Fletcherism: What It Is; Or, How I Became Young at Sixty

Horace Fletcher

Jun 2022 · DigiCat

About this ebook

"Fletcherism: what it is: or, How I became young at sixty" by Horace fletcher is a fascinating book on nutrition and diet. The author here relates briefly the story of his regeneration, of how he rescued himself from the prospect of an early grave, and brought himself to his present splendid physical and mental condition. He tells of the discovery of his principles, which have helped millions of people to live better, happier, and healthier lives. The book is a good fit if you are concerned about health and diet.

About the author

Horace Fletcher (1849-1919), often referred to as "The Great Masticator" due to his advocacy of thorough chewing of food, was an American health food enthusiast of the early 20th century whose dietary principles came to be known as 'Fletcherism.' His most notable work, 'Fletcherism: What It Is; Or, How I Became Young at Sixty,' published in 1913, encapsulates his self-experimental ethos and the methods he claimed had vastly improved his health and vitality into his senior years. Fletcher proposed that the meticulous mastication of food until it reached a liquid state was paramount not only to adequate nutrition absorption but also to systemic health. His guidelines further stipulated that individuals should eat only when genuinely hungry and maintain a positive state of mind during meals. Though now largely debunked and replaced by modern nutritional science, Fletcher's influence was significant in his time, leading to a brief but widespread fascination with his methods among the health-conscious. His writing style was characterized by a combination of personal anecdote, rigorous advocacy, and pseudo-scientific rationale that endeared him to a segment of the population seeking alternative health strategies. While the scientific validity of Fletcher's work has not withstood the test of time, it remains a noteworthy relic of early nutritional science history.