St. Landry democrat., 1893-02-25
THE WAY TO LIVE LONG
SOME THINGS THAT ARE NECES'
SARY TO ATTAIN OLD AGE.
Regular and Varied Exercises and
Proper Food are Conducive to
Preserve Youthful Tig0r

~ EGULAR and varied cxercls
- appears to be especially con
duciyc to the preservation 0
youthfulness and vigor. w
have striking evidence of it in men !ikt
Gladstone and Bismerc.l, and in womel
like Mary Wordsworth and MARI
Mitchell, whose love for fresh air an
exercise unquestionably prolonged thcil
vigorous lives. Such Il habit, by keep
ing ones joints supple and the muscle!
hardy aud assisting nature to throw Of
the vase materials of the body, is on,
of the methods of cheating time of hi
prey.
The influence of tenn perance in fool
and drink and the adaptation of nourisi.
ment to the individual life, is no less
marked than that of systematic exercise
Old age is after all only the result OF
retrograde processes in bones and joints
and arteries and nerves, gradually APP
preaching permanent interference with
their functions, and which should slowly
and painlessIy conduct the pilgrim to the
end of life. But as these changes are in
the main the result of changed nutrition,
1t IS plain to see that within certain
| limits they may be fastened or delayed
by anything that will respectively pro-
mote or retard the normal waste and
| gain of the body. Relative as the term
| old age may be, however, many house
holds number in their circle one or more
who has uestionably reached this
pcriod, and whose food requirements &C.
cordingIy demand some special care.
For although old people are said to
resemble children very much in their
plyslcal needs, we recognize the grand
difference that they have no longer any
body building to carry on, that there is
no more constructing on their part, nor
is there any great expenditure of energy,
as in the prime of life. Consequently
they do not require the amount of food
that those do wno must constantly add
new tissues to their bodies. The heart
OF an elderly person beats slower than
that of a child, his resplrations are
slower, his movements are slower, and,
in general, the life-tires are less active.
Now, it is evident that the food of
such q person should be very different
from that of a hard working man, whose
expenditure of muscular energy demauds
constant Reinforcement from his diet,
and equally different from that of
growing child who is manufacturing
new bone and brain stuff daily. 1t is,
therefore, quite in the course of nature
that the appetites of elderly people should
be less sharp than that of their juniors,
while their digestive powers resemble
those OF children, in being easily over
taxed. What we would naturally do for
elderly people is to provide them a
nourishing, but not over-stimula:ing
diet, and one that is at the same time
easy of Digestion Moreover, as the
vital powers are at rather low ebb,
food that will easily generate heat would
seem to be what they require. Nitrogen
Gus food is certainly required, but in less
proportions than in the prime Of life,
DcrHaps not more than two-thiris as
much as is required by strong man at
rest. Fats must be given, but some
thing like three-quarters as much as the
strong man eats would answer for the
yrAndparen1, while of the other class of
foods the o-nvdrates (starcles an
su Jars), about half as muca IS required.
These estimates are given by German
expert as suitable for an aged woman.
Now there is choice to be made in
the kind of food that will best furnish
the nltro3enous e!e eneats Commonly
called proteid>) to Old people and woman
having the weaker digestive powers we
shall try to provide tnis clement in the
most dl1cstio.e form.
The needed nitrogenous element is
aenerally found to be animal food. For
such as have not lost their teeth a ten.
der bit Of steak or delicate choD Ourht
to be furnished once daily. These NAV
be finely chopped for those wno cannot
otherwise properly masticate them; and
cloppel chicken, as in chicken hash,
may also be used.
Trlpe is very digcstible and noursh-
ing article if it IS reilshed.
Soft boiled or dropped eggs also offer
the protCid clement, with considerable
fat, III a most dgestIble form. CustarGs
also, either soft or hard, will form an
excellent food.
Soups should always be furnished al
east once daily. Soups are not SO nour-
nG as they are aDpetlzln-, assisting
Il that way By their various lavors the |
1l-eSuon Of the other food. Very little
If the proteid element from the meat
passes into the liquor in which it is
IN fact, the apparently tastcless
Cup meat which we throw away (but
hould not) has retained in its fibcrs
Imost all of the aIbumen. But 1t has
'arted with its t1avors aud some salts.
nd these, with the fresh vegetables
which arc generally introduced, offer a
aost valuable addition to routine meal,
nd may proitably be provided for two
'cals in the day for children, as we'll as
Or the aged. Made with milk for a
as1s, as cream OF celery or potato souDs.
ley are doubly nutritious aud generally +
ell digested. :
The high nutritive value of beans NAV t
taking advantage CT in using them S
" soups Oceans contain fourteen per. |
'nt. of portelds), because in thus pre- !
airing them the less digestible fiber or s
'llulose is strained out through the S
eve and the ported element largely re- f
aims. s
The ported element in fish is very =
gh; salt Goldfish contains as much as Il
lrty per cent. of it. Salt Goldfish =
'oked with cream or milk is an excel c
Mt type of nutritious and dioestibIc