88 SCIENCE OF HOME AND COMMUNITY 



satisfied. Is the appetite a safe guide? We can be sure 

 that it is not always so, because we think at once of children 

 who eat excessive amounts of candy and of drunkards who 

 drink excessive amounts of alcoholic liquors. Many people 

 have acquired an unnatural appetite for various kinds of 

 foods that is not to be trusted. In the main a natural ap- 

 petite is a safe guide to follow. If a person has not such an 

 appetite, one way of securing it is to practice thorough 

 mastication of food. This means that the food should be 

 chewed till it becomes so fine that it naturally passes down 

 the throat without conscious effort of swallowing. At 

 first this will require thought to overcome a habit of hasty 

 eating, but with a little attention the habit of thorough 

 mastication may be acquired. When this point is reached, 

 it may be said in general that a person may then allow him- 

 self to be governed by his appetite both as regards the 

 amounts and kinds of foods to be eaten. But even under 

 these conditions a person should keep in mind some general 

 principles regarding the kinds and amounts of foods that 

 the body needs. 



It is the experience of many people who follow this practice 

 that they naturally choose a low protein diet. Even when 

 one has acquired the habit of thorough mastication, it is 

 well to make an occasional study of one's diet by means of a 

 table as previously explained. 



Weight as a guide. Another method that gives some in- 

 dication of the correctness of the diet is to note a person's 

 weight in comparison with the average for the given height 

 and age. If one is storing up a large surplus of fat, this 

 shows that he is eating too much food. A reduction in 

 weight should be brought about gradually and under the 

 advice of a physician. 



Failure to store up fat does not necessarily mean that the 

 person's diet is correct, because protein food is not stored up, 

 but the excess of nitrogen is eliminated through the kidneys. 



