Diet recipes that work

Floralie!!

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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.

Roman statue of Flora, artist unknown.

Here it is — my favorite ‘holiday’ from the classical era: Floralie! My maternal grand-mother was a teacher of latin, so my mother grew up with stories and poems of ancient Greece and Rome. I grew up learning classical mythology, and stories in the Baldwin Reader about Rome. So I guess it would be natural for me to be quite taken with Flora, the goddess of Flowers. [of course any tales of prosti-tutes in ancient Rome, often associated with Flora’s festival, were omitted from my education] What really tickles me is that her holiday, April 28 to May 3, is still honored 2238 years later in southern France, Italy, and England. There, towns have flower shows and decorate the houses with blooms. As I write this in New Hampshire, the first daffodils are blooming, along with the Pulmanaria, Scilla, and a few dandelions. Elsewhere, Forsythia is showing its golden flowers. Spring has arrived and nature is ready to celebrate Flora. Weave a floral wreath to wear in your hair.

For the goddess of Spring, we will eat flower buds in the form of asparagus at breakfast. For dinner, a delightful salad that can be composed to look like a giant blossom.

Asparagus Roll-ups: 117 calories… 7 g fat… 1.3 g fiber… 8 g protein… 2.6 g carbs… 51.5 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values shown are for the egg bake and the fruit, not for the optional beverages. PB GF Pretty on the plate and a delight to eat.

1 two-oz egg + 2 oz asparagus spears, tough lower stalks removed + 1 Tbsp whipped cream cheese + tarragon, chopped  + 4 Golden Berries or 2 strawberries  Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

Break the tough lower part of the asparagus stalks, wash, and steam or cook in minimal water until tender. Drain, salt lightly, and set aside. HINT: You could do this the night before. Whisk the eggs with the cream cheese and tarragon, along with a pinch of sea salt. Heat an 8”-9” skillet and spritz it with non-stick spray. Pour in the eggs and tilt the pan so that the eggs form a thin, even layer over the bottom of the pan. Without stirring or moving the eggs, cook until the eggs are set and as your like them – this will not take long. Remove the egg to your plate, like a big pancake. Put the cooked asparagus in the pan and shake it a bit over heat to re-warm. Lay the spears on the eggs so that the blossom ends hang over the edge. Roll the egg so that the asparagus is inside and plate attractively. With your optional beverages, you are set for a Spring-time breakfast treat.

Senegal Tuna-Avocado Salad: 264 calories 14.6 g fat 6.4 g fiber 13 g protein 18 g carbs 30 mg Calcium  PB GF  This is my version of Avocat Creole which I enjoyed at Bissap Baobab, an excellent Senegalese restaurant in Oakland, CA, now closed.

2½ oz white/Albacore tuna + 2 Tbsp celery, minced + 1-2 pinches ground ginger + ½ tsp lime juice + Sriracha sauce + ¾ oz apple, diced  + ½ tsp mayonnaise made with olive oil + 2 oz avocado + 2 Tbsp radish/alfalfa sprouts + 4 oz cherry tomatoes + ¼ oz [½ cup] baby spinach leaves   + aioli: 1 tsp mayonnaise made with olive oil + Sriracha

Lightly combine the tuna with the celery, ginger, dash of Sriracha, lime juice, apple, and ½ tsp mayonnaise. Arrange the spinach leaves in the center of the plate and mound the tuna on top. Slice the avocado and layer on top of the tuna. Mix remaining mayonnaise with Sriracha to taste and drizzle the aioli over the avocado. If the cherry tomatoes are not bite-sized, cut in half. Place tomatoes around the edge of the plate and enjoy a meal that is blooming with flavor.

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion for Monday …………………………… single portion for Thursday:

1 two-oz egg = US large1.5 two-oz eggs + apple
1 oz roast hamcorned beef + cabbage
1/2 slice whole-grain bread [35 calories]2%-fat cottage cheese
thyme + caraway seed
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

Dinner, single portion for Monday:………………………….. single portion for Thursday:

4 two-oz eggs + Parmesan cheese4 oz wild Pacific salmon
Swiss chard or spinach + garlic powder 4 oz broccoli
garlic powder + paprika + pickled beetspearled barley
1 oz whole-grain sourdough bread
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Chelsea Morning

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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.

When I first heard Joni Mitchell’s song Chelsea* Morning in 1969, I was delighted by visual images of warm orange/yellow items, seen in an early morning light. It was so cheerful! Honey, oranges, butterscotch — deliciously lovely. I described it to my mother, who dismissed it a sounding “sticky.” Oh dear. The color orange makes one optimistic, happy, enthusiastic, and thinking of ‘youthful connections’, according to a paint company in North America. To Buddhists, who wear orange robes, the color signifies transfor-mation. Orange is the color of Autumn, from leaves to pumpkins and squashes. One of the seven colors that make up visible light, orange’s wavelength is slightly shorter than that of red: 590-625 nanometers. Prior to the 1600s, Europeans had no word for the color orange. To describe it, they said ‘yellow-red’, since the color orange is made by combining various amounts of red and yellow pigments. When sweet orange trees were introduced into Europe by Portuguese traders, the fruit gave the color its name: laranja, in Portuguese; naranja, in Spanish; arancia, to the Italians; while the English took the French word: ‘orange’. The color can be associated with aggression and impulsiveness. And then there are the orange jumpsuits that prisoners wear in court… which lead to Orange Is the New Black on TV. Be mindful of wearing orange in Northern Ireland. That was the color of the Protestant minority rulers of colonized Ireland, in honor of the Dutchman William of Orange who became the England’s protestant king in 1689. Thus, green-wearing Catholics might take umbrage. Do you wear orange or eat oranges? Look around to see how and where you encounter orange in your life. *Joni Mitchell’s ‘Chelsea’ is from New York City, not Chelsea in London as many people think.

Our breakfast is made up of items from the song, so hum along as you eat it. The dinner is of the color orange, from the butternut squash. Does eating it make you optimistic, happy, enthusiastic? I hope so!

