No 33
China Mail
HOME SUPPLEMENT
Introducing...
That Spare-Time Hobby
THE
¡HE definition of a hobby, as volunteered by one of the executives of the Leisure League of America, is "a joy- ful part of life when things go well, a wholesome solace when things do not go well!"
At one time of another, each of us has said: “If only. I had the time" I'd take up music or lan- guages, art, reading, sewing, cro- cheting, cooking, something any way for which we entertain the idea we have an aptitude. Most of us, however, never get around to pursuing this "occupation or study about which we talk. Not because we did not have the time, but sim ply because we did not utilise wise- ly the pleasure-time we had.
Now, however, others are bestir. ring themselves. You probably arz getting restless because you hear of what others are doing with the hob- bies they're adopted. In any event,
in vogue, $0. having a hobby is you'd better get in under the ropes before all the good ideas are ap- propriated
Not that there's fear of a short- age of ideas for wholesome occupa- tion of one's leisure time.
Õutside of our working hours, we have hours of our own with which to do pretty much as we choose. It has been estimated that the average- working person has some ·2,000 hours yearly to spend to suit his personal taste and imagination. It is these hours we can capture, find fascinating things to do with them. and enrich our lives, be saner, healthier, and more contented peo- ple as a consequence.
It's an old rule that to be inter- esting one must be interested. The or knowledge which special skill comes from pursuing a hobby makes one more entertaining to others and vastly more interesting too. It gives talk one something to show, to about, to one's friends, as well as something to do in one's spare time. The Late Autumn and Winter days are beginning to close in. A wonderful time to plan a more satisfactory occupation of those thousands of spare hours on your hands.
The hobby specialists advise us not to worry about the special ap- titude or training for a given hob- by Training is easily acquired. You train yourself, which is "part of the fun. But you must find something that you like doing well enough to have patience with the details.
Hobby authorities classify the amusements, diversions, or occupa- tions to fill leisure time into four groups: Doing things, making things, acquiring things, and Teara- ing things.
Doing things includes games, sports, gardening, walking, sing- ing, and so on
Making things includes the arts, painting, drawing, sculpture, ask.
crafts, such acting, also the wood-carving, weaving, carpentry, or bookbinding.
Acquiring things is known as col- lecting. Things are collected for different reasons their historic, in- terest, their beauty, their rareness, or because of the artist or artisan who created them.
HONG KONG, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1935
LIFE BEGINS AT
A
woman
25
T 10, or soon after, there are vital changes which take place in the body of a The child-bearing function which has been hers dis- for some 25 or 30 years appears rather suddenly. Quite frequently it is also in these middle years that the various chronic diseases make their appearance. Diabetes, heart trouble, high blood-pressure, constipation, seem to come with the years beyond 40.
There are also charges in the environment, which keep pace with the changes in the woman's body. The children, who were the object of her care and attention for the many busy years of their growth, seem suddenly to have become men care of and women, able to take themselves.
"All these changes, coming as they do in a comparatively short space of time, practically overwhelm the Dozens of pro- average woman.
40
She has over-eaten and under- exercised. She has worked hard and rested little. She has worried
unimportant and brooded over things. She knew it, but since it didn't seem to bother her, she went on, always promising herself some she mythical to-morrow when would turn over a new leaf What she didn't know is that she was draining the vigour and vitality of the bealth she inherited, and 'which is a natural part of youth. At mid- dle-age, therefore, this account be- came overdrawn. The rest is ob- rios. Most chronic diseases make themselves apparent in the forties and fifties.
They
·But these diseases are not an in- herent part of middle-age: are man-made, and can be unn:ade.
man-
First of all, we must understand old age for what it really is. Oid age is a state of the body. A hu- man" organism with all its parts working properly, can be young at st. Or it can be old at 30. If the cells of the body are fed properly, and the wastes are eliminated re-
blems, vital to her health and hap-gularly, tearing down and building piness, come racing through her mind.
