Page:Strength from Eating.djvu/24

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STRENGTH FROM EATING.

that are most important to health, and hence, are the most important to study and understand. They are the guide in nutrition and the guard of the body.

"Taste is also dependent on supply of the mouth juices, usually called saliva, and these differ materially in individuals, necessitating self-study, self-understanding and self-care to insure prevention of disease. Whatever does not taste, such as glass or stone, is not nutritious. The juices of the mouth have the power to transform anything that excites taste into a substance suitable for the body. If we swallow only the food which excites the sense of taste, and swallow it only after the taste has been extracted from it, removing from the mouth the tasteless residue, complete and easy digestion will be assured and perfect health maintained"—Horace Fletcher.

Of course the needs of the body vary greatly at different periods. At one time one might especially crave an article of food that would not be at all appetizing on another occasion. This accounts, in a measure, for one becoming