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: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

Flavia Iulia Helena was born around 250 CE in Roman Anatolia to an undistinguished family. While occupied as a stable-hand or inn-keeper [rendered as ‘stabularia’ in the histories], she caught the eye of Flavius Valarius Constantius, a Roman military officer. Was she his mistress? or his lawful wife? or his common-law consort? Even Saint Jerome, who wrote her biography, couldn’t say. They had a son in 272 named Constantine. In 293, while he was fighting to maintain Roman dominance in Britain and Gaul. Constantius ‘put aside’ Helena and married the daughter of the powerful Maximillian. When his father died, Constantine was hailed as leader of the Western Empire, becoming full Emperor in 324. Helena was very close to her son and he honoured her with titles. Somewhere along the line, she had become a Christian convert. In 325, she set off for Jerusalem to find relics. When she located a holy site, she tore down what was on it and built a church. In the area which she believed to be Golgotha, she began to dig. She found three wooden crosses and nails. To test her idea that one of them was the True Cross, Helena presented a dying woman with three pieces of wood. When the woman touched the third one, she was cured. Helena took the pieces of the True Cross and nails from the Crucifixion to Rome. Jesus’ tunic, which she also found, was sent to Trier where it is still at the cathedral. In the British Isles, the legend says that Helena was a British princess who buried part of the True Cross in Wales. Not true. Helena died around 328 and was buried in Rome. She was named a saint, as was her son.

Turkey Picatta ScrOmelette: 145 calories 7.5 g fat 1 g fiber 13.6 oz protein 5.5 oz carbs 51 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  Delicious morning meal.

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.  1/3 oz turkey breast, cooked or raw 1 tsp capers ½ Tbsp shallots, minced ½ Tbsp lower fat cottage cheese 1 oz pear  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]

Chop the shallot and turkey. Spritz a fry pan with olive oil or non-stick spray and stir the shallot-meat until they are cooked. Whisk the eggs with the cheese and capers. Pour into the pan, stirring to mix with the shallots and turkey. Cook to your liking, fold and plate with the fruit. Pour your beverages of choice.

Turkey Picatta: 257 calories 5 g fat 1.3 g fiber 31 g protein 21 g carbs 28 mg Calcium  PB GF Rush Hour Cooking provided this recipe which is one of our all-time favorites. Quick and delicious.

4 oz uncooked turkey breast salt & pepper  ½ tsp olive oil 1 Tbsp white wine 2 tsp capers 1/3 cup chicken stock 1.5 tsp lemon juice 2 Tbsp shallots, minced pinch garlic powder 3 oz tomatoes, sliced ¼ cup brown rice, optional

Combine the wine, stock and lemon juice. Pound the turkey meat, if needed, to even out the thickness. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat and cook the turkey on both sides until cooked through, adding a little of the stock mixture if needed. Remove turkey to a plate and keep warm. Add the stock mixture and shallots to the pan along with the garlic powder, stirring up the brown bits on the pan. Cook down until only 3-4 tablespoons of sauce remain. Lastly add the capers. Warm the rice [if using cooked left-over rice] and slice the tomatoes. Plate the rice, drizzling 1 Tbsp sauce over it. Plate the turkey, pouring the remaining sauce on it. Plate the tomatoes.

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

rolled oats + apple	2-4 two-oz eggs  + 3%-fat ham
whole milk	whole grain bread + butter
lemon juice	canned crushed pineapple
hazelnuts or almonds	peach + brown sugar
	optional smoothie
optional herbal tea	optional hot beverage

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

roasted red pepper + pepperoni	fresh red ripe tomato
fresh herbs + olive oil + tomato	cooked chicken meat
mozzarella + chickpeas + marinated mushrooms	mayonnaise + capers + scallion
canned tuna + green beans	string beans
Sparkling water	Sparkling water