The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1871-12-19
FaIIacies as to Diet.

1t is true that the appetite does
sometimes become perverted. ltis true
/ that it does become sometimes symp-
tom of disease. But these cases are
exceptional.
Hideous doctrines have been taught
on this subject. We have been solemn
ly told to rise from the table a. hun
cry as when we sat down. We have
been told To be always ready for a
a meal-in other words, to live in
state of perpetual hunger. We have
been told to eat those thing. which we
most hate and to avoid those things
that we most love-that to have a
longing for any article is the very rea
son why we should be denied it.
These doctrines are monstrous. They
are unworthy of the nineteenth centu
ry. They are a libel on the Creator
who gave us taste and appetite, in or
der that we might know what to eat
and drink, and gave us also judi ment
to direct appetite and taste when the
system becomes diseased.
Notwithstanding all its liability to
perversion, the appetite is, on the
whole, better guide in selecting food,
and in measuring its quantity, than all
the books on hygiene that have ever
been written.
The practice of weighing the food,
which was introduced to the world by
the example and teachings of Cornaro,
: the Italian, cannot be too strongly re-
probated. 1t is impossible for the
b. scales to tell us how much to eat. The
t quantity of food that we need depends
on the amount of labor that we DO, on
' the nature of the constitution, on ouI
| mental moods and on the quality and
2 variety of the food which is served.
!. To weigh or measure the food habit
:. ually is not only silly, unnecessary
and useless; it is actually a crime. /
e wastes valuable hours that should b,
y better employed. 1t makes us miser
IS able, and that fact alone is argumen
@ enough against it. 1t brings on indi
d geston and all other woes, and there
fore prevents us from getting the bes
n advantage Of what we eat.
It Another common fallacy in regar
to diet, is the theory that one or tw
h kinds of food, at each meal, are NOR
n easily digested, and more wholesom
g than a large and palatable variety.
Our books on health tell us owe
C and over again that two articles a
p each meal are sufficient, and that "
| shall be liable TO eat more if the tabl
Ie is covered with generous variety.
)! Ny advice is emphatic and clear
a Let there he as generous, agreeabl
and attractive variety at each mea
II we can afford. Let the limits of ths
N variety be determined by our purse
our tastes, our appetites, and our Ia
% ent in cooking, and not by the book
1t it possible for nearl y every fam
r. ly to have a good variety Of food q
" least. at the principal meal of the da,
ut without great expense. Cookery
| one of the fine arts. 1t should be mad
l. a study. We have good books 0
" cookery at the present time, and ever
T.. young wife who loves her househol,
ID and every young maiden who hopes
[? have household to love, should stud
Sc the best works on this subject, just /
of they grammer, arithmetic and geogri
I'd ply in the schools and, above al
a should practice the art with their CIV
hands at home.
Genius never made any lady goo
c. cook. The art is acquired by clo
,,s study and patiert practice, by man
ys and repeated failures. A good coo
sr can make pleasant and healthfi
Oh meal out of few simple articles.
poor cook will make wIetched di
,ss ner, even with the whole market
en- her disposal. | hope to see the d,
,c. when the art Of preparing food will
,vn taught in our schools, like other II
,ut portant branches; when young gin
,as aud young wives will go to the coo
mo- ing-school as they now go to the dau
,b1 ing hall, and when even ladies of fas
Ia ion will boast of their bread and the
tie puddings AS they now boast of the
10 acquisitions in music ana French.
m A variety of food is more healthf
,n' than one or two kinds, because it
nd more easily digested This is a law
elf nature. Appetite teaches us to col
,en bine sweet with sour, vegetables wi
he meat, dry food with wet, etc.
le A meal composed simply Of d
mo- Graham bread, or of potatoes, or
nf fruit even. is far, far less palatable Al
iha l.ss digeslible than meal compos
cd of all three varieties at once. Scien
Ihe aud experience are here in perfect {
90 cord,
est II, therefore, We must eat candy,
~ it he with or just after onr meals.
we mus eat sweets in the evening,
us have sour iruit-spples, or lemo
ale or oranges at the same time, and
me shall be less injured We should II,
Tor er eat large quantity, either of sw'
yea or of sour substances, on n perfect
no empty stomach.
II Still another common fallacy is I'll
ah brain.workers need less nutriment til
io' those who live by their muscles.
ry This idea would never have been
TIC tertaiued il people had depeuded
their own observation and eXperien
axe Bat We have been Influenced BY ia
- teachings aud erroneous theories.
IT,