Where Is My Blood? by Ladies' Home Journal

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · May 30, 1911

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 38, No. 21.

Where Is My Blood?

By Ladies' Home Journal

THE average person carries about him something like two gallons of blood. The moment we begin to eat, the larger part of this total amount of blood runs to the stomach so as to help in the digestion of the food. There is not enough blood left to do special work in any part of the body. The same thing happens when we do brain-work. The brain immediately draws to it something like two thirds of the total blood so as to help it in its work, and again not enough blood remains in any other part of the body for active work.

If we exercise, the same condition prevails. The muscles called into play immediately call to the blood to help them do the active work asked of them. In other words, the bulk of the blood can never be in two active places at the same time. Thus, if we exercise immediately after eating, the blood is called to the muscles before it has finished its work in the stomach, and leaves that work undone and the food undigested. The same condition is true if we do active brain-work either while eating or directly after eating. The blood is asked to be in two places at one time, and that it can not be, as there is not enough to go around.

The lesson of the blood is very simple if we look at it in this way — it can do but one thing at a time and do it well. And the woman who wants to be healthy should ask herself, "Where is my blood now?" and then see to it that it is not taken away from one piece of work before it has finished that work, or to do two things at the same time. And after all, the lesson of the blood is the lesson of life — we can only do one thing at a time and do it well.—Ladies' Home Journal.