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.

What do Lady Danbury, French King Louis XIV, and Johnny Walker all have in common? They all have a ‘walking stick.’ Now Lady Danbury actually uses her’s for walking [or rapping on the floor for emphasis], but the others carried theirs’. So what’s with walking sticks? In the court of King Louis, swords were banned because the king feared assassination. Walking sticks came into fashion, I suppose to provide a nobleman something to hold onto instead of a sword hilt. These were not a prop for old age or infirmity, a walking stick was a prop, in the theatrical sense, suitable for posing. Eventually, the sticks became the de rigeur fashion accessory for men. They were not ‘carried:’ the proper term was ‘to wear’ a walking stick. By the time of the English Regency, no gentleman would be seen without one. In the late 1800s in the USA, a walking stick could also be for self defense when walking in an unsafe neighborhood. I own the stick of a Civil War veteran. The head is weighted with lead and it has a steel ferule on the tip — either end could hurt you. In 1909, the walking stick was still such a thing that the Boston Post newspaper, in a remarkable public relations scheme, donated 700 walking sticks/canes to small towns in their distribution region. The canes were given to the eldest man in town, to be handed down to the next town elder in perpetuity. 500 of the gold-topped ebony Boston Post canes are still in existence. The walking stick has come a long way since the 1600s — maybe there will be a revival in 2022.

Our meals really have nothing to do with fashion accessories, but by Fasting you will become healthier and slimmer, and everything will look better on you.

Spinach Fritatta: 131 calories 7 g fat 2 g fiber 11 g protein 6.6 g carbs [6 g Complex] 127 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF Long an item in food magazine brunch articles, it was time to take frittata to the Fasting table. Wait no more: this is delicious and filling.

1 two-oz egg 1 egg white 2 Tbsp cottage cheese ¼ oz Manchego cheese, grated ¼ cup scallions, chopped 3 Tbsp cooked spinach, pressed, drained, and chopped salt to taste + nutmeg + granulated garlic 2 oz grapes or strawberries   Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water

Combine the cheeses, spinach, scallions, and flavorings. Spritz a 4” custard cup with non-stick spray and spread the cheese mixture evenly in the bottom. [Since I was cooking for 2, I used an oval 5×7” baking dish]  HINT: do this the night before and leave on the counter. Set the oven for 375 F. Beat the eggs until broken up and frothy. Pour over the spinach/cheese mixture and bake for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the beverages and plate the fruit. Breakfast is great.

Whole-grain Bowl w/ Sausage: 252 calories 5 g fat 5 g fiber 9 g protein 38.5 g carbs 67 mg Calcium  PB  Some cooked grains in the ‘fridge inspired this meal. It turned out to be beyond hum-drum left-overs, becoming a very nice meal indeed. HINT: This preparation serves two [2] people.

4 oz/¼ cup cooked quick barley 4 oz/¼ cup cooked whole wheat orzo 4 oz/¼ cup cooked brown rice 1 link meat sausage @ 150 calories/link per serving: 3 Tbsp puttanesca sauce 1 oz cooked broccoli

Combine the cooked grains and warm them slowly. Cook the sausage and slice it. Cook the broccoli. Divide the warm grains between two bowls. Arrange the sausage slices on one side, the broccoli on the other side, and spoon the sauce into the middle. So easy. So filling.

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

1 two-oz egg	1.5 two-oz eggs
crushed tomatoes + pepperoni	chickpeas + fish sauce
mozzarella + bell pepper	ginger powder + fennel fronds
Italian herbs + pear or blueberries	deglet noor dates
Optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

white beans + capers + olive oil	onion + garlic + butter + olive oil + turmeric
shrimp or smelts + carrots + lemon juice	bay leaf + fenugreek leaves or seeds
marinated mushrooms + tomato	meat stock + verjus/lemon juice + egg
mozzarella or feta cheese + garlic powder	potato + gozleme bread or Mongol bread
Sparkling water	Sparkling water