FOOD AND DRINK

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2122, 22 February 1908, Page 4 (Supplement)

FOOD AND DRINK

HINTS FOR HOT DAYS. “What is the best food to eat in this Weather?” said a leading doctor to a reporter of the Melbourne “Argus” during a recent hot spell. “That is a .difficult question. There is no doubt whatever that a largo proportion of our population gorgo themselves in summer with an utter disregard of the climate. \ Walk past somo of the cheap restaurants, -and you will smell hot, thick steam coming through the doors, and if you glance inside you will see dozens of men, even on a hot day, shovelling down large steaming dishes of -mutton and beef, of potatoes and cabbages, with messes of pudding, and washing the lot down with Jingo cups of tea. My opinion is that -the foods used in weather like this should bo very sligli-Qy albuminous —that roast beef, cabbages, beans, and peas should bo set aside, and replaced by light vegetables, .eggs, fisli, etc. ' In the ordinary run of households, if there "is any knowledge of cookery, much use niay.be made of rice, sago, and other farinaceous foods 1 , prepared in various ways. Stewed, or baked fruit should be a frequent summer dish. Bread may he eaten‘free 1 ly, with- rather less thaiy the-nifiunl quantity of butter; eggs in any form, and fish if it can he got. It is a, scandal that our fish supply should bo so deficient-. Instead of being an exnensive luxury, it ought to bo, as it'is in England, the cheapest form of ’food. , When I was connected with .an English hospital, tho patients used to grumble when they were put on a fish diet. because they considered that that was only fit food for paupers. There is something radically wrong out here that fish should he so dear. As to fresh fruits, a large number of people require to bo very careful that* they .do not eat over-ripe fruit, which quickly causes irritation and intestinal troubles. Stone fruits are always more or less risky.' The safest fruits are bananas, grapes, pears —especially the large juicy sorts, such .as’ the Ben Cretien—melons, water melons, and strawberries in their season. “As to summer .drinks, the common idea is that the proper way to get cool is to drink cold drinks, and especially iced drinks. That is -not scientifically well founded. Ice-cold drinks in hot weather are positively dangerous, and are apt to give rise to irritation and congestion. The best thing to drink, if you want to lose heat, is a hot drink. _ The cooling is effected -by the rapid evaporation that immediately ensues. And I should say that the best cooling drink of all —as. the Chinese found out for themselves many centuries ago —is rather weak tea, drunk-pretty hot. If you want to get the comfortable 'feeling of coolness in the -mouth and throat, you may take a . cold drink —not .iced —but you won t be so safe as in taking a hot drink. Another thing to, remember is that tea and coffee are the best etimulants against the effects of heat—much better than alcohol. They stimulate tho circulation and the respiration, the two parts that aro most liable to be depressed by the continuance of great heat. For the thirsty soul who must -drink it is much safer to cultivate tho habit of taki-nv ‘soft’ drinks rather than alcoholic, because the perpetual demand for fluid, if satisfied by alcoholic drinks, Tvill inevitably cause, in a short time, great irritation ot the mucous membrane of the stomach and congestion of the liver. Ut soft drinks, sweet liquids, like lemonade and ginger ale, are to, be least recommended, -because they tend to provoke more thirst. A simple lemo’n squash, with very little sugai. is much better than the artificiallymade lemonade, which contains a : great deal of sugar. For the man whose tastes are still alcoholic, and who wants something to quench his thirst, the best thing I can recommend, is a good lager beer.