Evening star., 1926-02-02
FOOD AND HEALTH
BY WINIFRED STUART GIBBS.
Food Specialist.

| Said q well known publisher on re-
| turning from a business trip; Il am
1 more than ever convinced that every
| one should train himself to be able
4 to detect in himself symptoms that
point to digestive disturbances. Take
this last trip Of mine; / was tired anG
rushed, and yet when John Jones OF
Seattle came along and insisted that
go to lunch with him, l hated 10
| tell him / already felt like stuffed
| owl. because Of big dinner the night
| before and railroad station break
fast. So I went to lunch with John.
and he ordered steak and everything
that goes with it and, of course, ]
felt more like q stuffed owl than
ever.
| Now If the story stopped there it
would scarcely be worth the telling.
Many q man and woman, too. feels
| like a stuffed OWL" and yet goes
| blithely to the next meal, only TO tuck
| away still another. with the half
| digested remains OF the preceding
| ones still ''cluttering up" the stomach
| and intestines. Not so this publisher.
With dinner to plan as he liked, this
wise business man went Ito care
terra, because a chap can get what
he likes there" cafeteria owners
please take noticeD and picked up a
plate Of split pea soup, some brown
bread and butter, shredded raw cab
bage and some baked custard, and,
to use his very own words, felt fine.
In the case of this particular man,
all that was needed to set him to
rights was a light meal, SO that his
overstuffed stomach might regain Its
tone. The point is that he recognized
the fact, and, what is still more inn
portant, acted on the suggestions tele-
graphed to his brain from his dlgeS-
tive apparatus.
Equally satisfactory results may be
obtained by any one who Will take the
trouble to study his own sensations
In relation to his meals. Sometimes,
as in the case of the publisher, simple
rest will suffice. Frequently it may
be wise to go even one step beyond
our publisher friend and omit one
altogether. All according TO circum-
stances. Certainly it does not re-
quire any detailed study of dietetics
to know when the stuffed OWL feel
ing prevails. A bit of common sense
will turn the trick.
Other conditions, il is true, may be
slightly more complicated, but even
so, the mere common digestive dis
orders usually cast their shadows be-
fore and thus give their prospective
victim fair warning.
Suppose, for example, the sensation
is one Of heaviness. accompanied by
depression of spirits, II not by its less
elegant sounding relative, a crouch.
Nine times out of ten constipation Is
at the bottom of this state of affairs.
Again, there may be more or less
continuous loss of appetite, when the
very thought of food repels. Again.
constipation Is almost certainly one
complication, but the condition calls
also for liberal use of green vege-
tables and fruits. 4 glass of orange
Juice in the morning and 4 good serv-
ing of sauerkraut for luncheon will do
wonders. Only don't eat huge serv-
Ing of pork with the sauerkraut.
Still another common condition Is
tense fatigue. Workers who pursue
their calllngs under high pressure
know this feeling. Relaxation is the
slogan for them, Deliberate letting
down" of the entire muscular and
nervous systems may be accomplished
simply by willing. Then. If there Is
time for warm bath before dinner,
so much the better, but, in any event,
five minutes leave reSt"-and the
dinner will go twice as far in really
feeding its eater.
Obviously, only general principles
can be indicated in such a short dis
cussion as this. The message to every
one is: Learn to make the next meal
fit into your present needs. Think of
1t as remedy as well as in the light
Of something more to eat.
Copyright. 1922