Chelsea Morning: 210 calories… 1.5 g fat… 4.5 g fiber… 10.5 g protein… 41.5 g carbs… 267 mg Calcium   NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage.  PB GF – if using GF bread  Inspired by the Joni Mitchel song, these ingredients make for a cheerful breakfast and may give you an ear-worm for the rest of the day. The song mentions milk, but I substituted yogurt. Put the milk in your coffee, if you wish.

1 slice whole-grain + 70-calorie bread + 2 tsp honey + 1 clementine + ½ c plain yogurt   Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

Lightly toast the bread and drizzle with honey. Eat the fruit and yogurt separately, or mix clementine slices into the yogurt.

Thai Butternut Squash Soup:  253 calories…  9 g fat… 4 g fiber… 19.4 g protein… 24 g carbs… 112 mg Calcium  GF PB  Found in the Toronto Globe & Mail, this recipe makes a lot of delicious soup. It freezes beautifully, so you can enjoy it often. Don’t forget to add the shrimp and spinach to each serving at the end. HINT: makes 6 cups of soup. Save out one cup for dinner and freeze the rest in portion-sized containers.

2 Tbsp vegetable oil + 2 cups onion
2 cloves garlic + 1 tsp salt		Heat oil in large soup pot over medium-low heat. Chop onions + garlic, add to pan with salt. Cook 10 mins, until onions have softened.
1 Tbsp fresh ginger + 4 tsp Thai red curry pastePeel, grate ginger. Add these to pot. Cook 1-2 mins
2½# butternut squash, peeled
3 c. water or unsalted chicken broth		Slice squash ½” thick, deseed it. Add these, take to a boil. Lower heat, simmer until tender, 15-20 mins.
1 tsp lime zest 
1 Tbsp lime juice		Add these, saving remaining zest and juice.
½ cup ‘lite’ unsweetened coconut milkStir in ‘milk’. Puree until smooth in blender.
Return to pot, reheat, adjust flavor with more lime juice and/or curry paste.
per bowl: 3 oz chopped shrimp 
¼ cup baby spinach cut as chiffonade		For each serving, stir spinach + shrimp into hot soup. Serve when spinach is just wilted.

Diane de Poitiers

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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.

Diane de Poitiers’ name is forever linked with that of her lover, King Henri II of France. Literally linked, since the chateau that he gave her has their entwined initials carved on every surface. We might think: “that tart is the ‘other woman’ ruining someone’s marriage.” But wait! There is more to the story. Diane was the daughter of a country gentleman who taught his little girl to ride and hunt at an early age. She was, after all, named for the Roman goddess of the hunt. Life in the queen’s retinue provided her with an excellent education. As a 15-year-old, Diane was married to a middle-aged man with lots of money but homely looks. After he died, she wore black [and white] for the rest of her life — it looked good on her. Her husband’s nobility earned her a place at the court of Francois I, in Paris. There Diane learned the gentle arts of court life, and her beauty was widely admired. When little Prince Henri was sent to Spain as a ransom for his father’s loss of a war with Spain, Lady Diane was the only one who hugged the child good-bye. When he returned to France in his teens, Henri needed a tutor to relearn the princely arts. He was 17 and Diane, at age 37, was his coach. Although Henri was married to Catherine di Medici, he fell in love with Diane and the two were inseparable for 26 years. [Makes me think of Emmanuel Macron of France who married his high school drama teacher. She is first lady of France.] Catherine was extremely jealous, but Diane held her own and even assisted Catherine with her children. A brilliant economist and wily diplomat, Diane advised King Henri in all things. Indeed in all things, she was the ‘acting queen’ of France. She kept her enviable good looks by daily exercise and healthy eating, while encouraging her husband to appreciate art and literature. Diane’s most lasting achievements were the house and gardens at Chenonceau, the most beautiful chateau of the French Renaissance. When Henri II died from a dreadful jousting accident, Diane was forbidden to be at his death-bed and the petty Catherine made Diane give back the chateau and her jewelry. Diane retired to Normandie and did acts of charity until her death on 25 April 1566. On the whole, I think that Diane de Poitiers had many good qualities, even if she was ‘the other woman’.

Diane is buried at her Chateau d’Anet in Normandie. Our breakfast consists of healthy vegetables served on a galette, the rustic crepes popular in North-Western France. The dinner is fit for a queen — or a king’s favorite.

Ratatouille-Egg Galette: 151 calories… 5.5 g fat… 2 g fiber… 10 g protein… 14 g carbs… 44 mg Calcium   NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF – if using GF crepes  A meal direct from Brittany – if it weren’t for the ratatouille! A perfect blend of Northern and Southern France.

1 crepe one + 2-oz egg ¼ cup Mediterranean Vegetables, drained of excess liquids [reserve the liquid] ½ oz fresh mushrooms  + 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]

Drain the vegetables of excess liquids. Use the liquids to cook the mushrooms. Combine the vegetables and mushrooms and heat them. Warm the crepe and plate it. Poach or fry the egg. Spoon the vegetables over the crepe and top it all with the egg. Pick it up with your hands or eat with a fork.

Filet Mignon with Tarragon: 278 calories… 14 g fat… 2 g fiber… 28.6 g protein… 7 g carbs… 49 mg Calcium  GF We have enjoyed this sumptuious Joanne Harris recipe for years and we still turn back to her My French Kitchen to make it again. HINT: This recipe is enough for two. Worth sharing with a special friend. If serving one diner, prepare all of the sauce and save it to put in eggs at breakfast or to use at dinner.

2 tsp butter + 2 portobello mushroom caps + ½ tsp olive oil + 1 Tbsp shallot , minced 2 Tbsp white wine + 1 Tbsp heavy cream + 1 tsp grainy mustard + ½ tsp minced garlic 2-3 Tbsp fresh tarragon + two 4-oz filet mignon + 10 spears asparagus

Cook the mushrooms on both sides in butter and a spritz of cooking spray. Keep warm off the stove. Heat the oil with a spritz of cooking spray, and cook the shallots until softened. Add the wine to the pan, then simmer for 3 minutes. Lower the heat, add the cream, mustard, garlic, and tarragon. Heat long enough to warm the sauce but do not let it boil. Cook the asparagus. In a separate heavy skillet, heat a drizzle of oil and a spritz of non-stick spray over high. Cook the meat 1½ minutes/side if you like it rare or 2 minutes/side for medium. Place the cooked steak on the mushroom cap, surround it with asparagus, and top it with the sauce. This is easy to prepare and absolutely delicious.

