Fasting Lifestyle

Islets of Langerhans

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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, a second day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Welcome to henash01 and zeefur and DonnyFood and getbetterhealthforlife.com who are now Following.

Search the atlas or Google Maps as you will, you will never find the Islets of Langerhans, as they are located in your pancreas. Part of the Endocrine System of your body, they release hormones which regulate how the body functions. One of the most important of these is insulin. When one eats, the amount of glucose in the blood rises. To counter-act that, the Beta Cells in the Islets release insulin so that the blood will not have too high a content of glucose. When the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin to keep up with the sugars, the result is diabetes — a break-down in carbohydrate metabolism. Childhood Diabetes [known as Type I] used to be a death sentence and adult-onset diabetes [Type II] had no happy outcomes. Diabetes was first noted by doctors in 552 BC and the Greek physicians gave it its name. Called the ‘Sugar Sickness’ later in Europe, it was known to be helped by eliminating sugar from the diet, yet still there was no cure. On January 11, 1922, Canadian researchers Frederick Banting, and Charles Best injected an insulin extract into a young patient. The child’s blood sugar levels were reduced a bit. A further refinement of the insulin extract, improved by J.B. Collip, turned out to be the key to the cure. The trio were awarded the Nobel Prize for their work. Diabetes is still very much with us. The Standard American Diet, which pushes highly processed foods, is much to blame. By eating a diet low in Simple Carbohydrates; high in Complex Carbohydrates and colorful vegetables; and by lowering your weight, pre-diabetes can often be reversed. One of the reasons that Dr. Michael Mosley developed the Fast Diet was because he was pre-diabetic. And it worked!

What are some foods that are good for lowering blood glucose? Cold water fish, such as salmon; leeks; shrimp; butternut squash; red curry paste; and spinach are all good foods for keeping high blood glucose low. And look at that — today’s meals contain those very ingredients! Fasting and focusing on wholesome food choices can reduce your risk of needing supplemental insulin. Now is a good time to join the Fasting Lifestyle.

Leek & Salmon Bake: 129 calories 7 g fat 1 g fiber 10 g protein 7 g carbs [7 g Complex] 64.5 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF  Simply delicious. 

One 2-oz egg ½ oz salmon [could be leftover from a previous meal] 1/3 oz leek, sliced thinly cross-wise 1 tsp low-fat sour cream OR plain Greek Yogurt dill weed to taste dash lemon juice 1 oz pear OR ¼ cup blueberries   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water  Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Spritz an oven-proof ramekin [for 2 people, Dear Husband likes to use a 6×4” oval casserole] with non-stick spray and set the oven for 350 degrees F. Slice the leek and put in a microwave-safe dish. [NB: if the fish is raw, cut it into small pieces and put it in the dish, too] Cook in microwave for 30 seconds at high heat to soften the leek. Add to the ramekin. Whisk the egg with the sour cream, dill, lemon juice, and salt/pepper to taste. [NB: some people find dill to be a very strong flavor] Pour over the salmon/leek mixture and bake for 12-15 minutes. Prepare your beverages of choice and dish the berries. Have a wonderful breakfast and a wonderful day.

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 3 oz of chopped shrimp and ¼ cup chopped spinach to each serving. HINT: makes 6 cups of soup. Save out one cup for dinner and freeze the rest in portion-sized servings.

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp salt 		Heat oil in large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add onions, garlic, and salt. Cook about 10 minutes or until onions have softened.
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
4 tsp Thai red curry paste, or more to taste		Stir in ginger and curry paste. Cook for a minute or two longer
2½ # butternut squash, peeled, seeded, sliced ½ ” thick [about 6 cups]
3 cups water or unsalted chicken broth		Add squash and water/stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender, about 15-20 minutes.
1 lime, zest and juice Zest and juice the lime. Put 1 tsp of zest and 1 tbsp juice in the pot. Save remaining zest and juice.
½ cup ‘lite’ unsweetened coconut milkWhen squash is tender, stir in coconut milk. Puree the soup with a blender or food processor until smooth.
Return to pot, reheat, adjust flavor with more lime juice and/or curry paste.
per bowl: 3 oz chopped cooked shrimp 
¼ cup baby spinach cut as chiffonade		For each serving, stir spinach + shrimp into hot soup. Serve when spinach is just wilted.

