he could control what he ate. However, his food prefer-
ences were formed during hid years of ‘‘public eating.’’
At home, each of Hay’s meals consisted of meat or
other concentratedprotein. He usually combined this
with white bread and generally ate a potato of some
form. Hay described this meal as the ‘‘plain food of the
American table.’’ His meal ended with pastries and
two to three cups of coffee that he sweetened with
sugar and cream.
Hay’s eating habits weren’t unusual. Meat and
potatoes were long part of a traditional American
meal. In addition, Americans during the early 1800s
tended to eat large meals. Excess weight was regarded
as a sign of prosperity. That perspective began to
change later in the century, with a range of weight-
loss solutions proposed during the 1890s.
Dr. Edward Hooker Dewey’s plan involved skip-
ping breakfast. Horace Fletcher, a businessman, cre-
ated a plan after he couldn’t get life insurance because
of his weight. He lost 40 pounds (18.1 kilograms) by
slowly chewing his food until it liquefied. He then
swallowed it. The slow-chewing technique became a
popular weight-loss method known as ‘‘Fletcherism.’’Developing a new diet
Hay started his special diet by eliminating two
meals and eating only vegetables for the third. He
stopped drinking coffee, but continued to smoke cig-
arettes and drink alcohol. Hay wrote that his craving
for coffee ended in two weeks. Several months later, he
gave up smoking. By the third month, Hay weighed
175 pounds (79.4 kilograms).
Hay considered that a normal weight. He spent
the next four years researching diet and exercise,
examining those issues from the conventional and
alternative perspectives. His research included study-
ing the work of Ivan Petrovich Pavlov, the Russian
physiologist known for his research involving dogs.
Pavlov’s studies of the digestion process of dogs indi-
cated that it took about two hours to digest starches
and four hours to digest proteins. However, it could
take 13 hours to digest a mixture of protein and starch.Food combining guidelinesFood groups Foods Combine with Do not combine Exceptions
Acid fruits Grapefruit, oranges, Sub-acid fruit and nuts Sweet fruit and other food Tomatoes can be eaten
lemons, limes, pineapples, and seeds groups with low and non-starchy
pomegranates, tomatoes vegetables and avocado
Sub-acid fruits Apples, apricots, berries, Acid or sweet fruits, not Other food groups
grapes, kiwi, mango, both, and nuts and seeds
nectarines, papaya, peaches,
pears, plums, strawberries
Sweet fruits Bananas, coconut, dates, Sub-acid fruits, and nuts Acid fruit and other food
dried fruits, prunes, raisins and seeds groups
Melons Cantaloupe, honeydew, Eat alone All groups
watermelon
Protein Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, Low and non-starchy Other proteins, fats, Drink milk alone
dairy, dry beans/peas, nuts vegetables carbohydrates and
& seeds, peanuts, soy beans, starches, and fruits
soy products, tofu
Low and non-starchy Asparagus, artichokes, Protein, fats, carbohydrates, Fruits
vegetables green beans, beets, broccoli, and starches
cabbage, cauliflower,
cucumber, eggplant, garlic,
lettuce, celery, carrots,
onions, parsley, peas,
peppers, turnips,
mushrooms, zucchini
Carbohydrates and Bread, pasta, grains/cereals, Low and non-starchy Fruits and protein
starches potatoes, pumpkin, winter vegetables and fats
squashes, yams
Fats Avocado, olives, coconut, Low and non-starchy Protein, fruits Avocado can be eaten
butter, cream, and olive, vegetables, carbohydrates with fruits
avocado, flax, sesame, and starches, and protein
and canola oils(Illustration by GGS Information Services/Thomson Gale.)
Hay diet