BETTER NUTRITION...

HOW CAN YOU GET ENOUGH

Protein?

By BOB HOFFMAN

Here is a portion of the crowd at this year's Strength & Health Picnic at Brookside Park near York. Fans from as far away as California, Canada and Florida were in attendance, and despite a bit of rain, everybody had a big time. Photo by John Terpak.

Former Mr. America Jules Bacon shows that he is still in top shape in this shot at the Hoffman Swim Party recently, posed with Chuck Vinci and Ike Berger. Jules won the title in 1944. That's 12 years ago! Sensible and regular training has kept him constantly in shape.

HE FOOD AND NUTRITIONAL BOARD of the National Research Council, states that the absolute minimum of protein daily, for people of average size and activity, is 60 grams. More for larger, more active people, for pregnant and lactating women, for hard working men and women, for athletes, and for people who are recovering from operations, injury or have long experienced a protein deficiency. It is very dangerous to consume too little protein, for when the body does not get enough protein, it must live on itself. When the body does not get enough protein it takes protein from the least important muscles first, usually, the face and neck. That's why many people show premature facial wrinkling and scrawny necks. That's why so many people who have been on a diet, look unhealthy, why their necks are thin and corded, why they have circles under their eyes. When a protein shortage continues, still more serious physical difficulties arise. The journal of the American Medical Association carried an article in which it was stated that an ulcer in the stomach or the intestine of a laboratory animal can be caused in about three weeks time when there is a shortage of protein, and similarly this ulcer can be healed when more protein is given. Doctors tell us that most physical irregularities are the result of a long time protein deficiency rather than of age, and this includes heart troubles too. Nutritionists and doctors agree that much physical harm can result when there is not enough complete protein placed within the body. The problem then is to get enough protein.

60 grams of protein is the absolute minimum daily allowance. Most authorities prefer to set their minimum at 100 grams daily. This for a person of 154 pounds who leads an inactive life. Those still growing, and those who

use much energy can easily require twice or three times as much. Recently a medical doctor prescribed 500 grams of protein daily for one of his patients. I asked him where in the world he thought that a patient could obtain, consume and utilize that much protein. I told him that I have long been in the protein business, but I would not know how to get 500 grams of protein myself in such form that I could eat and utilize it.

This well illustrates the fact that we need a lot of protein, for 95% of our bodies, including the blood, important organs, the glands and their processes are made of protein. A pregnant woman of good size surely needs 300 grams of protein daily, and so does an active growing teen-ager or ambitious athlete or body builder. In spite of this need for more protein, lots of Americans try to get by on as little as 30 or 40 grams of protein daily. (Continued on page 60)

Ike Berger had more fun than anybody at a recent swim party at Bob Hoffman's pool. Here he is whooping it up in an inner-tube. "Hey! Lookit me-put this in the book!"

GROPPS HEALTH STU

TRENTOR

ORK BAR BELL CLUB

Winners of the Picnic Chinning Contest: Peter Paulick (22), Dick Kokoczka (24) and Vinci (30). Vinci and Dick entered every contest and did very well in them all. Vinci can chin 3 times with one hand.

STRENGTH

AND HEALTH

•

DECEMBER, 1956

Strength&Health Picnic

(Above) The biggest and best event at the S & H Picnic was putting on the feedbag! Here are some of the gang goin to town at the tables. (At left) The Merry-go-round was one of the popular pastimes at the picnic. Barbell bugs never grow up!

Two old-timers shoot the breeze at the Strength & Health Picnic recently. That's auth and handstander and collector of strength items Bob Jones at left in the floppy headgear, and Dick Bachtell of York at right. Dick still trains regularly at fifty years of age, and is in splendid condition.