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.

Everybody thinks they know when [and how] Julius Caesar died, but few know when he was born. His father was Gaius Julius Caesar, a well-known politician whose family/Clan was not particularly influential. ‘Julius’ [spelled ‘Iulius’ then, as there was no “J” in the Roman alphabet] was the name of their Clan, so the son of the family had to be named Julius. From his birth in Rome on July 13, 100 BCE, the younger Gaius Julius had to fight for any prestige he may have gained. When he was 16 years old, Julius’ father died and the youth married Cornelia, a risky proposition since her Clan was at odds with the ruling government. In an effort to ‘lie low’ for a while, Julius joined the army, serving in parts of modern Türkiye. He demonstrated his brash, take-charge personality when he was kidnapped by pirates. Julius raised his ransom money, then raised a private navy to defeat the pirates and kill them all. Back in Rome, the time of factions and conspiracies and corruption continued, which Julius had to navigate to rise further. Scandal and financial issues compounded his problems and lead to divorce from his second wife. At age 31, Julius was appointed governor of the province of Spain. Upon his return to Rome, Julius formed a team of rivals and they were elected as consuls, part of the council that ruled Rome. He was granted lands in northern Italy which gave him access to income and the chance to recruit his own militia. Between ages 46 and 51, Julius conquered Gaul, crossed the Rubicon, showing himself to be the kind of mover and shaker that Roman leaders had never faced before. The team of rivals dissolved into true rivalry, and Julius spent the next few years chasing his frenemy Pompey all around the Mediterranean. Yes, Julius did meet and woo Cleopatra in Egypt. His last few years were spent going here and there, stamping out rebellions that challenged his power. At last, he was named ‘dictator’, a temporary [6-month term limit] position which gave him the power to recreate the government as he thought it should be. The world never got to find out how his reorganization would work, due to his  assassination. Today, the word ‘dictator’ has a negative, often evil connotation, yet one Western leader embraced being called a dictator. Didn’t he know that it was meant to be only a short-term appointment, returning afterward to a democratic government?

Our meals are reminiscent of Caesar’s conquest of Gaul. The invasion Brittany congers visions of strawberries and crepes, two local specialties. The dinner remembers the duel between Caesar and Vercingetorix, which involved a stewed chicken. Vercingetorix and his army were besieged, but they tossed a dead rooster over the siege wall to show that the Gauls weren’t out of food yet. Then Caesar invited his enemy to a dinner of chicken stewed in Roman wine to show that the Romans were superior.

Strawberry Crepe: 193 calories… 7.5 g fat… 2 g fiber… 9.5 g protein… 23 g carbs… 211 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage.  PB  Isn’t it a treat to enjoy ‘Strawberries & Cream’ once in a while? If you haven’t made the crepes already, this is a good reason to try them. Mine were ready in the freezer.

++ 1 sweet crepe*** ++++ 2 Tbsp reduced fat ricotta cheese ++++ 3 Tbsp vanilla low-fat yogurt ++++ 3 oz strawberries, sliced and put in a sieve over a bowl, especially if frozen ++++ 1 slice uncured bacon or 1 slice ‘Canadian’ bacon ++++  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++ 

Stir the ricotta and yogurt together. Add most of the berries, saving some for garnish. If there is a lot of juice, cook it down slowly to make a little syrup. Cook the bacon. Place the crepe on the plate and spoon the cream filling onto it. Fold over the crepe and top with the extra berries and syrup. Plate with the bacon and prepare your hot beverage of choice.

**CREPES, SWEET: makes 16 eight-inch crepes
100 g white whole wheat flour —- 54 g white flour —- 2 tsp vanilla sugar	Whisk flour and sugar together.
14 fl oz/416 g skimmed milk	Add milk and whisk until combined.
2 two-oz eggs	Add eggs one at a time.Whisk vigorously until batter runs off whisk in ropes. Let rest up to 60 mins.
	Heat a small cast-iron pan or ceramic saute pan. Spritz with oil, then wipe out pan with paper towel.
	Dip a ¼ cup measure into batter and let extra drain off.
	Grasp handle of cook pan with one hand as you slowly pour batter into center of pan. Tilt pan in a swirling motion to let batter form a circle roughly 6” in diameter. Don’t get hung up on perfectly round or perfectly flat. Watch it cook and look to see when edges start to dry and curl a bit.
	Using a heat-resistant but non-scratching tool [I use my fingers], turn crepe over. Cook other side and remove.
each = 53 calories… 0.8 g fat… 1 g fiber… 6 g protein… 8.5 g carbs… 38 mg Calcium…	Cook remaining batter, wiping pan with paper towel, every few times.

Chicken Provincal: 252 calories… 12.5 g fat… 4 g fiber… 25.4 g protein… 15 g carbs… 57 mg Calcium…  PB GF  This recipe is from the Culinary Institute of America, with a few tweeks by me. It glows with the warm tastes of Province.  HINT: This recipe serves two [2] diners.

++ 6 oz chicken breast, boneless & skinless ++++ 1½ Tbsp white whole wheat flour ++++ 2 tsp olive oil ++++ 1 garlic clove, minced ++++ 1 anchovy fillet ++++ 2 Tbsp dry white wine ++++ 1 c tomatoes, chopped, juice retained ++++ ¼ c. chicken stock ++++ 5 cured black olives, sliced ++++ pinch salt ++++ 2 pinches rosemary ++++  per person: 2 oz broccoli florets ++

Fillet the chicken breast meat by cutting it along the thin side [parallel to the cutting board] to create 2 slices each ½” thick. These will cook faster, and look like more food on the plate! Sprinkle flour over the chicken to coat it lightly on both sides. Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet and cook the chicken on one side for 3 minutes. Turn to cook the other side, remove from pan. Put the garlic, anchovy, tomatoes, and wine in the pan, then add the chicken stock, olives, and rosemary. If there is flour left over from coating the chicken, stir it into the sauce. Cook until the sauce thickens. Return the chicken to the pan to heat it briefly. If the sauce is in danger of cooking off, add some tomato juices or water or more stock. Cook broccoli and enjoy your meal from southern France.