In response to the many requests from the various churches for instruction in nutrition and healthful cookery, the Southeastern California Conference arranged for two institutes of such instruction to be given. One of these institutes was conducted by the school of dietetics at Loma Linda, April 9 to 13. Thirty-five delegates representing the near-by churches were in attendance during the five-day session. It may well have been called a nutrition-cooking convention for teachers, because the course was given to train delegates, who were to return to their respective churches and conduct classes. Included in our group were graduate nurses, Bible workers, and doctors' wives, all interested and eager to become better fitted to give the gospel of health to others.
A series of mimeographed lessons, prepared by instructors in the school of dietetics, and neatly bound in paper covers, formed the basis of the subject matter taught. In this book of eighty-five pages, the following topics were included:
I. Relation of Diet to Health.
2. The Balanced Diet in Practice.
3. Physiology of Digestion.
4. Energy Needs of the Body.
5. Food, the Source of Energy.
6. Protein Needs of the Body.
7. Minerals.
8. Vitamins.
9. Water, Cellulose, and Bulk. to. Child Feeding. r. Invalid Cookery.
10. Effects of Tea, Coffee, and Cocoa.
11. Baking Powder and Soda in Cooking.
Tables of normal weight, percentage composition of foods, and vitamin units, and several pages of recipes were also included in the book. About seventy copies of these lecture outlines on nutrition and cookery were sold during the course, and others are being used in the schools conducted in the churches by the teachers who were in attendance.
Because so much had to be crowded into the five days, a strict schedule of study and lectures had to be observed. The day's work began with a supervised study period, from eight-thirty to nine-forty-five, which gave opportunity for reviewing the outlines and notes of the previous lecture, for solving puzzling questions, and for reference reading. The following reference books were available for reference reading: "Counsels on Diet and Foods," by White; "Foundations of Nutrition," by Rose; "Chemistry of Food and Nutrition," by Sherman; "Nutrition," by Chaney and Ahlborn; "Nutrition and Physical Fitness," by Bogert; "Simplified Dietetics," by Bogert; "Nutrition Work With Children," by Roberts; "Vitamins," by Harris.
As a fitting finale, at six o'clock on the last day, the women prepared and served a simple, but attractive and wholesome, buffet supper, to which a few guests were invited in addition to the regular group. A. short program was enjoyed, and many expressed their appreciation of the instruction received.
I believe that conducting nutrition institutes in the larger centers for training those selected members from our churches who can go back and give the information to their fellow members, is one of the most efficient methods of getting the principles of healthful living before our people.
We hope that the plan will be continued in our conference in the future. Our school of dietetics has appreciated the opportunity to be of service, and larger and better plans are our objective for the course another year.