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.

Ernest Shackleton has been one of my heroes ever since I read Shackleton’s Valiant Voyage in 6th grade. The story of his ill-fated expedition to Antarctica in 1914 gave me the shivers and then gave me great respect for the man as a seafarer and a leader. Shackleton was born in Kildare, Ireland on February 15, 1874. His family moved to London for his father’s medical practice, and Ernest was educated there. Although his father wanted him to be a physician, the boy wanted to go to sea. At age 16, he entered the merchant navy and soon became a Master Mariner. In 1901, Shackleton signed on with Robert Scott‘s first expedition to Antarctica. Although the young mariner was sent home early due to a case of scurvy, he was infected with a desire to explore the polar regions. By 1908, Shackleton had enough backing for his own voyage. He and his team went closer to the South Pole than anyone else had, but turned back. He was knighted and feted for his efforts, but he had to return. By the time he sailed on the Endurance, the Pole had been won by Amundsun, so Sir Ernest aimed to traverse the continent on foot, from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sea, across the Pole. Then the ship became stuck in the ice. For 10 months the crew waited, eventually leaving the ship and camping on the ice. The Endurance sank and the crew lived on the ice as it floated them out to sea. Then the 28 men entered their three boats and traveled across the water to Elephant Island. They camped on the uninhabited isle and reinforced one of the boats. Shackleton, his navigator, and four crewmen set off to cross 800 miles of freezing ocean to get help. Sixteen days later, they arrived on South Georgia, then hiked 36 hours with only a few stops to the Norwegian whaling station. Every one of Shackleton’s men was saved, and they all credited his leadership and seamanship with their survival. On January 5, 1922, Shackleton died during his fourth trip to Antarctica. He was buried on South Georgia Island. In 2022, an expedition found the Endurance under the Weddell Sea.

While Shackleton and his crew ate penguins, seals and seaweed, one wonders what foods they might have dreamed of eating while they were stranded. Did they remember a simple Cottage Breakfast from back home? The Antarctic waters abound in tiny shrimp-like krill, so our dinner features shrimp flavored with lime — a nod to British sailors who were fed lime juice to avert scurvy and thus were called “Limeys.”

Cottage Breakfast:  199 calories 4.4 g fat 2 g fiber 11 g protein 27 g carbs 75 mg Calcium  PB  A breakfast of cottage-made dairy with fruit and a hearty bit of bread combine for a morning with a whiff of country air.

1½ pan muffins*   ¼ c cottage cheese + 2 Tbsp Vanilla low-fat yogurt   ¼ c blueberries       Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

While the pan muffins are cooking/warming [if previously frozen], combine the cottage cheese with the yogurt. Stir in the blueberries or spoon them over top. Plate and enjoy your country morning.        

*PAN MUFFIN each: 71 calories 2.5 g fat 1 g fiber 2 g protein 11 g carbs 8.5 mg Calcium

1 cup dry Bob’s Red Mill 10-grain hot cereal mix                     1¼ cup buttermilk/soured milk	Combine cereal and milk in a small bowl. Let sit 10 minutes.
1/3 cup butter                          1/3 cupsugar                 1 two-ounce egg	Cream the butter and sugar, then mix in the egg.
1 cup unbleached flour          1 tsp salt                               1 tsp baking powder       1 tsp baking soda	Add dry ingredients and cereal/milk mixture. Stir until just combined.
2 Tbsp batter for each pan muffin	Portion out batter onto a hot griddle or flat-bottomed pan spritzed with non-stick spray. Cook on both sides.

Shrimp with Lime + Cilantro:  228 calories 5 g fat 1 g fiber 30 g protein 15 g carbs  90 mg Calcium  PB GF  This is such a popular combination of flavors that there are many recipes online. This one is from Skinnytaste.com, cut down to a single-serving size and with a few additions. Wonderful flavors!

5 oz raw shrimp, cleaned and halved if you wish. [I used tiny cold-water shrimp]  ¼ tsp ground cumin  1 oz brown rice Maifun noodles  1/3 tsp olive oil + water  2-4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed    ½ of one lime  2+ Tbsp chopped cilantro/coriander leaves  1 large [½ oz] lettuce leaf

Prepare your mise en place. Put the shrimp in a bowl. If they thawed in the bowl, pour off the liquid in the bowl and reserve it. Toss the shrimp with the cumin plus salt and pepper. Cook the noodles in 3 cups boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain, rinse, and reserve. Crush the garlic. Cut the lime in half and chop the cilantro/coriander leaves. Heat a non-stick saute or cast-iron pan. Add the oil and the drained shrimp. Let cook for 2 minutes, then turn over to the other side. Add some of the reserved water if needed to avoid sticking. Put the garlic and noodles in the pan and cook for one minute. Squeeze the juice from the lime over the pan, add the cilantro and stir well. Take off heat. Center the lettuce leaf on the plate and spoon the shrimp on top.

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

1 two-oz egg = US large	1.5 two-oz eggs
carne adovado + cilantro	fresh mushrooms
roasted green chilis	rosemary + apple or applesauce
apple or applesauce	Parmesan cheese
optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

beef liver	one 110-calorie beef hot dog
asparagus + sesame oil	canned baked beans
oyster sauce	carrots
soy sauce
Sparkling water	Sparkling water