THE VEGETARIAN

Unity teaching is essentially spiritoal teaching, but it has its practical aspects. We do not teach that food produces or destroys health, but we do teach that because of its greater purity a nonmeat diet imposes a minimum of effort on the spiritual forces that animate and sustain the physical organism. The source of all conditions is the thought, and thought rightly excercised reforms appeliie. The Vegetarian page in Weekly Unity is designed to help those who wish to work both from the inner and the outer to bring the appetite into harmony wilh the love and the purity of Spirit.

DISCIPLINING APPETITE

F. W.

The student of metaphysics finds quite early in his overcoming that he must discipline his appetite, since giving himself to sense hunger and appetite is a backward step. The subject of food needs to be handled very wisely; if it is not so handled, the student will either attribute too much power to diet or he will become confused in his study of Truth.

The overloaded or disturbed stomach works against clarity of thought. Since the student seeks to be clear minded at all times, he should not continually disturb his stomach by eating unwisely. He will find that he can strike a right balance in which both brain and stomach will be at peace.

Some persons try the plan of seeing how much they can eat without experiencing discomfort. It would seem a better plan for one to see how little and how seldom he can eat without experiencing discomfort. In following such a plan as this he would need to supply himself with the most nutritous foods, eliminating as many as possible that have very little food value.

Many persons get along very well on two meals a day, generally omitting breakfast. Some mental workers have but one meal a day and, in addition, have a very light lunch, sometimes only fruit juice. Those persons who think that they must eat a great deal of food to have sufficient strength will find, by experiment, that this is not true.

When we reduce the number of meals or the amount taken at each meal, we must be especially careful to provide for two things in the diet: foods that contain vitamins and mineral salts, and foods that have bulk.

The first class of foods would necessarily exclude all demineralized foods. White bread, polished rice. peeled apples, peeled potatoes, and boiled vegetables served without their juices are examples of demineralized foods. The foods that lack bulk also come under the same classification. Corn starch and white flour products may be added to the list. Virtually all starch foods are lacking in vitamins, in mineral salts, and in cellulose. Where do we find vitamins? Eggs, dairy products, fresh fruits, dried fruits, berries, succulent vegetables, whole grains, yeast, nuts, and nut oils are rich in vitamins. Vitamin foods should be cooked very little, as boiling and dry heal tend to kill the vitamins. Where do we find mineral salts: calcium, phosphorus, chlorine, sulphur, potassium, sodium, magnesium, silicon, and iron? In lettuce, spinach, cabbage, radish. cottage cheese, fruits, berries, bran, cucumbers, beets,

turnips, celery, prunes, carrots, tomatoes, dandelions, kale, ripe olives, and in many other natural foods.

Which foods supply bulk? Spinach, cabbage, lettuce, prunes, unsulphured figs, unsulphured dates, onions, and other fibrous foods. Bulky foods serve to keep the intestines from becoming sluggish.

In trying out the plan here outlined, do not go to extremes. Find your food balance. Ascertain how many meals you require a day, about how much food you need at a time, and vary your dietary slightly from time to time, according to your requirements. In trying to discipline appetite, do not go to extremes and become a slave to some dietetical system. Be sensible and scientific.

RECEIPTS

Lemon pie—Have ready a baked pie crust to place the following described filling:

Grate the rind of 1 lemon and squeeze the juice, taking out seeds; add 1 tablespoon water. Into 1 scant cup sugar mix 2 slightly rounded tablespoons flour and combine with lemon juice and grated rind. Beat very stiffly the whites of four eggs, beating in 4 tablesoons sugar. Now beat up 4 egg yolks with a fork, and add to mixture of sugar, lemon, flour, water, and grated rind. Cook very carefully on a low fire, stirring constantly. If the filling begins to thicken in lumps, remove from fire and stir thoroughly before continuing to cook. Let boil for three minutes, stirring constantly, as it scorches easily. Take from fire and add quickly the beaten egg whites; return to fire and beat and beat very rapidly until well mixed. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; pour filling into pie shell and smooth it out. The pie will be ready to serve when cooled. (Do not use an aluminum pan for cooking the lemon filling.)

Boston apple cake—Line a deep pie dish with pie crust Mix a half cup each of raisins and walnut meats, three fourths of a cup of sugar, and half a teaspoon of salt. Spread this over the pie crust. On this arrange slices of apple. Pour over it one cup of milk into which has been stirred one egg and half a teaspoon of nutmeg. Dot the top with bits of butter. Bake in a moderate oven for about one hour. Marshmallows may be added to the top and browned in a quick oven.

Alice Robertson pudding—One cup of cooked and chopped prunes, seeded raisins, and chopped dates, and three cups of bread crumbs. Mix and pour over raw custard made of the yolks of five eggs, five tablespoons of sugar, and six cups of milk. Bake carefully. Cover with meringue made of whites of eggs. Flavor with maple or grated lemon.

Our souls glow with love and praise to the Father of life whose good pleasure is to supply every need according to the measure of our faith. May we grow in faith and understanding and wisdom, and ever be grateful for his never-failing love.-M.P.