The Washington herald., 1914-12-13
WHAT DO YOU EAT?
By ORIsON SWEET MARDEN.
lCopIght. I9l4l


One Of our muIti-millionaires says he
would give a million dollars for his
coachman's appetite
The difference between a poor man and
a millionaire, il is said. is that the for
mer worries over his next meal and the
latter over his last.
There is no question but that food Is
the cause Of untold distress to rich and
poor. both before and after its con-
sumption
How few people know anything what
ever about the chemistry of foods, How
little they know about the fatal re-
suits Of eating at one meal things which
do not combine chemically. elements
which antagonize one another.
Is il not lamentable that a student
can be graduated from college and yet
be utterly ignorant OF the chemistry of
foods which he eats three times every
day Of his life? He learns Latin. Greek.
higher mathematics. something of the
various philosophers and Sciences but
OF the digestive processes Of his own
body he is practically ignorant.
How few wives and mothers know any
thing whatever about the chemistry OF
cooking, or OF the science Of nutrition.
Is IL any wonder that children grow up
sickly. or even chronically diseased. that
they are stunted physically, mentally and
morally?
Vice President Marshall says. Cooks
are more important to civilization than
governors
Our food is the basis Of our minds.
our thinking. our efficiency. Our achieve
ments in life. our happiness depend upon
what We eat. the manner OF its prepara-
ton. and the way in which we partaks
Of it. Yet in the majority OF families
the choice Of foods is largely left to iE-
nOrant cooks. who give us the things
they happen to like themselves. or which
they have been accustomed TO prepare.
and which may not be at all adapted to
our constitution. our temperament. OUT
mode Of living. our habits. or our voCa-
ton. Our diet. accordingly is not only
badly prepared. but the articles which
compose it do not have the proper val
ues, and have very little bearing upon
our real needs.
There are mul;itudes Of people who are
not actually i'll. but who do not feel
right habitually. and yet they do not
know why Their brains are heavy. they
cannot think clearly their minds are
cloudy. their thoughts are dull: they
do not have that masterfuI feeling. that
thrill of health, which We all feel Is
normal 10 US.
The truth Is. many Of thcm are suf-
fering from tho incomPatibility OF Diff
ferent kinds uf food which may be all
right when taken separately. hut which
develop ChCUIIral antagonism when
taken into the body together.
After big dinners of rich and ComHli-
Gated foOds-for example. after Thanks
giving and hrISJmas dinners. and after
elaborate banIUe,s-Certain diseases arc
much more likely TO develop. both he
cause the ovcrwOrkCd bodily organs
have been cnfecblcd in their efforts -
take care Of the variety and excess OF
fOoG. and also because the greater ac-
cumulation OF poisuns from the half
digested materials which the body could
not assimilatc has greatly weakened its
natural rcSistinC power.
After OvereatinE We take cold much
moro readily. because Of the aCCumu-
lated pOisOns in the system and our
lessencd resisting power. Obesity, d.
ahetes Gout and hardening Of the arteries
are some Of the diseases which are Of
ten caused in this way.
Many seem to think that a large part
of tho happiness OF life comes from
the palate. and that the main object OF
their existence is to crafty It,
The result is that they not only shorten
their lives, but also. while living are
not efficient. so healthy, or so happy
as they would be upon a simpler diet.
suited to their age. occupation, and gen.
eral mode OF life. whether young or old.
sedentary, strenuous, or indOlent.