Science of food & cookery

Diastase may be used to digest partially the starch in gruels. The caloric value of liquid foods may be increased by the addition of cream, white of egg, or whole egg. SOFT, SEMISOLID, OR SEMILIQUID DIET Toast, softened in milk or soup Eggs, soft cooked or raw Breakfast cereals, well cooked, and strained unless very fine Soups (strained) Baked and mashed potato Junket Gelatin Custards Apple sauce Baked banana Prune puree Blancmange Cereal and milk puddings DIET IN GASTRIC DISORDERS A few simple suggestions that apply in all cases of digestive disturbances follow : 1. Food should be thoroughly masticated. 2. Meals should be taken at regular intervals, in moderate quantities. o- No food whatever should be taken between meals. 4. The food should be fairly concentrated. 5. Meals should not be taken when the -patient is fatigued. 6. Avoid a large variety at one meal. Use no more than three or four articles at a meal. Get a variety at different meals. 7. Drink fluid one hour before or three hours after meals. 8. Take daily systematic exercise in the open air. 9. Take a daily bath. Keep the bowels open. 10. Use reason in choosing your food, and then forget about it. 11. Avoid worry. ARTICLES TO BE AVOIDED IN ALL CASES 1. Rich soups, gravies, and sauces 2. Strong condiments 3. Fresh soft breads of all kinds 4. Griddlecakes 5. Pastry of all kinds 6. All jams, jellies, sweet puddings, and candies 7. Sugar in all forms, especially with milk 8. Raw vegetables, except the finer ones 9. All coarse, heavy vegetables, as beans, sweet potatoes, boiled turnip, cabbage, etc. 10. Large amounts of fat 11. Game of all kinds 12. All smoked or canned meats, shellfish, etc. 13. Stews, hash, etc. 14. Cheese of all kinds, except cottage cheese 15. Very acid or very sweet fruits, also dried fruits and nuts 16. Tea, coffee, cider, chocolate, and tobacco Low Acidity. — The meals should be separated sufficiently that the stomach may empty itself and have time for rest. The diet should not be too bland, as that would fail to stimulate gastric secretion. It may be best to begin with partially predigested foods, as malted foods, pancreatized milk, dextrinized cereals, etc. The following foods are adapted to these cases : Stale whole wheat bread, toast, zwieback, crackers, etc. The finer vegetables, as squash, tomato, etc., also vegetable purees Fats in small amounts, as cream, butter, olives, olive oil, etc. Eggs simply cooked without fat Fruits cooked or raw, especially oranges, lemons, and grapefruit Buttermilk, yogurt, cottage cheese, skimmed milk Desserts, the simplest only The presence of protein food in the stomach tends to stimulate gastric secretion. Avoid drinking at meals, as that dilutes the gastric juice. Avoid all fresh breads and rich fatty foods. High Acidity. — Use proteins in normal amounts. Increase the fats. Use salt sparingly. Avoid all highly seasoned savory foods. Use a diet similar to the one recommended for ulcer of the stomach.