"Is old age a disease that can be prevented? What shall I eat and how shall I exercise to stay young? Does the menopause" mean the end of my ability to enjoy sexual ful- filment? What is the 'menopause," anyway?"
Then there is the problem of the "middle-years" nerves. The woman who after 40. becomes fidgety and jumpy and unbearable to live with knows that something must be done. But she doesn't know what that "something" is. Are nerves a na- tural part of middle-age? She wants to know the answer to all these questions.
The reason so many women look at 40 as the beginning of the end is that they have no confidence in their ability to remain healthy. They believe that disease is a neces- sary evil of the middle years. The Meritical years, they call them Health, they say, is only possible,
wrong! during youth. They are Their judgment is probably based on some friend who has not looked after her health properly, who for years has been living incorrectly.
up will go on steadily and normally. You can keep from growing old, of course! But you must be sure building that you are always health, both physical and mental A healthy blood stream is the only true elixir of youth. You must eat mast exercise intelligently, you moderately, you must use self-con- trol in living
Food is a very important con- sideration at every age in a person's life. After the years beyond 40 have been reached, it becomes even the more important. It becomes determining factor between health and and illness, between mental physical efficiency and sluggishness, between happiness and unhappiness. In quite a few women there
is a
tendency to put on weight after 40 is reached. High blood-pressure, obesity, constipation, stomach scidity, dyspepsia, decaying teeth, are but a few of the annoyances which frequently arise because of the wrong kind of food.
Food faddists are constantly lay- ing down rules on diet which have
No. 33
no foundation in fact. The normal healthy woman of 40 should not be influenced by too many restrictions" in the matter of eating. She should learn to pick the chaff from the wheat, the prejudices and miscon- ceptions from the truth. She must realise that moderation in eating is a great virtue after the middle- years are reached. It has been ob- served that those who live longest eat most sparingly. Even those who are most active and spry can get along better on eating a triffe too little rather than too much. The woman over 40 who is glutton- ous in her appetite is feeding the dormant tendency to put on excess weight.
The proper diet is always ade- quate and balanced. It contains the right proportions of fats, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals and vita- mins. Too much meat is as unde- sirable as too much, bread or pastry. Leafy vegetables, muk and milk products, rye and wheat breads and frait should form the basis of every diet These furnish all the vita- min requirements and, even important, the essential mineral elements. Starch, fats and sugars should be used sparingly by the wo- man of 40 because of the tendencr to put on fat.
поге
Overweight is, in the majority of cases, due to careless living and eating habits. Of course, there are cases where obesity is due to some distar- glandular or other organic bance. But these cases are
Com→
diem
paratively rare. In most instances, a study of the stout woman's tetic programme reveals the cause. A great many women are willing to accept their obesity, with the explanation that it is either bere ditary, inevitable, or due to some towards pathological disposition
weight accumulation. In nine cases out of ten they are absolutely wrong. The responsibility for their
• obesity can be laid directly at their own feet.
Ask any physician who works for an insurance company whether the stout woman is as good a “s” as her thin sister. He will tell you that she has a definite predisposi- tion for such illnesses as high blood- pressure, diabetes and heart dis- ease, to mention only a few.
I want to state very definitely that violent efforts at reducing are positively dangerous, more danger- ous than the obese condition `which the sufferer is trying to overcome. Over-exertion, and sudden outbursts of enthusiasm for violent exercise are to be deplored. And to be scrupulously avoided! And so, too, is any attempt to attain sylph-like lines by starvation diets or patent medicines which promise overnight" miracles!
Ir you are one of those "women. who are suffering from overweight, please remember that your heart cannot stand any violent exertion. Ar moderate amount of daily exercise is earnestly recommended. But if you find that your heart rebels, if you find that you get "winded" and out of breath very easily, stop what you are doing. In exercise, modera tion should be the key-note" and your own intelligence a barometer. to warn you when you have had enough: Violent exercise is both (Continued Over-page.)