How to Eat

It is a settled fact that man naturally chews his food. The few faddists who maintain that we should bolt our nourishment, after the manner of the dog and others of the lower animals, can no longer get a hearing; we know that we should chew our food. And if it is natural that we should chew our food, the more thoroughly we chew it the more completely natural the process must be. If you will chew every mouthful to a liquid, you need not be in the least concerned as to what you shall eat, for you can get sufficient nourishment out of any ordinary food.

It is an established fact that people naturally chew their food. A few faddists claim we should gulp down our food, like dogs and other lower animals. But no one listens to them anymore. We know we should chew our food. And if chewing our food is natural, the more thoroughly we chew it, the more natural the process must be. If you chew every mouthful until it becomes liquid, you need not worry at all about what you eat. You can get enough nourishment from any ordinary food.

Whether or not this chewing shall be an irksome and laborious task or a most enjoyable process, depends upon the mental attitude in which you come to the table.

Whether chewing is a tedious chore or a pleasant experience depends on your attitude when you come to the table.

If your mind and attitude are on other things, or if you are anxious or worried about business or domestic affairs, you will find it almost impossible to eat without bolting more or less of your food. You must learn to live so scientifically that you will have no business or domestic cares to worry about; this you can do, and you can also learn to give your undivided attention to the act of eating while at the table.

If your mind is elsewhere, or you are anxious about business or family matters, you will find it almost impossible to eat without rushing through at least some of your food. You must learn to live so scientifically that you have no business or family concerns to worry about. You can do this, and you can also learn to give your full attention to eating while at the table.

When you eat, do so with an eye single to the purpose of getting all the enjoyment you can from that meal; dismiss everything else from your mind, and do not let anything take your attention from the food and its taste until your meal is finished. Be cheerfully confident, for if you follow these instructions you may KNOW that the food you eat is exactly the right food, and that it will "agree" with you to perfection.

When you eat, focus on getting all the enjoyment you can from the meal. Put everything else out of your mind. Let nothing distract you from the food and its taste until you finish eating. Be cheerful and confident. If you follow these instructions, you may KNOW that the food you eat is exactly right for you. It will "agree" with you perfectly.

Sit down to the table with confident cheerfulness, and take a moderate portion of the food; take whatever thing looks most desirable to you. Do not select some food because you think it will be good for you; select that which will taste good to you. If you are to get well and stay well, you must drop the idea of doing things because they are good for your health, and do things because you want to do them. Select the food you want most; gratefully give thanks to God that you have learned how to eat it in such a way that digestion shall be perfect; and take a moderate mouthful of it.

Sit down at the table feeling confident and cheerful, and take a moderate portion of food. Choose whatever looks most appealing to you. Do not choose a food because you think it will be good for you. Choose what will taste good to you. If you want to get well and stay well, you must stop doing things because they are good for your health. Instead, do things because you want to do them. Choose the food you want most. Gratefully thank God that you have learned to eat it in a way that ensures perfect digestion. Then take a moderate mouthful.

Do not fix your attention on the act of chewing; fix it on the TASTE of the food; and taste and enjoy it until it is reduced to a liquid state and passes down your throat by involuntary swallowing. No matter how long it takes, do not think of the time. Think of the taste. Do not allow your eyes to wander over the table, speculating as to what you shall eat next; do not worry for fear there is not enough, and that you will not get your share of everything. Do not anticipate the taste of the next thing; keep your mind centered on the taste of what you have in your mouth. And that is all of it.

Do not focus on chewing. Focus on the TASTE of the food. Taste and enjoy it until it becomes liquid and you swallow it involuntarily. No matter how long it takes, do not think about the time. Think about the taste. Do not let your eyes wander over the table, wondering what you will eat next. Do not worry that there will not be enough or that you will miss your share of everything. Do not anticipate the taste of the next thing. Keep your mind focused on the taste of what is in your mouth. That is all there is to it.

Scientific and healthful eating is a delightful process after you have learned how to do it, and after you have overcome the bad old habit of gobbling down your food unchewed. It is best not to have too much conversation going on while eating; be cheerful, but not talkative; do the talking afterward.

Eating scientifically and healthfully is a delightful process once you learn how and break the bad habit of gobbling down food without chewing it. It is best not to talk too much while eating. Be cheerful, but save the conversation for afterward.

In most cases, some use of the will is required to form the habit of correct eating. The bolting habit is an unnatural one, and is without doubt mostly the result of fear. Fear that we will be robbed of our food; fear that we will not get our share of the good things; fear that we will lose precious time—these are the causes of haste. Then there is anticipation of the dainties that are to come for dessert, and the consequent desire to get at them as quickly as possible; and there is mental abstraction, or thinking of other matters while eating. All these must be overcome.

In most cases, forming the habit of eating properly takes some willpower. The habit of eating too quickly is unnatural and is no doubt mostly caused by fear. We hurry because we fear someone will take our food, or that we will not get our share of the good things. We also fear losing precious time. We may also look forward to the treats coming for dessert and want to reach them as quickly as possible. Or we may be distracted, thinking about other things while we eat. All these habits must be overcome.

When you find that your mind is wandering, call a halt; think for a moment of the food, and of how good it tastes; of the perfect digestion and assimilation that are going to follow the meal, and begin again. Begin again and again, though you must do so twenty times in the course of a single meal; and again and again, though you must do so every meal for weeks and months. It is perfectly certain that you CAN form the "Fletcher habit" if you persevere; and when you have formed it, you will experience a healthful pleasure you have never known.

When you notice your mind wandering, stop. Think for a moment about the food and how good it tastes. Think about the perfect digestion and absorption that will follow the meal. Then begin again. Keep beginning again, even if you have to do it twenty times during a single meal. Keep beginning again, even if you have to do it at every meal for weeks or months. You CAN form the "Fletcher habit" if you keep at it. Once you have formed it, you will experience a healthful pleasure you have never known before.

