How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

Annie Jump Cannon was a computer.  In her day, a being a ‘computer’ was an occupation, not a device on your desk.  Like the women in the movie “Hidden Figures”, Miss Cannon was hired to do mathematical calculations and measurements. For 25 cents per hour. [Equal to $7.52 today]  She worked with stars, which she had learned to love while star-gazing at her mother’s knee. She was graduated from Wellesley College in 1884, with a degree in Physics and life-long deafness [caused by scarlet fever].  Returning to the academic world 10 years later, Annie became one of “Pickering’s Women”  — computers hired by Edward Pickering to help with his development of a new classification of stars.  It was already known that each star, when analyzed with a spectroscope, had a unique ‘spectrum.’  Annie Cannon was particularly good at reading and observing spectral emissions.  There was much disagreement within the team of computers on how to classify stars. Annie solved that by proposing a compromise: the stars would be put in categories named after letters [O, B, A, F, G, K, M]. B-type stars, like ‘Sirius‘, are very hot and luminous.  Because they are ‘young’ and hot, they give off a blue color. G-type stars, like our sun, are whitish-yellow, while M-type stars, like Betelgeuse, being cooler, appear red.  The letters are arranged in order from largest/hottest/brightest to smallest/coolest/dimmest.  To remember the order, AJCannon came up with the sentence “Oh Be A Fine Girl, Kiss Me.” Her system was accepted and she went on to catalogue almost 400,000 stars. On the way, she discovered 300 variable stars. Grudgingly, honors were accorded to her late in her totally stellar career. She died on April 9, 1941.                                                                                                                                   What shall we eat in honor of Annie Jump Cannon?  A breakfast of cornmeal stars and a dinner of differently-colored foods which are arranged in stripes, like stellar spectra. Of course.

Cornmeal Stars with Fruit Yogurt:  154 calories  4 g fat  4.8 g fiber  8.6 g protein  24 g carbs [17 g Complex]  71.6 mg Calcium  PB  Cornmeal and stars are SO American, that they SO perfect for Annie Jump Cannon.

Cornmeal Stars: 1 egg white 1 egg yolk, stirred 1 Tbsp white whole-wheat flour 3 Tbsp yellow cornmeal Whip the egg to soft peaks. Fold in the yolk, the flour, and the meal. Spray a non-stick pan with non-stick spray. Place your largest [3-4”] star-shaped cookie cutter in the center. Spoon the batter into the star, nudging it into the corners. Loosen the mold from the batter and remove it. Cook the star on one side until starting to brown, then turn carefully to cook the other side. HINT: This can be done a day or so in advance, storing the stars in a plastic bag.                                                                                                                              Per serving: 1.5 stars                                                                                                                               2 Tbsp fat-free French Vanilla yogurt                                                                                                    2 Tbsp blueberries  +  2 oz strawberries, sliced or diced [If frozen, they will need to be thawed and drained]                                                                                                                                    Plate the stars, slightly overlapping. Dollop the yogurt on top, then strew with fruit.

Mixed Sushi:  275 calories  11.6 g fat   4.9 g fiber  16 g protein  28 g carbs  39 mg Calcium PB GF   Our younger son introduced us to this recipe. Imagine: ‘Sushi’ without raw fish or seaweed. Good use for leftover beef, rice, and avocado. HINT: This serves 2 [two]. Invite a friend or save for lunch or dinner another day. Made to be served at room temp.

1 cup brown rice, cooked and cooled HINT: Make the day before and refrigerate or plan to have leftovers from a previous meal                                                                                          1 tsp rice wine vinegar                                                                                                                          1 egg    +     1 tsp soy sauce                                                                                                                                             3 oz avocado, in long slices                                                                                                               1 oz grilled beef, in long strips OR grilled chicken                                                                           2 oz smoked salmon, in long slices                                                                                                      2 oz cucumber OR zucchini in long slices

Combine the rice with the vinegar and let sit. Whisk the soy sauce with the egg and cook the egg as a flat omelette in a lightly-spritzed non-stick pan. Remove from the pan and cut into long strips. Slice the avocado, beef, salmon, and cucumber in long strips, but not longer than the diameter of the bowl in which you will serve it. Put the rice into two bowls with a wide diameter. Distribute the rice evenly over the bowl. Lay the other ingredients on top of the rice in what ever arrangement pleases you. Serve with extra soy sauce and enjoy a quick meal.

Ingredients for next week:

Breakfast, single portion for Monday ………………… single portion for Thursday:

Dinner, single portion for Monday: …………………………. single portion for Thursday: