CHAPTER XXIII 

 FOOD HABITS 



147. Water with meals. Until a few years ago it was 

 generally considered unwise to take water with meals, because 

 it was assumed that diluting the digestive juices would delay 

 the process of digestion. Experiments have shown, however, 

 that the more water there is in the stomach the more easily will 

 the process of digestion go forward, and the more quickly will 

 the subsequent absorption take place. Students and soldiers 

 who took part in the experiment found that they could easily 

 take a quart of water in the course of a meal, and they were 

 all benefited by the practice. It is very probable that one 

 never drinks too much water. Still there are certain things 

 to guard against. 



1. Water must not be allowed to take the place of saliva 

 in softening the food for swallowing. Therefore, water should 

 be taken into the mouth only when there is no food present ; 

 drink between courses rather than with the food. 



2. The water should not be too cold. In this country the 

 drinking of ice water has become almost a national vice. 

 Water a great deal warmer than ice water can be found quite 

 agreeable ; and we shall find that we can drink larger quan- 

 tities if it is not too cold. 



148. How to eat. Anything that arouses unpleasant feelings, 

 as worry, anger, or anxiety, is almost sure to interfere with 

 the normal working of the digestive process. On the other 

 hand, whatever arouses pleasant feelings, whatever puts us 

 into good humor, helps to tone up the digestive organs. It is 

 therefore a wise rule that obtains in some families, not to open 

 letters that come just before or at mealtime ; and it is another 



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