HEALTH NOTES.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5383, 4 February 1929, Page 3

HEALTH NOTES.

FAMILY FOOD SUPPLY.

SUGGESTIONS AS TO DIET.

(Contributed by the Department qf Health.)

The housjewife who would maite her money go as far as possible, and who is earnestly anxious to keep her family in good health, needs to know what foods to buy. The health of her family depends very largely upon her knowing what, foods best serve t'he body’s needs. To kejep the blood red and' healthy, the teeth and 1 banes strong, the circulation and digestion properly balanced, foods, must bq used which contain certain minerals. To remove the waste left by the food that the] body consumes there will be need of, bulky foods which sweep the waste along as they pass through the intestines. And to ensure growth and development, and protection against certain fopds must be used which contain substances called vitamins. It is clear, then, that one’s food should supply: (1) Fuel; (2) material to build and repair muscle, bone, and blood; (3) protecting and regulating material. Persons; who do. hard physical work and lead’ very active; lives needl more fuel foqds than those whose work keeps them seated most of the day. For them and for active children the fuel foods form the bulk of tbq diet. And when more fuel is taken than is required the surplus is stored in the body in the form of fat. The principal fuel foods are : Starches—brqad, cereals, tapioca, macaroni, ric.e, potatoes. Sugars : Sugar, treacle, of gulden syrup, honey, dried fruits. Fats : Butter, cream, lard, and! other animal fats, olive ■pal., cotton seed oil, chocolate BUILDING NEEDS. Children need body-building foods for gnqwth. After they are grown the wear and tear of living breaks down a certain amount of body tissue which must be replaced. One special g.roup of foods, the; proteins, build tissue and have sofine value as foods. With the exception of. milk and whole grain cereals, hqwever, the proteins, should not be depended upon for fuql, as they are more expensive than the fuel foods. Spiall quantities of proteins will meet the building nejeds of. the body, and the amount needed dtes not vary very much with exercise or work ; it is about the Same whether a; person is active or inactive The pfotein-bear-ing or building foods are: Meat, fish, poultry, milk, c,heese, eggs; and in some degree dried peas and beans,< gelatine, nuts, and whole grain cqreal.s. The diet must also contain some regulating foOds, and bulky foods which do not digest completely. The latter serve tq carry off waste through the intestines. The rqg.ulating food’s, which contain mineral matter necessary fo ; r good blood, strong teeth, and proper body balance, are: Vegetables, fruit, milk, and whalq grains. Water 'helps to carry off waste through the skin and the kidneys. One should drink ffom six to eight glasses a day. GROWTH AND PROTECTION. Vitamins in our food are necessary for growth and development, and for protection against certain diseases. Vitamin A is the; important growth; factor, particularly fqr the young, helps vitality, and protects against diseases of the throat, and lungs. Lack of it brings qn disease of the eyes. Vitamin Aiq found! in milk, butter, cream, green vegetables, eggs, cheese, liver, kidneys, and! cod liver oil. The vegetables especially include spinach, squash, lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes. Then there are such vegetable's as c.ari’Pts, sweqt potatoes, and turnips. Vitamin Bis essential to life and health. Without it there is a loss of appetite, followed by nervous disorders. A diet entirely without min B will cause; death. Vitamin B is found in milk and greeni vegetables, and in the outer, costing and germ of whole grain cereals, such as wheat, corn, unpolished rice, yeast, carrots, Potatoes, asparagus, tqmatoep, and fruits and nuts. Vitamin C gives vigour to the general health, and; prevents scurvy, a serious disease found chiefly among children. This vitamin’ isfound abundantly ini tomatoes, canned or raw; in pineapple, canned or raw; in orangqs, lemons, in leafy vegetables, such as spinach, lettuce, cabbage, and in potatoes, turnips, and onions. Vitamin D. enables the body to benefit from the minerals contained in food. Without it the minerals do vqry little good, and! the bo.dy is likely to develop rickets, a disease found among, children particularly. Cbd liver odl and egg yolk are very rich in vitamin D, and . are preventives of rickqts. Direct sunlight is also a preventive of rickets. Some foods, such as‘ fruits and vegetables, and milk, contain more than on>e vita* min. They 'should therefore be used freely.