The cover image was created by the transcriber, based on the cover image of Volume I, and is placed in the public domain.

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF DIET

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF
DIET

A Treatise on the Food Question

IN FIVE VOLUMES

Explaining, in Plain Language, the
Chemistry of Food and the Chemistry of
the Human Body, together with the Art of
Uniting these Two Branches of Science in the
Process of Eating, so as to Establish Normal
Digestion and Assimilation of Food and
Normal Elimination of Waste, thereby
Removing the Causes of Stomach,
Intestinal, and All Other
Digestive Disorders

BY

Eugene Christian, F. S. D.

Volume IV

NEW YORK
THE CHRISTIAN DIETETIC SOCIETY
1914

Copyright, 1914
BY
EUGENE CHRISTIAN

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Published August, 1914

CONTENTS

VOLUME IV

LESSON XV

CURATIVE
AND
REMEDIAL MENUS
CONCLUDED

Low Vitality (continued)

SPRING MENU

LOW VITALITY—UNDERWEIGHT WEAK DIGESTION

Take a cool sponge or a shower bath, a few minutes’ vigorous exercise, and a cup of hot water just after rising.

BREAKFAST

Strained orange juice, diluted—one-half water

One egg whipped five or six minutes with a rotary egg beater, to which add a spoonful of sugar, a flavor of pineapple juice, and a glass of milk

Half-cup of wheat bran, cooked, and a spoonful or two of steamed wheat

LUNCHEON

Three eggs prepared as for breakfast, adding two glasses of milk. Drink slowly

DINNER

A two-egg omelet rolled in cream and grated nuts

Puree of peas or beans

A small baked potato

Take sufficient wheat bran night and morning to keep the bowels in normal action.

SUMMER MENU

LOW VITALITY—UNDERWEIGHT WEAK DIGESTION

A very ripe peach or plum, a cup of cool water, exercise and deep breathing on rising.

BREAKFAST

Cantaloup, peaches, cherries, or any very ripe sweet fruit

Buttermilk or egg, prepared choice

A baked sweet potato

LUNCHEON

Three glasses of milk, taking one-half glass every five or six minutes

A small portion of wheat bran, cooked

DINNER

A green salad

An ear of tender corn

One or two fresh vegetables such as onions, beans, spinach, beets

FALL MENU

LOW VITALITY—UNDERWEIGHT WEAK DIGESTION

BREAKFAST

A small portion of wheat bran, well cooked

A cup of warm milk

One egg, whipped very fine, to which add a very little sugar and lemon juice. Take this uncooked

A few baked chestnuts eaten with butter

LUNCHEON

String beans or carrots—masticate very thoroughly

A large Spanish onion, boiled

A baked potato

Wheat bran

DINNER

Choice of tender fish or chicken

A portion of spinach

A baked potato

Onions, en casserole

A small portion of wheat bran

WINTER MENU

LOW VITALITY—UNDERWEIGHT WEAK DIGESTION

First Day: Drink two glasses of water immediately after rising. Eat one-fourth pound of grapes or some juicy fruit. Devote from three to four minutes to deep breathing exercises.

BREAKFAST

(Half hour later)

Whole wheat, cooked; serve with cream or butter

A baked sweet potato

A cup of milk

A small portion of wheat bran eaten with thin cream

LUNCHEON

A large, boiled Spanish or Bermuda onion

A small portion of carrots, thoroughly cooked

A spoonful or two of wheat bran

DINNER

A cream soup made from celery or onions

Rice made into a thick purée, or a baked potato, carrots, onions, or turnips

A spoonful or two of wheat bran

Just before retiring, take a spoonful or two of wheat bran, uncooked, in a little water, and devote as much time as possible to deep breathing exercises.

From one to two glasses of water should be drunk at each of the above meals. It may be taken hot if preferred. If something hot is desired, as a beverage, take a cup of sassafras tea with a little cream and sugar.

Second Day: The same as the first.

Third Day: The same as the second, slightly increasing the quantity of food if demanded by normal hunger.

Fourth Day: Exercises, water-drinking, and fruit as prescribed for the first day.

BREAKFAST

Two extremely ripe bananas, eaten with thin cream and nut butter or nuts masticated very fine. (They should be baked if not exceedingly ripe)

A cup of sassafras tea or chocolate

LUNCHEON

Three glasses of buttermilk

Two beaten egg whites with three teaspoonfuls of sugar

A tablespoonful of wheat bran

DINNER

A portion of boiled onions and tender carrots, cooked until very soft

Two baked white potatoes eaten with a little butter

Two egg whites prepared any way they are most appetizing

A cup of water, hot or cold

Fifth Day: The same as the fourth.

