HYGIENE OF FOOD AND FEEDING 153 



2. The heat makes the food more "tasty," adding to the 

 pleasure of eating and causing the digestive juices to flow more 

 freely in the mouth and stomach. 



3. The action of the heat, with or without moisture, breaks 

 up the starch grains, making them more easily digested. 



4. The heat destroys bacteria and other microbes that may 

 be present in the raw food. This reduces the danger of trans- 

 mitting an infectious disease (see page 356). Cooked food is 

 also more easily preserved against decay for the same reason. 



Valuable mineral matters are sometimes lost when the water 

 in which food is boiled is thrown away. Prolonged heating 

 of food, especially in the presence of air or of alkalis, may 

 destroy some of the vitamins. Still, all parts of value can be 

 preserved by skillful cooking. 



130. How to eat. To some people, eating is one of the chief 

 pleasures in life. To others, eating is a duty : if not exactly dis- 

 agreeable, it is still not altogether a pleasure. It is a mistake 

 to let ourselves get into either class if we can help it. 



1. Emotions. We want to get the most out of eating, even 

 from an organic point of view. Anger, fear, worry, and anxiety 

 almost always interfere with the proper secretion of digestive 

 juices and with the operation of the muscles of the stomach and 

 the intestine. When you are greatly excited or distressed, you 

 are apt to say," I cannot eat now" ; and it is just as well to omit 

 the meal until your feelings are more composed. There is less 

 danger of starvation than there is of indigestion. On the other 

 hand, whatever arouses pleasant feelings, whatever puts us into 

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

 fore a wise custom to avoid unpleasant affairs before a meal. 

 Pleasant conversation and good cheer are more helpful at meal- 

 time than heated discussions or disputes. Even if the food it- 

 self means little to us, we can make the meal a happy event and 

 so get the most out of it in every way. 



2. Relaxation. Rapid eating makes impossible the complete 

 stimulation of the taste and smell nerves, necessary to bring 

 about secretion of the digestive juices. Rapid eating makes 



