Some people imagine, for example, that oatmeal porridge does not agree with them. When the matter is inquired into, however, it is found that they habitually eat bread, eggs, and other articles, with coffee at the the same meal with the porridge. From this combination they experience distress and blame the porridge. If these would take a plate of oatmeal porridge with cream and salt, and some stewed fruit for breakfast they would not experience any trouble, and this would be an ample meal for the ordinary individual. It is not the porridge, but the unsuitable combination, that is at fault. The same may be said of milk. Many people state that they cannot take milk and they deprive themselves of one of the very best articles of diet because of this idea. There are very few people in the world who cannot take milk in some way. It is not the milk that is at fault; it is the combination of it with other less nutritious articles that is the cause of the distress. Even candy is responsible for thousands of cases of indigestion. Anyone may safely take a reasonable quantity of good candy, but if it is taken at a wrong time, or combined with other articles, it may readily produce indigestion.
Indiscriminate eating and overeating are prolific causes of rheumatism, kidney disease, heart disease, liver troubles, obesity, arteriosclerosis, and apoplexy. These diseases are notoriously on the increase and must be construed as a direct consequence of the tendency of the American people to overeat and to eat indiscriminately.
BRAN AS A FOOD.--In the chapter on constipation there may be found a formula for making bran muffins. These muffins are invaluable to children in health, and to the victim of indigestion or constipation, whether child or adult. One muffin with each meal will solve the problem of constipation in growing children without the use of drugs or other aid. They will regulate the bowels of adults in many instances without resorting to drugs.
Raw fruit in season, or stewed fruit, or a baked apple, with a light boiled egg and one bran muffin, is an ample and a nourishing breakfast for a child at school.
For lunch the same child should have a plate of thoroughly done vegetable soup, a bran muffin, and more fruit. After school, a glass of milk with two or three Graham wafers may be given.