What to eat and when

During sleep all the processes of the body are retarded.

Blood flow and breathing become slower and the digestive processes slacken. For this reason, if one goes to bed immediately after eating a heavy meal, digestion is retarded. This may react on the nerves, producing fitful or unrestful sleep. Fever or nightmare may result. The annoying, sleepy feeling which often comes on after a meal indicates a lack of balance in the system—usually that more food has been eaten than the body requires. Lessening the amount of food and increasing the exercise and the oxygen, and cleansing the intestinal tract will prevent it.

On the other hand, if the alimentary tract is entirely empty, sleep may not come because there is too much blood in the brain. A glass of hot milk or cocoa, or a couple of crackers, will call the blood to the stomach and will often aid sleep.

After eating a heavy meal, from three to three and a half hours should elapse before retiring for sleep.

The state of mind has much to do with regulating the digestive system. Cheerful thoughts keep the nerves of the entire organism in a normal state, while disagreeable thoughts cause a tense, unnatural condition.

The nerves of the digestive organs are affected by the tenseness of the mind, just as are the nerves to any other part of the body. As an illustration, if one continuously thinks ugly, disagreeable thoughts, these thoughts affect the chemical activities of digestion and assimilation, resulting in an excess of acid in the blood, and actual illness results. Digestion and assimilation being impaired, the tissues become weakened, they lose their resistance, and, as a result, the organs may prolapse. We then have what is called a “vicious circle”—the mind affects the body unpleasantly and the body the mind.

We are learning to consider many factors in looking for the causes of disease, particularly those due to general weakness, or a disturbed mental state. Even the temper shown in a crying babe may affect its digestion by disturbing the normal chemical activity.

Among the blood and digestive disturbances which may result from anxiety, worry, fear, or disagreeable thoughts, are anemia, neurasthenia, indigestion, constipation, prolapsed viscera, and, in fact, all diseases which result from faulty nutrition and resultant weakened tissues.

Disagreeable thoughts affect the appetite, in fact they sometimes cause it to be entirely lost.

All so-called “new thought,” “ologies,” or “isms,” conducive to the formation of the habit of looking on the bright side of life, or of looking for good and joy in life, of kindness, love, and helpfulness, favorably affect the digestion and consequently the health. The practice is Christian Sense.

The nerves control the peristaltic movements of the stomach and the action of the absorptive cells, as well as the cells which secrete the digestive juices. Thus it is that a food which one likes is not only more palatable, but it will also digest more readily, the digestive juices flowing more freely because of the mental stimulus.

It is well, therefore, to begin the meal with something especially appetizing, that the flow of the digestive juices may be incited. For this reason, if one cares for fruit, it is an excellent custom to begin the meal with fruit, or with a well-made soup, containing protein extractives, which will stimulate the flow of digestive juices.

The habit of finishing a meal with some tasty dessert is based on the scientific principle that its palatability will cause the gastric juices to flow more freely after the meal, thus aiding in its digestion.

Dainty service in a sick-room, because of the psychic effect of a meal daintily served, is of utmost importance. Because of the effect on the mind, the sight of a meal served on soiled linen will almost stop the flow of gastric juice and will destroy the desire for food, while a meal well served on dainty linen, with garnishings and tasteful table decorations, incites the flow of gastric juices.

The careful wife and mother, who notes any failure of appetite in members of her family, should attend carefully to the garnishing of her dishes and to serving them in a neat, attractive manner; also to changing her table decorations, so far as may be consistent that the eye as well as the sense of smell and taste may be pleased and the effect of the mind on digestion be exerted.

It is strange, but it is true, that a fresh flower, or a new table decoration, may so pleasantly affect one afflicted with nervous indigestion that the meal more readily digests, while an untidy table, or a lot of food served untidily will retard digestion.

The custom, among hearty eaters, of serving a plate too plentifully, destroys the appetite of one whose digestion is not so active. Our grandmother’s overloaded table, with sufficient food of various kinds to serve many times the number of participants, might stimulate the appetite of hearty, strong men, but the very sight of so much might turn the appetite of one more delicate.

The mind must be relaxed and directed to pleasant themes during a meal or the condition of the nerves of the digestive organs will not permit a free secretion of digestive juices. Chronic indigestion is sure to result from this practice. Dinner, or the hearty meal at night, rather than at noon, is preferable for the business or professional man or woman, because the cares of the day are over and the brain force relaxes. The vital forces are not detracted from the work of digestion.

