XI. About Food
We
intend to leave the matter of the choice of food an open question with our students. While, personally,
we prefer certain kinds of food, believing that the best
results are obtained from the use thereof, we recognize
the fact that it is impossible to change the habits of
a lifetime (yes, of many generations) in a day, and
man must be guided by his own experience and his
growing knowledge, rather than by dogmatic utterances
of others. The Yogis prefer a non-animal diet,
both from hygienic reasons and the Oriental aversion to
eating the flesh of animals. The more advanced of
the Yogi students prefer a diet of fruit, nuts, olive
oil, etc., together with a form of unleavened bread made from the entire wheat. But when they travel among
those who follow different dietary rules from themselves they do not hesitate
to adapt themselves to the changed conditions, to a greater or less extent, and
do not render themselves a burden to their hosts, knowing that if they follow the Yogi plan of masticating their food slowly
their stomachs will take good care of what
they eat. In fact, some of the most indigestible
things in the modern menu may be safely eaten if the
above mentioned system is adopted.
And
we write this chapter in the spirit of the traveling
Yogi. We have no wish to force arbitrary rules upon our
students. Man must grow into a more rational method of eating,
rather than have it forced upon him
suddenly. It is hard for one to adopt a nonmeat diet, if he has been used to
animal flesh all his life, and it is equally difficult for one to take up an
uncooked dietary list, if he has been eating cooked dishes all his life.
All we ask of you is to think a little on
the subject and to trust your own instinct regarding the choice of food,
giving yourself as great a variety as possible. The instinct, if
trusted, will usually cause you to select that which you need for that
particular meal, and we would prefer to trust the
instinct rather than to bind ourselves to any fixed, unchangeable dietary. Eat
pretty much what you feel like,
providing you masticate it thoroughly and slowly, and give yourself a
wide range of choice. We will speak, in
this chapter, of a few things which the rational man will avoid, but
will do so merely in the way of general
advice. In the matter of non-meat eating, we believe that mankind will
gradually grow to feel that meat is not its proper diet, but we believe that one must outgrow that feeling, rather than to
have it beaten out of him, for if he
"longs" for the flesh-pots of
Egypt, it is about as bad as if he really participated in the feast. Man
will cease to desire meat, as he grows, but
until that time comes, any forced restraint of the meat habit will not do him much good. We are aware that
this will be considered heterodox by many of
our readers, but we cannot help that fact-our statements will stand the test of experience.
If our students are interested in the question of the relative advantages of particular kinds of foods, let them read some of the very good works which have been written
upon the subject of recent years. But let them read
upon the several sides of the question, and avoid being
carried away by the particular fad of the writer whose
book is before them. It is instructive and interesting to read of the comparative food values of the various articles
upon our tables, and such knowledge will
gradually tend to a more rational dietary. But such
changes must be the result of thought and experience, rather than upon the
mere say so of some person riding a hobby. We suggest
that our students consider whether or not they are
eating too much meat; whether they are living upon too
much fat and grease; whether they are eating enough
fruit; whether whole wheat bread would not be a good
addition to their bill of fare; whether they are not
indulging in too much pastry and "made
dishes." If we were asked to give them a general rule regarding eating we would be apt to say "eat a
variety of foods; avoid 'rich' dishes; do not eat too much
fat; beware of the frying-pan; do not eat too much
meat; avoid, especially, pig meat and veal; let your
genera] habit of eating tend toward the simple, plain
fare, rather than towards the elaborate dishes; go slow
on pastry; cut out hot cakes from your list; masticate thoroughly and slowly,
according to the plan we have given you; don't be afraid
of food, if you eat it properly it will not hurt you,
providing you do not fear it."
We
think it better to make the first meal of the day a light one, as there is very little waste to repair in the morning, as the body has been at rest all night. If possible, take a
little exercise before breakfast.
If you once return to the natural habit of proper mastication,
and experience the sensation that comes from
proper eating, the abnormal appetites which have been
acquired, will fall from you, and natural hunger will
return. When natural hunger is with you, the instinct
will be very keen in picking out nutritious food for you, and you will feel
inclined toward that which will give you just the
nourishment you need at any particular time. Man's
instinct is a good guide, providing it has not been
spoiled by the indulgence in the absurd
dishes so common in these days, which create false appetite.
If
you feel "out of sorts," do not be afraid to "cut out" a meal, and give the stomach a chance to get rid of what it
has on hand. One can go without eating for a number
of days without danger, although we do not advise
prolonged fasts. We feel, however, that in sickness it
is wise to give the stomach a rest, in order that the
recuperative energy may be directed toward the casting out of the waste matter
which has been causing the trouble. You will notice that
the animals stop eating while they are sick, and lie
around until health is restored, when they return to
their meals. We may take this lesson from them with
considerable profit.
We
do not wish students to become "food cranks" who weigh, measure and analyze every mouthful of food.
We consider this an abnormal method and believe
that such a course generates fear-thought and fills the
Instinctive mind with all sorts of erroneous ideas.
We think it a much better plan to use ordinary precautions
and judgment in the selection of one's food, and then to bother no more about
the matter, but eat with the thought of nourishment and
strength in your minds, masticating the food as we have
stated, and knowing that nature will do its work well.
Keep as close to nature as possible, and let her
plans be your standard of measurement. The
strong, healthy man it not afraid
of his food, and neither should be the man who
wishes to be healthy, Keep cheerful, breathe properly,
eat properly, live properly, and you will not have
occasion to make a chemical analysis of every mouthful
of food. Do not be afraid to trust to your instinct, for that is the
natural man's guide, after all.
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