Dietandhealth Sometimes

Sometimes
Now, when you retire and try to sleep but cannot, try this—it works with me. You know when you are passing over your mental images become distorted and grotesque.

I artificially induce that state. If I find myself rehearsing about two hundred times, with appropriate gestures, the keen, witty, logical remarks which I could have made in favor of my pet legislation in the club discussion, but didn't, then I begin after this fashion:

Pink elephants with green ribbons on their tails—red rhinoceri (is that right, or should it be rhinoceroses?)—smiling peanuts—Woman's City Club—Social Health Insurance—why didn't I say—I wish I had said—(here get out, you annoyance!)—pink elephants—and so forth and so forth.

Woe Is Me
Now I realize I have ruined myself. I am my own worst enemy.

I have exposed my whole life before those modern vivisectionists, the army of amateur psycho-analysts.

Exercise

Exercise. Great muscular exertion should be avoided, but the setting-up exercises that I advise, if begun with moderation and increased gradually, will undoubtedly stimulate the appetite and help the body functions to be better performed.

Food

Since food is the only source of body substance, you must gradually train your stomach so that it can care for enough food to not only supply your bodily energy, but to leave a little excess to be stored as fat.

Your Stomach

If you have a small appetite—and many of you have—your stomach is undoubtedly contracted, and you must gradually add to the amount you have been eating, even though it may cause some distress, until you have disciplined it so that it can handle what you need without distress.

The stomach is a muscular organ and can be trained and exercised somewhat as other organs can. You will not have much appetite at first, but it will develop. Sometimes a short fast for a day or two, drinking nothing but pure water, seems to be beneficial in the beginning.

Do not drink much with your meals, unless the drink has food value by the addition of lots of cream or sugar, or both.

Eat More

Decide how many calories you need for your activities, gradually add to your dietary until you have reached that number, and then some more, and you will gain as surely as the overweight individual will lose by doing the opposite. It may take a long time, or you may get results very rapidly, depending somewhat upon the individual characteristics.

Gradually increase your butter, cream, sugar, chocolate, and so forth, as they are very high in food value.

Study the Key to the Calories and reckon your calories every day for a while. You have already noticed that the foods that you like are low in food value.