HEALTH NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 10, 12 January 1929, Page 17

HEALTH NOTES

FAMILY FOOD SUPPLY

SUGGESTIONS AS TO DIET

'(Contributed by thc:-l)pp:irti£c!ii of The housewife who would make Her money go as far as possible, "and^vho is , ea ni cstly: anx luus- to keep her, family in good health, needs to know what foqc]3 to buy. The health of her family depends very- largely upon .her. .knowing 'what',-foods best serve.the bo.dy-Vn'eetls. To keep the blood red. and .healttiy,.th> teeth and boiics strong, the circulation and digestion properly: batan-ccil.'fobc^ must bo used which contain, certain.minerals. To remove the ..waste-,loft by the food tluit the : bodyfcpnsiimes, there, will be need of bulky foods which .sweep .the waste along'as they* pais'. through -the intestines.'; -And to insure-growth and development, and . . : prot.ection against certain diseases, foods: must;- beused which contain substances called vitamins. It is clear, then, that one' 3 food should supply: (1) Fuel, (2) material, to build and- repair .muscle,bone, and .blood,. (3)., protecting, .and-.-regulat-ing material. . : . ;,;,.,;• ■■'■„.„, • J.i.' Persons who do. hard physical-work .and lead very active, .lives-need;- njpre fuel foods thau those-, whoso work-Keeps them seated most of tlie.day. For them and for active children the fuel foods fornr the-bulk of the'diet/'-' And when : more fuel is taken than is required, thesurplus is stored in the * body"' i'u the form of fat.. Tho prineipal":fue.l.foods arcV;.Starchc3: Bread, cereals, iapipe'a, macaroni, rice, potatoes.-Sugars:, gugar, treacle, or golden syrup,'honey, "dried, fruits. Fats:. Butter; cream,-,lardy, and r other animal fats, olive oil/cotton seed oil, chocolate.;-.- . ■.;';;". •■.-■;.■• BUILDING NEEDS. lV^ Children ' need, bodybuilding',. foq.cl3 for growth.' After they ar.o>growri.th» i wear and tear of living ■ breaks: down , a, certain amount, of body tissuevvvliich ; must,be replaced. Ono special group ; of foods, the proteins,-build tissue- and-: have some. value.- as fuel.:.-.';' "With, the ; exception of milk: and .whole-graia! cer-j eals, • however,,, the proteins, 'should- not ■ be depended upon for fuel, as :tliey ire more expensive than tlio fuel.foods. ■ 'j ' - Small quantities of proteins ,; will ! meet' the ..building needs of; the body,] and- the amount needed, does riot'.yar^j very much with exercise- or. work; it! is about the, same whether a. .person is 1 acitiye or ;inactive...;: The proteiu.-be'ar-': ing lor.building.,-foods are:.-Meats,'fish, I poultry,. milk, cheese, ;eggs; ■ [ and-", "ia ' some degree dried peas and beans, .gela- '■ tine, .nuts,, and.wholo, grain. (Jereals.sV .The dietmust.also.contain ".some regulating foods and bulky.-, foods •■-which j, do not digest- completely. ■-' ' The latter . servo; to carry off wast'o': through ;:.the intestines.: The regulating ■ foods, which contain .mineral- matter"necessary for good' blood, strong ..teeth', arid I proper body balance, are: Vegetables, ; fruits, milk, eggs, jmd whole.', grains. ;; Water helps.to carry off :Waste--tlir6ugh ; the,skin and JJie kidneys,.. ,Qne should ; drink from six to eight glasses a day. ;

