John Harvey Kellogg

“ Modern medical research has demonstrated that most maladies from which human beings suffer, chronic as well as actue, are due to infection of the alimentary canal with poison-forming germs. Many scores of such germs are known. The poisons are absorbed, and give rise to a great variety of distressing maladies and symptoms. Unnatural foods and unwholesome habits of life encourage infection of the intestine by introducing poison-forming bacteria and promoting their growth. Natural food and natural habits of life combat these disease-producing infections. ”

“ One need not degenerate physically because his occupation is sedentary. Always sit erect, with chest held high and the small of the back supported. Sit as little as possible. Standing and lying are more natural and healthful positions than sitting. One may exercise while sitting at work by deep breathing and by stiffening the muscles of first one limb a few seconds, then the other. All the muscles in the body may be exercised in this way.
32. Deep breathing aids digestion, encourages liver and bowel action, develops the lungs, and purifies the blood. ”

“ Fresh, ripe fruits, cooked fresh fruits, cooked dried fruits, nuts, graham bread, rice, zwieback, toasted wheat flakes, potato, cauliflower, carrots, greens and other fresh vegetables, lettuce, cabbage, cucumber, honey, meltose, malted nuts, yogurt butter-milk, sterilized milk and cream, peas, beans, lentils, raised bread, sterilized butter.
55. Eat, drink, sleep, exercise,—do all for efficiency. Said Paul, "Whether ye eat or drink, whatsoever ye do, do all for the glory of God." A man can do credit to his Creator only in following the natural order of life intended for him. ”

“ They are difficult of digestion, and promote intestinal autointoxication, and thus cause "biliousness." Vegetable fats are more easily digestible, and do not encourage intestinal autointoxication. To be wholesome, butter must be perfectly sweet, and should be made from sterilized cream.
Persons who are not subject to casein dyspepsia are often able to digest sterilized cream more easily than butter. Persons who suffer from hyperpepsia— "sour stomach"—may take sterilized butter and cream more freely than those who suffer from slow digestion. ”

“ The natural dietary includes fruits, nuts, cooked grains, legumes, and vegetables. Natural food imparts to the body the greatest amount of energy, and maintains normal conditions of life. No animals but scavengers and men eat everything. We should follow our nearest relatives, the orang and chimpanzee, in diet. ”

“ Cow's milk is not altogether suited for human food. A large proportion of invalids—nearly half, perhaps—suffer from "casein dyspepsia," and cannot take milk without suffering from constipation, headache, "biliousness," coated tongue, or other unpleasant symptoms which indicate intestinal autointoxication. Such persons may sometimes make use of fresh buttermilk, sour milk, cottage cheese, yogurt cheese or yogurt buttermilk, with less difficulty, and even with benefit. Excellent substitutes for milk may be prepared from nuts (Almond cream. Malted Nuts) . ”

“ Food combinations should be such as to give the proper proportion of the several elements,—proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Fruits and vegetables, as well as other combinations of natural foodstuffs, agree perfectly when mastication is sufficiently thorough to reduce the food to a liquid state in the mouth.
14. The quantity of food should be adapted to the size of the person and the amount of work which he does. Never eat to satiety. ”

“ Take care to avoid an excess of protein, that is, the albuminous element which is represented by lean meat, the white of eggs, and the curd of milk. An excess of protein promotes putrefaction, and thus intestinal autointoxication, the chief cause of "biliousness," colitis, appendicitis, gall-stones, arteriosclerosis, possibly cancer, Bright's disease, and premature old age. Ordinary bread contains a sufficient amount of protein, as do also other cereals. Most nuts, also peas and beans, contain an excess of protein, and should be eaten sparingly. ”

“ The Intelligence that controls and energizes heart and lungs can rule our destinies and with our cooperation will lead our lives in ways where "all things work together for good" to us. Worry kills. Hope inspires, uplifts. ”

“ When butter and cream produce pimples on the face, a coated tongue, or a bad taste in the mouth, they must be diminished in quantity, or omitted altogether. Nuts, Malted Nuts, ripe olives and olive oil are excellent substitutes for butter and cream.
10. Avoid poison-containing foods. Tea, coffee, chocolate and cocoa contain poisonous alkaloids which impair digestion, damage the nerves, and promote disease of the liver, kidneys, and blood-vessels. Cereal beverages and hot fruit juices are wholesome substitutes for tea and coffee. ”

“ A sedentary life tends to produce intestinal inactivity, that is, slow digestion and constipation; hence, the ordinary daily bill of fare should supply an adequate amount of laxative foodstuffs, fresh sweet fruits (not preserves) , especially figs and prunes, acid fruits and fruit juices, fresh vegetables, bran, whole-grain preparations.
18. Some fresh, uncooked food should be eaten at each meal in the form of fresh fruits or fruit juices, lettuce, raw cabbage, cucumber and other salads. ”

