The first purpose of nearly every hgienic system of living, is that of conscious regulation in some way requiring effort which arouses vitality, at the same time it checks the excesses which clog the system and exhaust cell energy, thus regulation is the real secret of improvement. More sickness and deaths result from intemperate eating and drinking than from all other causes put together. All classes of people eat too much yet are poorly nourished. Even the wealthy often succumb to starvation from lack of the tissue building element in food. The overindulgence of food to gratify the palate is the great bane of humanity, and increases with the advance of civilization - with new discoveries of combinations pleasing to the taste.

While diversity is right in all things not positively injurious or poisonous, as what appeals to one does not appeal to another, and the privilege of choice may be enjoyed with less expense when various luxuries are common, it requires a great amount of judgment to decide what is the most appropriate food, and the proper amount to nourish the system instead of devitalizing it.

The civilized race has reached a stage where it must bring forth its highest and best reasoning power, to determine the place of greatest good in all of the habits of life, if it would continue its existence. In its present condition it will destroy itself by excesses, as the people of the great nations of the past have done, and go down before the simple progressive races that have not yet spent their inherent forces, else it will arouse for a mighty stride forward, ushering in the Millennial Race of accumulated vitality and established long life.

As soon as it is realized that regulated habits and the protection of the living cell in food fulfills the demands of scientific living, that will prolong life and preserve youth, the new race may begin its permanent growth without great sacrifice. Health, longevity, and happiness are the birthrights of man.

It is a pleasure to gratify the appetite, and nature intends that food, as well as all things essential to life, should be enjoyed to the fullest extent possible, or to the degree of greatest good. Beyond this point of "enough" a destructive reaction produces suffering instead of joy, hence excesses should be avoided. When this condition is understood, and the desire to live becomes stronger than the desire for momentary gratification, the habit of overindulgence is easily checked.

The individual taste, if kept normal, would be a correct guide to what is needed by the system, but as it is usually much perverted the judgment must be educated to assist it. Occupation, climate, age, and many other conditions must be considered in selecting the most suitable food, but as a rule the family table should supply the required needs, providing each one selects wisely from dishes set before him, and knows when he has enough. Special dieting is seldon necessary, and nothing is more disagreeable than for one member of a family to demand raw food, while another must have thorough cooking, and a third insists upon radical vegetarianism. Regulation and cooking to retain the living cell in food will prevent such unpleasantness, as Scientific Living includes the vital points of all other systems.

Although the stomach must not be overloaded, one should not leave the table hungry, unless for a few times, while adjusting the digestive organs to the proper amount.

Under scientific living the taste will be gratified with more natural, delicate, and savory dishes that nourish, but do not gorge the system. When less food is consumed it is more thoroughly masticated and the sense of taste is cultivated until a greater pleasure is experienced than is possible in the hurrying and stuffing condition with its evil after effects. Taste is only in the mouth, hence one apple eaten slowly may be enjoyed more than a dozen swallowed rapidly.

A morbid craving appetite cannot be satisfied - the more it has the more it wants. It may be satiated to the point of disgust where stopping is essential, but it is only the normal, regulated appetite that knows real satisfaction, hence no sacrifice is demanded for right living. Pampering the craving appetite, except to relieve a tension, as in the conquest of fear, does not improve it, but it can be counteracted gradually by selecting vital food and arousing a desire to prolong life.