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.

Throughout the 1500s, England and Spain couldn’t figure out if they were friends or enemies. They kept trying to make a rapprochement through marriages and treaties, but things came to a breaking point when formerly Catholic England broke from the mold and formed the Church of England under Henry VIII. After Henry’s death, there was a Protestant king, then a Catholic queen, then a Protestant queen. Enough!! The Spanish king was persuaded by his advisors to make a three-part play to invade England in 1588, with the goal of dethroning the Protestant ruler. First, ships would sail to the south coast of England to blockade the harbor at Southhampton. Second, to send ships to the coast of Holland to pick up Spanish forces there. Third: to attack the coast of England with overwhelming forces. The Spanish ships entered the English waters with 130 ships, which went down in history as the Spanish Armada. Forty ships were battle ready: heavy, tall ships that though formidable, were not easily maneuvered. Also, there were 110 small lightly-armed ships for supplies. On the ships were 27,000 soldiers and sailors. The English sailed out of the harbor at Southhampton, and slipped in behind the Spanish ships. Due to an unfavorable wind, the Spanish could not turn and fight. Over four days, there were 3 skirmishes as the Spanish sailed East to rendezvous with their troops on the Dutch coast. But onboarding them took six days, while the fleet stood exposed to attack, hampered by also needing to protect their supply ships. The Spanish counted on superior skills at hand-to-hand combat, the English put their faith in superior cannon fire at long range. After a night of harrying the Spanish, causing their defensive formation to break, the English attacked on August 8th, destroying several ships. But the English ran low on ammunition and stopped fighting, giving the Spanish the chance to sail away. Due to the wind, the Armada had to run North, planning to round the northern tip of Scotland, skirt around Ireland, and so return to Spain. The wind blew, and the ships sailed North. On August 13, the ships sailed past the Orkney Islands and turned South. They had not counted on the weather of the North Atlantic. Storms battered the boats as they passed the Hebrides, causing many ship wrecks on the Scottish Islands and the West coast of Ireland. Legend has it that the “Black Irish”, the many Irish people with black hair and brown eyes are descended from the Spanish sailors who washed up on the shores. A charming story, but the video debunks it. Only 60 ships of the once-great Armada returned to Spain, defeated by hubris, poor planning, and the weather.

Flamenco Eggs: 166 calories… 3.5 g fat… 4 g fiber… 8.4 g protein… 24.5 g carb… 64.5 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values shown are for the plated foods only, not for the optional beverages. PB GF From Everyday Tapas, this recipe shows how a meal can go from being a dinner to being a breakfast. Similarly, any breakfast could also be a dinner. 

++ 3 Tbsp tomato puree or 3.5 oz tomato, chopped ++++ 1½ Tbsp parsley, chopped ++++ 2½ Tbsp/ 1 oz onion, chopped ++++ 2½ oz Italian sweet [bell] pepper, chopped ++++ salt & ¼ tsp cayenne ++++ 1 two-oz egg ++++ 1½ oz applesauce or apple slices++++  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] ++

Spritz a small ramekin with cooking spray or olive oil. Put the tomato, parsley, onion in the ramekin. Microwave 4-5 minutes to cook the onion. Add the bell pepper and seasonings, and microwave for another 4 minutes. [Alternatively, saute the above ingredients, instead of microwaving].  HINT: you can do this the night before. Remove from microwave and make a ‘nest’ in the cooked vegetables. Crack the egg into the nest. –OR– Put cooked vegetables in an oven-safe dish, whisk the egg, and pour over vegetables. Bake at 350F for 15-18 minutes. Meanwhile, plate the fruit. Prepare the optional beverages and have a snappy day.

Barley Paella: 260 calories… 3 g fat… 8 g fiber… 21 g protein… 43.5 g carbs… 88.4 mg Calcium… PB Spain is known for its paella, that succulent dish often made with rice and shellfish. The rice and saffron were brought in by the invading Moors and Berbers, and they also introduced barley. This recipe is not a classic Paella Valenciana, rather a Paella di Marisco. It tastes good and is even good for you. Son #1 was instrumental in the development of this recipe. 

2 Servings
½ slice smoked uncured bacon	Cut the bacon into strips cross-ways. Put into a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.
½ c bell pepper +++ ½ c onion ++++ 1/3 c carrot ++++ 1 tsp paprika ++++	Chop the pepper and onion. Dice the carrot. Add these and cook slowly until soft and transluscent.
2 cloves garlic, chopped +++¾ c tomato, diced ++++	Add the garlic and after 60 secs, add tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes are softened.
¼ preserved lemon ++++ 2 pinches saffron ++++ 1 cup seafood stock ++++6 Tbsp quickbarley, uncooked	Add these. Partially cover and cook 15 mins. Stir it sometimes.
3 oz mussels, shells or no shells 3 oz shrimp, no shells	Put mussels and shrimp on top, cover, and cook until barley is soft and the liquids are absorbed.
per person: 1.5 oz green beans [Roma beans recommended]	In the last few minutes, cook the green beans and serve.