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. Welcome to Jason Lawrence who is now Following.

Warm, comforting hot soups are what we want in the winter, but have you tried soups in the summer? It is true that eating spicy food can help to cool the body on a hot day. Cool soups, with vibrant flavors, can be a delightful alternative to cooking or grilling. The best known summer soup is Gazpacho from Spain. Another famous cold soup is Vichyssoise, a hot French soup, made cold in New York City. And then there is Borscht. Ask anyone in eastern Europe, and they will tell you that their nation invented the soup. Most recipes are for a hot soup, but some cooks serve Borscht cold in the summer. Try a Summer Soup, one or more of them will end up in your warm-weather menus for years to come. And if you have a garden or a CSA share or access to a great Farmers’ Market, soups are a fine way to use fresh veggies.

A cool-as-a-cucumber soup starts off the day, and a well-seasoned noodle soup from Thailand makes a great meal at day’s end.

Cucumber Soup with Melon: ¾ cup serving = 78 calories 0.5 g fat 4.5 g fiber 11.5 g protein 8 g carbs 106 mg Calcium   NB: The food values given above are for the plated items only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF The soup is lovely as is, but if you want to add more food, add a 1.5-oz slice of ham from the deli. Food value for ham: 68 calories 3.6 g fat 0.5 g fiber 7 g protein 1.6 g carbs 10 mg Calcium. Add optional beverages, and you have a cool, delightful meal to start a Summer day.

makes 3 cups. 4 servings of ¾ cup each
two 8” cucumbers [total weight = 21 oz]	Slice off both tips of the cucumber and remove half of the green peel. Cut in half and scoop out the seeds. Dice the cucumber.
2 oz mint leaves	Chop the leaves coarsely.
Piment d’esplette [or paprika or Aleppo pepper] salt & pepper to taste	Add these to taste to a food processor. Run the machine until the cucumber is very finely chopped.
200 grams/ 7 oz Fromage Blanc OR plain Greek yogurt	Add cheese/yogurt and run the processor to combine. Adjust seasonings.
8 oz canteloupe melon	Scoop into 8 Tbsp-sized balls
	Portion soup, garnish with two melon ball per serving
Optional: 1.5 oz sliced deli ham	Roll slice and plate next to bowl of soup.
Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Thai Shrimp and Noodle Soup:  272 calories 2 g fat 4 g fiber 26 g protein 37.6 g carbs 82 mg Calcium  PB  This soup is superb, whether on a hot summer night or in the winter. HINT: serves 2. Invite a guest or save for a lunch later in the week. This soup is wonderful and spicy and filling.

6 oz raw shrimp, shelled, tails removed	Thaw shrimp in a bowl, then strain liquid from bowl into a 1-cup measure, adding water to bring volume to 1 cup.  Put shrimp into a pan with the liquid, and simmer until opaque. Remove shrimp and cut in half cross-wise if large.
46 gm rice vermicelli noodles [that’s one small ‘bundle’ of noodles]	Bring shrimp-water to boil, add vermicelli, cover and take off heat. After 4 mins, drain, saving cooking water. Rinse and reserve noodles.
2 pinches crushed red pepper 1 Tbsp Thai fish sauce 2 Tbsp lime juice 2 tsp sugar 1 Tbsp Thai green curry paste	Put shrimp-water and these ingredients in a pan together. Warm while whisking to combine.
2 oz carrots, grated  1 c. spinach leaves, loosely packed	Coarsley chop spinach after measuring. Add carrots. Add spinach. Simmer until veggies are tender.
2 scallions, thinly sliced 1 oz grated carrot	Add shrimp. Serve soup warm or cold with garnish of chopped scallion and grated carrot.