HEALTH NOTES.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 273, 31 January 1929, Page 2

HEALTH NOTES.

FAMILY FOOD SUPPLY. Suggestions as to Diet. (Contributed by the Department of Health). The housewife who would make 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 the body’s needs. To keep the blood red and healthy, the teeth and bones strong, the circulation and digestion properly balanced, foods must be 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 diseases, foods must be used which contain substances called vitamins. It is clear, then, that one’s food should supply: (1) Fuel; 12) material to build and repair muscle, | bone and blood; (3) protecting and j regulating material. Persons who do hard physical 1- work and lead very active lives need more fuel foods than those whose , work keeps them seated most of the day. For them and for active children the fuel foods form the bulk of the 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 ; Bread, cereals, tapioca, macaroni, rice, potatoes. Sugars: Sugar, treacle, or golden syrup, honey, dried fruits. Fats: Butter, cream, lard, and other animals fats, olive oil, cotton seed oil, chocolate.

Building Needs. Children need body-building foods for growth. After they are grown the wear and tear of living breaks down a certain amount of body tissue which must be replaced. One special group of foods, the proteins, build tissue and havp some value as food. With the exception of milk and whole grain cereals, however, the proteins should not be depended upon for fuel, as they are more expensive than the fuel foods. Small quantities of proteins will meet the building needs of the body, and the amount needed does not vary very much with exercise or work; it is about the same whether a person is active or inactive. The proteinbearing- or building foods are: Meat, fish, poultry, milk, cheese, eggs; and in some degree dried peas and beans, gelatine, nuts and whole grain cereals. The diet 'must also contain some regulating foods and bulky foods which do not digest completely. The latter serve to carry off waste through the intestines. The regulating foods, which contain mineral matter necessary for good blood, strong teeth and proper body balance, are: Vegetables, fruits, milk, eggs, and whole grains. Water helps to carry off waste through the skin and the kidneys. One 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 growth factor, particularly for the young, helps vitality, and protects against diseases of the nose, throat, and lungs. Lack of it brings on disease of the eyes. Vitamin A is found in milk, butter, cream, green vegetables, cheese, eggs, liver, kidneys, and cod liver oil. The vegetables especially include spinach, squash, lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes. Then there are such vegetables as carrots, sweet potatoes, and turnips,, Vitamin B is essential to life and health. Without it there is a loss of appetite, followed by nervous disorders. A diet entirely without vitamin B will cause death. Vitamin B is found in milk and green vegetables, and in the outer coating and germ of whole graiii" cereals, such as wheat, corn, unpolished rice, yeast, carrots, potatoes, asparagus and tomatoes, fruits and nuts. Vitamin C gives vigour to the general health, and prevents scurvy, a serious disease found chiefly among children. This vitamin is found abundantly In tomatoes, canned or raw; in pineapple, canned or raw; in oranges, 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 very little good, and the body is likely to develop rickets, a disease found among children particularly. 'Cod liver oil and egg yolk are very rich in vitamin D, and are preventives of rickets. Direct sunlight is also a preventive of rickets. Some foods, such as Sruits and vegetables, and milk, 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 measure food values, therefore, is the heat unit, the calory. The number of calories needed by an individual varies with age and the amount of work done. For young and middle-aged adults the number may be Jrom fourteen to twenty-seven calories for each pound of bedy weight depending upon the amount of exercise taken. And boys and girls between the ages of 13 and 17, because they are growing, very often need as many calories as adults. Variety: Rich in Nutriment. In New Zealand, where the foods available are wide in variety and rich in nutriment, there is liVtle difficulty in supplying adequate nourishment, including the vitamins necessary to perfect health; but the thrifty housewife by a wise choice of suitable foods according to their current cost may effect a considerable saving in her daily budget. With regard to milk, this is essential to the growing child, 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 good supply of vitamins A and B. Whole-grain breads a~\d cereals should be used daily. They supply fuel at low cost. They are also building foods, containing minerals and furnishing bulk for the intestines, j They are one of the best sources of vitamin B. Cereals should be kept in tin boxes or glass jars, well covered for protection from dust and insects Two vegetables should be used daily.

They are valuable chiefly for their minerals and vitamins. This is particularly true of the leafy 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 children. Vegetables and fruits, however, 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 or cooked, should be eaten at least once a day. Fresh fruits add water, 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 building food, and supplies more minerals. Eggs and other building food might take the same place in a meal as a meat or fish. Butter is rich In vitamin A, and should be used freely ( if possible. Sugar in the diet should be taken chiefly in the form of desserts and fruit. Sweets between meals may upset the digestion and ruin the appetite for the more necessary foods. Foods available in New Zealand are very varied, nourishing and suitable. If anything, a tendency exists to rely too much upon cooked foods, particularly meats, and not to use sufficient green solids and fresh fruits, and to give children too liberal a supply of sweets in lieu of Nature’s sugars of a far li’gher dietetic value which are found in fruits.