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.

At the end of October/early November occurs one of the four ‘Cross-Quarter Days‘ of the solar year. These days fall half-way between the two Solstices and the two Equinoxes. In Pre-Christian times, societies around the world observed holidays on all eight of these days, as they watched the progression of the sun through its year. To the Gaelic Celts of North-Western Europe, this time of year was Samhain [Sow-an], a dividing point between Summer and Winter, between Light and Dark, between warmth and coldness. On that day, the veil between our world of the living and the world of the dead was pulled aside — who knows what could happen then! Part of that multi-day festival of yore has turned into Hallowe’en on October 31. The Catholic Church then instituted All Saints Day for November 1, dating from the early middle ages when the church was young. The ‘saints’ were defined as the martyrs who had died for their faith and thus their souls had gone straight to Heaven. In the 10th century, Bishop Odilo of Cluny established the next day to pray for the ordinary people, those departed family members who were not martyrs and might not be in Heaven yet. [To the Catholics, those souls end up in ‘purgatory‘ and one’s prayers might move them on to Heaven.] The idea became popular and was adopted quickly among the faithful. Thus November 2 became All Souls Day. There are many homey ways to observe the day. In Guatemala, people fly giant kites with messages to their ancestors attached to them. In Poland, people return to their ancestral homes for a visit to the graveyard. In the Philippines, families set an extra place at the table and eat a meal of foods their ancestors enjoyed. [In our house, we cook special meals on our parents’ birthdays.]

For breakfast, eggs [always a symbol of rebirth] are paired with sprouts, to symbolize life. For dinner, a version of “Soul Food” from the American South, where collards and pork are popular New Year’s Day foods. [Samhain was considered the start of the New Year for the Celts.] On All Souls Day, walk in nature, visit the cemetery, look at photos of your ancestors, or fly a kite to celebrate all the Souls who came before us.

Sprouted Bake: 129 calories 5 g fat 2 g fiber 9.5 g protein 8 g carbs 45.5 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF  Time to get the sprouts out of the sandwiches and into the breakfast.

1 two-oz egg ¼ c radish sprouts OR microgreens ½ oz avocado 1 Tbsp low-fat cottage cheese ¼ cup blueberries  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]  Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurtsmoothie [88 calories]

Mash the avocado and mix with the cottage cheese. Heat the toaster oven to 350 degrees F. Spritz an oven-proof dish with cooking oil or spray and put the sprouts in it. Whisk the egg with the avocado mixture and pour over the sprouts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Portion the fruit and pour the optional beverages. 

Collards & Bacon w/ Pasta:  276 calories 9 g fat 6 g fiber 10 g protein 10.6 g carbs 161.6 mg Calcium  PB GF  In the American South, collard greens and pork are a popular meal, especially for New Year’s and Mardi Gras. The pasta used here is made with chickpea flour, so it is gluten free and full of fiber. HINT: This preparation is enough for two [2].

4 oz collard greens 2½ oz chickpea pasta, uncooked 1 oz uncured bacon 1 clove garlic, chopped ¼ c onion, sliced thinly ¾ tsp crushed red pepper ½ tsp oil 2/3 c crushed tomatoes 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated   optional: 2 tsp red wine vinegar

Chop the collards and cook in boiling water 10 minutes. Drain, saving the cooking liquid. Cook the pasta in the liquid from the greens, plus extra water as needed. Drain, saving the pasta water. Chop the bacon and cook in a 10” skillet until browned. Take bacon from the pan and pour off most of the fat. Cook the garlic, onion, and red pepper in the pan over low heat until the onions soften and the garlic is golden. If the pan gets too dry, add some of the pasta water. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the greens, bacon, pasta, and tomato to the pan and stir to combine. Some cooks like to add vinegar at the last moment. Divide into two portions and top with Parmesan.

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

1 two-oz egg = US large	1 two-oz egg, hard-boiled
a few slices whole grain 70-calorie bread	70-calorie whole-grain bread
maple syrup + fat-free milk	bockwurst + Emmentaler cheese
strawberries + 60-cal chicken sausage	pear
optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

eggs + Parmesan-Reggiano cheese	‘Canadian’ or back bacon + Mexican oregano
asparagus + bacon	chicken breast + olive oil
scallion	lemon juice + tomato
Side salad with beet and tomato	Romaine lettuce + Parmesan cheese
Sparkling water	Sparkling water