Hints to Dyspeptics

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Nov 10, 1904

Hints to Dyspeptics

EAT slowly, masticating the food very thoroughly—even more so, if possible, than is required in health. The more time the food spends in the mouth, the less it will spend in the stomach. Avoid drinking at meals; at most, take a few sips of warm drink at the close of the meal, if the food is very dry in character. In general, dyspeptic stomachs manage dry food better than that containing much fluid. Eat neither very hot nor cold food. The best temperature is about that of the body. Avoid exposure to cold after eating. Be careful to avoid excess in eating. Eat no more than the wants of the system require. Sometimes less than is really needed must be taken, when digestion is very weak. Strength depends, not on what is eaten, but on what is digested. Never take violent exercise of any sort, either mental or physical, either just before or just after a meal. It is not good to sleep immediately after eating. Never eat more than three times a day. For many dyspeptics two meals are better than more. Never eat a morsel of any sort between meals. Never eat when very tired, whether exhausted from mental or physical labor. Never eat when the mind is worried or the temper ruffled, if possible to avoid doing so. Eat only food that is easy of digestion, avoiding complicated and indigestible dishes, and taking but one to three kinds at a meal. Most persons will be benefited by the use of oatmeal, wheat meal, cracked wheat, and other whole grain preparations, though many will find it necessary to avoid vegetables, especially when fruits are taken.—Public Health Journal.