"All kinds of
stimulating and heating
substances; high-
seasoned food;
rich dishes; the
free use of
flesh; and even the
excess of
aliment; all, more or less -- and some to a very great
degree -- increase the
concupiscent excitability and sensibility of the
genital organs..." -- Sylvester Graham
1794-1851,
American reformer and
Presbyterian minister, b. West Suffield, Conn. He advocated a vegetable
diet as a
cure for
intemperance and the use of coarsely ground
whole-wheat flour. Graham flour was named for him.
Sylvester Graham had a lot of
puritanical notions about
seuxality, although he believed that the
wrath for offense came not only in
the next world as
divine retribution but also in this one, in the form of degrading
health.
Specifically, Graham felt that men damaged their health every time they
ejaculated, going so far as to claim that 40oz.(!) of
blood is lost to the
body every time a
man blows his
load. He suggested that the maximum healthy number of ejaculations was 12 per year.
To this end, Graham suggested
dietary controls, not only to
affect health directly, but to
affect it through the restraint of
sexuality. In other words, he felt that certain
foods excited the
limbic and
hormonal system, and others suppressed it.
Here is some info about Graham's dietary work, quoted from
the Straight Dope:
To control lust, Graham prescribed a special vegetarian diet, the centerpiece of which was "Graham bread," made from whole wheat flour. Graham crackers, which Graham invented in 1829, were another manifestation of the same idea.
His saving grace was that in many important respects he was right. Although he was a little goofy on the question of sex, many of his ideas about health were sound. He advocated daily toothbrushing, once considered a revolutionary idea, as well as fresh air, regular bathing, exercise, and seven hours of sleep. During an era of recurring cholera epidemics he urged people to drink pure water.
Most important, we now know the diet he recommended to be vastly more healthy than the one Americans were eating at the time, or for that matter eat today. He railed against commercial bakers who used refined flour devoid of dietary fiber. He urged the consumption of fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, and seeds. Strictly verboten were fat, salt, sugar, tobacco, alcohol, and stimulants. Modern dieticians aren't as strongly opposed to meat as he was (although they'd certainly advise fish and poultry rather than red meat), and they'd go easy on the fat- and cholesterol-laden milk, cheese, and eggs he recommended. But by and large "the prophet of bran bread and pumpkins" was right on the money. One more thing: if you were starting to feel virtuous because you eat graham crackers, don't. Despite the name, most brands of "graham cracker" today use refined white flour. If you want the real thing (more or less), try the Health Valley or New Morning brands, which can be found in health food stores. They use whole wheat flour, soy oil, unsulfured molasses, and no preservatives.
Oh yes. And, from what I hear, Sylvester Graham is also now
fodder for most standard
Human Sexuality college
courses.
So Graham wasn't
entirely wrong after all, about some health-related things, anyway. Does this mean I shouldn't call them graham
quackers?