Not only does the body need all these elements, but for perfect
health, they must be taken into the stomach in right chemical com-
binations. One may as well expect a wolf and a lamb to lie down
together in peace, as to put warring food elements into the stomach
and look for rest and the blessings of peace. Many a person who
thinks that a certain food does not agree with him, may find that
the trouble is not with the food, but in the fact that the foods
eaten- have disagreed with one another. Many foods which in
themselves are good, may become actually poisonous if mixed
indiscriminately with a number of other foods, and produce
fermentation, gas, and other ills, leading to more or less serious
consequences.
W. O. Atwater, Ph. D., nutrition expert of the experiment
station, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C., writes to
the point as follows: .
"How much harm is done by the injurious compounds some-
times formed from ordinary wholesome foods is seldom realized.
Physiological chemistry is revealing the fact that these compounds
may affect even the brain and nerves, and that some forms of
insanity are caused by products formed by the abnormal transfor-
mations of food and body material." — Farmers' Bulletin, ATo. 142.
Many a fond mother praying for the health and happiness of
her children, may^take the issue out of God's hand, so to speak,
72
SCIENCE of FOOD ancC COOKERY
by unthinkingly permitting the indulgence of capricious appetite,
which sows the seeds of ill health, with the misery and life failure
that must inevitably follow. Many a woman, perhaps devoted to
the cause of temperance, is unwittingly a party to the manufacture
of alcohol in one of its most mischievous forms, at her own table.
The truth of it is, though often forgotten or not understood,
that to put a random blending of fruits, vegetables, starches, and
sweets into the warm confines of the stomach, causes them to
ferment and develop alcohol there, no less than in the brewer's
vat. The effect upon the body is similar to that upon the brain
when distilled liquor is taken; the drunken cells are unable to
perform their proper functions, and auto-intoxication is produced,
often Beading to various forms of disease.
As a usual thing, the simpler the meal, the better it is for the
health. A few dishes, each perfect of its kind, and all in harmony,
are far better than the serving of many courses, with the menace
of a superfluous quantity. Dr. Alexander Haig says on this point,
"7 may say also, that simple food of not more than two or three
kinds at one meal is another secret of health." — "Diet and Food"
page 89.
GOOD COMBINATIONS OF FOODS
Cereals combine well with all other foods.
Nuts combine well with all other foods.
Eggs combine well with all other foods.
Fruits combine well with cereals and nuts.
Vegetables combine well with cereals and nuts.
Milk combines well with cereals.
POOR COMBINATIONS OF FOOD
Acids and starches mixed before mastication.
Fruits and vegetables, especially the coarser kinds of vegetables.
Sugar and milk together in excess.
Foods cooked (soaked) in fats.
ACIDS AND STARCHES
While fruits and cereals combine well when taken at the same
meal, a careful study of the physiology of digestion shows the
73
SCIENCE of FOOD and COOKERY
Page 39
Presented as published in 1921. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Not only does the body need all these elements, but for perfect health, they must be taken into the stomach in right chemical combinations. One may as well expect a wolf and a lamb to lie down together in peace, as to put warring food elements into the stomach and look for rest and the blessings of peace. Many a person who thinks that a certain food does not agree with him, may find that the trouble is not with the food, but in the fact that the foods eaten- have disagreed with one another. Many foods which in themselves are good, may become actually poisonous if mixed indiscriminately with a number of other foods, and produce fermentation, gas, and other ills, leading to more or less serious consequences.
W. O. Atwater, Ph. D., nutrition expert of the experiment station, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C., writes to the point as follows: .
"How much harm is done by the injurious compounds sometimes formed from ordinary wholesome foods is seldom realized. Physiological chemistry is revealing the fact that these compounds may affect even the brain and nerves, and that some forms of insanity are caused by products formed by the abnormal transformations of food and body material." — Farmers' Bulletin, ATo. 142.
Many a fond mother praying for the health and happiness of her children, may take the issue out of God's hand, so to speak,
by unthinkingly permitting the indulgence of capricious appetite, which sows the seeds of ill health, with the misery and life failure that must inevitably follow. Many a woman, perhaps devoted to the cause of temperance, is unwittingly a party to the manufacture of alcohol in one of its most mischievous forms, at her own table.
The truth of it is, though often forgotten or not understood, that to put a random blending of fruits, vegetables, starches, and sweets into the warm confines of the stomach, causes them to ferment and develop alcohol there, no less than in the brewer's vat. The effect upon the body is similar to that upon the brain when distilled liquor is taken; the drunken cells are unable to perform their proper functions, and auto-intoxication is produced, often leading to various forms of disease.
As a usual thing, the simpler the meal, the better it is for the health. A few dishes, each perfect of its kind, and all in harmony, are far better than the serving of many courses, with the menace of a superfluous quantity. Dr. Alexander Haig says on this point, "7 may say also, that simple food of not more than two or three kinds at one meal is another secret of health." — "Diet and Food" page 89.
GOOD COMBINATIONS OF FOODS
Cereals combine well with all other foods. Nuts combine well with all other foods. Eggs combine well with all other foods. Fruits combine well with cereals and nuts. Vegetables combine well with cereals and nuts. Milk combines well with cereals.
POOR COMBINATIONS OF FOOD
Acids and starches mixed before mastication.
Fruits and vegetables, especially the coarser kinds of vegetables.
Sugar and milk together in excess.
Foods cooked (soaked) in fats.
ACIDS AND STARCHES
While fruits and cereals combine well when taken at the same meal, a careful study of the physiology of digestion shows the