The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-10-02
Iiealthful Food.

The person who decides what shall
re the food and drink of family, and
the modes of its preparation, is the one
who decides, to a greater or lesser de-
gree, what shall be the health of that
family, and she who aaapts the food
and cooking of her family to the laws
of health removes one of the greatest
risks which threatens the health of
those under her care '.Who drinks
beer, thinks beer" SAYS an old proverb.
but nobody can think at all rightly
with bad, ill-cookedfood in the stomach.
And, says 4 sensible writer. if we only
would study cause and effect rs we
should, we would find that great
many evils now attributed to Providence
or Satan would fall into position and
label themselves "piecrust, ':grease, :"
soda" hurry" and the stomach,
that long suffering, much-enduring,
patient little servant, will be found to
be at the bottom of half the ills flesh is
heir to, and over which we mourn.
In winter the body requires ample
supplies of fuel to keep up the animal
heat in addition to what is necessary to
make up for muscular and mental
waste. These supplies are found in
such food IS contains large proportions
of carbon; for coal, under one name or
another, keeps our engines moving,
our tires burning, our hearts beating.
The oils butter and lard-are COM
posed mainly of carbon, and this ele-
ment enters largely into all the starchy
foods, "a the grains, rice, potatoes,
peas and beans. Corn meal, besides
containing starch, has a larger proper
ton of oil than any other grain except.
perhaps, buckwheat, consequently corn
! meal and buckwheat are especially ap
propriate rs winter diet. Acids OF
fruits should be used with ali food con
tanning oils, as they are indispensable
to perfect digestion aud healthy
condition of the blood. For students
and sedentary people Graham mush is
highly commended. Corn meal is
good for muscular labor, but poor
for mental exertion. Phosphate Of
lime is needed to give tirmness
to the bones, and to supply ma
terial for the teeth. Pure milk or
kernels of wheat are the only articles
that contain all the necessary elements.
A portion of the outer covering of Z
wheat kernel holds slime, silica, and iron,
which are needed for the body, and
they aIe found in no other part of the
grain. 1t is therefore plain that bread
made of unbolted flour is more health
ful than bread made of superfine flour.
Experiments have shown that fine -four
alone will not sustain life more than a
month, while unbolted four furnishes
all that is necessary for the body.
Beans, barley, and wheat have about
! three times as much BODYBUILDING and
teeth-feeling elements as the best beef
steak, and no children grow up 10 Wig
! orouS and healthful manhood or wO-
manhood where close attention is not
paid to the bone building during the
Period of growth. The flesh and fat
can be put on afterward, but not one
hundredth part c< an inch can the bones
be made to take on afte; the season OF
growth has come to an end.
Food, therefore, must be abundant,
substantial, nutritious, and fresh: suit
able to the climate and the season, as
we'll as to the age and condition of the
persons. And it should be remembered
that nutritiousness aud digestibility
are not interchangeable, and must not
be confounded. Many articles of food
are nutritious that are not easil?
digested, and vice versa.-CveOetand
LeGder.