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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle.

Chocolate! Around the world, people swoon over its luscious taste and mouth-feel, and July 7th is World Chocolate Day! Before you celebrate, you should know the story of this beloved treat. The Mayo-Chinchipe people of the upper Amazon region were harvesting and consuming cacao in 3275 BCE, and trade spread the practice around the region. They called it ‘xocoatl’ and it grew on trees in pods [upper left corner of photo]. After harvest, the white seeds were removed and set in the sun to ferment for seven days, then spread to dry in the sun while they turn brown. The seeds were skinned to reveal the nib, or edible part [lower left in photo]. Nibs were ground on a heated stone until they turned into a paste, then the paste was stirred into water mixed

with finely-ground cornmeal. This was not like your average cup of cocoa — the beverage was hot but bitter and highly prized. Special cups were made for serving, and a special whisk called a molinillo frothed it up, all to serve this caffeinated beverage to the elites. Spanish invaders tasted the drink — which they didn’t like — then took the recipe back to Europe around 1545. Eventually, sugar was added, the corn meal was subtracted, and a craze was begun. A taste for drinking chocolate was fostered by the Jesuits, who saw the beverage as a nutritious, filling food for a religious fasting day, of which there were 100 per year. The French court of Louis XIV loved chocolate, so in the mid-1600s, Chocolate Houses were establishments where the rich would go to socialize. Very fashionable. Soon, people in all the major capitals of Europe were enjoying hot chocolate. In 1828, Coenraad van Houten was able to separate cocoa solids from cocoa fat, producing cocoa powder. In 1847, Joseph Fry invented the chocolate bar. Today, chocolate is loved world-wide and most of it is grown in West Africa. In 2022, Americans ate 387,216 tons of the stuff, but the Swiss eat more chocolate per person than any other country — 8.8 kg per year. Hmmm — link to obesity? There are other issues around chocolate: problems in the supply chain due to weather and health of the cocoa trees that have inflated the price of chocolate, and the fact that cocoa farmers do not share in the wealth of the chocolate industry. ‘Responsible eating’ takes on a new meaning when discussing chocolate.

For breakfast, a modern version of the ancient Champurrado beverage — filling, but sweetened for modern taste. For dinner, a savory use for chocolate. Happy Chocolate Day!

Champurrado: 276 calories… 6.5 g fat… 1.4 g fiber… 11.6 g protein… 44 g carbs… 77 mg Calcium…  NB: This is a meal without the usual morning coffee or smoothie. PB GF  Here is an unusual breakfast, with a Mexican chocolate beverage as its centerpiece. The recipe for the Champurrado is from Rick Bayless, and it makes 5 servings.

++ 1 serving/1/5 of recipe below Champurrado** +++ 3 turkey breakfast sausages @ ~22 calories each ++++ 2 oz melon cubes ++

Prepare the Champurrado, divide into 5 portions. Pour one portion into a cup or mug or ramekin. If too thick, thin with hot water. Cook the sausage, and plate with the melon. TIP: I prepared the Champurrado the night before, portioned it, and put it in the ‘frige. I served it cold and it tasted like pudding!

**Champurrado  Makes 5 servings
3 oz sweetened Mexican chocolate—— ½ c/8 oz masa harina —-1½ c water	Chop chocolate and put in a blender with these. Blend until smooth.
1 c non-fat milk—– ¾ c water—–	Strain into a saucepan, add these. Whisk over medium until it simmers and thickens, about 10 mins.
	Portion into cups or mugs. Thin if needed.

Bison-Chocolate Chili:  per 1¼ cup: 291 calories… 11 g fat… 8.5 g fiber…22.5 g protein… 30 g carbs…284.4 mg Calcium… Bison, beans, tomatoes, bell peppers, chili peppers, and chocolate are all foods of the New World/the Americas. Why not enjoy them together in this flavorful chili! HINT: Makes 4 [four] one-cup servings.

++ 4 oz ground bison or turkey ++++ 15 oz canned tomatoes – in chunks or diced drained in a sieve [save the juice] ++++ 1 clove garlic, chopped ++++ 1 cup red onion, chopped ++++ ½ cup green pepper, chopped ++++ ¾ cup canned red or black beans, drained and rinsed ++++ 2-4 tsp chili powder ++++ ¾ tsp salt ++++ ½ – 1 tsp ground cumin ++++ 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder ++  per serving: ¾ oz Cheddar, grated ++ 4 oz melon, cubed ++

Cook the bison, onion, garlic, and green pepper in some of the tomato juices until vegetables are tender. Add remaining ingredients and cook gently until the chili is hot throughout. Taste to see if it needs more seasoning. After portioning into bowls, plate with the melon and sprinkle with cheese.