The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1912-07-12
WHY AND WHAT We
SHOULD EAT AND THE
BODY AS AN ENGINE
WHOLESOME AND DlGESTIBLE
FOOD TO PRODUCE HEAT
AND TISSUE.
SHOULD GIVE IT THOUGHT
Strong, Healty Lives Within Reach Of
All Who VIII. Spend Little Time
and Thought 70 Find Out What is
Needed. ~
(By Margaret B. Foulks.

(By Margaret B. Foulks.C
In the midst of the rush and whirl
OF present day living, how few of US
ever ask ourselves the question, why
dc I eat? We go into hotels, restau-
rants, homes in cities and country
and we find everywhere that whatev-
er else is given up for lack of time or
money, someway, somehow. there
must be food and time to eat it.
Most of US have vague, general
idea that we eat to live, and that the
body must get its strength from food.
We might think of the body as an en-
CINE and as being compelled to have
fuel to burn to produce heat and en-
ergy, but unlike a machine the body
must repair itself. Therefore If we
stop and answer this question serious
ly we might say we eat to furnish
our bodies with heat and energy, and
to give it the material for .epair
and growth. In other words the func-
tion Of food is two-fold. 1t is put
into the body to supply it with heat
an energy, and to give it material t r
repairing and building tissue. Most
foods contribute some to both pro.
cesses, but some are richer In the
heat producing qualities, while others
ere mostly made of the tissue build
ing materials
We may think we are eating 10 sat
.isfy hunger, from habit or pleasure it
gives us, but there is back of all that
natures call for the material she
needs to keep the body in perfect
condition. We may truly say we
eat to live, but those who care to
must 60 deeper than that and remem-
do more. than exist, who. desire to
have clean, healthy, successful lives,
Der we eatsto give the body some Of
all the elements nature uses in max
ing brain, bone. tissue. fat and
blood.
Man can and does exist on very
unsuitable and even injurious food,
tut it is existence only and not real
living. Wholesome and diges.ible
food is a necessity to every effective
lite, and wholesome digestible food is
the only substance that can be turn
cd into energy, heat and tissue. A
great many people to-day are selling
their birthright of health, energy,
clear brains and strong muscles for
a mess of pottage, and for ten min
utes satisfying of appetite, they are
getting in. return as many hours of
pain and suffering.
When we have learned why we eat,
the question must follow, if l am
eating to supply material for heat,
energy and tissue, what must / eat?
Ever since the world began nature
has provided the food mans system
calls for in some form. With the
savage it was not so much which
food shall l eat as what food can l
get But even then nature provided
the different elements needed though
in a cruder, simpler form than we
have at present. For many years
the race has been studying the food
problem and with the birth and
growth of agriculture, it becomes
more and more possible to choose
our food. The small sour fruits
were cultivated and became the lu-
cious, juicy products we have today.
A similar development took place in
grain, vegetable and animal foods.
The savage knew nothing of food
values, his eye and ear being the
only guide, and sometimes very roor
ones.
1t would seem then that strong,
healthy lives are within reach of all
who care to spend little time find
ing what nature calls for and sup
plying that call. 1t Is most often
the case that this time spent in
studying right living will give back
letter results with much less ex-
tense, time and waste, and the old
way of working without thought or
knowledge.