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion for Monday …………………………… single portion for Thursday:

70-calorie whole-grain bread1 two-oz egg  + tarragon
honeyasparagus spears
clementineGolden Berries or strawberries
plain fat-free yogurtwhipped cream cheese
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

Dinner, single portion for Monday:………………………….. single portion for Thursday:

vegetable oil + 2 onions + garlic+ shrimpalbacore tuna + avocado + celery
fresh ginger + Thai red curry paste ground ginger + lime juice + Sriracha
2.5 pounds butternut squash + baby spinachmayonnaise made with olive oil + apple + baby spinach leaves
lime + ‘lite’ unsweetened coconut milkradish/alfalfa sprouts + cherry tomatoes
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Seeing Red

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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.

To be ‘seeing red’ means that you are very angry. Even if we are not angry, we can see [perceive] the color we call ‘red’ because red light travels through space and the atmosphere with a particular wave-length [620 to 750 nanometers]. It is the longest wave-lengths of all the seven colors of visible light. When a red light wave hits certain surfaces, instead of going into that surface, the wave reflects back to enter our eyes. If our eyes are working properly, special ‘cone cells’ in our retina detect that wavelength and our brain interprets that surface as being red. The color red has long been associated with hostility and danger: bloody banners in war, stop signs, the ‘Red Wedding’. The color red is used in pictorial advertising because it elevates the heart-rate of the observer, generating excitement and approval of what is being shown. Red roses stand for passion. What would Valentine’s Day be without the color red to make us think of love? Red runs the gamut from prostitute’s garb in the Red Light District to the Red Hat of feisty older women. The “Reds” were the communists who overthrew the Tzar of Russia. Their first leader was Vladimir Lenin who was born on  April 22, 1870. On that same day in 1954, televised hearings began as McCarthyism’s “Red Scare” upended peoples’ lives when they were accused of being Russian sympathizers. Love or hate; passion or anger, the color red punches above its weight when it comes to symbolism.

Our foods today are red in hue — not because they are dangerous, but because of their delicious red ingredients: strawberries at breakfast and red beets at dinner.

Cholermüs: 211 calories… 14 g fat… 4.5 g fiber… 18 g protein… 40 g carbs… 380 mg Calcium  NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage.  PB  A Swiss pancake topped with fruit is a wonderful breakfast. The batter can be prepared ahead for a quick and special morning meal.  NB: above food values are for a 35 calorie sausage. The photo shows a 60 calorie sausage. You decide.

Sv 1: 1 pancake6” nonstick skillet with lid**
1 two-oz egg + pinch salt + ¼ c fat-free milk ¼ c cottage cheese + 3 Tbsp white whole wheat flour + 1 tsp maple syrup + 1 tsp canola oilCombine these with an electric mixer until smooth.
Smear of Butter + PAMSmear butter in skillet, spray with oil and heat pan to medium. Pour in batter, cover and cook until top sets. Flip and cook other side until lightly browned. The pancakes are fragile, so handle carefully.
½ c Strawberries + ½ tsp butter + 1 tsp maple syrupSlice fruit. Combine with other ingredients in a small pan. Heat over medium until fruit is soft. OR microwave in a glass jar in short increments until berries are softened. OR Heat syrup and butter together. Put raw berries on the pancake and drizzle with syrup-butter.
Put one pancake on serving dish. Top with fruit syrup. 
1 chicken breakfast sausage + mocha cafe au laitCook breakfast sausage [35-60 calories] to serve along side. Mocha cafe au lait is a perfect beverage

Red Flannel Hash & Egg: 249 calories… 9 g fat… 2 g fiber… 12.6 g protein… 18 g carbs… 43 mg Calcium  PB GF  This is a venerable New England farm meal, with the recipe coming from Hayden Pearson’s  Country Flavors Cookbook.

1 cup cooked diced beets (1/3” dice) + 1/3 cup diced potatoes (1/3” dice) + ¼ cup diced onions 2 slices Canadian Bacon/back bacon, diced + one 2-oz egg + lots of salt and pepper to taste

Cook, peel, and dice the beets and set aside to cool. [HINT: do this the day before] Peel and dice the potatoes. Put into a pan of tap water and put the pan on the burner. Turn on the heat and let the pan sit, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until the water starts to boil around the edges. Take off the heat and leave potatoes to cool in the water. Then drain and set aside. Dice the onions and bacon. Spray a saute pan with non-stick spray and add the Canadian bacon. Cook it as crisp as you wish, or not so crisp. Remove the bacon and set aside. Add the onions with 2-3 Tbsp water, and cook until the onions are transluscent and the water is mostly gone. Now put the potatoes in the pan with the onions, add salt and pepper to taste. Stir until the potatoes are cooked. Add the beets and bacon to the pan and continue to cook until heated through. Meanwhile, fry the egg: sunnyside-up or over easy as you prefer. Plate the hash and top with the egg. Country dining.

Thor Heyerdahl

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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.

