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Maintaining Health
by R. L. Alsaker

(Page 19 of 31)

For a balanced dietary we need some building food, protein; some force food, starch, sugar and fat; some of the mineral salts in organic form, best obtained from raw fruits and vegetables; and a medium in which the foods can be dissolved, water.

We need a replenishment of these food stuffs at intervals, but it is not necessary to take all of them at the same meal, or even during the same day. Those who believe that all alimentary principles must enter into every meal must necessarily injure themselves through too complex eating. In talking of these alimentary principles, reference is made to them only when they are present in appreciable quantities.

To have the subject better in hand, let us again classify the most important foods:

Flesh foods, which are rich in protein.

Nuts, which contain considerable protein and fat.

Milk and cheese, which contain much protein.

Eggs, taken principally for their protein.

Cereals, the most important contents being starches.

Tubers, containing much starch.

Legumes, rich in protein and starch.

Fresh fruits, well flavored and high in salt contents.

Sweet fruits, containing much fruit sugar.

Succulent vegetables, chiefly valuable because of salts and juices.

Fats and oils, no matter what their source, are concentrated foods which furnish heat and energy when burned in the body.

When people are free and active in the fresh air they can eat in a way that would soon ruin the digestive powers of those who lead more artificial lives. It is a well known fact that we can go hunting, fishing, tramping or picnicking and eat mixtures and quantities of foods that would ordinarily give us discomfort. The freedom and activity, the change and the better state of mind give greater digestive power.

Those who wish to live their best must pay some attention to the combination of food. It is true that very moderate people, those who take no more food than the body demands, can combine about as they please. These moderate people do not care to mix their foods much. They are satisfied with very plain fare. Much as we dislike to acknowledge the fact, nearly all of us take too much food, even those who most strongly preach moderation. By combining properly much of the harmful effect of overeating can be overcome.

Fruitarians

I class as fruitarians those who eat only cereals, fruits and nuts. This may not be a correct definition, but after reading much literature on dietetics it is the best I can do. Their combinations should present no difficulties.

They should take cereals once or twice a day; nuts once or twice a day; fruit once a day in winter and once or twice a day in summer. The winter fruit should be sweet part of the time. In summer it can be the juicy fruit and berries at all times.

The fruitarians should be careful to avoid the habitual combination of acid fruits with their cereals.

One meal a day can be made of one or two varieties of fruit and nothing else. Nuts may be added to the fruit at times.

Another meal may be made of some cereal product with nut butter or some kind of vegetable oil.

A third meal may be some form of sweet fruit, with which may be eaten either bread or nuts, or better still, combine one sweet fruit with an acid one.

Most people would consider such a diet very limited, but it is easy to thrive on it, and it is not a tiresome one. There are so many varieties of fruits, nuts and cereals that it is easy to get variety. These foods do not become monotonous when taken in proper amounts. On such a diet it does not make much difference which meal is breakfast, lunch or dinner. The rule should be to take the heartiest meal after the heavy work is done, for hearty meals do not digest well if either mind or body is hard at work.

It is not difficult to get all the food necessary in two meals, but inasmuch as the three meal a day plan is prevalent the menus here given include that number of meals.

Breakfast: Apples, baked or raw.

Lunch: Brown rice and raisins.

Dinner: Whole wheat zwieback with nut butter.

Breakfast: Oranges or grapefruit.

Lunch: Pecans and figs.

Dinner: Bread made of rye or whole wheat flour, with nut butter or olive oil.

Breakfast: Any kind of berries.

Lunch: Dates.

Dinner: Whole wheat bread, with or without oil, Brazil nuts.

These combinations are indeed simple, but these foods are very nourishing and most of them concentrated, so it is best not to mix too much. They are natural foods, which digest easily when taken in moderation, but if eaten to excess they soon produce trouble.

It is no hardship to live on simple combinations. We have so much food that we have fallen into the bad habit of partaking of too great variety at a meal. The fact is that those who combine simply enjoy their foods more than those who coax their appetite with too great variety. There is no physical hardship connected with simple eating, and as soon as the mind is made up to it, neither is there any mental hardship.