GROWTH .-AND PROTECTION AGAINST DISEASE. Vitamins in our food are necessary for growth and ■ development, and', for. protection against certain. diseases. ', Vitamin A is the important growtiTiac- \ tor, particularly for the "young, helps ! vitality, and' protects against' diseases ' of the nose,, throat, and lungs. .Lack of ,' it brings on disease- of,thecyes- Vita- ' mill A is found in milk, butter, cream,' '. green vegetables, cheese,/ eggs, liver, i kidneys, and cod liver'oil.' The yegp-j tables especially, .• ; include' ■spinach,; squash,-,, lettuce,, •cabbage^.', tomatoes.) Then there !are ;siicli ■ Vegetables as' car-' rots, sweet potatoes;: and turnips. Vita-:. mm. B is'essential'td.;life and;he'aTtii. '■■ Without it there is a loss 'of appetite, ■'. followed by. nervous disorders. , A diet ' entirely without vitamin B will cause ' death. Vitamin Bis found in milk. ] and green vegetables, and 1 in the outer ; coating and germ of whole grain cer- ■' ealsy suchv as. wheat,- corn, luhppllshed ! rice, • yeast, carrots, potatoes;''aspara- ; gus, and tomatoes, fruits"-'and:;'nuts.-\yjit- • aihin C gives vigour' to* the ■general ] health, and prevents scurvy, a.serib'us i disease found chiefly among'childron. ■ This vitamin', is found .abundantly^an j tomatoes, canned- or raw;.,in -pineapple, ' canned or. raw;;in oranges,' lenions,,-la ] leafy vegetables, such-as.-,spinach"; r -lei> \ tuce, cabbage, .and in potatoes,: turnips,.; and onions. ■ Vitamin D/ enables'.tfio j body to benefit from" the minerals-coil-"j taiued in food. Withqut'it the iriiii- j erals do very little good, and. the .boSy.j is likely .to develop rickets, -a disease ■ found among children partic'ular)y.;'•■Cod | liver -oil! and : egg' yolk .. are 'very. richVin. s -vitamin 1),.-and: are, preventives ',". of". rickets.. : Direct sunlight; is :■ also-■: a ! preventive, of l'ickets, :■;. Some .foods, } such as fruits and-vegetables, and jnilk, j contain more.than one vitamin.'. : They["' should therefore be ■'used freely. / The quality most common to foods is their power to' serve' as fuel and so ' impart energy. The unit used to mea- i sure food values, therefore,"is^thc-iieat i unit, the calory. The number of calories needed by an individual varies! with ago and the amount of work done. : For young arid middle-aged adults th'ei number may be from fourteen, to ) twenty-seven calories for each, pound"j of body weight depending upon the] amount of exercise taken. And boys!] and girls between the ages of 13 and' 17, because they are growing, very of ten ' need.as many calories as adults. :

VARIETY; RICH IN NUTRIMENT. .In . New .Zealand, where :tli.c, foods available are wide iii variety and-irich in nutriment, there is little difficulty in. ; supplying adequate nourishment,: in-! eluding the vitamins necessary to per-' feet health; but the thrifty housewife by a wise choice of suitable foods according to their current cost niay: effect a considerable saving: in her dailybud- ;- get. With regard to milk, this is essential to the growing cliild, whatever'the . cost. One quart a day. for each child is recommended. This is the ideal. Never use less than one pint, however. Milk is the best building food for children. It supplies fuel;.it supplies.minerals; it carries, a.gop.d supply^ of vitamins A and B. /Whole-grain, breads .and cereals should be used daily. They 'supply fuel at low cost. They are .'also building foods, containing minerals: and furnishing bulk for the. intestines. They are one of the best sources, of vitamin 81..B 1.. Cereals should be Kept;in Mii-boxes or glass, jars, well covered .for projection from dust and."insects." ' Two-'.vegetables should be.used daily.:.They are valuable chiefly, f6r.th.eir minerals and vitamins. This- is" particularly true.of .'. the vegetables like cabbage, kale, spinach, lettuce, and;turnip tops,.'which ■ also add bulk to the intestines, and should be used at least-three-or four times a week. Tomatoes are-a valuable-source of vitamins A, B, and C; and .these or

'orange! juice should" be used -for.child- ;- ren. ■ Vegetables and -fruits, ii-cnvevqr, are.apt to lose a part .of-their vitamins in the process of .cooking,'..and for'that reason raw vegetables and fruit are recommended, as they make wholesome : salads., Fruits, either.fresh v or cooked,: should-be eaten at least bnce::a'day. • Fresh fruits add-tvater, minerals, sugar, / and vitamins to the'diet and bulk for : the intestines. -Meats need not be used ; more than once a day; meat is a build- ,! ing food, and supplies more minerals. Eggs and other building food might : take the same place in a meal as meat or : .fish. Butter is rich in vitamin A, and : should be used freely-if possible. /Sugar ,' iii the diet should be taken'-'chiefly, in. ; the form of desserts and fruit.' Sweefe j betVeen meals, may '..-, upset!"flie digestioa'.; and ruin.; tho appetite,k.fpr>ithe,.s;jnoro_J necessaiy foods. . .. '*,':" !,