How to Stay

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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. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

Starting any new behavior is easy — staying on it is more difficult. Having gone through this myself, I have some tips for you. 1] If you haven’t done so, watch Michael Mosley’s TV presentation Eat, Fast, Live Longer. That’s what motivated us to get on board. 2] We talked about planning and purchasing ahead, so continue to do that. Make it easy for yourself to follow the diet. 3] Make the meal special. On my Home Page is a photo of a demitasse cup. It is the only one I have and I think it is very pretty. I use it on Fast Days only, filling it from a small pitcher of mocha cafe au lait. Make your Fast Meals an occasion — use the good dishes; put the sparkling water in a nice glass with a twist of lemon. 4] Slow down your meals. The little demitasse cup means that I have to stop my breakfast once in a while to refill the cup. Wait until you have swallowed your food before you cut your next mouth-full. 5] Set goals by the clock. From breakfast to noon, put no calories in your mouth. Then set the timer for two hours, and don’t eat during that time. When it rings, set it for another two hours. Its a mind-game, but it works. 6] Distract yourself. Plan projects for Fast Days which will keep you focused on the task for 2-3 hours, so you will think less about food. 7] Think about tomorrow, when you will weigh less and you can eat more freely. Rather than think “I can’t eat that today,” you can think, “I can eat that tomorrow.”

Today’s menus are typical for us on a Thursday: a savory scramble and a hearty soup. The nice thing about soup is that you get to store future meals in the freezer.

Capicola ScrOmelette:  147 calories 8 g fat 1.0 g fiber 13.8 g protein 7.5 g carbs [6.6 g Complex] 72 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  GF Capicola is a dried ham which is full of flavor yet low in fat and calories. It goes very well with 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 and put it in the ‘fridge for next week.   1/3 oz uncured capicola ham, sliced thinly large pinch oregano 1.7 oz apple   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water   Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]

Chop the capicola and slice the apple. Beat the eggs with the oregano. Heat a non-stick pan and spritz it with non-stick cooking spray. Put the capicola in the pan to heat very briefly, then pour in the eggs. Scramble or cook as you would an omelette. Serve with the beverages of your choice.

Czech Garlic Soup Česneková polévka: 194 calories 4.7 g fat 4 g fiber 9 g protein 27 g carbs [18.4 g Complex] 84 mg Calcium  PB GF – if using GF rye bread What could be better on a cool night than a cozy bowl of soup? This is a classic from czechcookbook, but feel free to make it your own. The calorie count is so low that you could add other vegetables or low-fat meat.  HINT: This recipe makes 8 cups of soup. One serving = 1 cup

1 Tbsp unsalted butter OR bacon fat   
7 cloves garlic 		Chop garlic and saute in butter/fat in a stock pot.
7 cups water OR Chicken Broth OR Beef Broth
1½ tsp salt
3 cups cubed potatoes 
3 cups cubed parsnips 		Peel potatoes and parsnips and cut in cubes. Add to broth and salt in the stock pot. Simmer for 20 minutes, until vegetables are just under-done. Remove ½ cup soup stock and cool.
1 egg
1 tsp marjoram		Whisk the egg, then whisk it into the reserved ½ cup of soup stock. Return to the stockpot, stirring, and add marjoram. Taste for seasoning. Let sit 8-24 hours.
Per person: ¼ oz rye or whole wheat bread, cubed
Per person: ¼ oz Swiss cheese
Per person: side salad		Toast the cubes of bread. Grate the cheese over them while hot. Use to garnish the reheated soup when serving.

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

1 two-oz egg + corn kernels + basil3 two-oz egg whites 
tomatoes + black beans + olive oil2 egg yolks + sugar
crushed red pepper + melon blueberries + raspberries
red onion + red wine vinegarother berries + Armagnac
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

corn kernels + beef steakchicken breast + polenta + green beans
tomato + canned black beans onion + red bell pepper + garlic
red onion + red wine vinegar green bell pepper + tomatoes + thyme
basil + olive oilred wine + piment d’esplette + olive oil
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Chicken Corn Soup Supper

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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. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier. 

