offerings. If father devotes himself to meat and potatoes and neglects salads and desserts, if mother indulges in coffee and eats no cereals for breakfast, it need not cause surprise if children fail to understand why milk and vegetables should be their portion.
If we drink too much water at mealtime so that the food is washed down without thorough chewing, the body will be deprived of much good the food contains.
We should not eat too much. It is better to leave the table hungry than to feel gorged. Our mealtimes should be as regular as possible. Regular eating is as important to health as regular sleeping.
These are the good food habits. They should be cultivated for health’s sake. It is well to form them early.
MasticationIn order to get full value from food we must masticate it thoroughly. Digestion begins in the mouth with the action of the saliva, hence the necessity of thorough chewing. If the saliva is thoroughly mixed with the food, salivary digestion continues for some time in the stomach. Also, food thoroughly mixed with saliva digests faster in the stomach than food not so mixed. In chewing fibrous and hard foods, pressure is exerted on the teeth, which stimulates circulation and is an important factor in maintaining the health of teeth and gums.
Exercise and PostureIf we would travel on to Wellville, we should not neglect our exercise. Muscles that are not used grow flabby. Muscles that are used become strong and supple. We are old at any age if lack of exercise keeps our muscles puny and unable to bear us buoyantly along the broad[ 6 ]