This is a vital point, and I must not leave it until I have thoroughly impressed it upon your mind. Given the right materials, perfectly prepared, the Principle of Health will positively build you a perfectly healthy body; and you cannot prepare the materials perfectly in any other way that the one I am describing. If you are to have perfect health, you MUST eat in just this way; you can, and the doing of it is only a matter of a little perseverance. What use for you to talk of mental control unless you will govern yourself in so simple a matter as ceasing to bolt your food? What use to talk of concentration unless you can keep your mind on the act of eating for so short a space as fifteen or twenty minutes, especially with all the pleasures of taste to help you? Go on, and conquer. In a few weeks, or months, as the case may be, you will find the habit of scientific eating becoming fixed; and soon you will be in so splendid a condition, mentally and physically, that nothing would induce you to return to the bad old way.

This is a vital point, and I must make sure you fully understand it before moving on. Given the right materials, perfectly prepared, the Principle of Health will certainly build you a perfectly healthy body. You cannot prepare the materials perfectly in any way other than the one I am describing. If you want perfect health, you MUST eat in exactly this way. You can do it. It only takes a little perseverance. What is the use of talking about mental control if you cannot control yourself enough to stop gulping down your food? What is the use of talking about concentration if you cannot focus on eating for just fifteen or twenty minutes? The pleasures of taste should make it easier. Keep going, and conquer. In a few weeks or months, as the case may be, you will find that scientific eating is becoming a habit. Soon you will feel so splendid, mentally and physically, that nothing would persuade you to return to the bad old way.

We have seen that if man will think only thoughts of perfect health, his internal functions will be performed in a healthy manner; and we have seen that in order to think thoughts of health, man must perform the voluntary functions in a healthy manner. The most important of the voluntary functions is that of eating; and we see, so far, no especial difficulty in eating in a perfectly healthy way. I will here summarize the instructions as to when to eat, what to eat, and how to eat, with the reasons therefor:—

We have seen that if a person thinks only thoughts of perfect health, their internal functions will work in a healthy way. We have also seen that, to think thoughts of health, a person must carry out voluntary functions in a healthy way. Eating is the most important of these voluntary functions. So far, we have found no particular difficulty in eating in a perfectly healthy way. I will now summarize the instructions for when to eat, what to eat, and how to eat, along with the reasons for them:

NEVER eat until you have an EARNED hunger, no matter how long you go without food. This is based on the fact that whenever food is needed in the system, if there is power to digest it, the sub-conscious mind announces the need by the sensation of hunger. Learn to distinguish between genuine hunger and the gnawing and craving sensations caused by unnatural appetite. Hunger is never a disagreeable feeling, accompanied by weakness, faintness, or gnawing feelings at the stomach; it is a pleasant, anticipatory desire for food, and is felt mostly in the mouth and throat. It does not come at certain hours or at stated intervals; it only comes when the sub-conscious mind is ready to receive, digest, and assimilate food.

NEVER eat until you have an EARNED hunger, no matter how long you go without food. This rule is based on how the subconscious mind signals the need for food. Whenever the body needs food and has the power to digest it, the subconscious mind signals that need through hunger. Learn to distinguish genuine hunger from the gnawing and cravings caused by an unnatural appetite. Hunger is never an unpleasant feeling accompanied by weakness, faintness, or a gnawing sensation in the stomach. It is a pleasant, eager desire for food, felt mostly in the mouth and throat. It does not come at set times or at regular intervals. It comes only when the subconscious mind is ready to receive, digest, and absorb food.

Eat whatever foods you want, making your selection from the staples in general use in the zone in which you live. The Supreme Intelligence has guided man to the selection of these foods, and they are the right ones for all. I am referring, of course, to the foods which are taken to satisfy hunger, not to those which have been contrived merely to gratify appetite or perverted taste. The instinct which has guided the masses of men to make use of the great staples of food to satisfy their hunger is a divine one. God has made no mistake; if you eat these foods you will not go wrong.

Eat whatever foods you want, choosing from the staple foods commonly used in the region where you live. The Supreme Intelligence has guided people to choose these foods, and they are right for everyone. Of course, I mean foods eaten to satisfy hunger, not those created merely to gratify appetite or distorted tastes. The instinct that has guided most people to eat staple foods to satisfy their hunger is divine. God has made no mistake. If you eat these foods, you will not go wrong.

Eat your food with cheerful confidence, and get all the pleasure that is to be had from the taste of every mouthful. Chew each morsel to a liquid, keeping your attention fixed on the enjoyment of the process. This is the only way to eat in a perfectly complete and successful manner; and when anything is done in a completely successful manner, the general result cannot be a failure. In the attainment of health, the law is the same as in the attainment of riches; if you make each act a success in itself, the sum of all your acts must be a success. When you eat in the mental attitude I have described, and in the manner I have described, nothing can be added to the process; it is done in a perfect manner, and it is successfully done. And if eating is successfully done, digestion, assimilation, and the building of a healthy body are successfully begun. We next take up the question of the quantity of food required.

Eat with cheerful confidence, and enjoy all the flavor in every mouthful. Chew each bite until it is liquid, and keep your attention on enjoying the process. This is the only way to eat completely and successfully. And when anything is done with complete success, the overall result cannot be a failure. The same law applies to gaining health as to gaining wealth. If you make each act a success in itself, all your acts together must be a success. When you eat with the attitude and in the manner I have described, nothing more can be added to the process. You are eating perfectly and successfully. And if eating is done successfully, digestion, absorption of nutrients, and the building of a healthy body have begun successfully. Next, we will consider how much food is needed.