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 surface of the Earth moves. The outermost layer of our planet is a mostly solid Crust, made primarily of granite and basalt rock, with a thickness of 5-30 miles on the continents. Underneath the crust is a semi-molten layer called the Asthenosphere, which is kept hot by the Core beneath it. There are currents in the Asthenosphere which flow under the crust, causing it to move. Motion of the Crust breaks it into very large pieces which geologists call Plates. Plates move away from each other or toward each other, depending on the direction of the currents beneath them. On the west coast of North America, a thin Plate [made of sea floor] and a thick Plate [the continent] are colliding, causing the thin Plate to slide under the thicker one. This is called Subduction. Can you imagine how much energy it takes to force a two-mile thick slab of rock under a 20-mile thick slab? That energy produces heat which melts the subducting Plate, creating pockets of magma to form within the Crust. This process formed the volcanic chain of mountains called the Cascades, which run from northern California, through Oregon and Washington into British Columbia, Canada. For 45 million years, volcanoes have erupted along the range, building mountains as they eject lava. Periodically, a volcano will erupt, often preceded by earthquakes. On May 18, 1980, it was Mount Saint Helens’ turn. The volcano had been active many times, as the local Cowlitz First Nations people told in their legends. Starting in March, 1980, there were hundreds of earthquakes in the area, along with a small eruption of steam. In early May, the pressure of underground magma caused the mountain to bulge upward, indicating an eruption might happen soon. Volcanologists flocked to the region, hoping to learn about predicting eruptions, while local residents had been urged to leave the area, in case of disaster. First a 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck, which broke open the magma bulge, setting off the largest landslide in recorded history. Then the explosive force of pent-up volcanic gasses sent dust and fine debris 80,000 feet into the air; sent hot gasses down the hillside; and, by melting ice and snow on the mountain, sent rivers of mud down the slope. Fifty-seven people died, including an elderly man who refused to evacuate and a volcanologist who was camped so far away that he was assumed to be safe. The eruption and the destruction of property made it the most deadly volcano in US history. But as a result, the way volcanoes are studied has improved, especially with the use of seismometers on the ground. Not surprisingly, there is a link between the deadliest ever volcano and the largest ever earthquake, despite their being separated by 280 years. The Subduction Zone that caused the volcano also set off the events of January 26, 1700, when the Cascadian earthquake struck.

Since the location of the volcano is in the far-west of North America, a Western Bake is for breakfast. For dinner, a meal inspired by foods available to the First Nations tribes that have lived near Lawetlat’la [Mount Saint Helens] for centuries.

Western Bake: 160 calories… 5.4 g fat… 4 g fiber… 7.4 g protein… 24.4 g carbs… 42 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.PB GF My father taught me to love a good Western Sandwich. So it seemed natural to incorporate that flavor combination in a breakfast. And its a winner.

++1 two-oz egg ++++ 2 oz green pepper++++ 2 tsp ketchup++++ 2 oz onion ++++ 3 oz pear ++++  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]++  Optional : 2 tsp ketchup to top the cooked eggs ++

Chop the pepper and onions and cook: either in the microwave or by poaching in water. Drain and combine with the ketchup. Whisk with the eggs, salt and pepper to taste. Spritz an oven-proof ramekin or other dish with non-stick spray. Pour in the egg mixture and bake at 350 F. for 12-15 minutes. Plate with the fruit, pour the beverages, add more ketchup. Yee-haaw, that’s a breakfast!

Turkey w/ Roasted Delicata and Sweet Potato: 294 calories… 4 g fat… 7 g fiber… 13 g protein… 36 g carbs … 85.5 mg Calcium…  PB GF Anna Stockwell from Epicurious came up with this recipe and am I glad. Here is a simple sheet-pan meal topped with a delicious agrodolce sauce.  HINT: This recipe serves two [2] people. As attractive as it is delicious.

Sv 2	Preheat oven to 425°F.
12 oz delicata squash———10 oz sweet potatoes [the slender Japanese type]——-1½ tsp EVOO	Slice unpeeled squash into ¾” thick rounds, and remove seeds. Peel + slice sweet potatoes in ¾” rounds. Toss vegetables and oil in a large bowl.
¼ tsp red pepper flakes—–½ tsp salt	Add pepper flakes and salt, and toss to combine.Arrange vegetables flat on a large cast iron skillet.
3 thyme sprigs	Arrange thyme on top of vegetables. Roast 20 mins.
4 oz raw turkey breast, sliced ½” thick——cooking spray	Salt both sides of turkey slices. Take skillet from oven, spray veggies with oil, and turn them over. Put turkey on top of vegetables, and return to oven for 10 mins.
1½ Tbsp agrodolce** per person	Plate vegetables, place meat on top,+ dollop agrodolce over all.

CRANBERRY AGRODOLCE: 2 oz cranberries——¼ c red wine vingar—–2 oz sugar —–1 sprig thyme

Cook these in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cranberries are soft and sauce is thick and syrupy, ~35 mins.Makes = 6 TBSP = 4 Sv