Foods which are forced down, with a mind arrayed against them, do not digest so readily, because the dislike hinders the flow of the gastric juices. Any food fails of prompt digestion when the nerves controlling the stomach are acting feebly; however, while they digest more slowly during mental protest, they do nourish the system.

Likes and dislikes are largely mental. Certain foods continuously disagree and they should be avoided; but many abstain from wholesome food because it has disagreed a few times. It may be that it was not the particular food but the weakness of the stomach at the time.

Many foods disagree at certain times because of the particular conditions regulating the secretion of digestive juices. When this condition has continued for some time it becomes chronic and a special diet is required, together with special exercises, to bring a better blood supply to stomach and intestines and to regulate the nerves controlling them, in order to correct the abnormality.

One may so form the habit of criticism or of being disgruntled or thinking he cannot eat this food and that, that his entire system suffers. Much indigestion is more mental than physical.

It can be readily seen that any tissue, playing so important a part in digestion as the blood, needs to be kept in as nearly perfect condition as possible. A vigorous circulation stimulates digestion; a poor circulation retards it.

If the blood is poor in quality the digestive organs are not nourished and the digestive secretions are lessened in quantity and quality.

If the blood is imperfectly aërated it carries an insufficient supply of oxygen, combustion is lessened, and the waste, not being in a condition to be removed, remains in the tissues, stagnation results, and a slow poisoning process goes on which gradually causes the system to fail to meet the demands made on it.

The blood tissue can only be kept in condition by an adequate but not excessive amount of good food taken at the proper time, and such active exercise as will thoroughly aërate the blood by bringing the air to the smallest air cells in the lungs.

If one would fight to prevent the money used in daily exchange from being debased, he ought to be much more ready to use every means in his power to prevent a deterioration of the blood, that medium of exchange in his body on which such vital issues depend.

Tobacco and alcohol are two substances which, in excess, materially retard digestion.

The effect tobacco on the stomach is shown by its action on the small boy with his first cigar. Habituated to its use, the nerves become blunted and the nicotin narcotizes them. The use of tobacco renders the sense of taste less delicate, due to the action of the nicotin on the nerves of the taste buds. Men who use tobacco in excess miss the pleasures of taste; all food tastes much alike to them.

Tobacco, due to its action on the vagus nerve, many times causes disorders both of circulation and digestion. The starches are usually not well digested by those who are habitual users of tobacco.

Smoking before meals or when the stomach is empty often occasions nausea.

Because of its narcotic action it often exerts a soothing influence particularly in men of highly nervous temperament who are unwilling to take the necessary exercise to equalize nerve activity.

It was formerly held by physiologists that alcohol was a food, because its oxidation liberates heat, and it was assumed that this liberation of heat was the same as that freed by the combustion of fats, starches, and sugars uniting with oxygen. More recent knowledge, however, has unquestionably determined that the body decomposes alcohol into carbon dioxid and water, thus liberating heat, yet the reaction produces cold and the body requires more heat to warm it.

The blood-vessels of the skin dilate from overstimulation, and heat is radiated faster than it is generated, so that the temperature of the body is really lowered though alcohol gives a sensation of heat. The body, therefore, loses the power to resist cold.

It was formerly used by physicians for its supposed stimulant action, but it has been determined that the apparent stimulant effect is due to irritation of the nerves, particularly of the nerves of the stomach; the temporary spur to activity is followed, however, by depression of the body forces.

The habitual use of alcohol, from overstimulation of the nervous system, affects this system, deranging it permanently, gradually lowering both mental and physical ability, and causing a catarrhal condition of the stomach and intestines.

Alcohol, therefore, even in small quantities, is a poison, and not a food.

In certain conditions it may be used in emergency to spur a flagging or failing organism to action, but owing to the facility with which the alcohol habit is acquired its use should not be continued beyond the period when its immediate action is deemed necessary.

Because tobacco and alcohol are both poisons, the healthy organism has no need of them. The diseased or deranged organism can often find greater benefit from natural remedies than from the artificial stimuli of these substances.

It is a known fact that far more men than women suffer from dyspepsia. One reason for this may be found in the prevalent habit of spitting. Smokers, in whom the irritation of the nicotin causes an excess of saliva, often suffer from gastric troubles, because they expectorate, thus wasting this valuable digestive juice.

Aside from the filthiness of the habit, which has caused laws to be enacted against it, one would think that a little reflection would cause those addicted to it to consider what it means to their health. Overstimulation means weakened salivary glands, impaired secretion, and consequent lessened digestive power. For the sake of their own health if not from motives of decency, men should abandon the habit of expectorating.