Since the foods richest in protein are the most expensive, those who wish to keep down the cost of living, should provide, at most, no more protein than the system requires. The expensive meat may be eliminated and proteins be supplied by eggs, milk, legumes, nuts and cereals. The most fundamental thing is to decide upon the amount of protein—two to four ounces, nearly a quarter of a pound a day—and then select a dietary which shall provide this and also supply heat and energy sufficient for the day. If the diet is to include meat, a goodly proportion of protein will be furnished in the lean meat. This will vary greatly with the different cuts of meat as shown on Table IV, page 128. If, as often happens, one does not care for fats, then the starches and sugars must provide the heat. If one craves sweets, less starches and fats are needed. The normally healthy individual is more liable to supply too much protein than too little, even though he abstain from meat. Yet, as will be shown later, our strongest races, who have lent most to the progress of the world, live upon a mixed diet. If the diet is to include meat, it will consist of less bulk, because the protein is more condensed; for the same reason, if it includes animal products of eggs and milk and a fair proportion of legumes, it will be less bulky than a vegetable diet. This point is important for busy people, who eat their meals in a hurry and proceed at once to active, mental work. Those who engage in physical labor are much more likely to take a complete rest for a half hour, to an hour, after eating. The _thinkers_ seldom rest, at least after a midday meal, and those who worry seldom relax the mental force during any waking hours. Where the system shows an excess of uric acid, the chances are that the individual has not been living on a diet with too large a proportion of protein, but that he has been eating more than he requires of all kinds of foodstuffs. His system thus becomes weakened and he does not breathe deeply nor exercise sufficiently to oxidize and throw off the waste. Let it be recalled here that the theory that rheumatism is caused by an excess of uric acid is disputed by the highest authorities. It is _accompanied_ by uric acid, but not supposed to be caused by it.