The purpose of regular eating is not entirely for the regulation of habits and nutrition derived from food. It is the natural method of keeping the life principle in action - it is a demand upon the forces of nature to supply vitality from within, which, blended with that generated from food, keeps the machinery of the body in motion.

God and man are always partners. The subjective self and objective self must work together, to a certain extent, at least. The inner self does not do for man what he can do for himself, or assist him except in natural growth, without recognition or effort on his part. It furnishes as much, or more vitality, than is supplied by food, but does not do this until after he has fulfilled his duty by regular eating, when it is within his power to so do.

Many instances are recorded where a very little food, when no more could be obtained, answered the purpose of arousing the vitality to sustain the body. Mothers, who have given their portion of food to children, in times of famine, have been suddenly relieved of the pangs of hunger. A noted woman relates a similar experience of her brother while en route to the gold fields of California, The caravan was attacked by Indians, most of the passengers being slain. The few survivors wandered on as best they could. Her brother, after walking for two days, dinging to the handful of crackers he had left, overtook a ragged starving Englishman, who had made himself disagreeable at the beginning of the trip, by his pompous airs. The first thought of her brother was to ignore the fellow, as he could hardly think of sharing his morsel of food, but a nobler impulse prevailed, and he divided his frugal meal with the starving man. To his surprise he enjoyed the same feeling of satisfaction and strength that follows a hearty repast.

Christ fed the multitude with loaves and fishes in this manner. It was not accidental with him. He knew the laws by which it could be done.

It is of value to understand the use of latent forces in times of need, but one must not allow himself to be deceived into imagining that he can live the visible life indefinitely without food. The cells may be sustained from within for a time, but it is as impossible for the human tissue to be reproduced without material, as for a cotton factory to produce cloth without cotton. As the cells of the body are formulated or selected from the material side of life, one of the greatest questions is: What grade of tissue is desired?

It is an established fact, that the flesh of high grade animals is better than that of scrubs. The difference in the grade of human tissue is even greater. Better blood means better tissue - more refined and vitalized cells. Birth, culture and all the conditions of life figure in this, but food exercises a greater influence than has been fully appreciated. A moment of thought reveals the difference between the coarse flabby fibre produced by heavy meats, vegetable stews, crude half-cooked mixtures, or over-cooked dead foods, and the more delicate fibre that is the yield of a diet of ripe fruits, nuts, fresh vegetables daintily prepared, with living proteid cells from beans, peas, cereals, pure milk and cheese, eggs from grain fed hens, and other savory dishes.

Each course of food for refining the tissue should express thought, vitality and culinary skill, without exhausting labor, imparting culture to the taste, as well as to the mind and body, from the artistic manner of serving, in addition to its superior nutritive quality. To retain the living proteid cell for tissue building should be the first great aim in every meal. Blended with the tissue building food is always found enough of the other essential elements for heat and energy. With water as a solvent, and fibrous vegetables and fruit for bulk, is associated plenty of mineral substance. Proper eating is simple and natural. It has been made a burden through ignorance.

It is not best to force a change of diet, as in using raw vegetables, or cereals, or leaving off meat suddenly. As fast as the mind develops to higher desires, less of the heavy rich or dead foods are wanted and natural ones are craved until the place of greatest good is gained.

The great danger from over-indulgence and lack of regulation is that the debris left in the system produces poisonous feeding ground for bacteria. The first effort of the bacteria is to consume the poison and free the system, but as they accumulate rapidly if poison is sufficient to sustain them, they clog the organs and excrete their own poison, producing inflammation and various complications.

It is not uncommon for the bowels to become clogged and inactive for days at a time. A sewer, in the house, would not be used in such a condition, but most people continue eating just the same. Relief from cathartics weakens the bowels, besides passing off most of the nutritive element, hence the food is of no value. When the excretory organs are not free very little food should be taken, and that mostly fruit, fluids and whole or flaked wheat raw or simmered. The wheat supplies some of all kinds of nutriment, while the hull aids in relieving the bowels until a normal condition is restored.

One hundred horses are said to have died in Chicago from overfeeding during a state of inaction for two days during Christmas time. Human beings have a greater power of endurance, but special days, like Christmas, should be celebrated by using more delicate viands for several meals, instead of by a greater quantity at one time, as is now customary. It is a misnomer to Christ to attempt to honor him by violating his highest law of regulation, through gluttony. There is but little difference between intemperate eating and intemperate drinking except in popularity. Both are followed by inevitable suffering, being sins. On the other hand, if the digestive system is not strong enough to digest and assimilate an ordinary meal, it is below the natural state and should be aroused to better action instead of being pampered and the amount of food reduced, unless for a few days during the process of revivification. The normal action is easily aroused by exercise, deep breathing and concentrated suggestions of strength upon retiring, several nights in succession. The hopeful, confident, reconstructive attitude of mind increases the vital current.

The final object of retaining the living cell in food and regulating the amount to the point of plenty, yet avoiding the excesses that produce poison is to store cell vitality. It is like accumulation in the financial world. The less energy spent in counteracting poison, or in caring for an excess of food, and the less energy drawn upon to supply shortage in nutrition, or to perform over-work, the greater will be the natural resources of life for emergencies - vitality accumulates in the cells - the life line is prolonged - the "tonicity of the involuntary organs is increased." In childhood the vital current and eliminating power of the system are strong. Under proper living they are increased for mature life, while misuse weakens both, keeping the life forces below the normal in old age.

While man will never be free from the danger of accidents, or the tendency to negative disease conditions, his innate ability to resist or overcome adverses depends upon the stored forces, the perfect reproduction of the cells, and the education of the cells to involuntary spontaneous action, by establishing the objective life with the subjective life, through controlled habits, that become a part of the natural self. This cultivation of good habits enables the subjective forces to rally and protect the system from invasion, or danger, without the mind directly thinking about it, as the fingers of the skilled musician strike the right keys without conscious thought.

Regulated living is scientific, educating the cellular system for long life. Without it the strongest appearing men often succumb to disease, or reverses, more easily than those of weaker constitutions who have been obliged to exercise more judgment - the enduring quality of the cells being lacking with those who live recklessly or without purpose.