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.

Many religions have food restrictions — dos and don’ts to help demonstrate your faith. The members of the 7th Day Adventist Church base their way of eating on the scriptures, taking guidelines from the Books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Corinthians. In Genesis, God said “Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.”  Leviticus lists all the foods that are ‘unclean’ and therefore should not be eaten. They interpret a verse in Corinthians to mean that good Christians should eat only wholesome, healthy, unadulterated food, since the body is the temple of the soul. Taking all this into account, SDA members are generally eating a plant-based diet consisting of unprocessed foods. Their ideas have evolved a bit since the founding to the church, but today adherents are fairly unified in what they should and shouldn’t be consuming. The health outcomes of their way of eating has been studied many times, demonstrating that their plant-based diet lowers risk of obesity, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar. Furthermore, those with the more strict vegetarian diet had a decreased risk of colon cancer. On average, vegetarian Adventists live 1.5–2.4 years longer, and that longevity is increased when compared to the general population of Americans who eat the Standard American Diet. Their emphasis on unprocessed, healthy food dove-tails nicely with the Fast Diet, as you will see in the chart below.

Is this food allowed on this diet…	SDA way of eating	On Fast Days
Fatty Animal protein: beef, lamb, pork	In moderation	Yes
Lean Animal protein: chicken, turkey	In moderation	Yes, preferred
Eggs	In moderation	Yes
Beer, wine, cocktails	No	On Slow Days
Grains, starches: rice, wheat products, pasta, cereals	Yes	in moderation
Nuts + seeds	Yes	in moderation
Beans, legumes: peas, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas	Yes	Yes
Seafood protein, especially with Omega-3 fats	Only Kosher seafoods	Yes, any seafood
Apples, melons, pears, all other fruits	Yes	Yes
Berries	Yes	Yes
Leafy green vegetables: spinach, chard, kale, lettuce	Yes	Yes
Dairy: Cheese, milk, yogurt	In moderation	Some
Vegetable oils: olive, canola	In moderation	in moderation
Animal fat: butter	In moderation	in moderation
Root vegetables: beets, sweet potatoes, carrots	Yes	Yes
Other vegetables: onions, tomatoes, peppers	Yes	Yes
Plant-based protein: nuts, grains, legumes,	Emphasized	Yes, lots
Protein from animals — including eggs	Plant-based preferred	Yes. lots
Higher fiber	Yes	Yes
Daily Carb intake	Not a factor	Keep it low
Whole grains	Yes	Yes
Simple carbs: cookies, pastries, cake, bread, processed foods	NO	Not on Fast Day
Number of days per week to follow the plan	7 of 7	2 of 7
Do calories matter?	No	Maximun of 600 on Fast Days

Menemen: 196 calories… 12 g fat… 1.6 g fiber… 10.4 g protein… 12 g carbs… 49 mg Calcium… NB: Food values shown are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF  Seriouseats.com provided the inspiration for this recipe, which is seriously good.  HINT: Recipe serves two. Lacking the shishito peppers called for in the original, I substituted roasted green chilis from New Mexico. The result was a morning taste sensation. NB: Because the Adventists do not consume caffeine, herbal tea would be an appropriate beverage.

Sv 2 – adaptation	nonstick or cast iron skillet
2 tsp/5 ml extra-virgin olive oil—-½ tsp/1 g hot paprika—- ½ tsp dried oregano—- 1/3 c/20 g onion, finely diced —- 1/3 c/45g diced roasted green chilis—salt + fresh black pepper	Heat oil in skillet over low until barely warm. Add these with salt and a very generous amount of black pepper. Cook, stirring often, until very soft, ~8 mins.
¼ c/50 g chopped ripe fresh tomatoes -OR- drained canned tomatoes	Add, keep cooking, stirring often, until deepened in color.
3 large/150 g eggs, lightly beaten—-salt and pepper	Return pan to heat, add eggs. Season. Cook, stirring often, until eggs are just barely set.
	Serve with 1.5 oz cherries or apple slices.

Primavera Pasta: 287calories… 9 g fat… 10 g fiber… 12 g protein… 40 g carbs… 174 mg Calcium  PB GF – if using GF pasta  Springtime calls for a meal replete with springtime vegetables in a light sauce. This version is based on Marion Morash’s recipe from her Victory Garden Cookbook . With Bechamel Sauce from the freezer, it is quick and easy.  HINT: serves two [2], each serving = 1.5 cups.

++ 3 oz green peas, frozen ++++ 3oz asparagus, sliced ½” long ++++ 3 oz zucchini, in ½” dice ++++ 2 oz red onion, in ½” dice ++++ 2/3 cup Bechamel Sauce, no cheese ++++ 2 oz short pasta such as gemelli or penne ++++  per serving: 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated ++

Cook pasta in salted water until al dente, drain. Cook asparagus, zucchini, and onion in a saute pan with some pasta water. When vegetables are almost tender, add peas and cook 1 min longer. Stir in cooked pasta, and sauce. Heat gently 1-2 mins before serving to warm sauce and thicken. Top with Parmesan.