, pp. 1344 and 1345) before an open window, or in a thoroughly ventilated room. Drink two glasses of water.

BREAKFAST

• A cup of hot chocolate
• One egg, whipped
• A glass of clabbered milk
• A small portion of boiled rice, with cream.
• The rice should be allowed to simmer over night in a double boiler

LUNCHEON

(This meal should be very light)

• A portion of boiled onions, carrots, parsnips, turnips, or squash—any one or two of these
• A baked sweet potato
• Half a glass of milk
• A cup of hot water

[843]

DINNER

• Three eggs, whipped. See recipe, p. 678.

Second Day: The same as the first.

Third Day: The same as the second, slightly increasing the quantity of food.

[844]

Fourth Day:

BREAKFAST

• One exceedingly ripe banana (must be black spotted), with cream and either nut butter or nuts
• One egg, cooked three minutes
• Rice or whole wheat, boiled
• Thin cocoa or a cup of hot water

LUNCHEON

• One fresh vegetable
• A baked sweet potato
• A cup of hot cocoa or chocolate

DINNER

• One fresh vegetable, such as onions, carrots, parsnips, turnips
• Choice of rice, baked potato, or baked beans
• A very small portion of fish, or white meat of chicken, if there is a craving for meat; if not omit, and take one egg
• A cup of hot water with cream and sugar

Exercise and deep breathing, and a glass of water just before retiring.

Fifth Day: The same as the fourth.

Sixth Day: The same as the first, repeating the diet herein given, day by day, for a week or ten days.

[845]

MENUS FOR EMACIATION

SPRING MENU

EMACIATION—UNDERWEIGHT—RATHER ANEMIC

Immediately on rising, devote from twenty to thirty minutes to vigorous exercise and deep breathing.

BREAKFAST

• A whole wheat muffin
• One two-minute egg
• Two exceedingly ripe bananas, baked; serve with thin cream
• A cup or two of milk
• Half a cup of bran, cooked; serve with cream

LUNCHEON

• Two or three whipped eggs, with two glasses of milk and two teaspoonfuls of sugar
• Half a cup of bran

DINNER

• A cup of hot water
• Green peas, asparagus, spinach, turnips, carrots, or creamed onions or creamed onions[846]
• A baked potato or whole wheat gems
• Half a glass of buttermilk, or whipped eggs, prepared as for luncheon
• A cup of chocolate

Drink from one to three glasses of either water or milk at each of these meals.

Take sufficient wheat bran to keep the bowels in normal condition.

For recipe for baked bananas, whipped and coddled eggs, see pp. 677 and 678.

[847]

SUMMER MENU

EMACIATION—UNDERWEIGHT—RATHER ANEMIC

On rising, drink two glasses of water and take vigorous exercises and deep breathing.

BREAKFAST

• A small quantity of very ripe fruit, such as peaches, plums, or cantaloup
• Two fresh eggs, whipped seven or eight minutes; sweeten to taste, adding half a glass of milk to each egg; drink slowly
• A spoonful or two of wheat bran and crushed wheat (half of each), thoroughly cooked, eaten with butter and cream

LUNCHEON

• Three eggs, prepared as for breakfast
• A spoonful of wheat bran

DINNER

• A cantaloup or one or two very ripe peaches
• A morsel of salt fish or chicken
• A baked potato
• Two or three eggs, prepared as for breakfast
• Two or three exceedingly ripe peaches and a small portion of bran

Just before retiring, eat a few peaches or plums, and take a spoonful of bran.

[848]

FALL MENU

EMACIATION—UNDERWEIGHT—RATHER ANEMIC

BREAKFAST

• A cup of hot water
• A small bunch of grapes
• Two or three egg whites and one yolk, whipped from four to five minutes. While whipping, add slowly one tablespoonful of sugar and one of lemon juice
• One very ripe banana with thin cream, raisins, and either nuts or nut butter

LUNCHEON

• Two or three eggs, prepared as for breakfast
• Two medium-sized baked sweet potatoes, with butter
• A small portion of rice, or corn hominy, with butter and cream

DINNER

• Cooked spinach, or anything green, as a salad
• Carrots, parsnips, turnips, squash—any one or two of these or two of these[849]
• A small portion of fish or half a glass of butter milk
• A baked white potato
• A cup of hot water

Sufficient coarse wheat bran or bran gems should be taken to keep the bowels in natural or normal condition. Unless elimination of waste is normal, it is difficult to gain weight.

[850]

WINTER MENU

EMACIATION—UNDERWEIGHT—RATHER ANEMIC

BREAKFAST

• A cup of hot water, with a very little sugar and cream
• Just a bite of fruit—preferably grapes
• Whole wheat, thoroughly cooked, eaten with cream
• Two eggs prepared any way they are most agreeable; preferably (uncooked) whipped

Emergency Luncheon III

• A baked sweet potato, eaten with butter
• A liberal portion of gelatin
• Two cups of cocoa or chocolate

[851]

For cooking "Vegetables," see p. 670.

