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.

William Booth was born on 10 April, 1829 in Nottinghamshire, England. His life would have many twists and turns, and along the way he would revolutionize outreach to the poor. When he was a child, Booth’s parents were wealthy, then their finances collapsed. William was apprenticed at age 12 to a pawnbroker. His family were not religious but when he was 15 years old, Booth attended a church service and was moved to dedicate his life to God. A friend encouraged him to become a Methodist, and the two became lay preachers to the poorest people of Nottingham. Economics drove William to London and employment with a pawnbroker. This positioned him in the poorer part of the city where he saw first-hand the desperation of abject poverty. At that time, people were actively working to ‘reform’ the Anglican Church, from changing the internal organization to moving from comfortable tradition to a moral imperative of social outreach. Booth was eager to preach to the poor and to bring them to a happier state, both spiritually and physically. In the streets and bar-rooms, he preached salvation. By 1852, Booth had married Catherine Mumford and joined a reformed branch of the Methodists. Chafing at the restrictions he felt within that group, he and his wife formed their own organization: The Christian Revival Society. Charity workers were looked down upon by high society and often rejected by their very target audience. But Booth soldiered on, believing that he was part of an army fighting sin. In that vein, he changed the name of the group to the Salvation Army. He dressed his workers in quasi-military uniforms and hit the streets with musical instruments and hymn singing. And it worked — the Salvation Army grew in popularity and their outreach multiplied. Booth traveled to 58 countries to evangelize. The Army is a church, “an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church with its own distinctive governance and practices.” The goal is to meet the physical needs of people with “soap and soup” with the hope of leading them to salvation. General Booth was so known and respected that in 1902, he was invited to the coronation of King Edward VII. When Booth died in 1912, Queen Mary attended his funeral and Vachel Lindsay composed General Booth Enters Into Heaven. The Salvation Army appears in plays such as Major Barbara by G. B. Shaw and Guys and Dolls by Frank Loesser [renamed ‘Save-a-Soul Mission’] and on street corners in cities at Christmas-time, ringing bells and collecting money to support their world-wide net of social outreach.

When the goals and aims of the Salvation Army were exported to other countries, the first location on the Continent was France. One nation that really embraced the organization was the United States. Our meals today represent those two countries.

Cajun Bake: 128 calories 5 g fat 2.5 g fiber 8.6 g protein 13 g carbs 78 mg Calcium   NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF  Green peppers, onions, and celery are three key ingredients in Cajun cooking, so naturally they find their way into this breakfast. A ‘Cajun’ is someone from Louisiana who is descended from the French ‘Acadians’ of Canada. They were deported from Canada by the English in the 1700s.

1 two-oz egg 2 Tbsp green pepper [¾ oz], chopped 2 Tbsp celery, chopped 2 Tbsp onion, chopped 2 pinches Cajun Seasoning   dash of Tabasco   1 Tbsp reduced-fat cottage cheese, drained 2 oz pear  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

Drain the cottage cheese overnight to remove excess liquid. Chop the pepper, celery, and onion and cook them in a little water until they are softened. This can be done in the microwave or on the cooktop. Drain the vegetables and put them in an oven-proof dish that has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Whisk the egg with the cottage cheese and Cajun Seasoning, and pour into the ramekin. Bake at 350 degrees F. 12-15 minutes. Prepare beverages of your choice and plate the melon. Pass the Tabasco if you like extra heat.

Moules Gratinees:  268 calories 14 g fat 3 g fiber 19 g protein 35 g carbs 168.5 mg Calcium   PB GF – if using GF crackers  This is a spin-off of a dish we enjoyed in Brittany: they used local scallops but mussels work wonderfully. There are those who opine that you never combine cheese with seafood but they are WRONG. HINT: This recipe serves two [2].

10 0z [25] mussels ½ cup Bechamel Sauce with cheese  1 oz grated Cheddar cheese 1 Tbsp white parts of scallion + 1 Tbsp green parts of scallion   per serving: 2 oz broccoli + 2 Triscuit crackers or GF crackers of your choice

Cook the mussels in a little bit of water until the shells open. Remove from shells. In a sauce pan, put the Bechamel, the cheese, scallions. Cook gently until warmed through and the cheese is melted. Add the mussels and pour into oven-proof dishes such as ramekins or porcelain ‘shells’ or genuine shells, such as surf clam or scallop. Bake until bubbly and starting to brown. Plate with the broccoli and crackers for a really good meal.