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.

Michael Mosley, MD, has died. He was born in Calcutta, India, but lived mostly in England from age seven when he was sent there for boarding school. After university, Mosley worked for a few years as a banker. He decided to go into psychiatry, though in his last year of training he concluded that he did not want to practice in that field. At med school Mosley met his wife, Claire Bailey, and they had four children. After receiving his degree, he pivoted to work as a producer for the BBC, focusing on science programs. When a show that he pitched could not find a presenter, Mosley stepped to the other side of the camera and made a name for himself. After many years of producing shows for television, he began working on the Horizon series. In 2012, the episode “Eat, Fast, and Live Longer” demonstrated the benefits of calorie restriction: lower blood sugar, lower cholesterol, weight loss, better brain health, reduced cancer risk, longevity. This finding lead Mosley to create the 5:2 Diet, incorporating what he had learned from researchers and his own experiments on himself. His book became an international best-seller and Fasting took the world by storm. My Dear Husband and I took up Fasting in 2013, and have been so pleased with the results that we still continue this lifestyle. 5:2 Fasting has improved our health. When Mosley died on June 5, while on vacation in Greece, it was not from prostate cancer, or diabetes, or heart disease — the usual conditions of old age. Rather, he lost his way on a hike in hot weather, and died of heat stroke. A sad loss.

Our featured meals will, of course, come from the Fast Diet book, co-authored with Mimi Spencer. Both of these are delicious, filling, good for you, and perfect for a Fasting Day. Thank you, Dr. Mosley.

Nordic Breakfast: 192 calories… 12 g fat … 7 g fiber… 11.6 g protein… 21 g carbs… 40 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage. PB  This is based on a recipe from the Fast Diet book, but I once thought it looked like a puny amount of food. Au contraire: the protein and fiber will fill you up. 

3 slices of Finn Crisp crackers++++ 1.3 oz smoked salmon ++++ 2 Tbsp whipped cream cheese ++++ ++++pinch of dill weed++++2 rings thinly sliced red onion ++++ ½ cup raspberries ++++ Optional: 3 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [44 calories] ++++  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or  mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

Gently spread the cream cheese on the crackers. Divide the salmon among them. Arrange the onion rings atop the salmon. Plate the fruit and pour your hot beverage. Skip the aquavit.

Tuna-Bean-Garlic Salad:  261 cal… 7 g fat… 5.5 g fiber… 33 g protein… 33.4 g carb… 152.5 mg Calcium…  PB GF  This is from the Fast Diet book. Great meal. HINT: this recipe serves 2 [two]

1 cup canned garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed +++++ one 5-oz can light tuna in water, drained and flaked +++++ 2 cloves garlic, chopped +++++ 4 oz tomato, left whole if bite-sized or sliced +++++ salt, pepper, thyme, parsley +++++ 3 oz spinach or mixed greens +++++ 1 tsp lemon juice ++++ 1 tsp white wine vinegar +++++ 1 tsp olive oil ++++ 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated

Gently stir the beans, tuna, and garlic together. In a wide, shallow bowl whisk the lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil. Stir ½ tsp of the dressing into the bean mixture. Toss the greens and herbs with the remaining dressing, then stir the bean mixture into the greens. Top with the Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper.