GOOD HEALTH | AdventAI

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Jul 25, 1878

GOOD HEALTH.

Proper Diet for Man.

VEGETABLE FOOD NOT STIMULATING.

THE argument against meat as a stimulant is often met by the remark that vegetables are also stimulating. This statement is untrue. Vegetable food, such as wheat, corn, potatoes, and similar productions, are wholly unststimulating in character. Why, then, it is asked, does a weary man, who is faint and weak from hunger, feel rested and strengthened immediately after eating his dinner, and while the food eaten is still in his stomach, none of it having been yet assimilated? This objection may be easily answered. Why does the sudden cry of fire cause a bed-ridden invalid to spring from his couch and escape from the burning building, notwithstanding the fact that he has not before walked a step for many years? How does the music of fife and drum enable a weary soldier to continue his march for many hours with ease after he thought himself completely exhausted? The cause of these phenomena is found in mental and nervous influence. In the first case the mental excitement becomes so great that pain and weakness are dissipated, and the whole vital force of the system is summoned to action. In the second case, the wearied, irritated nerves are soothed by the harmony of music, and their action becomes balanced and harmonious, when weariness of necessity ceases at once.

So in the case of the man who feels stronger immediately after eating his dinner. When hungry, there was nervous irritation, an unbalanced condition of nervous action resulting from the unpleasant sensation of hunger. As soon as the cause of irritation is removed, the man feels rested and refreshed, and so appears to be stronger.

MUSCULAR STRENGTH.

Stimulation always weakens muscular power, as has been amply demonstrated by extensive experimentation of some of the most eminent savants of Europe. In view of this fact, the conclusion is inevitable that animal food must be prejudicial to the attainment of the highest degree of physical development, since we have already shown that it is stimulating in its character.

Not only is this true in theory, but the principle is well sustained by facts. Among the lower animals we find the strongest individuals are of the vegetable-eating class. We hardly need mention the enormous strength of the elephant, the rhinoceros, the horse, the ox, and other animals of like character. The whole class of carnivorous animals does not furnish so fleet an animal as the reindeer, nor so graceful and agile a one as the gazelle.

What is true concerning the lower animals is found to be equally true of man. The early Grecians, especially the noble Spartans, subsisted almost entirely upon the fruits of the earth, as did also the Persians during the period of their greatest strength and prosperity, as may be seen from the following paragraph respecting the latter people from Rollin's Ancient History:

"The only food allowed either the children or the young men was bread, cresses, and water, for their design was to accustom them early to temperance and sobriety; besides, they considered that a plain, frugal diet, without any mixture of sauces or ragouts, would strengthen the body, and lay such a foundation of health as would enable them to undergo the fatigues and hardships of war to a good old age."

Success in war at the time when the Persians and Grecians were prominent actors in the arena of political strife depended almost entirely upon personal strength and prowess, and not so much upon strategy and ingenuity as at the present day. When we find these nations arising from very small and obscure beginnings, and successively becoming masters of the world, we cannot question their superiority over their enemies in the physical development necessary to enable them to compete successfully with all opposition. And in view of the facts already cited, who can doubt that the frugal vegetable diet to which they restricted themselves was the principal agent in securing to them the hardihood and bodily vigor which they possessed.

Another fact which is strikingly confirmatory of this view is the well-authenticated statement of historians that, as the Persians became prosperous and masters of the whole world, they allowed themselves to depart from their simple mode of life, especially in respect to diet. As the result, they soon began to decline in strength, and their armies were no longer able to withstand the attacks of the more frugal and hardy Grecians. The Grecians, in turn, after a time also became addicted to the use of animal food, and so became enervated, and in time were forced to give place to another and more hardy nation. We would not presume to say that the use of animal food was the only cause which operated to bring about the decline and final overthrow of each of the nations mentioned, but we do not hesitate to claim that it was one of the chief causes which, acting both directly and indirectly, served to bring about that result.

Nearly all the nations of modern Europe subsist almost entirely upon vegetable food. At least, such is the case with the laboring classes—those who constitute the bone and sinew of any nation. The lower classes of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Russia, Germany, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, Scotland, and Ireland, eat very little meat, frequently tasting it not more than once a week; yet when not addicted to the use of intoxicating liquors, a more hardy, robust set of people cannot be found. The inhabitants of Greece, who live upon coarse bread made from unbolted meal, are remarkably powerful and agile. In truth, from two-thirds to three-fourths of the whole human race have always subsisted upon vegetable food, and yet when they have been well supplied, and other habits have been approximately correct, they have been well sustained.