The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-12-25
nuts, meat or graham bread advis-

nuts, meat or graham bread advis-s
able) u !, .,<. ~ =
The question naturally arises: Are
not most of our foods complex in them
selves, including milk and that near
est the perfect food, wheat?
Necessarily the infants food must
contain all. the elements essential to
life and growth; but these are harmo-
niously combined as are all the ele-
ments of nutrition, except fat, in
wheat. Yet skinned milk from
which the animal fat, not easily assim-
Hated, has been extracted) is more
easily digested than entire milk.
White Bread. from which the proteid
has been largely removed, digests
more easily than entire wheat flour
bread, toasted white bread without
butter) being common diet for in
valids; yet cornmeal bread, which is
almost pure proteid, is easily d.
gested.
1t is admitted that, from the scien-
tific viewpoint, the Chinese are the
best fed people in the world Only
their mind-dwarfing system of educa-
ton has prevented their dominating
the world. The Japanese, living large
ly on monodiet of rice, with better
mental conditions, bid fair to become
ruling race. The Scotch, living
largely on oatmeal, have won distinc-
ton in science, invention and philos-
ophy for centuries. The worlds mas
terpieces originate never in the ban
quet hall, but often in the garnet, fed
by dry crusts.
During the past ~ months I have
eaten almost exclusively but one ar
ticle at a meal-rice, whole-wheat
bread, peanuts, bananas, beans, pota-
toes (baked), apples, and, as rule,
nuts at noon and fruit in the evening
my regular diet-and have enjoyed
perfect health and increased eff.
cheney.
The human system has developed a
vironment, food included. Evolution
has produced in man an inhabitant Of
all climates. capable of subsisting on
great variety of foods. The diet of the
average American is not a uniform
one, but continually changing diet.
This is true not of the traveller only
who may lunch in Chicago and dine in
Kalamazoo, but equally of the society
woman who may dine at home to-day
and tomorrow at the church, and OF
the business man or woman who eats
at restaurant or hotel The only
system the average person has in eat
ing is that of having no system, COM
paratively speaking.
If, however, one has long been in
the habit of drinking a cup or two of
the dropping of that stimulant will
cause, for awhile, the same incon-
venience that the habitual user of in
toxicants finds on disseminating his
daily two or three glasses of beer
wine or whisky or that the smoker
finds for time after he stops smok-
ing.
| often hear people say they are
convinced that coffee, for instance
is injurious, but when they tried
to leave off using it, they suf-
fered from nervous headache so much
that they were obliged to resume its
use to be in fit condition for their
work. Persons who have tried to do
without meat often conclude that they
are the better for eating it, because
they do not feel so we'll when they
discontinue it-for few days.
Eating or drinking any particular
food Or drink becomes in time habit,
and even though it may be injurious,
it is hard to discontinue it. Even the
substitution of better habit is irk-
some
Natures way is to change gradually,
as we see in the weaving of the young,
as we may see when at times the food
of our domestic animals is changed.
Suppose, for instance, that you de.
eide to discontinue the use of coffee,
mix with the coffee one-fourth cereal
coffee for the first week or two, next
one-half, then three fourths, and finally
use pure cereal coffee which may be
continued as substitute drink or
not.
In living OH one article of diet. even
milk, or wheat, or fruits. which may
supply every element of material nu-
triton needed by the system, there is
a craving for something else for a
time. 1t does not necessarily follow
that something else is really needed,
but only that the habit of eating more
than one thing is calling for satisf2c.
ton. 1t is we'll known that there is a
crying demand for food during the
fAcst few days Of fast, but that after
tn, fourth day there may be no call
for food for 80 days Or more
In adopting a complete new diet, the
law Of gradual change applies as in
dealing with single article, like cof-
fee. Yhe manner of effecting the
change, in detail, should be deter
mined by age. temperament. and other
particulars. The longer the habit has
been established the more gradual
should be the change. a person of
nervous temperament should change
more slowly lhan phelgmatic person
Of iron will
Occasionally after one has become
established in the better way and be-
ing fully convinced that the change
has proved benehc ial, an overwhelm-
ing desire will take possession
IF one to return, temporarily, to
the old way. ] believe it is best,