tication. Mills can be purchased cheaply for grinding nuts;
the ground meal, either alone or made into a cream, forms a delicious
adjunct to stewed fruit.
Green vegetables are a much neglected food. The salts they contain are
very useful. They require careful cooking. A cabbage boiled in the
ordinary way loses in the water its valuable salts. In case of
flatulence arising from indigestion, the use of vegetables may,
however, require to be restricted, at least for a time. Some vegetables
are palatable raw, such as salads and celery. Indeed, raw vegetables
have a tonic effect on the bowels.
Bread should never be too fresh, and should be thoroughly chewed.
Zwieback (twice baked) can be recommended, especially for those who
suffer from indigestion. It is made by cutting bread, preferably
wheaten, in thin slices, and putting these in a slow oven till
thoroughly dry and lightly browned. Wholemeal bread should always be
present on the table, as its use prevents constipation. Indian corn can
be made into a number of palatable cakes, and is a very nutritious
food. Home-made jam and honey are digestible forms of sugar, but like
all sugar foods should be consumed in moderation, especially by
sedentary individuals. Condiments should be avoided, the healthy
appetite is better without them, and they irritate the stomach.
Regarding animal foods, they are often spoilt by over-cooking, and it
should be remembered that when lightly done they are easiest to digest.
White fish, tender steak, or juicy joint and cutlet are superior to the
oily fish, and kidney, liver, and heart. These internal organs should
be avoided, as they contain even more than the rest of the animal
certain extracts liable to produce URIC ACID (_see_). Milk, cheese,
eggs, and butter are not open to these objections. Cheese is a food
very rich in proteid. It requires careful chewing, and may with
advantage be grated before use. Buttermilk is a valuable and
strengthening food. A generation or so ago the Scotch peasants lived
almost exclusively on buttermilk and oatmeal, and were a magnificent
type of men in every respect. Whey is a pleasant drink, and may be made
a substitute for tea where the latter is prohibited. It is also
beneficial for the kidneys. Jellies are a pleasant addition to the diet
of convalescents, but have little nutritive value.
We would strongly urge upon our readers the advantages of simple diet.
We mean by this the avoidance of all those rich
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