We have gradually found out that these various
constituents of our food-stuffs are used in different
ways by our bodies, and that, in order to live properly,
most of these constituents must be eaten. The higher
proteids are essential. No amount of the other foods
will prevent the animal dying of starvation if' no
higher proteids are eaten. After being digested, they
are absorbed and built up into our tissues as needed
for growth and repair of the body. They may be used
as fuel, that is, as a source of energy in the form of
heat or of motion. The albuminoids cannot replace the
higher proteids and are probably used as a source of
6 DOMESTIC SCIENCE.
energy only. The carbo-hydrates are not of value in
tissue -building or repair; but, when digested and
absorbed, serve as a source of energy. ^ They may, to
a certain extent, be stored up in the form of a carbo-
hydrate, called glycogen, or they may be converted
into fat, and stored away as such. Cellulose is almost
indigestible and is hence absorbed in but minimal
amounts.
Fats, when digested and absorbed, form a most
valuable source of energy, as when burned they yield
about two and a quarter times the amount of energy
yielded by an equal weight of carbo-hydrate or of
proteid. Consequently, when our bodies have to pro-
duce much heat, they can make use of more fat than
usual. Fat is, therefore, a more important article of
diet to those who live in cold climates — the Esquimaux,
for example — than for those who live in the tropics.
Even here fat is of more value as a food in the cold of
winter than during the summer. Fat meat or things
fried in fat are also somewhat slowly digested. The
acrid substances contained in overheated fat irritate
the mucous membranes and hence interfere with
digestion.
Many mineral matters are also absolutely essential
for the growtli and repair of our tissues (iron is, for
instance, quite indispensable). They are, however, con-
tained in ample amounts in our food, when we live on
a mixed diet of meat and vegetables. If we confined
ourselves exclusively to a vegetable diet, common table
salt would be necessary. This necessity of adding
common salt to vegetables Ims so affected our appe-
tites, that it haa become a recognized custom to add
FOOD. 7
salt when cooking our food, to give it what we term
flavor.
Two thirds of the weight of our body is due to the
water which it contains. In the urine, tlie sweat and
the breath, a healtliy man loses about four and a half
pints of water every day. If the body is to remain
healthy and to do the work that is demanded of it,
this loss must be continually made good. This is
done in part by our food, which also, as was pointed
out above, consists to a very large extent of water.
Somewhat more than half of the weight of our food
is due to the water it contains. But this is not
suflicient to replace the water lost, and hence the
natural desire for beverages. To make good the loss,
we should drink about two and a half pints, or five
large tumblers full, of fluid each day.
Fuel.
CHAPTER 11.
The Cooking of Pood.
Page 5
Presented as published in 1905. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
We have gradually found out that these various constituents of our food-stuffs are used in different ways by our bodies, and that, in order to live properly, most of these constituents must be eaten. The higher proteids are essential. No amount of the other foods will prevent the animal dying of starvation if no higher proteids are eaten. After being digested, they are absorbed and built up into our tissues as needed for growth and repair of the body. They may be used as fuel, that is, as a source of energy in the form of heat or of motion. The albuminoids cannot replace the higher proteids and are probably used as a source of
energy only. The carbo-hydrates are not of value in tissue-building or repair; but, when digested and absorbed, serve as a source of energy. They may, to a certain extent, be stored up in the form of a carbohydrate, called glycogen, or they may be converted into fat, and stored away as such. Cellulose is almost indigestible and is hence absorbed in but minimal amounts.
Fats, when digested and absorbed, form a most valuable source of energy, as when burned they yield about two and a quarter times the amount of energy yielded by an equal weight of carbo-hydrate or of proteid. Consequently, when our bodies have to produce much heat, they can make use of more fat than usual. Fat is, therefore, a more important article of diet to those who live in cold climates — the Esquimaux, for example — than for those who live in the tropics. Even here fat is of more value as a food in the cold of winter than during the summer. Fat meat or things fried in fat are also somewhat slowly digested. The acrid substances contained in overheated fat irritate the mucous membranes and hence interfere with digestion.
Many mineral matters are also absolutely essential for the growth and repair of our tissues (iron is, for instance, quite indispensable). They are, however, contained in ample amounts in our food, when we live on a mixed diet of meat and vegetables. If we confined ourselves exclusively to a vegetable diet, common table salt would be necessary. This necessity of adding common salt to vegetables has so affected our appetites, that it haa become a recognized custom to add
FOOD. 7
salt when cooking our food, to give it what we call flavor.
Two thirds of the weight of our body is due to the water which it contains. In the urine, the sweat and the breath, a healthy man loses about four and a half pints of water every day. If the body is to remain healthy and to do the work that is demanded of it, this loss must be continually made good. This is done in part by our food, which also, as was pointed out above, consists to a very large extent of water. Somewhat more than half of the weight of our food is due to the water it contains. But this is not sufficient to replace the water lost, and hence the natural desire for beverages. To make good the loss, we should drink about two and a half pints, or five large tumblers full, of fluid each day.
Fuel.
CHAPTER 11. The Cooking of Pood.