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Show HOW MANY MEALS DAILY? fBy Dr. R. R. Daniels.) In some parts of Europe it is the habit to eat five meals daily, although the war has probably curtailed the usual number of meals. In our country coun-try the customary three meals is often increased to four by the habitual "night owl." Again, many persons seem to thrive on two meals daily. What is the proper number of meals? The body needs about so much food of the various kinds each twenty-four hours; the human engine needs about a certain amount of fuel. In how many meals can this be supplied to the best advantage? Physiology of Digestion. The answer to this question is to be Yound in the study of the physiology of digestion. The stomach plays the part of a reservoir for the food, the food being halted in the stomach, mixed thoroughly with the hydrochloric hydro-chloric acid present in that organ and passed slowly in quantities sufficiently small to be easily digested in the small Intestines. In investigation! of the stomach by means of the X-ray it has been demonstrated Stllallalf that in most persons the stomach doet not empty even after a moderate meal in much leat time than tix hourt. If we 1 Id to this two hours rest for th stomach, for we cannot expect this organ to work constantly without rest, v.e have eight hours the period whirl should intervene between the meals To conform to these intervals for tak ing food it is necessary to limit ourselves our-selves to only two meals pi day. Not only is the two meal I day plan the physiologic plan, but in eating this way most personr, will actually digest more food than when eating three meals daily. This for the reason rea-son that the increased peiiod of rest between meals increases the power of digestion and enables the digestive orgnns to do more work. The best hours for the two meals are 8 a. m. and t p. m. But the breakfast may M token earlier and the dinner later. kboat the only exception to this plan should be in the case of those doino hard muscular work. Sui h persons i e up so much food that the process of digestion is quickened. In thin persons an early breakfast and late dinner will permit of a light lunch at noon. |