New-York tribune., 1902-05-04
BENEFITS OF A MIXED DIET.

BENEFITS OF A MIXED DIET.
DR.. T D. Wood, professor of physical education
in Teachers College. and an authority on dietetics
made the following statements on the respective
merits of meat and vegetable diet:
IN the light of present events one would GER
tainy be glad TO fall in with the vegetarians and
boycott the Beef Trust. But unfortunately the
majority Of scientists. physicians and those inter-
ested in dietetcs and domestic science agree that
cannot in the temperate zone possess the
maximum strength on any but a mixed diet. OF
course. individuals must arrange the diet to suit
themselves the tendency Of modern life being 50
entirely toward NATURALIZATION in diet as well as
everything else that dogmatsm is impossible
Still certain general conclusions can be de-
dUced. One is that a mixed diet is suited to us be-
cause our ancestors ftourished and survived upon
il, for those individuals of the race will survive
who eat the food suited TO their environment An
other argument is that in the arctic zone it is
necessary to eat animal food almost entirely with
great quantities of fat and bldbber and the ami
mails that carry this kind of tissue are plentiful
Going TO the tropics. on the contrary, we find the
natives living almost entirely upon fruits and vege-
tables. with fish for those living the seacoast
Here, too. Natures adaptation of food to climate
IS shown in the fact that it is the white meated
fish that are found in tropical waters.
Arguing from the two extremes. il would seem
natural TO infer that mixed diet is suited to a
temperate zone. As a matter of fact though the
same proteiGs those found in meat may be
found in certain substitutes for it, still vegetable
proteids are not so palatable easily digested
by many people This makes a condition such as
the present one peculiarly oppressive. To a consid-
cradle extent, eggs. fish. peas and beans contain
the essential ingredients of meat but it IS
sary to eat a larger quantity of them in order tc
obtain the same amount of nourishment.
1T is undoubtedly a fact that people OF limited
means spend too large fraction of the money
which may be devoted to food meat Very fire.
quently they could get the elements essential for
life and work of eggs cereals and the legumi-
nous vegetables. Rice is not half appreciated an
article of food this country. Well cooked rice,
eaten either q a vegetable dessert. is
ceedngly nutritious food much more so than the
potato which is a national food with US. Rice does
not furnish the energy and force Of meat foods,
but it gives endurance. The japanese have de-
veloped great endurance by its long continued use.
and their digestive organs have become adapted TO
st, just those Of the Esquimaus have become ac-
customed blubber. It is exceedingly difficult for
persons going the arctic zone to accustom them
selves quantities of fat which it is necessary
TO eat there. On the other hand, Americans. Eng
lsh and Germans carry their meat eating
habits 10 the tropics, and as result suner exceed
ingly there from liver and kidney troubles rheuma-
Living IN a city as we do in New-York. under
highly artificial form of life and with habits large
Of But il is very difficult in the restaurant,
and stil more so in the boarding house. TO modify
the meal, in which everything is prepared
with reference TO a central meat dish. And in the
homes of people Of limited means where the house
meat is more easily and quickly cooked than any
The American meat meal is an inheritance from
England. the mother country The English have
always been great meat-eatlng race But hhs--
land is better suited than America TO heavy meat
diet. IL has a cooler and damoer climate which
is not nearly so stimulating that Of America.
climate which is dry and irritating 10 the nerves
does not demand SO much meat. and a person
made sensitive by this kind OF climate is more easily
This is partly the for the prevalence of
dyspepsia in America. But that evil is due also
10 the fact that We keep longer business hours
in America, get more fatigued and worn out, take
and eat so rapidly that oyereat before the ap-
petite is satisfied. These remarks apply TO men, and
in fact it is business men who are cursed with
dyspepsia more than any other class. Women. as
a class, do not have as good health as men, but
OF exercise Americans the best fed people IN
the world. and they also as a nation, suffer the
The history Of the native Hawaiian race is inter
esting in this connection. The surviving specimens
OF the race are Of somewhat degenerate type, but
one hundred years ago they were an extraordinary
People They were successtu IN war 1 ana i haa eS
taoished nigh degree OF seml-paroarlc clyllza-
ton Both the men and the women were large,
acGVe strong and OF magnlhcept phyHique, pd { une{
diet but their menu was particularly rich IN De
Aeous fish, in which the waters OF the lsiands
of the results Of diet of FISH, fruit and vegetables.
meat in this climate, because it is necessary to eat
SO large quantity OF II 70 secure me - same ne
other substitutes
There has been very great increase in the
since the markets began 10 be flooded with par
tally cooked breakfast preparations in pasteboard
quality. Where they are OF good quality they
excellent food. especially for the young.
mental humanitarian philosophical reasons, to
be vegetarians Put the fact remains that the sys-
exactly the same chemical ingredients In other
FOODS. they win not give us the same satisfaction
tons fresh meat creates the greatest amount OF
muscle and energy. and is the most easily digested