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. Welcome to Zephyrina C. Rodha who is now Following.
One of the most unexpected parts of walking the English Camino last October, was coming upon a Roman ruin. Now it is true that there is much evidence of the Romans all over England — as I know well from having walked the Hadrian’s Wall Path — but the town of Silchester is unique. When the Romans arrived in the area, shortly after their invasion in 43 CE, there was already a community there. Since the first century BCE, the thriving town of Calleva was at the center of the lands of the Atrebates tribe. The people who settled that town were also immigrants — they came from Northern Gaul/Belgium. The Atrebates made harness and chariot trappings. They also traded commodities from southern England with the Romans across the Channel. The town was laid out in a grid, with a large building at the center which has been interpreted as a meeting hall. Houses were round, with conical roofs of thatch. Enter the Romans, who saw the site at the intersection of land and water routes as a prime location. They built their town/fort in the same spot. What became of the Atrebates? Who knows. The Roman town was surrounded by a great wall, pierced by seven gates. It controlled the trade routes, and became a wealthy community. The Romans named it Calleva Atrebatum. Local tribes-people came and went on business, but there was another attraction: an amphitheater that could seat 3,000-7,000 people. When it was ‘show time’, vendors set up booths and people came from far and wide to see animal fights, equestrian events, and executions. When the Roman Empire melted away, around 550 CE, the town was abandoned. This is odd for a site that had been occupied for so long. Was there a plague? Did trade dry up? Did the wells become unhealthy? Who knows. By 1086, there was a medieval town called Silcestre near-by. The sweet little church of Saint Mary is all that remains from that time. The medieval town was abandoned in 1400, due to the Black Death. The current village of Silchester dates to the 17th century. Around 1900, an excavation uncovered the foundations of Roman buildings. In the late 1900s, the University of Reading began to carry out systematic digs. Since the location was not built upon later, the Roman and Iron Age layers are undisturbed, and much can be learned. All that remains above ground is the Roman Wall and the amphi-theater. Sic transit gloria mundi.
Our meals are from both parts of Silchester’s past: Breakfast represents the Roman occupiers, while the dinner is what the local people would have eaten in the Iron Age. You can prepare the dinner with authentic ingredients [yeah, yeah — no tomato sauce in the Iron Age] or modern pantry staples.
Roman Breakfast: 180 calories… 3.5 g fat… 3.4 g fiber… 13 g protein… 30 g carbs… 35 mg Calcium… NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage. PB Though a bit unusual, this is a very good plate of breakfast food. It is based on ingredients available to Romans in the 1st century BCE. The meal is satisfying and flavorful. Try it.
++ 1 Pan Muffin** OR 0.75 oz whole wheat bread ++++ 1.5 oz pear ++++ 1.5 oz cooked chicken ++++ 1 oz radish ++++ 1 oz cucumber ++++ 1 deglet noor date ++++ 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] ++
Dice all the fruits and vegetables. Add a good finishing salt and gently stir to combine. HINT: I did this the night before and refrigerated the mixture. Prepare the pan muffin or take from freezer with time to thaw/heat. In the time it takes to brew the coffee, you can plate the muffin and the fruit-veg mixture. Romans did not drink smoothies or coffee, but you may if you wish. Hope you’ll enjoy your throw-back breakfast.
PAN MUFFIN each: 71 calories 2.5 g fat 1 g fiber 2 g protein 11 g carbs 8.5 mg Calcium
| 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill 10-grain hot cereal mix ++++++ 1¼ cup buttermilk | Combine cereal + milk and let sit while preparing other ingredients. |
| 1/3 cup butter ++++++ 1/3 cup sugar | Cream the butter and sugar |
| One 2-oz egg | Mix in the egg. |
| 1 cup unbleached flour +++++ 1 tsp salt ++++++ 1 tsp baking powder ++++++ 1 tsp baking soda | Add these ingredients, then the cereal/milk mixture.Stir until just combined. |
| 2 Tbsp batter for each pan muffin | Spoon batter onto a lightly-oiled griddle, cook on both sides. |
[use 4 Tbsp batter to make each muffin for Slow Days]
Whole-grain Bowl w/ Sausage: ..255 calories… 7 g fat… 6 g fiber… 9.5 g protein… 40.5 g carbs… 67 mg Calcium… PB Some cooked grains in the ‘fridge inspired this meal. It turned out to be beyond hum-drum left-overs, for it is a very nice meal indeed. HINT: This preparation serves two [2] people. If you wish to prepare it with ancient ingredients only, choose the spelt flakes and farro instead of the orzo and rice; and fava beans in lieu of broccoli.
++ 4 oz/¼ cup cooked quick barley ++++ 1.75 oz cooked spelt flakes OR 4 oz/¼ cup whole wheat orzo ++++ 1.75 oz cooked farro OR 4 oz/¼ cup cooked brown rice ++++ 1 link meat sausage @ 150 calories/link ++++ per serving: 3 Tbsp puttanesca sauce ++++ 1.5 oz canned broadbeans or fava beans OR 3 oz cooked broccoli ++
Combine the cooked grains and warm them slowly. Cook the sausage and slice it. Cook the broccoli. Divide the warm grains between two bowls. Arrange the sausage slices on one side, the vegetable on the other side, and spoon the sauce into the middle. So easy. So filling.
Eating well, with creative recipes, to follow the Fasting Lifestyle according to Michael Mosley's "Fast Diet." 