Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1910-04-01

both perform the same function-name-
IL. give heat and energy. Not 20 with
the proteids. however. because. being
the only class which contains nitrogen.
no other can substitute for them.
Danger In ovsrsatins.
After learning of the importance of
proteid foods the first conclusion may
be hat they should form the greater
part of the diet and should largely
compose the daily bill OF fare. This Is
common mistake aud one to be care'
fully avoided. The intake Of food
should not be greater than the needs
Of the body and to preserve Its normal
equilibrium. Too much food OF any
kind necessitates too much work on
the organs of digestion and elpmina-
ton and produces certain irregularities
of the body functions. loo much pro-
teid-that is. too liberal an allowance
Of meat. fish. eggs. cheese. ETC.. IN the
meals will clog the system with urea.
throw too much work on the kidneys
Id their effort to carry on this dual
product in the digestion Of proteid.
Too much proteid In the diet induces
rheumatism an0 similar disorders.
When too much fat. or carbohydrate.
is eaten II 10 stored up In the body
as fat. and the Individual finds himself
putting on ddipose tissue, to perhaps an
uncomfortable degree. There is more
danger IN this country from Overeating
than there is from lack Of food. just as
the engine Is likely to wear out more
quickly because Of too hard firing
than from lack Of fuel.
The amount of food required to prop
erly develop the body aud keep 1t in
normal condition depends on different
CONDITIONS, such as the occupation OF
the individual. the age of the iDdivid-
ual. sex. climate and personal idiosyn-
crasIes.
The man or woman engaged In hard
physical! work requires more OF the
foods which repair tissues than does
the person liyingsa sedentary life. The
amount Of fresh air In which the in
dividual lives will also determine
largely the rapidly with which food
will be oxidized In the body. For In
staiice, thef farmer, working IN the
fields, will require more nourishing
foods than the man who sits IN his Of
fice all day. The farmers lungs are
constantly fiIIed with fresh air: his
blood is filed with oxygen. He is per-
forming work which requires much
physical energy; hence bis food is rap
idly burned in his body in order to
yield the necessary energy, and he Is
hungry. He has good appetite for
hearty food. and he digests it with
ease. The man OF sedentary habits
iinds his stomach rebelling and him
self in general discomfort If he at
tempts to follow the example of the
farmer for any length of time.
How Much to Eat.
Occasionally we hear the question,
,.'How much should we eat?" Yet. as
rule. the average person does not
trouble. himself very much on that
score and eats what pampered appe-
tite demands rather than the amount
he actually needs. Dietary specialists
have found from many experiments
that an average man doing average
work requires each day about four and
half ounces Of proteid, two ounces Of
fat and sixteen ounces Of carboby-
drate. An average woman doing the
work Of an average housekeeper re-
quires little less. probably about
three ounces Of proteid. one and half
ounces Of fat aud twelve ounces Of
carbohydrate. The boy fourteen to
sixteen years Of age requires four-6fths
as much food as his father. aud the
boy or girl of twelve years should
have half as much food as an adult.
Recently certain specialists have been
able to reduce the amount Of prOteid
still lower than the above standards.
which are less than those given ten or
twelve years ago. But us long as the
present habit Of "bolting' food with
insufficient mastication Is common in
the country it is not safe to reduce the
amount Of prOteid to the lowest posi-
bile figure. The amount Of food con-
stituenls which hive suggested can
be easily obtained from standard food
mat erials; less Of these will be re-
uuired II the foods are properly cook
ed. Just here the h0usekeeper's skill
lis called into account. No matter how
nutritious and easy of digestion foods
may be In their uncOoked state, they
may be almost, II not entirely. ruined
as far as digestion and assimilation
are concerned In the process Of cook
ing
A single portion OF beefsteak. two
eggs and aI ounce. Of cheese. with milk
and a little oatmeal. will furnish all
the tissue building material the aver
age man will require for one day. A
half loaf of bread and half pound Of
potatoes, with ordinary helping of rice
aud tablespoonful of sugar will fur
nish the required amount Of carbOhy-
drate. and the required fat is easily
obtained from the butter used on the
bread. the oils In the cheese and the
fat in meat. There is much more
chance Of too much fat being eaten
with the ordinary meal than too little.
We are likely to underrate the value
of water in the diet and use 1t too
sparingly. Water Is a food and Il very
necessary one. Its duties for the body
are numerous and important. 1t helps
to carry food to the blood. assists in
CARRYING of the. waste matters. equal
ICES the temperature Of the body and
acts as a solvent for food. Its benefits
% the system are many.
~AcT01lA