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. Welcome to primrosestuart and wildmountainthyme who are now Following.

After September, 1962, everyone was talking about Rachel Carson. Her book Silent Spring had been serialized in the New Yorker and suddenly people thought about the environment and how humans were affecting it. Her childhood love of nature lead to studies at the Woods Hole Marine Institute and a Masters Degree in zoology. Carson then began a 15-year employment at the US Bureau of Fisheries, becoming the chief editor of their publications. After retiring in 1952, Carson wrote books about the ocean which were well-received. Then came the bomb-shell. Silent Spring caught the attention of mothers, “ordinary housewives,” who had found dead birds in their yards and now knew that their children’s health might be threatened by pesticides and industrial chemicals. My own mother was very moved by the book. Despite the tidal wave of attacks from industry, who denigrated her as a communist and cat-loving spinster; despite the fact that she was dying of breast cancer, Carson testified around the country, calling for ‘a grass-roots army to rise up’ [her words] to curb misguided agricultural practices, and rampant, thoughtless production of goods [my words]. After her death in 1964, the passage of much pro-environment legislation was credited to her call to arms. Readers are still affected by reading the book, which is considered one of the most influential books of all time.

Our meals reflect the crusade of Rachel Carson. Corn is mass-produced by agricultural conglomerates. Get your’s for our breakfast from a local farmer. The eggs represent the birds which Carson said were being killed by pesticides, as DDT weakened their shells — leading to a Springtime with no birds. The shrimp live in her beloved ocean, also affected badly by agricultural run-off. Ask yourself what you can do to improve your local environment, then act on it.

Corn-Cilantro Salad Bake: 128 calories 7 g fat 1 g fiber 7 g protein 7 g carbs 39 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF  Having had some of this delicious salad left over from a week-end meal, I decided to add it to eggs. Heavenly!

one 2-oz egg ½ oz corn-cilantro salad** 2 oz melon  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Spritz an oven-proof dish with non-stick spray and put the corn-cilantro salad into the dish. Whisk the egg with a pinch of salt and pepper, and pour over the corn salad. Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes. Plate with the melon.

**Corn-Cilantro Salad  makes 2 cups 3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar 1 Tbsp canola oil ¾ tsp sesame oil 1 cup fresh corn kernels ½ c snipped chives 1¼ oz chopped cilantro Whisk the vinegar and oils together. Stir in the corn and herbs, then let sit for 30 minutes to blend the flavors.

Eggs Fu Young with Shrimp:  246 calories 13 g fat 3 g fiber 24 g protein 10 g carbs 160 mg Calcium  PB GF  Early in our marriage, we bought Jacqueline Heritau’s Oriental Cooking the Fast Wok Way. Later in our marriage, we tried this recipe and loved it. HINT: These ingredients will serve 2 [two] people.

3 oz raw shrimp, shelled	Chop the shrimp coarsely and divide in two portions.
½ stalk celery, sliced 1/8” thick ¼ cup chopped mushrooms ½ cup bean sprouts OR sliced bok choy, leaves and stems 3 scallions, sliced  ¼ tsp ground ginger	Prepare the ingredients and divide them equally into two different bowls. Add the shrimp and stir well to combine.
Four 2-oz eggs	Whisk lightly and divide equally into 2 containers.
½ tsp sesame oil  non-stick spray	In a non-stick saute pan, warm one portion of the oil. Also, spritz the pan with non-stick spray. Stir-fry the contents of one of the bowls for 2-3 minutes.
	Pour one container of eggs over the stir-fried vegetables and shrimp. Tip the pan and lift the edge of the eggs to let raw egg flow underneath to cook. Cover the pan and let the egg cook on one side for 2-3 minutes. Uncover and carefully flip the egg pancake. Cook 1-2 minutes more. Remove to a plate and keep warm in a slow oven.
½ tsp sesame oil non-stick spray	Repeat with the remaining shrimp/vegetables and the remaining egg.
2 tsp hoisin sauce 2 tsp soy sauce 2 tsp oyster sauce	Stir together in a small bowl to form a sauce for topping.
1-2 oz raw spinach OR Bok Choy, cut chiffonade style a few tablespoons of water	Heat a saute pan and spray with non-stick spray. Add greens and some water. Cover and cook until greens are limp. Plate with egg pancakes and top with the sauce.