Sixth Day: The same as the first, repeating the menus for a week or two.

Such vegetables as sweet potatoes, parsnips, baked beans and pumpkin may be added as digestion and assimilation improve.

For recipe for baked bananas, see p. 677; for cooking vegetables, see p. 670.

MENUS FOR OBESITY

SPRING MENU

OBESITY—IRREGULAR HEART ACTION NERVOUSNESS

Fruit-juice, a glass of water, and ten minutes devoted to vigorous exercise and deep breathing just after rising.

BREAKFAST

Choice of fruit

A cup of hot water

Two or three exceedingly ripe bananas (red variety preferred), eaten with raisins, nuts, and cream

LUNCHEON

A portion of fresh fish and a new baked potato

DINNER

A green salad with dressing and nuts

Peas or asparagus

A rare omelet with a dash of grated nuts

A bit of crisp corn bread or a bran meal gem

Most people afflicted with obesity are also afflicted with abnormal appetite, therefore at the outset they may undergo some deprivation, but if this is not yielded to, hunger will soon become normal.

The appetite for an excessive quantity of food is very much like the appetite for coffee, intoxicants, or tobacco, and when the appetite once becomes abnormal and is not held under control, either obesity or chronic autointoxication will be the result.

Luncheon should be omitted unless very hungry.

SUMMER MENU

OBESITY—IRREGULAR HEART ACTION NERVOUSNESS

BREAKFAST

Melon, peaches, or berries

Tender fish, broiled

A new potato or a bran muffin

LUNCHEON

Corn or beans

A salad—lettuce or celery

DINNER

A light soup—vegetable

Eggplant, okra, beans, or squash

Bran gems or a potato

Nuts, with a lettuce salad

FALL MENU

OBESITY—IRREGULAR HEART ACTION NERVOUSNESS

First Day: Immediately on rising, drink a cup of hot water, followed by a cup of cool water. Devote as much time as possible (from three to ten minutes) to such exercises as can be endured. (See Vol. V, pp. 1343 to 1346.) Inflate lungs to their utmost capacity every third or fourth movement.

Secure a spirometer and increase the lung capacity until it registers about two hundred and fifty cubic inches. This is exceedingly important.

BREAKFAST

A cantaloup or soaked, evaporated peaches

Baked chestnuts

Bananas with cream

Bran meal gems

LUNCHEON

A salad

Carrots, squash, beets, parsnips, or turnips

A potato or lima beans

SUPPLEMENTARY LUNCHEON

(To be taken in office)

Two exceedingly ripe bananas, with nut butter and raisins

Two glasses of water

(Or the following at a restaurant or cafe)

Choice of the following vegetables—boiled onions, carrots, parsnips, squash, or tender corn

A baked potato

A glass of water

DINNER

Choice of two vegetables from the selection given for luncheon

A green salad

A baked sweet or a white potato

Two egg whites and one yolk very lightly poached

Two glasses of water

Devote about ten minutes to exercising and deep breathing just before retiring.

Second Day: The same as the first, slightly increasing or decreasing the quantity of food according to normal hunger. It will probably be necessary to draw a very sharp distinction between appetite and hunger. (See Spring Menu, “No Appetite,” p. 1081.)

Third Day: The same as the first, if entirely agreeable.

If the bowels should become too lax, a small portion of rice, cooked in milk, might be taken with both the morning and the evening meal, omitting a similar quantity of other foods.

Fourth Day:

BREAKFAST

Two eggs, whipped from five to eight minutes, into which whip a rounded teaspoonful of sugar, and a dessert-spoonful of lemon juice

Half a glass of water

LUNCHEON

A vegetable salad, with a few nuts

A baked sweet potato

(These two articles should compose the entire meal)

DINNER

Spinach (cooked), or a salad of lettuce and celery with English walnuts, masticated infinitely fine

Choice of one or two fresh vegetables, including
a small, baked white potato

Fifth Day: The same as the fourth.

Sixth Day: The same as the first, repeating the diet for about two weeks.

WINTER MENU

OBESITY—IRREGULAR HEART ACTION NERVOUSNESS

First Day: Immediately after rising, drink a glass of cool water, and the juice of a sweet orange. Devote as much time as possible (five to ten minutes) to vigorous exercises.

BREAKFAST

A cup of hot water

One banana

Two egg whites and one yolk very lightly poached

A small, baked white potato, with butter; eat
skins and all

A small portion of wheat bran cooked five minutes

Note: If the quantity seems insufficient, a corn-meal muffin may be eaten.

