The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1898-04-28
Educating the stomach,

Habits Of eating are much more the
result of persistent endeayors in one
course than is generally supposed.
While no one can dispense with eating
and live, ii is possible to get into the
habit of eating as much in one meal or
in two as will,sufiice for the maintenance
of all lfe's functions for "a hours. Most
people undoubtedly eat too often. The
stomach kept always full cannot digest its
food perfectly, and this quickly impairs
its tone. Appetite fails, and with food
always at hand so little will be eaten that
not only will flesh and fat be worn off,
but the efficiency for work will be Sc.
riously lessened
1t is generally with the return of warm
weather in spring that the symptoms of
lessened appetite become most common.
Occasional fasts for "a hours are in
springtime good method of clearing out
the foul humors in blood, which are nat
ural from the heavy feeding which cold
weather makes necessity, but which is
now no longer so. We are all so much
creatures Of habit that most people con-
tinue to eat about the same amounts as
in cold weather. until nature protests and
makes this impossible We ought not,
as reasonable beings, to wait for this
protest Doing without meals once or
twice week enables the stomach to re.
gain its strength. There is no loss of
food by such fasts as these, for after
them the appetite is sharper than be-
fore. and as what is eaten is devoured
with gusto, and is well mixed with saliva
it is more perfectly digested.
Most people eat more than is good
for them. This is because they do not
content themselves with plain, whole
some food, but tempt appetite with
dainties and compounds that often have
little nutrition in proportion to their
bulk If people ate as they should
every meal will be closed before the
appetite is fully satisfied. To leave off
eating while still little hungry and
more could be eaten gives a chance for
the stomach to work more easily and di-
gest the food more thoroughly. So soon
as the digestive process begins, which is
within few moments after food enters
into the stomach, nutrition is supplied
to the blood. and thereby distributed to
all parts of the body. Though the man
left off eating whilA. he still could have
eaten more, there will be no sensation
of hunger until nearly the regular time
for eating has arrived. 1t is always bet
ter to have regular hours for meals, and
to keep to these as closely as possible.
For the same reason, eating between
meals should be avoided. 1t crowds
upon the stomach before digestion is
completed a mass of fresh food which at
such times the digestive organs are not
prepared to dispose Of
Children need to eat more frequently
than grown people, partly because they
are much more active. They. therefore,
eat but little at time. In old age, on
the contrary frequent eating is more
injurious than it is iu middle life. All
the organs of the body act more
slowly. and therefore less nutrition is
required Most people who have passed
70 would be better off physically if they
ate only two meals per day, and mod
erately even of those. 1t is possible by
temperate and moderate eating to prolong
life far beyond what the average now is.
Most very old people have all their lives
been abstemious lisers, not only in drink
but in food as well. Moderate eating
and taking enough exercise to make
what is eaten digest well are the best
specifics to enable men to retain health,
and if no accident occurs live to good
old age.