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.

Radegund was still a pre-adolescent, living in the house of her father, the king of Thuringia [now in Bavaria, Germany], when the Franks attacked in 531. They overran the region, killing Radegund’s family, capturing her and her brother. The brothers who lead the Franks held a lottery for the girl, and Clothair won. He already had four wives, and recognizing her youth, he sent her to live in eastern France, where she furthered her education. After a few years, she married Clothair, King of the Franks. Radegund soon had a reputation for giving alms to the poor and for her humility. She was said to act more like a nun than a queen. When Clothair had her brother killed, Radegund ran away to a near-by church, asking to become a nun. The priest feared what the Franks would do to him, so he refused. Radegund threatened him with the wrath of God if he did not protect her, so the priest made her a deaconess. Eventually, Clothair came around to the fact that his wife would rather be a nun than to be married to him. [Perhaps he was influenced by his mother, Saint Chlotild, a very pious woman.] More than that, he donated a huge sum of money to establish the first Frankish “female monastery” as convents were called than. This was Sainte-Croix in Poitiers, built around 560 CE. Radegund had a reputation as a healer, caring for the sick herself, washing their bodies with her own hands. She also was noted for her asceticism: wearing a hair shirt under her queenly robes and fasting so much that people feared for her health. Venantius Fortunatus, a contemporary, wrote her biography, detailing the many good works she performed and recounting Radegund’s numerous miracles.

Saint Radegund was an ardent faster, plus she would eat no meat. Her idea of a meal was a bowl of lentils or beans, along with green vegetables. Both of our meals are plant-based and meatless. Fast in her honor on her Feast Day, August 13.

Oyster Mushroom ScrOmelette: 178 calories… 9.4 g fat… 2.6 g fiber… 11.5 g protein… 11.5 g carbs… 79.5 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF We are fond of oyster mushrooms, Pleurotus ostreatus, so naturallly we are fond of this breakfast. You can forage for them or buy them at the market.

++ 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. ++++ 2 oz oyster mushrooms ++++ 2 oz red bell pepper ++++ 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced ++++ 1 Tbsp oyster sauce ++++ 1 Tbsp Parmesan, grated ++++ 3 oz pear  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] ++

Chop the mushrooms and pepper. Warm a non-stick saute pan, and spritz it with non-stick spray. Put the vegetables in the pan to cook and to warm while you whisk the eggs with oyster sauce, cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Pour eggs over vegetables in pan, either scramble them or cook as an omelette. Plate with the pear for a dandy meal.

Felafel with Cucumber Raita: 223 calories… 7.5 g fat… 6 g fiber… 11 g protein… 22.4 g carbs… 130 mg Calcium…  PB GF  The felafel recipe is from Molly Katzen’s Moosewood Cookbook. Having some felafel patties in the freezer makes meal prep rapid.

++ 6 felafel patties ++++ 1 cup raw spinach ++++ ½ tsp olive oil ++++ large pinch ground nutmeg ++++ 4 oz plain, non-fat yogurt ++++ 1 scant cup cucumbers, cubed ++++ 1 tsp white wine vinegar ++++ 1½ tsp fresh mint, chopped or dried dill weed ++ 

Thaw out 5 of those felafel patties that you have in the freezer. Heat in toaster oven or in a non-stick pan on the stove. Do not cook them in oil. Cut the spinach into a chiffonade [make a pile of leaves and cut thinly across their width]and put into a bowl. Stir together the yogurt, vinegar, and dill or mint. Add the cucumber cubes and stir gently to combine. Toss the spinach with the olive oil and nutmeg. Plate spinach with raita on top. Eat it, and love it.

Felafel Patties 25-30 patties	each patty= 30 cal–1 g fat — 1 g fiber –1.6 g protein –4 g carbs– 8.5 mg Calcium-
2 c canned chick peas [if you use dried chickpeas, you will get a grainer product. Factor in the time to reconstitute and cook them]— 1½ cloves garlic, crushed– ¼ cup celery, minced– ¼ c. scallions, sliced–one 2-oz egg–1½ tsp tahini–½ t. cumin –½ t. tumeric– ¼ t. cayenne–¼ tsp black pepper — 1½ tsp salt–	Combine in food processer until ingredients form a uniform paste.  Scoop into a bowl and chill 1 hour.
	Form into balls on a silicon mat or parchment on a cookie sheet. I used a 1½ Tbsp scoop and then flattened the patties.
	TIP: You don’t have to bake them now. You could freeze the patties on a cookie sheet, then put them frozen into bags to cook later.
	Bake at 400 F, 10-15 mins. Patties should be heated through and have an outside ‘crust’ which is firm to the touch.
	Use now or cool/freeze for later use.