The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1917-08-09
LUNCHEON OR SUPPER
BY Scale HARRIS. M. d.

0NHERE is a difference OF opihioii
as to whether the heavy meal
x of the day should be eaten
| about noon, or in the evening after work
| is done. In the country and in the
smaller cities and towns, where most
people retire early and where they have
long working hours, so that one may
rest for an hour after dinner. II is
undoubtedly best to have the heavy meal
in the middle of the day. The same
is true for city jewellers who have the
habit Of retiring and arising early ana
who stretch out working day through
IL or 10 hours.
1t undoubtedly interferes with diges-
tlon to work either physically or men
meal The inclination to rest when the
stomach Is full is natural to all animals,
includings the genus homo. The ami
mails like the COW and dog that follow
instinct, lie down after eating; but civil
lied man has departed from nature,
and he takes a stimulant, caffeine, in his
cup, or a demitasse, of coffe, or in
glass of Ice tea, so that his brain and
muscles may be active after heavy
meal. He does not realize that the Flaw
of compensation" holds throughout ma
| ture, that whatever stimulates is fol-
Flowed by corresponding period of de-
preston, and that, sooner or later, both
in efficiency and in health he pays
the price for his coffee or tea.
For the man who gets up at or
with but short time for his noon meal
and therefore cannot slow down for an
hour or two after eating heartily-as
most people unconsciously dot is bet
ter to eat(a luncheon at u to o'clock
and have dinner at or o'clock when
he may sit quietly and rest after eat
ing.
The great trouble with most people
who take luncheon at noon and dinner
at Is that they really eat two heavy
meals a day. The same is often true
with those who have dinner at noon and
supper at night. 1t is SO easy to serve
cold meats for either luncheon or sup
per, and preserves and other sweets that
one is apt to overeat and not get bal
anced meal
Nearly all authorities agree that meats
should be eaten sparingly and at only
| one meal day. With a meat shortage
| facing us we soon may not be able to
get meat even once day. 1t therefore
| behooyes us to reduce our meats before
the absolute necessity for living without
! 1t comes to us.
| Meat remains in the stomach longer
and stimulates the flow of gastric juice
more than most foods and the excess
of meats Is not only low in nutrition
value but adds enormously to the work
of the liver and kidneys 1t would
| therefore, seem that meat should be
eaten at time when ones muscular
and nervous systems are not taxed with
| the duties OF a strenuous day, but taken
rather at an hour when the digestive or
gans are free to best perform their func-
lions. The noon hour is surely not the
time for the eight-hour day worker
to take his meats.
| If one can get physical and mental rest
or siesta for one-half to an hour after
eating the noon meal, until the process
of digestion Is well established, then is
| the time to eat meats. Because meats
tax the digestive organs, If taken al
nights a short time before retiring They
often cause bad dreams or wakefulness
| This Is particularly true with children
whose digestive organs have not devel-
oped sufficiently to take care OF meats
when sleeping. Children should have the
heavy meal Of the day at noon and
i they should be induced to rest. even II
| they do not sleep, for an hour after
| THE MEATLESS LUNCHEON OR
SUPPER
Having ruled meats out for luncheon
or supper what foods should be taken
! The man with the war garden has the
best answer. Luncheon or supper should
have about the same food value (S0
calories) as breakfast. 1t should BIZ
bulky. but not heavy. and should con
sist largely Of vegetables.
/ If a man would live long and not de.
velop stiff joints, a lame back and thu
other infirmities of old age he SHOULD
eat largely of garden products. Vege
tables contain large proportion Of The
base farming elements that neutraliz,
the acid waste products that are taker
up by the blood from the tissues. They
therefore, tend to keep down acidity O.
the blood and urine--the condition tina
was formerly called the uric acid ola