30 THE WONDERFUL HOUSE THAT JACK HAS 



continually overworked, however, they become tired, 

 like other parts of the body, and cease to do their 

 labor properly, unless allowed to rest. People some- 

 times eat unduly large meals, and afterward take medi- 

 cine to help digest them. This is a very unwise habit. 

 While the medicines may quicken digestion, and hasten 

 the expulsion of waste material from the body, they 

 accomplish this by stimulating the digestive glands to 

 do an extra amount of work. Like other organs and 

 muscles of the body, these glands have to rest longer 

 after an extra effort, and, on this account, may not be 

 in good condition to digest the next meal. Instead 

 of taking medicine to whip them to overwork, a far 

 better way is to eat very little for a few meals, thus 

 giving the glands time to rest and get into good con- 

 dition again. 



While there is little we can do to help the digestion 

 of food after it gets into the stomach, there are four 

 things within our control which all should form the 

 habit of attending to most carefully. The first is to 

 select food that has the building and fuel materials 

 we require, without being unnecessarily difficult to 

 digest. Because a food is difficult for one person to 

 digest, it does not follow that it will be so for others. 

 After a food has disagreed with any one several times, 

 it is wise to avoid it. The second is to partake of 

 food in reasonable quantities, no matter how good it 

 may taste. Our knowledge of body building cer- 

 tainly makes plain the foolishness of eating all the 