In 1950, the book Kon-Tiki made a big splash. Detailing his voyage on a balsa-wood raft from Peru to Polynesia, the book and subsequent movie [Oscar winner, 1951] made Thor Heyerdahl well-known around the world. He was born in 1914 in Larvik, Norway, and studied zoology and geography at university. In his spare time, Hey-erdahl studied Polynesian culture and history. On their wedding day, Thor and his 1st wife Liv Coucheron-Torp set off for the island of Fatu Hiva. Supposed to be a sponsored expedition to study how plants from other places ended up on isolated islands, the newly-weds were seeking a forever-home, a pre-industrial refuge from modern life. Unprepared for the realities of subsistence survival, they lasted one year. But what they learned about plants and Polynesian lore convinced Heyerdahl that there had been a link between the people of South America and of the Polynesian islands. No one believed him, despite the fact that sweet potatoes from the Americas grow also in Fatu Hiva, and that there is a Polynesian legend of ‘white men with beards’ arriving from the East. Such curiosities intrigued Heyerdahl, and he set out to prove his theory. Hence the Kon-Tiki expedition in 1947. Fascinated now with the idea that pre-contact, Stone Age cultures could have traveled long distances by sea, Heyerdahl pursued his dreams with further expe-ditions: 1955, archeology in Easter Island/Rapa Nui; 1970, Ra II voyage from Morocco to Barbados; 1977, Tigris expedition from western India to the Red Sea. Although nations and universities showered Heyerdahl with honors, ethnographers and archeologists were leery of his ideas. He might have gotten some things right: although modern DNA shows that Polynesians came from Asia, not South America, there is a link between Easter Islanders and the natives of the Americas. Heyerdahl died of brain cancer on April 18, 2002. His many books still inspire those who dream of adventure.

Since the Kon-Tiki set sail from Peru, our day will begin with food from there. Tahiti was settled by the Polynesians — from Asia, not Bolivia. Our dinner shows the influence of colonization on the food of Tahiti, just what Heyerdahl was studying in Fatu Hiva.

Peruvian ScrOmelette: 143 calories…. 8 g fat… 1 g fiber… 12 g protein… 8 g carbs… 70 mg Calcium   NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  Traditional foods of Peru from land and sea combine with the new taste of coffee, now grown in the Andes Mountains.

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 diced tomato ¼ oz [2 tsp] anchovies canned in olive oil, drained but not rinsed 2 oz melon OR mango  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]

Night before: After you dice the tomato, put it in a strainer over a bowl to reduce the moisture. In the morning: Chop the anchovies and add to the eggs. Spritz a non-stick pan with non-stick spray and add the tomatoes. This will cook them a bit and warm them. Whisk the egg/anchovy and pour into the warm pan. Scramble or cook as an omelette. Plate with the fruit, pour the beverages, and dream of the Andes.

Chicken and Limes: 283 calories… 7.6 g fat… 3.5 g fiber… 23 g protein… 35 g carbs… 61 mg Calcium   PB  GF  Limes, chicken, and pineapple were added to the ecosystem of Tahiti by various visitors, and were promptly incorporated into the cuisine. We served this at a dinner party and no one would have guessed that it was a Fasting meal. Here is the one-serving method for <Poulet avec Limettes.>

3 oz chicken breast, boneless, skinless, and cut in 2 pieces across the width + 1 lime: ½ of it zested and juiced; ½ of it sliced + ¼ cup chicken stock + ½ tsp sugar + 1 tsp cornstarch [cornflour] + ½ fl. oz heavy cream + thyme 3 oz slice of pineapple, fresh or canned + salt + pepper + ¼ cup brown rice, cooked

Marinate the chicken in the lime juice, zest, salt, pepper, and thyme in the ‘fridge for at least 2 hours. Remove the chicken from the marinade, and put 1/3 of the liquid into one small container and the remainder into a sauce pan. We grilled the chicken briefly and then removed it to a plate while the pineapple and lime slices were grilled. If you are not grilling today, put the pineapple and lime under the broiler until slightly charred and hot all the way through. Meanwhile, add the stock and chicken to the pan with the marinade and heat it until the chicken is mostly cooked. Remove the chicken and keep warm. Bring the liquids to a boil and reduce by 1/3 of the volume. Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and remaining marinade. Reduce the heat and stir until thickened. [this happens rather quickly] Return the chicken to the pan, add the cream, and stir to combine and to coat the chicken with the sauce. Plate with the rice and pineapple and lime slices for a taste of Tahiti.

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion for Monday …………………………… single portion for Thursday:

1 two-oz egg + canola oil + maple syrup1 two-oz egg 
skimmed milk + 2%-fat cottage cheese1/2 oz mushrooms
white whole wheat flour + strawberriesone Buckwheat Crepe/Galette 
butter + 35 calorie chicken breakfast sausageMediterranean Vegetables
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

Dinner, single portion for Monday:………………………….. single portion for Thursday:

red beets + red potatobutter + portobello cap + asparagus
back bacon or Canadian bacon4 oz filet mignon + olive oil
onionshallot + white wine + heavy cream
one 2-oz egggrainy mustard + fresh tarragon
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Brunelleschi

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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.

Filipo Brunelleschi is not a house-hold name, but when discussing artists in the early Renaissance, he is at the top of the list. He was born in 1377 in Florence /Firenze, the son of a wealthy mother and a father who was a public official. Filipo was trained to be a lawyer, but he left off his studies to pursue the arts. After apprenticing with a goldsmith he became a Master. A competition was announced in 1402 to design panels for the doors of the Baptistry. This ancient building across from the cathedral was a local treasure, so only the best designs could go on the doors. Seven entrants were narrowed to two: Brunelleschi and Lorenzo Ghiberti. They both presented works based on the story of Abraham being willing to kill his son Isaac at God’s command. Art historians still debate which design was better: Ghiberti’s was elegant, Brunelleschi’s was dramatic. Ghiberti won, and Brunelleschi retired from metal work. He turned to architecture, and there he really shone. When he sojourned in Rome, Brunelleschi had absorbed many classical motifs, and he was given a chance to use them on buildings in Firenze. In 1296, a cathedral had been built to demonstrate the glory of the city. A dome was planned to cover the 45 meter crossing in the nave of the church, but no one knew how to build it. For more than 100 years, there was a big hole in the cathedral’s roof. Brunelleschi entered a contest to design and build the dome, and he won. By building one dome inside of another, and by laying the bricks in a herringbone pattern, the architect was able to support the structure without the weight causing the walls to bulge outward. One can climb up to the top of the dome, seeing the details of the structure, and enjoying the view from the cupola. A wonderful experience! The cathedral dome was a major feat of engineering and it made Brunelleschi’s reputation. After that, the Pazzi Chapel, the nave of Santo Spirito, the Hospital of the Innocents, the Basilica of San Lorenzo, and Santa Maria degli Angeli were given the Brunelleschi treatment when either built or redesigned.   The Father of Renaissance Architecture died on April 15, 1446. Fittingly, he is buried under the dome of the cathedral, but his presence is everywhere in the architecture of Old Firenze.

