Diet and Health Part 17

And now I am home trying to help raise the funds for the starving children of Central Europe, and explaining to my friends that while there is a food shortage in Europe it is not because I was there; and that I am reducing and the money that I can save will help keep a child from starving, and that they can do the same; that for every pang of hunger we feel we can have a double joy, that of knowing we are saving worse pangs in some little children, and that of knowing that for every pang we feel we lose a pound. A pang's a pound the world around we'll say.

Every once in a while you hear that the caloric theory has been exploded. There is no caloric "theory." Therefore none to explode.

Calories are simply units for measuring heat and energy and never will be exploded any more than the yard or meter "theory" will be exploded.

Foods must contain essential salts and the growth and health maintaining elements. These cannot be measured by calories. The quant.i.ty of heat or energy production but not the quality of the foods is measured in calories, and one must have a knowledge of the qualities also. No scientifically educated individual has ever thought otherwise.

The chief objection to following the advice of the numerous laymen who write eat-and-grow-thin menus is that they advise the elimination of all fats, sugars and starches. They lose sight of the fact, or they do not know, that the obese individual--I dislike that term--will have to have a balanced diet even while reducing if he is to maintain his health. One will lose weight on these menus, but as very many can testify they lose their health also. One cannot live on an unbalanced diet for any length of time without becoming unbalanced also. And furthermore the over-weighter will always have to diet more or less, and will have to have menus which he can continue to use. After normal weight is reached he will not have to be nearly so abstemious, _but_ the same dietetic errors which produced overweight in the first place will produce it again. So he must know something of dietetics and he must have a balanced diet.

Now I shall make out some balanced menus, 1200 C's a day, being careful to include a large amount of the leafy vegetables and some milk or its products, the foods that McCollom calls PROTECTIVE FOODS because they contain in a large measure the essential mineral salts, and those vital elements he has called "Fat soluble A" and "Water soluble B"--others call vitamines--which he has proved to be so vital and necessary for growth in the young and the maintenance of health in the adult. I shall also include 200-300 C's of protein.

The leafy vegetables, cabbage, cauliflower, celery tops, lettuce, onion, Swiss chard, turnip tops, and other leaves employed as greens, water cress, etc., not only contain these vital elements, but they also exert a favourable influence on sluggish bowels and kidneys. They are low in caloric value, hence are low in fat-producing properties, and can be consumed with indiscretion, properly masticated.

It is better while you are reducing to stay away from the dining table when you do not expect to eat. If you are rooming, get a tiny sterno outfit, some subst.i.tute or coffee, some canned or dry milk, some sugar if you use it, and you can make a hot drink in your room and be independent for your breakfast and your evening meal, when you decide some day to go without that. Do not take more than 100 calories for your breakfast. That leaves you 1100 calories to be divided during the day if you go on a 1200 calorie schedule. I suggest the following distribution of the calories:

Breakfast 100 C's.

Lunch 350 "

Tea 100 "

Dinner 650 "

You can reverse the dinner and lunch if you desire. If you do so then have your 100 calories I have allowed for tea time to take just before you retire. On a 1200 calorie schedule arranged as I have it you will not be hungry, I a.s.sure you. It will not be more than three or four days before your stomach will be shrunk and this amount I have allowed you will almost seem like overeating! That is the big idea. Shrink your stomach. Go on a fast or low calorie day for a day if necessary to get started. See page 81.

I can safely say that any up and around adult will reduce on 1200 calories, for that will not supply the basal metabolism, i.e., the body's internal activities, such as the beating of the heart, respiration, digestion, excretion, etc., and some of the body's stored fat will be called upon to supply the deficiency. How much one will reduce depends on how many calories are actually needed for the internal and the external activities. See pages 26 and 27. It is not advisable to reduce too rapidly. See page 85.

Now you have 1200 calories a day to eat. Let us think of this in terms of money. You have a limited amount of money every day to spend for food. You must spend it judiciously and get the food you need and want.

If you spend the most of it on one article you have that much less for other things. It is possible that some days you will want to spend more than your allowance and you draw on your next day's supply. That will be all right if you remember that you have done so and will spend that much less the next day to equalize your account. You must study to spend wisely and carefully so as to supply your needs, but you cannot spend more than you have without rest.i.tution and retribution. Here are the menus:

BREAKFASTS

100 C. Each

1. Fruit 2 med. apples or 1 baked apple with 2 tsps. sugar _or_ 1 large orange _or_ 1/2 large grapefruit _or_ 1 small cup berries _or_ 1/2 good sized cantaloupe _or_ 2 med. figs _or_ 5 prunes

2. 1 cup coffee or cereal coffee.. O 1 tbsp. cream..................50 C 2 small tsp. sugar.............50 C _or_ 2 cups with cream alone or sugar alone ---- Total...........................100 C

3. 10 ozs. skim milk hot or cold _or_ 5 ozs. whole milk.....................100 C

4. 1 cup coffee clear............. 0 1 thin slice toast.............75 C 1/4 pat b.u.t.ter.................25 C ---- Total.............................100 C

Note--The skim milk breakfasts and teas are most desirable because of the protein content.

TEAS

100 C. Each See lists for breakfasts. Also could have:

1. 1 cup tea with 1 tsp. sugar 1 slice lemon................25 C 3 soda crackers..............75 C ---- Total....................................100 C

2. 2 small plain cookies tea no cream or sugar...............100 C

3. 1 chocolate cream 1 cup tea or hot water no cream or sugar...................100 C

The following combinations need not be followed arbitrarily. You may change them around if you desire. Look in the calorie lists for subst.i.tutes of the same cla.s.ses of foods, if you do not like my combinations. If you don't care for the 100 C's at tea time you may have that much more for dinner.

1200 C DAY

ON ARISING

2 cups hot water with a little lemon juice.

10-minute exercise at least

BREAKFAST

Coffee or postum with cream or sugar _or_ 10 ozs. skim milk (see list of breakfasts). 100 C

LUNCH

1 medium sized head lettuce 1/3 lb........................... 25 C 1 tbsp. mayonnaise...............100 C 1 med. sweet pickle chopped for mayonnaise....................... 25 C 1-1/8 inch cube cream cheese melted _or_ 3 ozs. cottage cheese............100 C 1 Toasted French roll (no b.u.t.ter) .................................100 C -----

Total.................................350 C

TEA

3 crackers with tea and 1 tsp. sugar and 1 slice lemon _or_ 10 ozs. skim or b.u.t.termilk _or_ 100 C. fruit (see list)................100 C

DINNER

Creamed dried beef on toast Dried beef 4 thin slices 4 x 5.100 C Cut fine and crisped in frying pan with 1/2 tbsp. b.u.t.ter.........50 C 1 tbsp. flour browned with above...........................25 C Add 1 cup skim milk (7 ozs.) cook gently.....................70 C ----- 245 C

2 slices crisp toast (pour above over)..........................200 C 1 large serving raw celery or raw cabbage.....................15 C 1 large baked apple with 1 tbsp.

syrup..........................120 C 1 gla.s.s skim milk (7 oz.)........70 C

Total.......................650 C ------- Grand Total................1200 C

1200 C DAY

ON ARISING