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.

The Phylum Arthropoda contains animals without bones that have jointed legs. Within that Phylum are crustaceans: animals with an external shell made of chitin. Some of those crustaceans have 10 legs, and thus are called decapods. These are the animals that we call ‘crabs’. They live in waters all over the world — from brackish coastal environments to the deepest depths: from the equator to the arctic. There are 4,500 species of crabs in all sizes. Curiously, 850 species of crabs live on land or in fresh water. While crustaceans have been around since at least the Silurian Period of Geologic Time, crabs as we know them seem to have appeared on Earth during the Jurassic Period 200 million years ago. Many varieties of crabs are edible: King Crabs, Stone Crabs, Blue Crabs, Jonah Crabs. Not only is crabmeat delicious, but it is low in calories and high in protein. Eating crab meat will provide you with Vitamin B12, magnesium, copper, zinc, and phosphorous. Unfortunately, crabs are also high in Sodium and cholesterol — but the good out-weighs the bad. Crabs are a major player in ocean ecology, as both prey and predator. Crabs have figured in ancient mythology, as seen in the constellation Cancer the Crab. Today, 1.5 million tonnes of crabs are caught annually for food.

Crab meat is a versatile food which can be enjoyed at breakfast with eggs or at dinner in a classic crab cake. March 9th is National Crabmeat Day in th USA, so get out there and enjoy some!

Chili-Crab ScrOmelette: 155 calories… 7.5 g fat… 1 g fiber… 17.5 g protein… 8 g carbs… 56.4 mg Calcium..  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF The inspiration for this breakfast is a popular street food of Singapore and Malaysia. When I read the ingredients, I was inspired to add those flavors to eggs. Marvelous!!

++ 1½ two-oz eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. ++++  1 Tbsp catsup ++++ ¾ tsp Thai red chili paste ++++ 1.5 tsp soy sauce ++++ ½ oz crab meat ++++ pinch granulated garlic ++++ 1.5 oz strawberries ++++   Optional:  blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++++  Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] ++

Combine the catsup, chili paste, soy sauce, crab, and garlic, stirring well to mix thoroughly. Heat a non-stick pan and spritz with non-stick spray. Whisk the eggs with the seasonings and pour quickly into the pan. Put a lid on the pan and cook undisturbed until the eggs are cooked and set. Fold the eggs as you plate them with the berries. The beverages of your choice will round out the meal.

Crab Cake Dinner: 237 calories… 7 g fat … 4 g fiber… 18.6 g protein… 17 g carbs… 198 mg Calcium…  PB GF- if using GF bread First you prepare the crab cakes, then you settle in for a splendid dinner.

++ 2 crab cakes** ++++ 5 oz asparagus OR 2 oz green beans ++++ aioli dressing :1 tsp low-fat mayonnaise + few drops of lemon juice + pinch each of turmeric and garlic powder ++ 

Cook the vegetable. Prepare the aioli. Put aioli on crab cakes, plate with vegetable.

**Crab Cakes: 1 of 8 crab cakes:  94 calories —2 g fat —0.5 g fiber — 8 g protein — 6 g carbs — 82 mg Calcium — PB GF – if using GF bread Rock and Jonah crabs abound on the coast of New England and they are grand as crab cakes. This recipe is from Todd English’s Olive’s Tablecookbook.  Note: this is the full recipe and makes 8 cakes – more than you will eat at one meal. Prepare them all and cook as directed. HINT: This will provide a few future meals.

8 crab cakes
2 T = 1 fl oz plain nonfat yogurt—-1 tsp Dijon mustard– 2 Tbsp. chopped green or white onion—1 T. parsley, minced—one 2-oz egg—–1 tsp salt & ¼ tsp pepper—1 slice fresh 70-cal bread, crumbled	Stir these ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl.
½ pound crab meat	Fold in gently
Flour for dusting	Dust a large plate with flour. Using a ¼ c. measure as a mold, form crab cakes and turn them out onto plate.
Flour for dusting——2 tsp oil	Dust tops of the cakes with some of the flour. Heat a non-stick skillet and add oil
	Handling them carefully, cook crab cakes until beginning to brown, then turn to brown on other side.
	Cool, wrap, and freeze cakes that are not eaten tonight. Reheat in toaster oven