Every August, small country churches in my family’s area of South-Central Pennsylvania used to put up the signs: Chicken Corn Soup Supper. Organized and run by the ladies of the church [with some help from the men-folk], these can be at once a social event, a cherished link to the agrarian culture, and a major fund-raiser. In August, the sweet corn is ripe and half of the laying flock is 2-years old which means that the stars are aligned for Chicken Corn Soup. The best broth is from older chickens [fowls], so they would be dispatched early in the morning and stewed for hours. The chickens’ meat, off the bones and shredded, would be added to the broth, along with the herbs and onions they were cooked with. Kernels from sweet corn [as opposed to the taller, coarser field corn], and chunks of potatoes would be be added. One hot August evening many years ago, Dear Husband and I attended one of these dinners at an old stone chapel near Newville, Pa. Tressle tables and benches were set up the lawn, covered with butcher paper. You squeezed in among the other diners and partook of the delights of the table: a big bowl of hot soup, dinner rolls fresh from the oven, butter, iced tea, and cake or pie for dessert. The air was conditioned by the breeze in the Black Locust trees and the entertainment was the hum of cicadas. All around, a sense of contentment as the rhythm of the seasons was observed.

Here is my attempt at the tastiest soup of August, and a breakfast that a busy farm wife could assemble in minutes, from her kitchen garden, while she stewed the fowl and let the bread rise.

Allium Bake: 136 calories 6.6 g fat 1.2 g fiber 10 g protein 9 g carbs 108 mg Calcium   PB GF  The genus Allium contains all the onions and their relatives. This bake contains three of them along with two cheeses for even more flavor and goodness.

One 2-oz egg ½ oz sliced leek, green +/or white parts ½ oz minced onion 1 Tbsp minced chives 1 Tbsp cottage cheese 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese 2 oz peach Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water    Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]

Spritz an oven-proof ramekin [for 2 people, Dear Husband likes to use a 6×4” oval casserole] with non-stick spray and set the oven for 350 degrees F. Slice/chop the leeks and onions. Spray a skillet/saute pan with non-stick spray and cook the alliums until they are limp. Put them, along with the chives and any seasonings you like, in the prepared oven-safe dish. Whisk the egg with the two cheeses and pour over the alliums. Bake for 12 minutes or until done as you like it. Plate with the peach, pour your beverage of choice, and savor a flavorful day.

Chicken Corn Soup:  159 calories 4 g fat 2 g fiber 12 g protein 20 g carbs 21.6 mg Calcium NB: the above food values do not include the optional bread   PB GF – if using GF bread or eliminating it.

1½ cups corn cut from the cob [about 3 ears] 1½ cups potato, cut in ½ inch cubes 3 cups rich chicken broth ½ cup water from cooking the corn and potato ½ cup raw chicken meat, cut in small pieces many sprigs thyme + 1-2 sage leaves one ½-inch slice onion salt & pepper to taste   per serving:  ½ hard-boiled egg   Optional: 1 slice [1 oz] sourdough bread [add 100 calories]

Pour the chicken broth into a sauce pan, adding the onion and thyme. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until it cooks down to 2-½ cups. Let stand off heat. Put the corn in a skillet with water half-way up the sides of the ears. Cover with a lid and steam for 5 minutes. Remove the corn and add the potato cubes to the water. Cook the potato for 10 minutes or until tender. Remove the potato from the water and save the cooking water. Chop the chicken and put it in the hot chicken stock to cook off the heat. Cut the kernels off the corn cobs and measure the volume. Remove the thyme sprigs and the onion from the stock, and chop the onion. Put the corn and potato into the stock, along with the chopped onion and any thyme leaves you can remove from the boiled sprigs. Add ½ cup of the corn/potato water to the soup. Gently heat the soup until the chicken is cooked. Taste for seasonings. One portion = 1 cup. Top each portion of soup with chopped hard-boiled egg and a bit of parsley. If you wish, serve with a slice of sourdough bread. Freeze the remainder. This is truly the taste of Summer. Cue the cicadas.

“How to Succeed”

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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. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

On October 14, 1961, the musical “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” had its debut. The show was a cynical look at the business world, where whom you know and naked ambition could carry you far. Some of its popular tunes included “I Believe In You” and “The Company Way“. The original role of the striving J. Pierrepont Finch was created by Robert Morse, then played in 2011 by Daniel Radcliffe. With music by Frank Loesser and a book by Abe Burrows, it was a sure-fire hit. The show was based on a satirical ‘how-to’ book written in the 1952 by Shepherd Mead who really did work his way up from the mail room to the vice-presidency of his company.