Our breakfast involves a beloved Italian ingredient: bruschetta which was not eaten in Brunelleschi’s time. Oh, well. It is still delicious. The dinner is named in honor of Florence’s favorite exile, Dante, who had been banned from the city 100 years before Brunelleschi came to prominence.

Bruschetta-Egg Toast: 210 calories… 13 g fat… 4 g fiber… 9.5 g protein… 19 g carbs… 56.5 mg Calcium   NB: The food values are for the meal and fruit only and do not include the optional coffee.  PB  GF– if using GF bread  You know that yummy tomato-oil mixture that you enjoy on bread at dinner? [Americans call it Bruschetta] It is delicious at breakfast, too.

1 slice 70-calorie whole grain bread [Dave’s Killer Bread is perfect] 1 oz pear one 2-oz egg, fried or scrambled or hard-boiled 3 Tbsp ‘bruschetta,’ home-made** or store-bought [18 calories/Tablespoon]    Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] 

Lightly toast bread and spread it with the brushetta. Top with an egg, put a dollop of bruschetta on egg, plate with the fruit and you are all set for breakfast.

**Bruschetta Sauce: makes 2 cups 1 cup: 285 calories.. 28.5 g fat.. 3 g fiber.. 2 g protein.. 10 g carbs… 2 mg Ca
½ pound plum tomatoes + 3-4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil + 1 clove garlic + 1 scallion + ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes + ½ tsp salt + 1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped + 1 tsp fresh tarragon, chopped + 2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped + 1 tsp fresh marjoram, choppedCore and quarter the tomatoes. Peel and crush the garlic. Slice the scallion. Put all of these ingredients into a food processor and pulse off and on to make a chunky sauce.
½ pound plum tomatoesCore and quarter the tomatoes. Add to the above and pulse a few more times.
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar + 1½ teaspoons red wine vinegarPour the tomato-herb mixture into a bowl and stir in the vinegars.

Dante Sandwich: 260 calories… 7 g fat… 4 g fiber… 9.6 g protein… 22 g carbs… 38.5 mg Calcium  PB  A sandwich shop in Firenze was the inspiration for this delight, dubbed the ‘Dante’ on the menu. Our older son introduced this to us. One is amazed that something this delicious fits our Fast Day calculations.

1 Foccacio bun** + 1 Tbsp truffle cream + 2 tsp stracciatella cheese OR 2 tsp whipped cream cheese ¼ oz lettuce or arugula + 2 slices/0.65 oz capicola + 2 oz roasted sweet potatoes pinch of microgreens + cooking spray

Set the oven to 425F. Put parchment paper on a small baking pan and spray with cooking spray. Peel and thinly slice the sweet potatoes to produce the right amount. Arrange the slices on the parchment and spray with cooking spray. Put in oven for 10 minutes. I was using ‘baby’ sweet potatoes, cut on the diagonal. Slice a foccacio roll in half, like a hamburger bun. On the bottom half, spread the truffle cream. On the top half, spread the cheese. Put the capicola on the bottom half and top with the greens. Turn the sweet potatoes after 10 minutes, spray with more oil, sprinkle with lots of salt and pepper. Roast for 10 more minutes. Plate it all and enjoy every delicious bite.

**Foccacio Buns: 6 buns each 86 calories

150 g white whole wheat flour + 150 g bread/strong flour + 5 g salt + 3 g dry yeastIn a bowl, stir with a fork until it forms a shaggy bowl.
Cover bowl, let dough rise 8-12 hrs.
Turn out on work space, portion into 6 pieces, each ~70 g. Shape into buns.
Put on parchment, let rise 45 mins.
herb-flavored olive oil
coarse salt		Brush with flavored olive oil, sprinkle with salt. Slide parchment onto a baking sheet, bake 15-18 mins at 425F.

James Parkinson

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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.

Michael J. Fox’s medical story is well-known to many for whom he is the ‘face’ of Parkinson’s Disease. The man who first identified a curious set of symptoms as relating to the disease that bears his name was born on April 11, 1755, outside of London, England. James Parkinson trained as a physician and took over his father’s practice. He worked hard, not just with wealthy patients in a time when only the rich could afford a doctor, but with the poor as well. Toward the goal of making health care acces-sible to everyone, Parkinson wrote a 2-volume encyclopedia of family medicine which became a standard reference for ordinary people. His writings covered nutrition, disease prevention, tips on hygiene, and symptoms of common ailments. In his spare time, Parkinson was keenly interested in natural science, especially the emerging field of fossil research. He helped to found the British Geological society and wrote a 3-volume illustrated encyclopedia of fossils. By 1810, both of his writings had made him famous throughout Europe and in America but his questing, curious mind did not rest on its laurels. In his home-town, he would encounter some elderly men as he walked through the streets. Their gait and posture were distinctive, so he asked them questions: How long had they had that arm tremor? Did they ever feel constipated? Why did their arms not swing as they walked? Did they fall often? When he encountered other men with similar symptoms, he queried them as well. Dr. Parkinson theorized that these men shared a dreadful condition which he wrote about in a pamphlet called An Essay on the Shaking Palsy in 1817, in which he described the symptoms of the disorder in detail. Fifty years after his death, the pamphlet was read by Jean-Martin Charcot, a French physician. Dr Charcot knew that it was important for doctors to be able to recognize these symptoms in their patients, and he called it “Parkinson’s Disease.” We know the symptoms, but we still have no cure. Happily, there are some medicines and physical therapies that ameliorate the effects. The Michael J. Fox Foundation has put billions into research, and one can hope that if the cause of the disease can be found, that there might be a cure.

