The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1902-08-13
FOODS To NOURISH BODY
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF THOSE
MOST HEALTHFuL

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Health and strength - what Are de-
,nsnded to supply Heat and Energy,
aud to Restore tho wasted Tissues.
The following paper is from the Col
lege Of Agriculture, Cornell universi-
ty: What shall we eat? What shall
we drink? Wherewithal shall we be
clothed?" The last question we shall
leave. The first two are u perplexity
tU the cook, to the marketer, to the
diner with an elaborate menu before
him, and to one whose bill OF fare af-
fords but meagre meal. The house,
keeper says, what is there in the house
to prepare, and what will the family
like? Appetites are tickle; fruit agrees
with some and Injuries others, some
thrive on buckwheat, others avoid II.
The nature of the occupation should
modify the diet. A woman is in the
house most of the day about her work
and needs different food from that of
her husband, who may have active ex-
eicise in the open air. The children,
growing and perhaps in school, need
q special diet. Some member of the
family may have purely sedentary hab-
Its, and the diet of the active, outdoor
laborer is entirely untitled to his needs.
The woman who has access to a good
market finds her problems hard enough
but the farmers wife has much less
variety from which to select her die
tary, although the well.filled potato
bin, the barrels of apples, the shelves
of jellies and canned fruit, the pans
oil rich milk and cream, the fresh eggs,
and always available poultry may
well be the envy of the city marketer.
IIo yever, the latter is greeted with
fresh fruit and greenhouse vegetables
ia wir ter,with all kinds of meats and
fish, and the possibilities of cream,
eggs and poultry from the country.
The woman who is not near the mar
kets varies her menu with a round of
visits to the pork barrel, The smoke
house and the corned beef supply, re-
turning ever and anon to the pork
barrel. II her pin money is not too
dependent upon the labors of the hens,
eggs form most acceptable variation
to the menu, and If the creamery does
rot make too great demand, fresh
milk and cream are mos, satisfying
part of her bill of fare.
We must eat, first, to form and
maintain the fluids and tissue of the
Lody; second, to furnish fuel to yield
heat and energy. Food must supply
the material which is consumed with
every motion of the body and the en-
crgy for intellectual power.
All energy, either intellectual or that
manifested in physical action, comes
from the stored up energy in the food.
This is obtained by the chemical
changes which transform the food
into substances less complex in their
composition. Ones proper food should
contain the materials which will build
up the wasted muscles and best sup
ply this energy. All food materials
do not contain proper enc nts 70. the
fulfilling OF these two general func-
tions.
For the building and repairing OF
muscles and bones and supplying heat
and energy the food must contain -
IrOtcin, ~ fats, e., carbohydrates
and (4 ash.
Protein is that part VI food which
nouri.a.s the blood and tho muscles
AZ. IL: g,leIa' repairs the waste CT
the body. Protein always contains
the element nitrogen, and nitrogen is
always a constituent Of the blood, the
muscle and the bone. 1t is the only nu-
triment which can serve for the build
ing and repair Of the body. At the
same time it supplies energy. But un-
der ordinary conditions it is too ex-
pt nsive to be used chiefly for this pur-
pose. Examples of protein are found
in lean meat, peas, beans, lentils, etc.
Fats and oils supply heat and ener-
gy. They also aid in digestion. The
fat of meats often SO carelessly re-
moved and ignored, butter, oils OF
vegetables, etc., may serve for fur
nishing the fat stored in the body or
used as source Of heat. OF the meats,
veal has the least fat and pork the
most. Cheese contains as much fat
as 1t does protein. The greater the
percentage of water found in animal
foods, the less the amount Of fat.
This group includes the starcnes
sugars, ond gums and similar chemi-
cal bodies, substances which, like fat,
furnish heat and energy to the body.
Carbohydrates contain no nitrogen
whatever. Therefore. they cannot re-
place protein as tissue builder. Car
bohydrates and fat are needed by the
body and the amount required is larg-
er than the amount Of protein. Car
bohydrates supply heat and energy to
the body the same as fats. but to a
less degree. For the energy and heat
needed for the body, about two and
one-fourth pounds of starch and sugar
equal pound of fat. Fats and car
bohydrates are often called energy
yielders since they are used to keep
the body warm, and to enable it to
perform work. Protein also furnish.
es energy. 1t is thus seen to serve
a dual purpose.
Ash, salt or mineral substances