Diet and Health | Page 7

and cellulose. The
latter is good for the daily scrub of the intestinal tract.
[Sidenote: A Pretty Nearly Universal Error]
CONSTIPATION is many times caused by a too concentrated diet, or
one containing too little roughage. It has also been discovered that
some individuals who are troubled with faulty elimination digest this
cellulose, and only the more resistant, like bran, is not absorbed. For
those, the Japanese seaweed called agaragar in the laboratory, but more
familiarly known as agar by the layman, is excellent. The most
industrious digestive tract apparently can not digest that. It has the
further property of absorbing a large amount of water, thus increasing
its bulk.
[Sidenote: C.S.]
[Sidenote: Have Enough Water, Else You'll Choke to Death. I Did
Once]
Mineral oils (refined paraffine) also are not absorbable, and they act
with benefit in some cases. About the worst thing to do, in general, is to
take physics constantly. These are not physics, however; they act
mechanically. Even the C.S. (common-sense?) individual can take
these. The agar may be taken two or three heaping teaspoonfuls in a

large glass of water before retiring, or in the morning before breakfast,
or in lieu of 4 o'clock tea. Drink it down rapidly--for goodness' sake,
don't try to chew it.
Mineral oil will make fine mayonnaise dressing. It has little or no food
value, so the constipated overweight individual may indulge freely. For
faulty elimination, then--
1. Correct diet.
2. Exercise--especially brisk walking.
3. Regularity of habit.
4. Possibly the addition of bran, agar, or mineral oils.
5. Sweet disposition. Mean people are always constipated.
Review
1. Give classes of food, with examples of each.
2. What are vitamines? How importance discovered?
3. Where most abundant?
4. What is a balanced diet?
5. What should be done for faulty elimination?

4
More Keys and More Calories
[Sidenote: List of Foods to Follow]
The following list probably does not contain all of the foods you might
like and want to know about, but from those named you can judge of

the food value of others. In general, the caloric value, and therefore the
fattening value, depends upon the amount of fat and the degree of
concentration.
[Sidenote: Important]
But remember this point: Any food eaten beyond what your system
requires for its energy, growth, and repair, is fattening, or is an irritant,
or both.
[Sidenote: A Moderate Sized Chocolate Cream]
If a food contains much fat, you will know that it is high in food value,
for fat has two and one-quarter times the caloric value that proteins and
carbohydrates have. Dry foods are high in value, for they are
concentrated and contain little water. Compare the quantity of two
heaping teaspoonfuls of sugar, a concentrated food, and one and
one-half pounds of lettuce, a watery vegetable, each having the same
caloric value. A moderate sized chocolate cream is not only
concentrated but has considerable fat in the chocolate.
[Sidenote: Enuf Sed]
It is not necessary to know accurately the caloric values. In fact,
authorities differ in some of their computations. The list is not
mathematically correct, but it will give you a good idea of the relative
values, and is accurate enough for our purposes. I have purposely given
round numbers, where possible, in order to make them more easily
remembered.
In reckoning made dishes, such as puddings and sauces, you must
compute the different ingredients approximately. About how much
sugar it has, how much fat to the dish, and so on. In reckoning any food,
if you are reducing, give it the benefit of the doubt on the high count;
and if trying to gain, count it low.
It is well, if you are much overweight or underweight, to have some of
these foods that are given weighed, so that you can judge

approximately what your servings will total.
[Sidenote: A Mixture]
A mixture of foods should be used, in order to get the different
elements which are necessary for the human machine. It is not
wholesome to have many foods at a meal; but the menu should be
varied from day to day.
Any regimen which does not allow some carbohydrates and fats for the
fuel foods is injurious if persisted in for a length of time.
[Sidenote: Thoroughly Masticate Everything]
As to harmful combinations; there are not many, and if your food is
thoroughly masticated you need not concern yourself very much about
them. However, if you find a food disagrees with you, or that certain
combinations disagree, do not try to use them. Underweight individuals
sometimes have to train their digestive tracts for some of the foods they
need.
Coffee, tea and other mild stimulants are not harmful to the majority;
but, like everything else, in excess they will cause ill health. Alcoholic
drinks make the fat