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.

I don’t know what the Winter in the Southern Hemisphere has been like this year, but we in the Northern Hemisphere have been baking! Records for ‘hottest this‘ and ‘hotter that‘ have been set and then broken again. Sometimes people don’t want to eat in hot weather, which can be good for weight loss. But sometimes they drink sugary cold drinks or beer or wine coolers all the while thinking [wrongly] this is the best way to beat the heat. Hydration is good, but real food in moderation is good too. How about eating less by enjoying Fasting meals on three or four days a week in hot weather? There are plenty of no-cook salads in the Archives. Let the Summer inclination not to eat much work to your advantage.

Today’s meals involve no stoves and no ovens. They are easy to prepare and very easy to eat. The breakfast can come cold out of the refrigerator if you prep it the night before. And the dinner is tailor made for a hot night.

Prosciutto & Melon Plate: 125 calories 7 g fat 1.2 g fiber 16.8 g protein 13.4 g carbs [13 g Complex] 135 mg Calcium  PB GF Once again the Inn at Saint Peter’s inspires a breakfast! Nothing beats the salty-sweet flavor combination of this meal. HINT: I plated everything the night before and stored the plates in zipper bags in the refrigerator.

4 oz canteloupe melon [Charentais melon would be fabulous!] 1 oz thinly-sliced prosciutto ¼ cup red onion pickle 0.1 oz shavings of Parmesan cheese fresh basil or mint leaves OR crumbled dried basil drizzle of balsamic vinegar reduction, optional Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon in hot water Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Cut the melon into bite-sized cubes [8 pieces look well on the plate]. Cut the prosciutto into 8 long strips [mine were 1”x4”]. Arrange the melon and ham in a circle on the plate with the red onion in the center. Shave off curls of Parmesan and place them on top. If using fresh herb leaves, tuck them in here and there. If using dried herbs, rub the leaves in your palms to crumble over the plate. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar if you wish. Serve with your chosen beverages. Wonderful flavors, however you combine them on your fork.

Smorrebrod w/ Turkey: 243 calories 8 g fat 3 g fiber 10 g protein 29 g carbs [11.5 g Complex] 18.5 mg Calcium  PB GF – if using GF rye bread From Oslo/Copenhagen/Stockholm comes the best of Summer sandwiches: smorrebrod [smeared bread]. Light and flavorful from summer vegetables, this meal is filling and simple to prepare without heating the kitchen.

1 slice [1.5 oz] sourdough rye bread @ 110 calories [the bread should be dense, not fluffy] 1-2 Tbsp whipped cream cheese 4 large leaves of fresh spinach 1.5 oz thinly-sliced tomato: slice and salt about 30 mins earlier for best taste 1 oz cooked turkey breast or tenderloin ½ hard-boiled egg, sliced ½ cup Swedish Cucumber Salad*

Spread the bread with the cream cheese and lay the spinach leaves on top. Place the tomato slices atop that. For the next layer, put down the turkey, topped by the egg slices. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drain the Cucumber Salad and plate. Excellent!

*SWEDISH CUCUMBER SALAD: makes 1 cup = 2 servings each serving = 23 calories 0.1 g fat 0.3 g fiber 0.4 g protein 5.2 g carbs [4 g Complex] 14 mg Calcium

1 cups sliced cucumber 1.5 tsp sugar 1 oz white wine vinegar 1/2 tsp cold water salt and freshly ground pepper ½ tsp dill

Combine the sugar, vinegar, water, salt, and pepper in a 3-cup container. Slice the cucumbers, spread them out on towels and pat dry. Stir the cukes into the liquid, wetting all the slices. Chill for at least one hour. Drain, and serve with a sprinkling of dill.

Ingredients for next week: 

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

1 two-oz egg	next week I will discuss Breakfast Beverages
slice 70-calorie whole grain bread	choose a favorite breakfast from Archives
apple or melon
Optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

1/4 pound sea scallops	next week I will discuss Breakfast Beverages
Indian curry powder	choose a favorite dinner from Archives
broccoli
butter + white wine [splash]
Sparkling water	Sparkling water