The MIND Diet is a way of eating which seeks to forestall and mitigate the symptoms of degenerative brain diseases, like Parkinson’s Disease. It is very comparable with the Fast Diet. Our meals today are in line with ingredient choices of the MIND Diet, and with the caloric limitations of the Fast Diet.

Asparagus ScrOmelette: 159 calories — 9 g fat — 1.5 g fiber — 12.5 g protein — 8 g carbs — 137.5 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF A fine book called The Flavor Bible lists what flavors are compatible. Guess what? Few things go together as well as asparagus, Parmesan, and eggs!

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 to store in the ‘fridge for next week. — 1½ oz asparagus, thinly sliced and cooked 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated — 1½ oz applesauce  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]

Put the asparagus into a pan which has been spritzed with non-stick spray and cook until it is warm. Whisk the eggs with the cheese, salt, and pepper and pour into the pan. Scramble or fold like an omelette. Enjoy with the applesauce and enjoy your day.

Banh Mi: 300 calories — 7 g fat — 5 g fiber — 20 g protein — 36.5 g carbs — 47 mg Calcium  PB The recipe for this popular Thai/Viet street sandwich came in the mail from Eating Well’s ‘Shape’magazine. Just a few tweeks and it worked splendidly for a Fast Day. Dear Husband is a fan.

3 oz pork tenderloin, previously cooked or raw — 1 tsp Asian sweet chili sauce — ½ tsp soy sauce 1½ oz cucumber, cut in 2-3” strips — 1½ oz red sweet pepper, cut in 2-3” strips — 1 oz carrot, shredded 1½ oz baguette slices, cut ¼” thick — sesame-ginger dressing**

**Sesame-Ginger Dressing: 2 Tbsp pickle brine [from a jar of pickles] +++ ½ tsp sesame oil ¼ tsp ground ginger +++ ¼ tsp ground garlic +++ pinch sesame seeds

Slice the pork thinly and brush with Asian chili + soy sauce mixture.  If meat is uncooked, brush with the chili/soy mixture, then briefly saute until barely pink. Prepare the sesame-ginger dressing and set aside in a small bowl. Slice or grate the vegetables, and toss in the sesame-ginger dressing. Slice the bread and arrange it on the serving plate. Top with pork, then with vegetables, then the dressing. Serve remaining slaw in a small dish. Done! We ate everything with our fingers.

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion for Monday …………………………… single portion for Thursday:

1 two-oz egg = US large1.5 two-oz eggs 
1 slice whole-grain bread [70 cal]oil-packed anchovies
bruschetta, homemade or purchased tomato
pearmelon or mango
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

Dinner, single portion for Monday:………………………….. single portion for Thursday:

Foccacio roll @ 86 calories + truffle creamraw chicken breast + chicken stock
baby greens/arugulathyme + sliced pineapple
Stracciatella cheesecornstarch + whole lime
sweet potato + microgreensbrown rice + heavy cream
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Alzheimer’s Patient

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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.

Auguste Deter died on April 8, 1906. This German housewife had lead an uneventful life, until her 50th year. Then she became progressively disoriented, aggressive, and her memory was so bad that she forgot how to cook. As her condition worsened, her husband brought her to the Community Psychiatric Hospital at Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Her doctor there was Alois Alzheimer. He had trained as a physician and was particularly interested in the use of a microscope for anatomy studies. After graduation, Dr Alzheimer was the personal attendant to a wealthy psychiatric patient for five years. His interest piqued, he applied to the Frankfurt mental hospital for a job as a psychiatric clinician. After 15 years, he became the director, both seeing patients and doing research about brain shrinkage for patients with epilepsy, dementia, and arteriosclerosis. A few years later, Alzheimer moved to a larger clinic in Munich. He continued to pay for Auguste Deter’s care and treatment, and when his patient died, brain specimens from her autopsy were sent to him for examin-ation. The doctor found the brain to contain what are now called plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and fat cells. Alzheimer studied other patients with similar conditions and gave a paper on the topic in 1906, describing the condition. A rival physician tried to down-play the findings, but a supportive colleague began calling those symptoms “Alzheimer’s Disease” and the name stuck. Auguste Deter was “Patient Zero” for Alzheimer’s Disease. The questions that Alzheimer asked her to probe her mental state are still used by clinicians, and the plaques and tangles still stime doctors in search of a cure. One avenue of research today is into the fat cells that Alzheimer first identified in Auguste’s brain. What can be done to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease? A healthy lifestyle, weight management, and a diet that will minimize the risk of diabetes can lower your chances of the dreaded condition. The Fast Diet Lifestyle can help you with that goal.

The MIND Diet is a way of eating which seeks to forestall and mitigate the symptoms of degenerative brain diseases, like Alzheimer’s Disease. It is very comparable with the Fast Diet. Our meals today are in line with ingredient choices of the MIND Diet, and with the caloric limitations of the Fast Diet.

Asparagus-Proscuitto Bake: 124 calories — 6 g fat — 2 g fiber — 8.5 g protein — 10 g carbs — 53.5 mg Calcium  NB: The food values shown are for the egg bake and the fruit, not for the optional beverages.  PB GF  This is such a great flavor combination as an appetizer, that it must be wonderful with eggs. Yum!

1 two-oz egg — 2 Tbsp [0.33 oz] thinly sliced, cooked asparagus — ½ Tbsp [0.2 oz] prosciutto, thinly sliced or diced — 1.5 tsp Parmesan cheese, grated — 1 oz pear  Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] —— Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]  

Spritz a ramekin with cooking spray and put the sliced asparagus and proscuitto into it. Set the toaster oven at 350 degrees F. Whisk together the cheese and egg, and pour into the ramekin. Add salt and pepper to taste, bearing in mind that the meat is salty. Bake 12-15 minutes. Slice the pear, prepare the beverages. Nice way to start the day.

Spinach-Fish Timbale: 264 calories — 7.4 g fat — 6.6 g fiber — 38 g protein — 19 g carbs — 342 mg Calcium  PB [GF if you use GF bread] Seen in cookbooks, this recipe lends itself well to our uses. Easy to prepare ahead of time: follow the recipe for the spinach filling, and rolling the fish, and putting into the ramekins. Refrigerate until ready to bake and serve to guests.

