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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
- 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.
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
- 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.
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.
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
- 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.
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:
| All fresh vegetables | Milk |
| Eggs | Nuts |
| Green salads | Subacid fruits |
| Melon | Very tender fish or white meat of fowl—occasionally |
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.
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 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.
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
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
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.]