What to eat and when

by Susanna Cocroft

Due to the weakened condition of the nerves, troubles which at other times seem trifles are as mountains and very real. Patience and intelligent sympathy, not apparent pity, are the best of medicines.

The tone of the nervous system is quickly altered by the state of mind of the individual. The reaction is a double one, constituting a “vicious circle.” The nerves, disordered from worry, excessive fatigue, or other drains on the vitality, as a persistent pessimistic outlook on life, do not stimulate the natural digestive processes. The faulty digestion may fail to prepare a sufficient amount of food for use by the system. The nerves are thus underfed, which still further increases their inability to send motor and secretory impulses to the digestive and eliminative organs. Emaciation, general debility, and anemia may result.

Hence the importance, in the relief of any nervous condition, to see first that the attitude of mind be calm and quiet with the substitution of thoughts of hope and cheer for those of gloom and depression. The afflicted one must make a brave struggle because the tired body affects his thoughts as well as his thoughts his body.

There is no one food or set of foods which directly affect any nervous trouble unless this trouble be localized by disturbance in some particular organ. Then the effort must be to correct the difficulty in that organ.

Rest is imperative.

If thin, a fat-building diet should be followed to store energy-building reserve in the nerve centers.

In many cases of nerve debility the nerves seem to be stronger in the latter part of the day. When this is the case the hearty meal should be eaten at this time.

Neuralgia

The condition of the blood is affected by the lack of its necessary ingredients, which may occur through faulty digestion as well as through improper diet. The resultant anemia of the nerves may produce neuralgic pains in any one or several of the tissues and organs, as the stomach, the intestines, the muscles, or the liver, etc. Neuralgia of the liver is sometimes mistaken for gallstone colic.

When underlying conditions of disease have been excluded by means of careful tests of the urine and blood, the diet becomes of importance and may result in the disappearance of the pain.