The Art Of Living. Living To Eat

"If thou wouldst enjoy a long life, labour to bring thine appetite to reason."

SOME people find a large portion of enjoyment when they can just sit down and enjoy themselves to their fullest extent and capacity, unlimitedly, in eating and drinking, apparently forgetful of the fact that this is not only a perversion of Nature's laws, but is certain to be visited by retribution. Enough is not as good as a feast for such individuals. Nothing short of being full of food, to repletion, gives any satisfaction.

In fact some people eat just like some animals, in that they eat as much and as often as they possibly can. They lose sight of the true purpose of food, the upbuilding of the body and not the gratification of the sense of taste to the extent of gourmandizing.

The sense of taste, combined with the sense of smell, is intended as a guide to enable man to make a proper selection of food. When properly used it also tells him when he has had sufficient to eat. A wholesome appetite, with an unperverted sense of taste, when naturally satisfied, is one of the joys of life. The natural sense of taste becomes blunted by the use of mustard, pepper and other condiments. For this reason they are best dispensed with, or used with extreme moderation.

It is related of Diogenes the Cynic, that, meeting a young man who was going to a feast, he took him up in the street and carried him home to his friends, as one who was running into imminent danger, had not he rescued him.

Evidently Diogenes knew the dangers of excess in eating, if the youth were to have placed before him fowl, fish and flesh; entrees, spices and salads of twenty different herbs; confections and fruits of numberless fruits and flavors ; oil, wines and sauces of a hundred different ingredients. Certainly a dangerous mess.

Contrast this with what an eminent physician advised : "Make your whole repast out of one dish, if you indulge in a second, avoid drinking anything strong until you have finished your meal, at the same time abstain from all sauces, or at least such as are not plain and simple." A man could not be well guilty of gluttony if he stuck to these few obvious easy rules.

The underlying idea or foundation principle intended to be expressed throughout this book is the avoidance of excess of whatever character - eating, drinking, thinking or acting.

Eating To Live

"Not to satiate one's self with food is the science of health."

In no period of the world's history has there ever been so deep an interest in the subject of how to live, as at the present. Man has arrived at that stage in his existence when he is beginning to realize that attention to the proper nourishment of his body means health and happiness, and that he can live without disease; disease resulting in all cases from a violation of certain natural laws, the observance of which produces perfect health.

Heretofore much of the food eaten by man has been wholly unadapted to his wants - equivalent to just so much hay and stubble. At least two-thirds of the vegetables, in common use, are only fit for animals with their three or four partition stomachs. No animal but man will partake of an endless variety and mixture of food-stuffs. There are many foods relished by man that the hog and goat refuse to touch. The horse, cow, cat, and dog are most particular in their diet, and in this respect man has much to learn from them. The sense of taste must be more highly de-veloped in man, and consequently, more susceptible to perversion under certain conditions.

Animals are guided in the selection of their foods by the unerring guide - Instinct. Man, long ago, dispensed with the services of this same guide, and is now realizing that it was expensive economy.

The art of living has a platform with a very broad base, and the question of what one's habits of living shall be, will depend very much from what point of the platform the question is viewed. In any case there are certain fundamental principles from which we cannot depart if we would have health and longevity. On the other hand there may be differences of opinion upon certain points, and on such more or less latitude and freedom of thought must be allowed if we would hope to be benefited by a consideration of the various points to be brought to view.

Between the various theories advanced, of mal-assimilation, auto - intoxication, the poisons of a meat diet, uric-acid poisoning, the perils of white bread, the dangers of sugar, the perils of overeating, of tea and coffee drinking, and many others which are opposite to the commonly accepted ideas, the reader must have reached a point in which he is not considering whether eating in or of itself is not a more or less dangerous procedure. So long as one has a good appetite and lives naturally, there need be no occasion for any individual becoming unduly exercised over matters of diet, provided common sense be used. There are extremes and extremists in diet.

"The first requisite to success in life is to be a good animal." Health, strength and vitality do not come by chance but by obedience to natural laws. Study the laws of health. Select at least a half-dozen principles which you will obey, and hold to them rigidly. Form at least so many correct life habits. No universal rules will apply to all individuals. There must be adaptation to individual physical peculiarities, but a few general life habits are of permanent advantage to all.

The question of diet is one that might be spread over many pages, but after all that has been said and done, the idea which must ultimately prevail in all that pertains to diet is Simplicity - Moderation - Temperance.

Self control in diet is a fine art, to be practised by the dyspeptic and sought after by all, much to be preferred to fine gold and rubies.

Adhere as closely as possible to the 20th Century Code of Health, and you cannot go far astray.