[852]

SPRING MENU

RUN-DOWN CONDITION FLATULENCY—UNDERWEIGHT

First Day: On rising, drink copiously of cool water, and devote from five to eight minutes to deep breathing exercises.

BREAKFAST

• The juice of a sweet orange (Florida Russet preferred)
• A cup of water
• Two glasses of fresh milk
• Two or three corn-meal muffins, with fresh butter

LUNCHEON

• From one to three glasses of buttermilk, according to hunger
• One egg, whipped as for breakfast

DINNER

• One glass of water
• Fresh string beans, peas, or asparagus, cooked
• preferably in a casserole dish
• Two medium-sized baked white potatoes (new);
• eat skins and all[853]
• An egg or a cup of junket
• A cup of hot water
• A tablespoonful of wheat bran

Just before retiring, take a glass of water and the juice of half an orange, and devote from three to five minutes to deep breathing exercises.

Second Day: The same as the first, slightly increasing or decreasing the quantity of food according to normal hunger.

[854]

Third Day:

BREAKFAST

• Very ripe berries or a baked apple with a spoonful of cream
• A cup of hot water with a very little sugar and cream, or taken clear if desired
• Two extremely ripe bananas (must be black spotted), eaten with cream and either nuts or nut butter
• One or two eggs whipped or taken whole in orange juice

LUNCHEON

• A cup or two of chocolate, with thin cream
• A whole wheat gem or a corn-meal gem
• A tablespoonful of wheat bran

DINNER

• A salad of lettuce or endive, with nuts
• A large, boiled Spanish onion
• Two medium-sized baked sweet or white potatoes
• Fish or chicken
• One glass of water

Fourth Day: Same as the third.

[855]

Fifth Day: Same as the first, repeating these menus for a week or ten days as here given. The menus may be varied according to vegetables, fruits, and berries that may come into market as the season advances.

[856]

SUMMER MENU

RUN-DOWN CONDITION FLATULENCY—UNDERWEIGHT

The above menus are composed of the fewest number of articles that will supply the nutritive elements required. They may be increased according to normal hunger, but the combinations should be observed.

[858]

FALL MENU

RUN-DOWN CONDITION FLATULENCY—UNDERWEIGHT

First Day: On rising, drink two cups of hot water. Also eat half a pound of grapes, and devote from three to five minutes to exercises Nos. 3 and 5. (See Vol. V, pp. 1344 and 1345.)

BREAKFAST

• Corn bread or a baked white potato
• One extremely ripe banana, eaten with thin cream, nut butter, and a few raisins
• Cocoa or milk

LUNCHEON

• Choice of carrots, parsnips, squash, or any fresh vegetable
• A baked sweet potato

DINNER

• A salad of anything green
• Any two of the following:
• [C] Boiled onions, string beans, carrots, squash, parsnips, turnips, or pumpkin
• A baked potato
• A very small portion of fish or white meat of chicken. (If neither of these are convenient, an egg cooked two minutes may be substituted.)

[859]

Eggs, buttermilk, or cheese are preferable to fish or chicken, but the latter may be used to bring up the proteid balance, when the former articles cannot be procured.

[C] Some one of these vegetables should be made very hot with red pepper for the purpose of exciting stomach and intestinal peristalsis.

A glass of water should be drunk at each of these meals.

Second Day: The same as the first, increasing or decreasing the quantity of food according to normal hunger. Do not overeat.

Third Day: The same as the second.

No doubt the symptoms the first two or three days will be that of weakness and emptiness. This will pass away during the week. There is ample nourishment in the articles prescribed to sustain the body even under strenuous physical labor, but these combinations of food may not be well assimilated the first few days.

[860]

FOURTH DAY:

BREAKFAST

• A cup of hot water
• One whole egg cooked two minutes
• Whole wheat muffins
• A cup of chocolate

LUNCHEON

• A salad
• A portion of tender fish or two glasses of milk
• A baked potato or a whole wheat gem
• A cup of hot water

DINNER

• A bit of green salad
• Choice of fish, eggs, or buttermilk
• One fresh vegetable—preferably string beans made very hot with red pepper
• A baked white potato
• (A liberal portion of spinach could be eaten at this meal)
• A cup of hot water

Wheat bran or a few Concord grapes just before retiring.

Fifth Day: The same as the fourth.

Sixth Day: The same as the first.

Seventh Day: The same as the second and so on, for a period of about fifteen days.

[861]

WINTER MENU

RUN-DOWN CONDITION

FLATULENCY—UNDERWEIGHT

It is well to remember that the best nourished person is the one who subsists upon the fewest number of things that will give to the body the required amount and character of nutrition.

Two glasses of cool water on rising, and the juice of a sweet orange. Devote as much time as possible to vigorous deep breathing exercises before an open window.

A baked omelet may be used now and then. (See recipe, p. 678.)

For "Choice of Menus," see p. 683.