Today, I want to discuss how to succeed at Fasting or ‘the Fasting Lifestyle’ as we like to think of it. Why do we Fast? There are many benefits of intermittent [not everyday] fasting: lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, lower blood sugar, and lower weight. Furthermore, there is a reduction of HGH [human growth hormone]. This means that your body has a chance to rest and repair — rather like a good night’s sleep but more significant. The decrease of calories for many hours [600 calories in 36 hours, which includes one Fast Day + sleep hours before and after] gives the body a real break from its usual revved-up pace. Do this twice a week, because two Fasts are better than one.

How do you begin the Fasting Lifestyle? Start by choosing your days. You might do ONE day per week and see how you like it — say, Monday. Look at some of the previous posts and decide what you will eat that day. Write on the calendar that you will Fast that day and what you will eat — that makes it more of a commitment. Go shopping for the items necessary to prepare the breakfast and the dinner. If you keep it similar to what you usually eat, it might be a better transition.

Eggs scrambled with ham and served with applesauce will keep you going for hours.

Then do it. Weigh yourself before breakfast and write it down. Eat breakfast as late as you can and eat the second meal of the day about eight hours later. If you eat within an eight-hour window, you will maximize your weight loss. Weigh yourself the next morning to see how well it worked.

How do you STAY on the plan? I think that a key is to plan your meals ahead. Hide any foods that are of low nutritional value, so they won’t tempt you. Stick to eating protein-rich foods that will keep you full, such as eggs, lean meat, and fish high in Omega-3. Fill your plate with fruits and vegetables so your mind thinks you are eating a lot.

Tuna with Grilled Vegetables is a wonderful dinner.

Keep busy on Fast Days, so boredom doesn’t convince you that you are hungry. Keep your goals in mind. It is really rather easy to say ‘NO’ to empty calories on a Fast Day: one because you have your goals firmly in mind and because you could always eat it tomorrow. This is only two days a week, my Friends. You can do it. I believe in you.

Computing

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How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow. On Monday, eat the meals that will be posted on Sunday.  Eat sensibly the other days of the week.  That’s it.  Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.                                                                                                                                  Welcome to Yummy-ciouss who is now Following.

Have you ever heard of Charles Babbage ? NO?!? The fact that you are reading this on a computer should give you a clue… On June 21, 1822, Babbage proposed his Analytical Engine, Difference Machine II which eventually lead to the development of modern computers.  The inspiration for his machine came from a weaving loom developed in France in 1804 by Joseph Marie Jacquard.  The loom required cards with holes punched in certain locations to “program” where the threads would cross over or under. So Babbage designed a machine with ‘punch cards‘ [those of us of a certain age will remember those with distaste].  It was not actually built until 1991.  If you watch the video about the Analytical Engine, you might see a similarity to the machine in the film The Imitation Game about WW2 code-breakers. Interesting coincidence: Babbage was also a code-breaker.

When dieting, there are several numbers that are worth computing. Using the calculations below, you can tell if your weight is in the ‘normal’ range, and how many calories to eat each non-Fasting day to achieve the weight you want to be.

Fun Fact: There are 3500 calories in one pound of fat. But I’ve read that you need to burn 7000 calories to lose one pound.  What do we need to know to do that? Read on:

BMI =  Body Mass Index, according to the NIH, is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women.  This is a rough way to calculate if you are obese, over weight, or normal weight. It works less well for people with a lot of muscle [athletes or body builders] and those with less muscle [older people with sarcopenia]. To Calculate: divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches squared; then multiply the result by a conversion factor of 703.                                                 The formula is: BMI = weight in pounds / [height in inches x height in inches] x 703.

BMR = Basal Metabolic Rate which says how many calories your body uses up by simply existing.  When you sleep or sit down to read, you are still burning calories, and that is what this measures.                                                                                                                                To calculate it for males: BMR = (height in centimeters x 6.25) + (weight in kilograms x 9.99) minus (age x 4.92) + 5.                                                                                                                    For females: BMR = (height in centimeters x 6.25) + (weight in kilograms x 9.99) – (age x 4.92) minus 161.                                                                                                                                        Do the calculation twice: once using the WEIGHT YOU ARE and once using the WEIGHT YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE.

TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure  This looks at how much energy your body uses [BMR] and your physical activity level [PAL] to calculate how many calories per day you could eat in order to lose weight. It is better to be conservative in your activity level.  For weight loss, use the BMR number based on the WEIGHT YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE.

