Evening star., 1926-04-12
FOOD AND HEALTH
BY WINIFRED STUART GIBBS.
Food Specialist.

With characteristic quickness the
alert mind of the country as whole
selzes upon any word or phrase that
is apt and suggestive. The phrase
balanced diet" has come to have a
place in the vocabulary OF practically
every one. This is good, provided
those who use the phrase know how
to do SO intelligently.
Merely to roll under the tongue
words that are suggestive OF techni
cal and scientific facts will not get us
very far. That the words balanced
diet" are frequently used without
sufficient knowledge as to what is
implied Is sadly true.
Seekers after scientific information
may not fancy being told that before
they can balance the diet satisfactorily
they will do well to balance the mind!
| Indignation, however, need have no
! place in the discussion. The idea re-
! garding the advisability of balancing
/ ones attitude is offered from friendly
motives. and as result of Il deep con-
viction that such advice is needed.
! What do we mean by balancing the
| mind or attitude toward y certain
| subject?
First Of all, we mean that we must
not allow ourselves to become con-
fused with coming over phrases that
mean nothing to us. When a bit of
| information about "calories'' or vita
'nins" or protein" comes our way, let
set ourselves at seeking out some
ource of information that shall make
1t possible for us to understand not
alone what those particular words
mean but also what other facts
should be fixed i'll mind in connection
with the caloric content of food, the
vitamins or protein.
Take the word "calories," for ex-
ample The one with a balanced attti-
tude will not be satisfied to say with
a shrug, "Such and such Il food is bet
ter than such another because 1t has
more calories." For Mr.. Balanced
Mind will find out that the most COM
mon mistake in the study of diet Is to
make comparisons between foods on
the basis Of their caloric content. In
spite OF all that we can do, the prac-
tice still persists, and If we are to Grad
icate it we must have the help of bal
anced minds, or rather open minds
among those who are beginning to be
interested in the subject.
No one would say: Jimmy is
smarter than Freddy: he knows more
about mathematics" The friends Of
Jimmy and Freddy would remember
that while the first fact is true,
Freddy's knowledge OF history is fer
ahead of Jimmy's. and that each lad
has some contribution to make to the
sum of the worlds knowledge. So the
balanced mind of the student Of foods
will see that to compare even foods on
just one count is unwise and un-
scientific.
Probably the most common mistake
in regard TO vitamins is to say that
because milk. or yeast, or oranges con-
tain vitamins we shall be we'll fed If
one Of these foods figures prominently
in the diet. AS a matter of fact, each
one of these foods is a representative
of a group Of foods containing a spe-
cial vitamin, differing materially from
the other vitamins. The body must
have plenty of all vitamins IL it is to
be we'll nourished.
So let the one who is embarking on
the study Of diet remember TO balance
his mind as we'll as his diet. For we
need him to help us in the important
task Of spreading accurate information
about food values. and he may rest as
sured that he is doing a good turn for
the world at large as well as for him.
self.