“ As space is too limited to permit of the full presentation of arguments or reasons, these rules are expected to be of chief service to those who are already persuaded of the correctness of the general propositions of the "simple life," "right living" or "return to nature" movement. ”

“ Drink a glassful of water on rising in the morning, on retiring at night, an hour before each meal, and two or three hours after eating.
EXERCISE FOR HEALTH.
29. Live as much as possible in the open air. If compelled to work indoors, be sure that the living and work rooms have an ample, continual supply of fresh air. The lower the temperature the better, so long as the body is kept comfortably warm. Temperatures above 70° are depressing. The breathing of cold air is a continuous tonic; every breath is a tonic bath, a vital lift. ”

“ According to Richet and others, the food naturally contains all the chlorid of sodium actually required by the body, so that the addition of salt to the food is necessary only to please a cultivated taste. A safe rule is, The less the better. ”

“ If the abdominal muscles are weakened, so that the lower abdomen bulges forward, a tight flannel bandage, or more substantial support, should be worn about the lower abdomen when on the feet, until the muscles have been strengthened by exercise. ”

“ Working in the open air is one of the best forms of exercise, especially working in the garden, digging, hoeing, pruning, etc. Do some good, hard, muscular work every day, enough to produce slight muscular fatigue and free prespiration ”

“ Large quantities cause acidity and give rise to gastric catarrh and indigestion. Sweet fruits, such as raisins and figs, honey and meltose or malt sugar, are natural and wholesome sweets and may be eaten freely. ”

“ Fresh vegetables and whole-grain cereals are needed to supply lime, potash and other salts. The blood and all living cells require these salts, as do the teeth and the bones. The free use of cane-sugar and meats leads to lime starvation, because of the deficiency in lime. ”

“ In walking, always hold the chest high and carry it well to the front. Swing the arms moderately, and walk fast enough to hasten the breathing a little. Nine miles walking a day at the rate of three miles an hour is the necessary amount for the average adult. ”

“ What we eat today will be walking about and talking tomorrow; hence all foods not known to be pure and wholesome should be avoided. Especially avoid rich and so-called hearty (hard to digest) foods, and such indigestibles as pickles, green olives, and preserves. ”

“ Visit the closet regularly after each meal to train the bowels. When a "call" is experienced respond immediately. Five minutes may postpone action indefinitely. Support the feet on a stool before the closet seat.
56. For a cold, take an electric light or other sweating bath on retiring; drink three quarts of water or weak lemonade daily and eat little but fruit for a day or two; and stay out of doors. Live in the fresh air and avoid colds. ”

“ The clothing should be loose, comfortable, light and porous. Restrictive clothing is necessarily damaging, for the trunk of the body is continually changing in form and size. Wear porous, cotton or linen underclothing next to the skin. ”

“ If three meals are eaten, the heartiest meal should be taken at midday. The breakfast should be substantial, the evening meal very light, especially avoiding pastry, fats, rich sauces, and hearty foods. The evening meal should consist chiefly of ripe or cooked fruits, liquid foods, and such cereals as boiled rice or cereal flakes. ”

“ Do not become self-centered. Avoid thinking or talking about ailments or other unpleasant things. Cultivate altruistic ideals and wholesome and optimistic thoughts.
51. Exercise self-control and restraint in all things. Work uses energy moderately, the passions and the emotions enormously. ”

“ Eat freely of fresh fruits and green vegetables. Avoid fats almost wholly for a few days, and diminish the amount of fats in the regular diet. Discard milk. Make the bowels move three or four times a day by the use of bran, Colax, or Para-lax, or all three, if necessary. ”

“ It is proper, however, to say, for the encouragement of those to whom the ideas presented are altogether new, that of the various suggestions made, not one is presented which has not been thoroughly tried and tested in the experience of hundreds, even thousands, of persons ”

“ Give attention daily to cultivating health. It will pay. Study the conditions and the surroundings of the home and the business, and give careful thought to personal habits and practices with special reference to their bearing on health. ”

“ Hold the chest high and breathe as deep as you can ten or twenty times every hour, or oftener. The best "breath" gymnastics are swimming, hill- or stair-climbing, and rapid walking or running. Always breathe through the nose. ”

“ Sleep eight hours each night. If not strong, or if neurasthenic, take a nap before dinner. Growth, assimilation, and repair are most active during sleep.
43. Surroundings at night should be quiet. Sleep amid noise is not normally refreshing. ”

“ Lying on the back, raise the body from the lying to the sitting position with the hands placed upon the back of the neck. Repeat ten to twenty times three times a day, gradually increasing the number. ”