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.

What do you know about Cleopatra? If you are basing it on Shakespeare’s play or the Elizabeth Taylor film, then you are perhaps under informed. Was she beautiful? Maybe. Did she sleep her way to the top? Nope. Was she just another pretty face? No way! Cleopatra VII was the descendant of a long line of pharaohs of the Ptolemaic Dynasty. They were really from Macedonia in Greece, but they had ruled Egypt for 10 generations. When her father died, 20-year-old Cleopatra and her 10-year-old brother became co-rulers. Following tradition, the siblings married — to keep it all in the family. [He died a few years later, and another brother was co-ruler.] As pharaoh, Cleopatra was a shrewd politician and tactician, steering the country through famine and into a stable economy. Her undoing was the fault of the Roman Empire and its succession struggles. Julius Caesar’s government had been threatened by rival Pompey, until the latter was murdered in Egypt at the Ptolemaian palace. The Romans invaded Egypt, and Cleopatra decided to side with the winner. She flirted, and she won his heart. Cleopatra and Caesar ruled together, and had a son, Caesarion. On the side, her brother was challenging her rule, so Caesar disposed of him. After Caesar’s assassination, there was competition between the dead ruler’s son Octavian and his father’s protege, Mark Antony. They divided the empire, with Antony taking the East — and Cleopatra too. They had three children together. At last, Octavian attacked the pair, at sea and on land. Seeing the end was near, Antony killed himself. Cleopatra committed suicide on August 12, 30 BCE, no doubt with poison, rather than an asp. How do male historians deal with strong, capable women? By reviling them as evil, wanton temptresses who corrupt men. Now you know the truth. Take it as you will.

Egyptian peasants ate bread and drank beer made from bread. The nobility ate a wide variety of fruits and dairy products, along with poultry and fish. Our breakfast is made entirely of foods known to ancient Egyp-tians, including the fruit and yogurt in the Berry Lassi. The dinner is similarly full of favorites of that era.

Cleopatra’s Breakfast: 187 calories… 8.5 g fat… 3.5 g fiber… 19 g protein… 33.5 g carbs… 301 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage.  PB  This meal is based on foods eaten by aristocrats in ancient Egypt. The salty cheese is a good foil to the sweet melon. Be sure to purchase whole-grain pita at 65-75 calories, or cut one to fit our requirements. To add some more Egyptian flavors, serve with the Berry Lassi, even thought that recipe is from India. 

Whole-grain pita bread [75 calories or less] ++++ 5 oz watermelon, rind removed ++++ 1 oz halloumi ++++  Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] or or Berry Lassi [89 calories] ++++  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

Put the halloumi on a dry [ungreased] cast iron pan over medium-high heat and cook it until it is browned on both sides. Plate with the fruit and bread.

Cleopatra’s Supper: 292 calories… 7.6 g fat… 5 g fiber… 25.5 g protein… 30 g carbs… 59.4 mg Calcium…  PB GF Ancient Egyptian nobles partook of a variety of foods, and four of them appear in this simple but delicious meal.

++++ One 2-oz hard-cooked egg ++++ ½ c chickpeas, drained ++++ 2 deglet noor dates ++++ 2 oz chicken breast, cooked ++++

Dice the egg and chop the dates. Cube the chicken and put everything in a bowl. Dust lightly with salt, and gently mix it all together before serving