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 the Fasting Lifestyle!

Filippo Bruno was born in Nolo, Italy in 1548. For the son of a soldier, he received a good local education, learning the science of Aristotle and the art of memory. At age 15, he entered a Dominican convent and eventually became a priest. He took the religious name Giordano. Bruno seems to have had his own ideas about religion, which were not always compatible with those of the Catholic Church. He left the Dominicans which earned him an excommunication, and began to travel about Europe, seeking a profes-sorship. Instead, he was often employed by local rulers to teach memory skills. In Geneva, he became a Calvinist, but was excommunicated by them for criticizing their leader. A move to France took Bruno to Toulouse then Paris. A stay in England saw him as a member of the court of Elizabeth I. In Germany, Bruno became a professor at a Lutheran university, but was excommunicated by them for suspected heresy. Next stop, the court at Prague, where he rubbed shoulders with Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler and learned of their new cosmological theories. Along the way, Bruno published pamphlets, comedies, books, and lectures. After many years of avoiding Italy, for fear of the Inquisition, he returned under the patronage of a Venetian noble. Unfortunately, the nobleman became dissatisfied with Bruno’s memory instruction and turned him in to the authorities. Seven years of trial proceedings in Rome lead to a conviction of heresy: for attacking church doctrine and for supporting the idea of a solar system that was not centered on the Earth. Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake on February 17, 1600. Some say he was a martyr to the ‘war’ between science and religion. Others say that he rubbed too many people the wrong way.

Our meals have an Italian flavor, breakfast and dinner. None of our foods are cooked over an open flame.

Spinach Frittata: ..131 calories… 7 g fat… 2 g fiber… 11 g protein… 6.6 g carbs… 127 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. – PB GF – Whether it is breakfast or dinner, Spinach Fritatta checks off all the boxes.

++ 1 two-oz egg ++++ 3 Tbsp spinach, cooked, squeezed and chopped ++++ 1 Tbsp cottage cheese ++++ 1/8 oz [2 Tbsp] chopped scallions, white or green parts ++++ ¼ oz Manchego OR Cheddar cheese, grated ++++ dash of grated nutmeg ++++ dash of granulated garlic ++++ 2 oz strawberries ++++ 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] ++

Cook the spinach, drain it, and squeeze it in your hands to remove excess water.  [TIP: save the drained water for cooking vegetables or pasta] Chop the spinach and mix with scallions, both cheeses, nutmeg, and garlic. Lightly spray a baking dish with oil or non-stick spray. Pour the vegetable-cheese mixture into the dish and arrange so it is evenly distributed. Whisk the egg and pour over the mixture. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes. Plate with the berries and pour the beverages.

Fish Parmigiana: 279 calories… 8 g fat… 5 g fiber … 31.5 g protein… 17.4 g carbs… 337 mg Calcium…  PB Crunchy and flavorful: a real treat from the Canadian Cheese Board. Doubles or triples easily.

++ 2 Tbsp white whole wheat flour ++++ 1 egg white + a little water ++++ 3 Tbsp fresh bread crumbs ++++ 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated ++++ 3 oz firm white fish filets, such as tilapia ++++ ¼ cup crushed tomatoes ++++ 1 tsp capers ++++ lemon zest ++ basil leaves ++++ 1 oz mozzerella cheese, grated or sliced ++++ 3 oz green beans ++

Set the oven at 400 F. Combine flour, salt, and pepper on a plate. Whisk egg white with a little water in a soup plate. Mix bread crumbs and Parmesan on a plate. Roll the fish in the flour, then roll it in the egg white, then roll it in the crumbs/cheese. Lay the fish on a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover your baking dish. Spray the fish with non-sick spray and bake 5-7 minutes. Turn the fish over and bake 5-7 minutes. Combine tomatoes, capers, zest, and basil. Spoon on top of the fish, then top with mozzerella. If you have any remaining crumbs/Parmesan, sprinkle that on the mozzerella. Return the fish to the oven and bake about 5 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Plate with green beans for a delicious night en Italia.