HEALTH NOTES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 505, 12 April 1933, Page 3

HEALTH NOTES

THE PROPER FOODS WELL BALANCED DIET WILL CORRECT MANY ILLS. NECESSITY iOF VITAMINS. (Contributed by the D:epartment of Health.) The food we eat has much to do with whether we sball have a healthy body or a sick one, and improp'er food selection often leads to conditions that can be corrected only hy long periods of prop,er food adjustment, states an ofiicial publication of the Society of Medical Officers of Health, London. A little too much fat or carbohydmte in the diet may eventually result in obesdty, which , is frequently never properly corrected. An- insuffieient amount of certain of the vitamins may produce seriouis disease, permanent deformity, and' sometimes death, if not corrected in time. It is indeed fortunate for our well-being that the selection of the proper foods is not difficult. The foods we should eat- can be determined without the aid of a dietician, and are available alike in town and country. Vitamins, Etc. In addition to water there are five groups of subistances that rnust be present in our diet if we are to remain healthy. These are' as follows: — (1)Vitamins; (2) minerals; (3) proteins; (4) flats; and (5) carbohydrates. The a-verage diet, when deficient at all, is most • likely to be deficient in minerals and vitamins, and the housewife should he particular to secure an adequate supply of these substanees. We now know -of several different vitamins, all of which must be in the diet, if health is to be maintained. These can be conveniently considered' in three classes; first, those obtained with fats — such as butter, cream and fish liver oils; second, those which are destroyed hy cooking land which are obtained with fresh uncooked vegetables and fruits such as lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, oranges, apples, etc., and third, the vitamin not harmed by cooking and obtained principally with lean meats and milk. Minerals are necessary for the proper formation of bones and blood. Milk is one of the most important foods we have for richness in minerals and vitamins. It supplies most of the vitamins and all of the minerals we need, except iron. It is especially rich in lime. Oatmeal is fairly rich in vitamins and. minerals. Dried beans contain iron_, phosP'horus, and calcium. Spinach, lettuce, cabbage, and other green leafy vegetables provide minerals and vitamins. Tomatoes, oranges and apples are also to be recommended.

Protein. After an adequate supply of minerals and vitamins is assured, the next most important thing to be considered is the protein. The proper kind and amount of protein must he present or normal growth and development will not take pl'ace. If we eescure our protein in the0 cheap'est manner (that is, in vegetables, particularly beans of various kinds) we obtain a protein of poor quality, and in order to make the diet correct we must iadd protein of higher quality such as that from milk, milk products, meat, fish and eggs. Food Values. After attending to these items, the energy value of the diet should be taken into consideration. We must know how much to eat in order to have enough fuel to do our work without using the body tissues. In order to know tbis we estimate- the fuel value of the diet in calories. The calorie is- simply a convenient unit of measure. One ounce of protein supplies about 115 calories, and one ounce of fat about 264 calories, and so all that we have to do is determine the eomposition and (amount of the food we eat in order to know the fuel value of our diet. Most hooks on nutrition and dieteticg- give tables ishowing the calorie value of definite amounts of the common foodstuffs. It has been estimated that the average man or wo'man living a quiet life at home, with little exercise,- needs about 2500 calories in a day; if working without much exercise, 3000 calories; on light work, 3500 calories and if doing hard work 4000 or more calories are necessary. Fats and Carbohydrates. Fats are important additions to the diet on account of their high energy value. The most important fatty foods are butter and cream, beeause of their palatability and ease of asisimilation, and beeause they carry vitamins with them. It is difficult to obtain a sufficient caloric intake in a diet which is without fat.. However, an excessive amount of fat tends to cause di'gestive up'sets in certain individuals and gives a disagreeable feeling of heaviness after eating. On the other band, a proper quantity gives ^a desirable feeling of comfort and well-being. Carbohydrates are necessary m order for th© body properly to use tbe protein and fats in the diet; and for this reason the bulk of the diet ishould be made up of carbohydrates, which m'ay be obtained from the large number of starchy and sweet foods. In addition to making the diet nutritionally sound there are other important things to ihe considered. _A certain amount of bulk seefns to assist the hody in handling the waste products of digestion. A sufficient quantity is usually obtained from green vegetables in the diet. . Another factor is palatability. An attractive table of well-prepared f ood tends to increaise food consum'ption. The diet may also be planned so that there will he no feeling of hunger at the end of the meal. Some of the leading nutrition experts_ have summaris'ed a man's normal dietary needs in order to enjoy health as follows: One qu'art of milk, two salads, two liberal help'ings of leafy portlons of green vegetables, one helping of any meat, and two eggs. He may add to this anything within reason that his appetite demands, including a liberal supply of bread, butter, fruit and various vegetables. It should be remembered, however, that if we eat more food than we need, the body stores up part of the excess as fat, and continued over eating leads to unsightly deposits of fat in the body. On' the other hand, an insuffieient amount of food leads to emaciation even if all of the necessary dietary factors are present..' We must, therefore, watch the quantity las well ais. the quality of the food we eat. The' subjeet of the diet-

in institutional hoin.es, will be dealt within, another" article to be published