Show WHAT to EAT and WHY HY C. C Houston Goudiss Reveals Several Reasons Why Food Sometimes Disagrees Warns Against Eating When Tired or Worried By C. C HOUSTON GOUDISS A A GREAT many people have the unfortunate habit of oft t V warning friends and acquaintances against this or that food on the ground that it is difficult to digest or is almost sure to cause digestive distress especially if eaten at atthe athe atthe the he wrong time of day or in combination with the wrong foods Indeed to hear some men and women recount the I 0 various var ous are left alone is to wonder how they manage to find anything to eat at all in view of the many good foods they con con- consider consider consider sider taboo Certainly there is no objection to food as ns the topic of conversation It is so basic to good health that it itt t should be uppermost upper upper- uppermost t most in the mind mindl l of every individual b who desires de ire to t pro I I s1 mental efficiency And it is also nat nat- natural natural natural ural for a person to tobe tobe tobe be guided by past I experience in de de- determining determining determining what he should eat and what it may be advisable for him to avoid But it is a grave mistake for forone forone forone one person to warn another against any food or combination of foods on the ground that it will cause digestive distress For the truth of the matter is that under proper conditions a normal healthy person should have no difficulty dif dif- difficulty difficulty in digesting almost any food that has a place in the well well- balanced diet Food Dislikes Often Unfounded I once met a woman who told me me that her looking contented-looking hus- hus husband husband could and did eat most ev ev- everything everything ev- ev everything horseshoes Menu planning was simple for her And how different from the problems of the maker home-maker who must try to reconcile her menus both with the food dislikes of various mem mem- members members members bers of the family and with the foods that they declare they cant can't eat for fear of digestive distress It is true of course that indi indi- individuals individuals individuals differ greatly and occa occa- occasionally occasionally occasionally a food that can and should be eaten regularly by most peo peo- people people people will cause distress in an in in- individual individual case But that is no in in- indication indication indication that the food will have havethe havethe havethe the same effect on another per per- person person person son and it is misleading either to proffer or accept advice of this na na- nature nature na- na nature ture from friends It may be that the victim has hasan hasan hasan an allergy to the food in question that that he reacts to it differently than the majority of people But there is also the possibility that the prejudice exists because of some previous distress caused not by the food itself but by the circumstances under which it was eaten Perhaps a clearer understand understand- understanding ing of some of the mental and physiological factors influencing digestion would dispel many of the bugaboos that cause people to avoid various wholesome foods and food combinations and to warn others against them Emotions Influence Digestion Scientists have established that the stomach is capable of reacting to almost every emotion and sen sen- sensation sensation sensation that is experienced by men and women Thus how you eat cat becomes quite as important as what you eat And any food or combination of foods consumed when you are tired worried or angry may cause acute distress whereas the same food when eat eat- eaten eaten en at another time may be di di- digested digested digested without the slightest dis dis- dis- dis This indicates the folly of jump jump- jumping jumping jumping ing to the conclusion that you cant can't eat this or that and shows that one is scarcely justified in warning friends or relatives to avoid certain articles of diet There is a large amount of evi evi- evidence evidence evidence dence that fear anger or anxiety have the effect of diminishing the gastric secretions and further of arresting or slowing down the movement of the intestines If food is eaten under these con con- conditions conditions conditions it may remain stagnant in the alimentary canal with the subsequent formation of gases and decomposition products But in fIr instead in- in instead stead of recognizing the true cause causo of the trouble many people erro erro- erroneously erroneously erroneously blame the food itself I Medical men have frequently noticed that people often develop gastric disturbances when they suffer financial reverses and con con- continue continue continue to suffer from them until their financial condition improves a a striking demonstration of the importance of banishing fear and worry 1 Never Eat When Tired Almost any food may cause dis dis- distress distress distress tress when one is suffering from fatigue So it is unwise to sit down downto to a large meal when exhausted from too much physical or mental work A brief rest before eating will put the body in much better shape to receive and assimilate the food Then if the meal is served in pleasant surroundings and if the food f od is flavorful and well cooked the chances are that it will be di digested di di- digested satisfactorily by all aU normal individuals Be Tranquil at Mealtimes In view of the fact that tran- tran tranquillity tranquillity of mind is essential to the proper utilization of food home- home homemakers homemakers homemakers makers should remember never to discuss unpleasant subjects at meal times Dont Don't nag the chil chil- children children children dren about eating or choose that time to discuss their lapses from discipline Dont Don't talk about finances or take up real or fancied grievances with your husband Let such matters wait walt until the meal mealhas mealhas mealhas has been digested If these suggestions were more generally followed it is almost certain that we would hear much less conversation about foods that cause distress much more whole whole- wholesome wholesome wholesome some talk about the pleasures of the table O C. e C. C Houston M 1033 Goudiss 19 M. 1933 |