Heat the toaster oven to 400 degrees.
½ cup blanched spinach Rinse but do not dry the spinach. Put into a wide pan over medium heat with a lid. Check often and take off heat when leaves are wilted. There may be some liquid still in the pan.
nutmeg
salt
1 wedge Laughing Cow cheese 		When leaves are just cool enough to handle, remove by hand-fulls and squeeze liquid out, saving it in the pan. Coarsley chop leaves and put into a bowl with seasonings. Add cheese and stir as the cheese melts into the spinach.
1 Tbsp onion or shallot, minced   ½ slice 70-calorie bread, ground to crumbs HINT: use fresh bread crumbs as dried crumbs have more calories + carbsIn the pan of spinach water, cook the onion or shallot until the water is gone. Combine the onion and bread crumbs with spinach-cheese.
5 oz sole or ocean perch fillets, skinned [this is 2 small fillets]Lay fish fillets out so that they make one long line, over-lapping by about an inch. Spoon spinach stuffing on the fish to cover it. 
Spray the inside of a 1-cup ramekin or custard cup with oil or non-stick spray. Roll up the fish as compactly as you can and put it into the ramekin. Bake in the oven 15 minutes.
3 oz green beansCook beans. When fish is baked, hold the ramekin in one oven-gloved hand while you invert a plate over the ramekin. Flip it all over so that ramekin is upside down. Lift off the ramekin. Plate beans.

Dorothea Dix

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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.

Social reform. Education for women. Mental health reform. Care for the marginalized. These are hot-button issues in our world today. Who would suspect that there was someone advocating for them in the mid-1800s! That person was Dorothea Lynde Dix, born April 4, 1802, in the state of Maine, USA. After a difficult childhood with a depressed mother and an alcoholic father, Dorothea moved to her grandmother’s house in Boston. She was able to get a good education there, and at age 14 became a school teacher. [very typical in that era] Soon, she was in charge of several schools, catering to the needs of girls who did not do well in traditional education. By age 20, Dix was so worn out that she was instructed to go to Europe for a rest. There, she met activists in the cause of better treatment for the mentally ill. Back in the States, Dix volunteered to teach a Sunday class at a local ‘insane asylum’. She was horrified to find that the mentally ill were housed with dangerous criminals in disgusting filth, while subject to abuse and cruelty. After visiting other Massachusetts institutions with similar conditions, Dix successfully lobbied the state government to set regulations for the care of those who had no say in the matter. She traveled to other states to investigate how they cared for the mentally ill. Her work lead to new mental hospitals being built in New Jersey, Illinois, and North Carolina. At the start of the Civil War, Dix went to Washing-ton D.C. and volunteered to be a nurse. [At that time, all hospital nurses were men] Although she had no nursing training, she was put in charge of all the Union Army hospitals and their 1000s of nurses. With her typical industry, Dix set out to hire and train women as new nurses, to reform how hospitals were run, and to fire many nurses who were not up to her standards. She was efficient and effective, but was widely disliked by the nurses and doctors. After the war, Dix continued her crusade for better care in hospitals and asylums despite frequent bouts of illness. Dorothea Dix’s impact on the care of marginalized people was enormous. She spent the last years of her life as a guest in a private apartment in one of her asylums in New Jersey.

One of the many mental hospitals inspired by Dix was in Illinois, so our breakfast is inspired by one of Chicago’s favorite foods. Hearty, warming soup might well have been served by Dix in the Army Hospital tents, and it is always welcome at dinner.

‘Chicago’ ScrOmelette:  135 calories — 7 g fat — 2 g fiber — 10 g protein — 7 g carbs — 53.4 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  One of my methods for creating a new breakfast is to take flavor elements from a favorite dinner and then put them in eggs. Here, we have a ‘Chicago Hot Dog’ without the sausage and without the bun. Dear Husband deemed it ‘very good!’

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.   1 oz tomato + 1 Tbsp chopped onion squirt of yellow mustard + 1 ‘sport pepper’ or 1 pepperoncini, chopped pinch of poppy seed + pinch celery seed + 1 oz apple   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]

Cook the onion and mustard in a pan which has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Add the tomato, pepper, and seeds and heat through. Whisk the eggs with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Scramble or cook as an omelette. Plate with the apple for a taste sensation.

Scotch Broth: 140 calories —5 g fat —2 g fiber— 7 g protein— 16.4 g carbs— 21.4 mg Calcium   NB: food values are for the soup only.  PB  This is one of those ancient comfort foods. One can imagine generations of Scottish crofters making the best of local barley and root vegetables cooked with a bit of mutton. This soup is warm and hearty. HINT: the recipe produces 5 [five] one cup servings.

4 oz ground lamb +++ ½ cup pearled barley cooked with 1¼ c water +++ ½ cup carrot, diced ½ cup turnip, diced +++ ¼ cup onion, diced +++ ¼ cup parsnip, diced +++ 2½ cup lamb broth 1 tsp butter +++ pepper and salt to taste +++ 1 Tbsp dried rosemary   optional per serving: 4 two-inch bannock = 64 calories– 2 g fat — 1 g fiber — 1.6 g protein — 9 g carbs — 17 mg Calcium

Prepare the barley by cooking at a simmer for 30 minutes. Cook the lamb and vegetables in the butter for 5 minutes. Add stock to the vegetables and simmer 30 minutes. Add cooked barley, stir to combine. Take off heat, cover, and let sit overnight. The soup will thicken as it sits, so before serving add water to achieve the consistancy you want.

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion for Monday …………………………… single portion for Thursday:

1 two-oz egg = US large1.5 two-oz eggs 
asparagus + pearParmesan cheese
prosciutto asparagus
Parmesan cheeseapplesauce
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

Dinner, single portion for Monday:………………………….. single portion for Thursday:

4.5 oz fresh spinach + green beanspork tenderloin, cooked or raw + cucumber
onion or shallot + Laughing Cow cheeseAsian sweet chili sauce
sole or ocean perch filletssweet red pepper + carrot
70-calorie whole-grain breadbaguette slices + sesame-ginger dressing
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Not Kidding

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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.

