Encyclopedia of Diet: A Treatise on the Food Question, Vol. 3

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.)

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.

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.

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
• 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.

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)

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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, 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.

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.

SUMMER MENU

FOR BUSINESS MAN

THIN—NERVOUS—IRRITABLE INSOMNIA—STOMACH AND INTESTINAL TROUBLE

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

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.

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

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.

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

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 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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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

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)

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

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.

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

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
• 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.

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

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.

WINTER MENU

HEADACHE—TORPID LIVER

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

Choice of the following: