Chapter XXVIII: Selection and Preparation of Food

The requirements for normal digestion, assimilation and elimination are: (1) An intestinal canal clean and sound from mouth to anus; (2) nutritious food properly prepared; (3) regularity and moderation in eating; (4) free use of pure water, sufficient to forward the emulsification and assimilation of the food and the elimination of waste--whether that waste be of the residual portion of the food or of detritus of tissue; (5) a seasonably clad body, free from fatigue or loss of sleep; (6) a cheerful mind.

Every sensible person will grant that a good digestion of vegetable or animal food furnishes sufficient steam and stimulus for the physical man; that a good digestion of intellectual food (ideas) furnishes the corresponding requisites for the mental man; and that exalted sentiments are the pabulum of the spiritual.

Why over-stimulate the physical, and reflexively degrade the mental and spiritual, by indulgence in tea, coffee, beer, wine, liquors, opium, tobacco, etc.? Over-stimulation will bring on indigestion; and prostration will follow that. Remember that Nature does not carry long credit accounts.

A suggestion for the selection and preparation of physical foods is here given; this book being hardly the place for a corresponding list of mental and spiritual foods.

FOODS EASY OF DIGESTION.

ARTICLES OF FOOD HOW PREPARED TIME OF DIGESTION

Venison steak Broiled 1 hour 30 minutes
Pig's feet soused Boiled 1 " 00 "
Brains Boiled 1 " 45 "
Salmon, tripe or trout
(fresh) Boiled or fried 1 " 00 "
Eggs, fresh Whipped 1 " 30 "
Rice Boiled 1 " 00 "
Sago or barley Boiled 1 " 45 "
Apples, sweet and mellow Raw 1 " 30 "
Tomatoes or lettuce Raw 1 " 30 "
Melons or watercress Raw 1 " 20 "
Peaches, plums or pears Raw or stewed 1 " 30 "
Oranges or bananas Raw 1 " 30 "
Asparagus or dandelion Boiled 1 " 30 "
Onions or apricots Stewed 1 " 30 "
Mushrooms Boiled 1 " 30 "
Cereal coffee Boiled 1 " 30 "
Blackberries 1 " 30 "
Grape-nuts 1 " 00 "
Lemons 1 " 00 "
Watermelons 1 " 00 "
Doxsee's clam juice and
little neck clams 1 " 00 "
Milkine, Horlick's and Mellin's food 1 " 30 "
Cereal milk 1 " 00 "
Armour & Co.'s Vigoral. 1 " 00 "
Valentine's or Wyeth's beef juice
or Wiel's beef jelly 1 " 00 "

FOODS NOT SO EASY OF DIGESTION.

ARTICLES OF FOOD HOW PREPARED TIME OF DIGESTION

Beef Boiled 2 hours 00 minutes
Pig, sucking Roasted 2 " 30 "
Liver, beef (fresh) Broiled 2 " 00 "
Lamb, fresh Broiled 2 " 30 "
Turkey, domestic Roasted or
boiled 2 " 30 "
" wild Roasted 2 " 18 "
Goose " Roasted 2 " 30 "
Chicken Fricasseed 2 " 45 "
Codfish, cured and dry Boiled 2 " 00 "
Oysters, fresh Raw 2 " 35 "
Hash (chopped meat and
vegetables) Warmed 2 " 30 "
Eggs, fresh Roasted 2 " 15 "
" " Raw 2 " 00 "
Milk Boiled 2 " 00 "
" Uncooked 2 " 15 "
Gelatine Boiled 2 " 30 "
Custard Baked 2 " 45 "
Tapioca or barley Boiled 2 " 00 "
Beans, green Boiled 2 " 30 "
Sponge cake Baked 2 " 30 "
Apples, sour and mellow Raw 2 " 00 "
" " " hard Raw 2 " 50 "
Parsnips or green corn Boiled 2 " 30 "
Potatoes and yams Roasted or
baked 2 " 30 "
Cabbage, head Raw 2 " 30 "
" " with vinegar Raw 2 " 00 "
Cauliflower Boiled 2 " 00 "
Peas (green) or squash Boiled 2 " 00 "
Cranberries or cherries Stewed 2 " 00 "
Rhubarb or figs Stewed 2 " 30 "
Turnips Boiled 2 " 30 "
Sprouts Boiled 2 " 00 "
Raspberries Raw 2 " 00 "
Dates Raw 2 " 00 "
Buttermilk Raw 2 " 00 "
Pumpkin Cooked 2 " 00 "

FOODS SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT OF DIGESTION.

ARTICLES OF FOOD HOW PREPARED TIME OF DIGESTION

Beef, fresh, lean Broiled 3 hours 00 minutes
" " " Roasted 3 " 00 "
Beef, dry Roasted 3 " 30 "
" with salt only Boiled 3 " 45 "
" " mustard, etc. Boiled 3 " 30 "
Pork, steak Broiled 3 " 15 "
" recently salted Broiled 3 " 15 "
" " " Raw 3 " 00 "
" " " Stewed 3 " 00 "
Mutton, fresh Broiled 3 " 00 "
" " Roasted 3 " 15 "
" " Boiled 3 " 00 "
Flounder, fresh Boiled 3 " 30 "
Oysters, fresh Roasted 3 " 15 "
" " Stewed 3 " 30 "
Codfish (salted) or
whitefish Boiled 3 " 00 "
Sausages, fresh Broiled 3 " 20 "
Rabbits Broiled 3 " 00 "
Butter or cream 3 " 00 "
Eggs, fresh Hard-boiled
or fried 3 " 30 "
" " Soft-boiled 3 " 00 "
Potatoes, turnips
or carrots Boiled 3 " 30 "
Radishes or lentils Boiled 3 " 30 "
Bread (white) fresh Baked 3 " 15 "
" whole wheat Baked 3 " 30 "
" rye Baked 3 " 30 "
" graham Baked 3 " 30 "
" corn Baked 3 " 15 "
Corn cake Baked 3 " 00 "
Apple dumpling Boiled 3 " 00 "
Soup, mutton or oyster Boiled 3 " 30 "
" bean Boiled 3 " 00 "
" chicken Boiled 3 " 00 "
Chocolate or cocoa Boiled 3 " 00 "
Currants or filberts 3 " 00 "
Raisins 3 " 00 "
Hazelnuts 3 " 30 "
Peanuts Roasted 3 " 00 "
Potatoes (sweet) Roasted 3 " 00 "
Walnuts 3 " 30 "
Chestnuts Roasted 3 " 15 "
Beans, lima Boiled 3 " 00 "
Zwieback 3 " 00 "
Turkey Boiled or
roasted 3 to 4 hours
Eels Fried 3 " 4 "
Oleomargarine 3 " 4 "
Cabbage Boiled 3 " 4 "
Buckwheat cakes 3 " 4 "
Mutton, lean Roasted 3 " 4 "
Herring Broiled 3-1/2 " 4-1/2 "
Cheese 3-1/2 " 6 "

FOODS VERY DIFFICULT OF DIGESTION.

ARTICLES OF FOOD HOW PREPARED TIME OF DIGESTION

Beef, fresh, lean Fried 4 hours 00 minutes
" old, hard, salted Boiled 4 " 15 "
" recently salted Boiled 4 " 30 "
" " " Fried 4 " 15 "
" fat or lean Roasted 5 " 15 "
" suet (fresh) Boiled 5 " 30 "
" soup with vegetables
and bread Boiled 4 " 00 "
Beef, soup from marrow
bones Boiled 4 " 15 "
Pork, fat and lean Roasted 5 " 15 "
" recently salted Boiled 4 " 00 "
Pork recently salted Fried 4 " 15 "
" ham Cured 4 " 30 "
Veal Broiled 4 " 00 "
" Fried 4 " 30 "
Mutton, suet Boiled 4 " 30 "
Fowls Boiled or
roasted 4 " 00 "
Heart, animal Fried 4 " 00 "
Salmon, salted,
or mackerel Boiled 4 " 00 "
Cabbage, with vinegar Boiled 4 " 30 "
Cheese, old, strong Raw 3-1/2 to 6-1/2 hours
Duck Roasted 4 hours 30 "