April 1st is “April Fools’ Day“. This is the day to pull pranks on unsuspecting friends. But let us discuss something more important. There are a lot of ‘experts’ out there who purport to give advice about dieting and a healthy lifestyle. And then they try to sell you something. They are trying to fool you — or is it ‘make a fool of you’? Does the headline read “Lose 5 pounds by the weekend!!!!” Bogus! Does the pop-up ad scream “This Grandmother’s jaw-dropping secret for melting off the pounds!!!” Click-bait! Think about it: if there were some simple way to lose weight, then why is there an obesity epidemic? The bottom line is that no diet will do the job — you need a lifestyle change. What type of lifestyle is recommended? Not one that puts whole categories of food on the no-no list, because over time that is not sustainable. Eating plans that rely on a variety of foods while reducing simple carbs are a great place to start. If then you add two days of 5:2 Fast Diet-style fasting each week, you will lose weight. Those days emphasize protein, lower fat, lower carbs, and fewer calories. Am I kidding you when I say this plan is a good one? Let’s see what the pros say: https://www.news-medical.net/health/Fast-52-Diet-Evidence.aspx “…participants found that they lost much more weight than those who attempted to limit calories for an entire week. Moreover, the diet had optimized their insulin resistance, which is a condition in which cells do not respond as they should to insulin.” https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/ask-the-expert/fast-diet “There is some evidence to suggest intermittent fasting helps with weight loss, and some studies have linked it to lower rates of coronary heart disease and diabetes, but more research is needed before this can be proven.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9698935/ “…we demonstrated that the intermittent fasting 5:2 plus program produced superior weight loss compared with the daily calorie restriction for 12 weeks in Chinese patients with overweight or obesity. There were no serious adverse events…” https://www.unisa.edu.au/media-centre/Releases/2018/World-first-study-shows-benefits-of-52-diet-for-people-with-diabetes/ ” Fasting on two non-consecutive days, consuming between 500-600 calories, and then eating normally for five other days each week not only results in weight loss but also improved blood glucose control.” This is why Dear Husband and I have been 5:2 Fasting for 10 years: it works, and I’m not kidding.

Our breakfast starts the day off by fooling your table mates — is that an egg yolk…? The dinner is a delicious, filling meal that says, “I’m not kidding — this is a Fast Day Meal!”

Trompe l’Oeil:  135 calories 6 g fat 2 g fiber 10.5 g protein 9.6 g carbs 128 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF  Here is a meal to fool the eye and tickle the palate with its combination of the cold soup and the hot egg. The soup, which is good as a lunch in larger portions, comes from cuisine actuelle.fr

½ cup Cucumber Soup*** + 1 oz ball of canteloupe melon + one 2-oz egg + 1 tsp grated Parmesan + 1 Tbsp whole milk    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 an oven-safe ramekin with non-stick spray and break the egg into it. Sprinkle the Parmesan around the yolk. Spoon the milk around the yolk. Add salt and pepper. Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes. Meanwhile, scrape the soup into a similar ramekin. Nestle the melon ball in the soup. Plate them side by side and smile.

***Cucumber Soup  ¾ cup serving = 78 calories 0.5 g fat 4.5 g fiber 11.5 g protein 8 g carbs 106 mg Calcium

makes 3 cups = 4 servings, ¾ cup each
two 8” cucumbers [weight = 21 oz]Slice off both tips of the cucumber and remove half of the green peel. Cut in half and scoop out the seeds. Dice the cucumber.
2 oz mint leavesChop the leaves coarsely.
Piment d’esplette [or paprika or Aleppo pepper] + salt & pepper to tastePut these in a food processor. Use the spices ad lib. Run the machine until cucumber is very finely chopped.
200 grams/ 7 oz Fromage Blanc or plain Greek yogurtAdd cheese/yogurt and run the processor to combine. Adjust seasonings.
8 oz canteloupe melon Scoop into 8 Tbsp-sized balls
Portion soup, garnished with 1-2 melon ball per serving

Shrimp with Garlic-Fennel Sauce:  250 calories 7 g fat 2 g fiber 25.5 g protein 21 g carbs 80.6 mg Calcium  PB GF  The flavors of this Mediterranean meal are simply wonderful. The recipe is adapted from Sumptuous Spoonfuls. HINT: This serves two [2] diners.

1 tsp olive oil + 3 cloves garlic, minced + 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 2 Tbsp white wine 6 oz uncooked shrimp + 2 Tbsp tzatziki* + 2 Tbsp tzatziki sauce [no solids] 2 tsp fennel seed OR 2 Tbsp chopped fennel fronds + 4 oz [by weight] cooked farro 2 large romaine leaves optional: fennel frond garnish

Cook garlic briefly in oil until fragrant. Add lemon juice, wine, and shrimp to the pan. Cook 2-3 mins with out stirring, then turn shrimp, add fennel seed, and cook 2 mins more. Take shrimp from pan. Add tzatziki sauce [no solids] and stir over low hear until shrimp is coated. Place one romaine leaf on each plate and divide the shrimp into each leaf. Plate the farro and top with tzatziki.

TZATZIKIMakes 2½ cups, ~8 sv 1 Sv = 5 fl oz
1 English cucumber or another variety + Kosher saltGrate cucumbers whole if using English cucumbers. If using cucumbers with waxy skin, peel and cut in half before grating. Remove and discard seeds. Salt lightly.
Squeeze cucumbers in a clean cloth to remove liquid.
4-5 cloves garlic, minced  1 tsp distilled white vinegar
2 tsp Extra virgin olive oil		In a big bowl, combine garlic with these and mix. 
drained cucumberAdd cucumbers to the bowl with garlic-oil
2 c plain Greek yogurt  Ground pepper + salt
1 Tbsp chopped fresh fennel-dill-mint		Add these ingredients. Stir to combine.Cover and chill at least 30 minutes.