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.

Fatima, Portugal was named for a Moorish princess. Her legend runs from kidnapping-turned-love-story in one version to kidnapping and coercion on the other hand. Neither is confirmed. What is true about Fatima, is that on May 13, 1917, three little children had a miraculous visitor. Lucia and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta were coming home from tending the sheep. They saw a luminous lady who said that she came from heaven to visit with the children. The little shepherds recognized her as the Virgin Mary and met her there once a month for 6 months. Lucia told her younger cousins not to speak of this, but Jacinta spilled the beans. Their parents did not believe them and punished them for fabricating a tale. Other children teased them and the local magistrate put them in jail for disturbing the peace. At the July visit with the Lady, the children were told ‘Three Secrets‘ which they were not to divulge immediately. Finally, on October 13, 1917, 70,000 people– the curious, the skeptics, the prayerful — gathered for the final visitation. Jacinta and Francisco died within three years from influenza and Lucia went on to be a nun. The two younger ones were canonized in 2017, and Lucia is on her way to sainthood.

The children of the Fatima miracle were taking care of the family’s sheep, a typical chore for small children in rural families with sheep or goats. Breakfast uses goat cheese, a bi-product of the family herd. Dinner honors the food of Portugal in a New World twist of flavors.

Chevre/Spinach ScrOmelette: 149 calories 9 g fat 1.4 g fiber 12 g protein 6 g carbs 116 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  Astonishing how delicious this is! 

1½ two-oz eggs  HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week.  1 Tbsp chevre cheese 3 Tbsp cooked spinach    pinch lemon dill seasonings + salt + pepper 2 oz apple OR applesauce, unsweetened   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water Optional: 3 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [44 calories]

Strain and squeeze the spinach to get all the water out. Chop the spinach. Mix the spinach and chevre with the seasonings in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk the eggs into the spinach/chevre and keep whisking until it is all mixed. Cook as you would for scrambled eggs in a lightly-spritzed pan. Portion the applesauce [unless you did this the night before], prep the hot beverage, shake or blend the smoothie and enjoy a really flavorful breakfast.

Portugese Fish & Chips: 260 calories 6 g fat 4.7 g fiber 24 g protein 28 g carbs [27 g Complex] 60 mg Calcium   PB GF – if using GF flour  From our favorite dinner place in Souris, PEI, 21 Breakwater comes this house specialty from the chef’s native cuisine. The batter is so light that it lets the lime-infused fish shine through. The recipe takes little time to accomplish. I have described it in detail so you can be successful.

3 oz tilapia or hake 1 fl. oz lime juice or lemon juice 1 egg white + 1 egg yolk 2 Tbsp white whole wheat flour   3 oz sweet potato, peeled ½ tsp canola oil ½ tsp granulated garlic ¼ tsp paprika black pepper 2 oz asparagus

Marinate the fish in the lime juice with a pinch of salt and pepper for up to 30 minutes. Set the oven to 425 F. Peel the sweet potato and cut lengthwise into ¼” slices. Cut each slice into ¼” sticks. Put the oil in the non-stick pan that you will use to cook the fish. Add the potato sticks to the pan and toss about to coat with oil. Combine the granulated garlic, paprika, and pepper, and sprinkle on the potato sticks. Toss to distribute the seasonings. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil with the dull side up. Spray liberally with non-stick spray. HINT: You could do this 1-2 hours in advance. Distribute the potatoes on the pan so they do not touch. Put in oven for 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, put the asparagus on to cook. Take the fish from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Dredge lightly with flour. Whip the egg white into soft peaks. Fold in the egg yolk and remaining flour from dredging the fish. Heat the non-stick pan and spray with non-stick spray. Remove the fries from the oven and turn them over. Return to oven for 10 minutes more. Dip the fish in the egg batter so that it is coated on all sides. Cook the fish on one side over medium heat for 6 minutes, then on the other side for 6 minutes or until fork tender. When fries are done, turn off oven, open the door, and leave the fries in there for up to 5 more minutes. Plate all that good food and live it up.

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion for Monday …………………………… single portion for Thursday:

2 two-oz eggs + cottage cheese + apple	1.5 two-oz eggs
white whole wheat flour + almond meal	2 oysters
honey + Parmesan cheese	‘American’/streaky bacon
Canadian bacon + melon	strawberries or cherries
Optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

chicken breast meat + part-skim ricotta	yellow-corn tortillas @ 65 calories each
onion + celery + cilantro	Cheddar cheese + chicken
2 slices 70-calorie bread + tomato	enchilada sauce
Swedish Cucumber Salad + yellow Sriracha	carrot + broccoli + cauliflower
Sparkling water	Sparkling water