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.

On the Thursday following the first Sunday in September, one will find a curious local holiday in Geneva, Switzerland: Jeûne Genevois. It means “Genevan Fast Day”, yet oddly, no one Fasts. Geneva has long been a city of Protestants. When the Protestant Huguenots were persecuted in France in 1567, the Genevans held a Fast Day [that is, literally a day of no eating] in solidarity with the suffering of their brethren. After the Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, August 24, 1572, Genevans held another Fast Day, expressing their horror over the event. They made it an annual event. For some reason, plum pie [Tarte aux Pruneaux] became associated with the day, and in time one could eat plum pie on Jeûne Genevois — but nothing else. Eventually, most people forgot about the Fasting, and the holiday, but they kept on eating plum pie on the correct day. In 1966, the City of Geneva declared the day to be a public holiday — banks and schools are closed for sure, but are the bakeries open to sell plum pie? Later in September, the rest of Switzerland holds a “Federal Day of Thanksgiving, Repentance and Prayer”, but Genevans do not observe it. After all, they already had their special day, and ate their pie as well.

Plum Pie has a bit too many calories for a Fast Day, so we will improvise. There will be the beloved plums at breakfast and at dinner. We will not have to improvise or change our Fasting habits: calorie counts will be observed, as well as the holiday.

Plum Crepe: 147 calories… 5 g fat… 2.5 g fiber… 10.5 g protein… 18.5 g carbs… 172 mg Calcium… PB This recipe is the breakfast version of a plum dessert from south-western France, where the plum is the queen of fruits.

+++ 1 sweet crepe ++++ ¼ c plain, non-fat yogurt ++++ 1 Tbsp hazelnut meal/flour ++++ ½ black plum ++++   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]

Plate the crepe. Stir the nut meal into the yogurt and mound it in the center of the crepe. Pit the plum, and place it skin-side up over the yogurt. Bon Appetit.

Roasted Chicken with Plums: 249 calories… 11.4 g fat… 1.6 g fat … 23 g protein… 12.5 g carbs… 21.5 mg Calcium…  PB GF The website uncomplicatedchef.com provided this recipe. Not only is it uncomplicated, but it is easy to prepare. The flavor is wonderful – very European. Be sure to serve it every time the plums are ripe. HINT: This recipe serves 3 [three] on a Fast Day. [Two on a Slow Day]

Sv 3	Preheat oven to 400 F.
¾ #/12 oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs +++++ 2 tsp whole grain mustard ++++ salt ++++ pepper	Cut meat into 12 large pieces. Toss these ingredients in a bowl, combine, let marinate 30 minutes.
10 oz black plums = 6 halves ++++ 4 oz/½ red onion, sliced ++++ 1 T fresh rosemary, chopped +++++ ½ tsp allspice ++++ 1.5 T olive oil	In a separate bowl gently stir these together. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to evenly coat.
Marinated chicken	Place chicken on a baking sheet.
Plums + onions more rosemary	Add plums + onions to baking sheet along with extra rosemary. Roast 20 mins, or until internal temp of chicken = 165F.