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, a second 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. Welcome to henash01 and zeefur and DonnyFood and getbetterhealthforlife.com who are now Following.

Search the atlas or Google Maps as you will, you will never find the Islets of Langerhans, as they are located in your pancreas. Part of the Endocrine System of your body, they release hormones which regulate how the body functions. One of the most important of these is insulin. When one eats, the amount of glucose in the blood rises. To counter-act that, the Beta Cells in the Islets release insulin so that the blood will not have too high a content of glucose. When the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin to keep up with the sugars, the result is diabetes — a break-down in carbohydrate metabolism. Childhood Diabetes [known as Type I] used to be a death sentence and adult-onset diabetes [Type II] had no happy outcomes. Diabetes was first noted by doctors in 552 BC and the Greek physicians gave it its name. Called the ‘Sugar Sickness’ later in Europe, it was known to be helped by eliminating sugar from the diet, yet still there was no cure. On January 11, 1922, Canadian researchers Frederick Banting, and Charles Best injected an insulin extract into a young patient. The child’s blood sugar levels were reduced a bit. A further refinement of the insulin extract, improved by J.B. Collip, turned out to be the key to the cure. The trio were awarded the Nobel Prize for their work. Diabetes is still very much with us. The Standard American Diet, which pushes highly processed foods, is much to blame. By eating a diet low in Simple Carbohydrates; high in Complex Carbohydrates and colorful vegetables; and by lowering your weight, pre-diabetes can often be reversed. One of the reasons that Dr. Michael Mosley developed the Fast Diet was because he was pre-diabetic. And it worked!

What are some foods that are good for lowering blood glucose? Cold water fish, such as salmon; leeks; shrimp; butternut squash; red curry paste; and spinach are all good foods for keeping high blood glucose low. And look at that — today’s meals contain those very ingredients! Fasting and focusing on wholesome food choices can reduce your risk of needing supplemental insulin. Now is a good time to join the Fasting Lifestyle.

Leek & Salmon Bake: 129 calories 7 g fat 1 g fiber 10 g protein 7 g carbs [7 g Complex] 64.5 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF  Simply delicious. 

One 2-oz egg ½ oz salmon [could be leftover from a previous meal] 1/3 oz leek, sliced thinly cross-wise 1 tsp low-fat sour cream OR plain Greek Yogurt dill weed to taste dash lemon juice 1 oz pear OR ¼ cup blueberries   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water  Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Spritz an oven-proof ramekin [for 2 people, Dear Husband likes to use a 6×4” oval casserole] with non-stick spray and set the oven for 350 degrees F. Slice the leek and put in a microwave-safe dish. [NB: if the fish is raw, cut it into small pieces and put it in the dish, too] Cook in microwave for 30 seconds at high heat to soften the leek. Add to the ramekin. Whisk the egg with the sour cream, dill, lemon juice, and salt/pepper to taste. [NB: some people find dill to be a very strong flavor] Pour over the salmon/leek mixture and bake for 12-15 minutes. Prepare your beverages of choice and dish the berries. Have a wonderful breakfast and a wonderful day.

Thai Butternut Squash Soup:  253 calories   9 g fat 4 g fiber 19.4 g protein 24 g carbs 112 mg Calcium  GF PB  Found in the Toronto Globe & Mail, this recipe makes a lot of delicious soup. It freezes beautifully, so you can enjoy it often. Don’t forget to add 3 oz of chopped shrimp and ¼ cup chopped spinach to each serving. HINT: makes 6 cups of soup. Save out one cup for dinner and freeze the rest in portion-sized servings.

2 Tbsp vegetable oil 2 cups chopped onion 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 tsp salt	Heat oil in large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add onions, garlic, and salt. Cook about 10 minutes or until onions have softened.
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated 4 tsp Thai red curry paste, or more to taste	Stir in ginger and curry paste. Cook for a minute or two longer
2½ # butternut squash, peeled, seeded, sliced ½ ” thick [about 6 cups] 3 cups water or unsalted chicken broth	Add squash and water/stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender, about 15-20 minutes.
1 lime, zest and juice	Zest and juice the lime. Put 1 tsp of zest and 1 tbsp juice in the pot. Save remaining zest and juice.
½ cup ‘lite’ unsweetened coconut milk	When squash is tender, stir in coconut milk. Puree the soup with a blender or food processor until smooth.
	Return to pot, reheat, adjust flavor with more lime juice and/or curry paste.
per bowl: 3 oz chopped cooked shrimp  ¼ cup baby spinach cut as chiffonade	For each serving, stir spinach + shrimp into hot soup. Serve when spinach is just wilted.