Deep breathing of fresh air, to throw off the poisonous carbon dioxid and to supply an abundance of oxygen to oxidize the waste, thus putting it in condition to be expelled from the system; brisk exercise to accelerate the circulation, that the blood may carry the oxygen freely and that the tissues may liberate the carbon dioxid and other waste; and a copious drinking of water, are the best tonics for loss of appetite or for a lack of vitality.
Economy in Food
It is economy, therefore, to keep the digestive organs and the circulation and tissues strong, in order that all foods eaten may yield returns, instead of hampering activity.
The food which furnishes the most tissue-building substance and yields the most heat and energy, with the least refuse, is the economical food. In the selection of food for any individual, the result to be gained from the food must be borne in mind. If one is doing heavy muscular work, more protein to rebuild tissue, as well as more carbohydrates and fats to produce energy, are required than if one’s habits of work are sedentary. In mental work, where the brain is continually active, proteins are required to re-supply the brain tissue, but the fats and carbohydrates may be lessened. This would seem to contradict the theory that where one’s habits are sedentary and the brain alone is active, the proteins are not required. In sedentary occupation, the carbohydrates and fats are stored within the system, clogging it and producing torpid liver, constipation, and obesity,—unless the brain is sufficiently active to use all of the fuel in brain energy.
In a dietary study of the following tables, the question should be to provide the largest quantity of nutriment at the lowest cost, with due attention to palatability and variety. In the selection of meats, for instances, while beefsteak may cost twice as much as beef stew, it must be borne in mind that beefsteak contains very little waste, and it contains a large proportion of albuminoids, or the tissue building proteins, while, in the beef stew, the bones and the connective tissue predominate; the proteins yielded from the beef stew are a large proportion gelatinoids and extractives,—not the tissue building albuminoids. This would not hold in comparing the cheaper and the more expensive cuts in the same kind of beefsteak; the cheaper cuts often yield quite as much nutriment as the more expensive ones. Round steak is just as nourishing as porter-house and much cheaper.
Much is said about the bacteria present in the atmosphere, the microbes in the food, etc., that one is puzzled to know, not only what to eat, but how to breathe, and, in fact, which way to turn to avoid them; but microbes and bacteria have been present in the atmosphere and in matter everywhere since time began. They are a part of the natural surroundings, and the body, if kept in strong vitality, has sufficient resistive power to enable one to live unharmed by them. The danger lies in allowing the system to run down and the vital force to ebb, so that the body becomes an easy prey to them.
Habit and Regularity of Eating.
There is no doubt but that the habit of eating governs one’s convictions of what the system requires. One is inclined to think that a desire for a food is a requirement of Nature; yet it may simply be the continuance of a habit. The vital organs form habits just as one forms a habit of walking, sitting or of carrying the head or the hands, and habit re-asserts itself.