LUNCHEON

Boiled onions, carrots, or turnips

A baked potato—eat skins and all

One egg boiled two minutes

DINNER

Celery, endive, or lettuce, with nuts or a simple dressing

Turnips, carrots, spinach, boiled onions—any two of these

A baked white potato, served hot with butter and salt

A portion of wheat bran cooked five minutes

A portion of gelatin, with thin cream

Just before retiring, devote from three to five minutes to exercising. Drink a glass of water, take a spoonful or two of wheat bran, and either a few California grapes or the juice of an orange.

Second Day: The same as the first, slightly varying the meals by choosing different vegetables from the following selections:

Third Day: The same as the second, adding one very ripe banana, eaten with thin cream and raisins, to the morning meal, and a few nuts, if desired.

Banana, nut butter, raisins, and cream make a delicious combination. The entire breakfast could be made of these with good results.

Fourth Day: Exercise, water-drinking, and deep breathing just before retiring and just after rising, as prescribed for the first day.

BREAKFAST

A few Malaga grapes or a sweet orange

Two exceedingly ripe bananas, eaten with thin cream and nut butter

A cup of junket, or a small portion of gelatin with a very little sugar and thin cream

One egg prepared as per recipe in “Introduction to Menus” if the appetite will accept it.

(See p. 678.)

LUNCHEON

A green salad

A small portion of fish or chicken

A baked potato

A cup of hot water

DINNER

One or two fresh vegetables—choice

A glass of buttermilk with a small piece of corn bread

A small portion of gelatin with thin cream

If the bowels are not normal, a portion of wheat bran should be taken at the morning and the evening meal.

Both digestion and assimilation of food can be largely increased by daily taking exercise No. 3 (see Vol. V, p. 1344), vigorously, for ten or fifteen minutes just after rising and just before retiring.

Fifth Day: Same as the fourth, slightly increasing or decreasing the quantity of food according to hunger.

Sixth Day: Same as the first, repeating, for a period of two or three weeks, the menus as given, varying the meals by choosing different vegetables in the same class as those prescribed.

SPRING MENU

ABNORMAL APPETITE OBESITY—DROWSINESS

Menus No. 1 are slightly heavier than Menus No. 2. Choice may be exercised between them, according to hunger, or according to activity or amount of work done.

One glass of water should be drunk at each of the dinner meals.

Two or three tablespoonfuls of wheat bran should be taken twice a week with both the morning and the evening meal. The bran should be cooked five minutes, and eaten with a spoonful of cream.

SUMMER MENU

ABNORMAL APPETITE OBESITY—DROWSINESS

From one to two glasses of water should be drunk at each of these meals.

The accumulation of gas after meals can be largely controlled by extreme mastication, very slow, deliberate eating, and copious water-drinking at meals.

If constipated, take, immediately on rising and just before retiring, a half pound of grapes, swallowing the skins, seeds and pulp. Do not masticate the seeds or pulp. If preferred, half a cup of coarse wheat bran may be taken twice daily instead of grapes.

If the bowels should become slightly lax, the seeds of the grapes should be omitted at night.

Health is Nature’s gift to the young; after that, it is a thing that must be earned.

FALL MENU

ABNORMAL APPETITE OBESITY—DROWSINESS

First Day:

BREAKFAST

One glass of water

A melon

Two or three extremely ripe peaches

Three egg whites, poached very lightly

A bran meal gem

One exceedingly ripe red banana (must be black spotted), with nut butter and thin cream

LUNCHEON

One egg, whipped, mixed with a large glass of milk (A half hour later, eat two or three exceedingly ripe peaches)

DINNER

Half a glass of water

Half a cantaloup

A lettuce and tomato salad

Two medium ears of tender corn

A small portion of tender fish

Note: I would advise a spirometer for measuring the capacity of the lungs. The normal lung capacity for a man 5 feet 7 to 10 inches in height should be about 300 cubic inches, and for a woman 5 feet 3 inches, 180 to 200 cubic inches. The ability to use surplus food, which the appetite will continue to demand for some time, will depend upon the amount of exercise and deep breathing taken, and the consequent lung capacity.

Second Day: Same as the first, slightly increasing the quantity of food taken at each meal, if demanded by Normal Hunger.

Third Day:

BREAKFAST

One glass of water

Choice of melon, peaches, or plums

An exceedingly ripe banana, eaten with thin cream

One whole egg, or a small piece of broiled fish

A very small baked potato—sweet or white

LUNCHEON