My TDEE = 1450 calories for Slow Days [our droll little name for Non-Fast Days]                     Do I ever exceed that? Sure I do! Holidays, birthdays, other celebrations. But then there will be a Fast Day to correct for it.  Do I obsessively count calories every day? No. By now I pretty much know what and how to eat to stay on track: wholesome, home-made, locally-sourced, real food in sensible portions.

Sedentary
Little or no Exercise/ desk job
TDEE = 1.2 x BMR
Lightly active
Light exercise/ sports 1 – 3 days/ week
TDEE = 1.375 x BMR
Moderately active
Moderate Exercise, sports 3 – 5 days/ week
TDEE = 1.55 x BMR
Very active
Heavy Exercise/ sports 6 – 7 days/ week
TDEE = 1.725 x BMR
Extremely active
Very heavy exercise/ physical job/ training 2 x/ day
TDEE = 1.9 x BMR

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg 1 two-oz egg + 1 egg white
  1 oz scrapple rhubarb
 scallion  flour +  sugar
 fat-free vanilla yogurt  milk  +  baking powder
 raspberries  Canadian Bacon [back bacon]
Whatever you need for your smoothie Whatever you need for your hot beverage
Whatever you need for your hot beverage Whatever you need for your smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

 shaved rare roast beef  beets
 provolone cheese  potatoes
 onions  egg
 potato bread  Canadian bacon/back bacon
 broccoli  onion
Sparkling water Sparkling water

Groundhog Day

~ me ~ Leave a comment

How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow. On Monday, eat the meals that will be posted on Sunday.  Eat sensibly the other days of the week.  That’s it.  Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

Ground Hog Day is a ‘cross-quarter day’ which falls equidistant between the Winter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox.  In pre-Christian times [and even beyond] it was the occasion for minor celebrations.  Our myth of the groundhog being a weather prognosticator goes back to old Germany.  Then there is the Bill Murray and Andie McDowell film, in which the anti-hero is doomed to relive the same day over and over until he gets it right.  In that vein, I will repeat myself and give you 12 tips for getting on and staying with the Fast Diet.

1. Watch the video of Dr Mosley’s program  Eat-Fast-Live which we saw originally on PBS.   http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x18a1b6_michael-mosley-eat-fast-live-longer_lifestyle     This is what inspired us to start this Lifestyle and it might help you too.

2. Plan ahead. We write on the calendar what Fast meals we want to eat in a week. Nothing ruins a diet like coming home and having no idea what to eat for dinner. That’s when the default foods come out [carry-out or pizza]. You can avoid that by planning.

3. Prep ahead. You see in many recipe the HINTS about preparing food ahead. This is a real time-saver in the morning. Want your spouse to help you to stay on the diet when you get home late? Write out the recipe, leave it on the counter, include info about where to find ingredients, and maybe the meal will be in progress when you come through the door.

4. Shop ahead. Now that you know what you want to eat, have the ingredients on hand. When Fast Day comes, you want to be ready.

5. Portion as you shop.  A recipe calls for 4 oz chicken breast: so when you get home, cut the chicken into the correct size. Wrap and label the part you need, save the trimmings for another use such as Chicken Curry or Chicken Noodle Soup. The same goes for vegetables: slice and chop those 2 oz of bell pepper that you will need.  It takes moments to do this as you unload the groceries, so do it to save time later.

6. Listen to Diane Rehm interview Dr. Mosley.  http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows /2013-03-13/dr-michael-mosley-fast-diet  Diane asks the tough questions and ends the conversation by saying that everyone on her staff can’t wait to try the diet!

7. Make the meal setting special. Instead of eating on the run or while standing over the sink, make a Fast meal an occasion. Use the good plates and flatware. Put the sparkling water in a nice glass with a twist of lemon. See the demitasse cup in the photo?Entire Breakfast It is the only one I have and it makes the breakfast table so pretty that it is saved for Fast days only.

8. Slo-o-o-ow down the meal. The other reason for the little cup at breakfast? By putting the coffee in a pitcher, I frequently have to stop to refill the cup. This bit of fussiness slows down the process. When you put food in your mouth, put down the fork. You don’t have to chew 30 times, but don’t simply cram the food in your mouth — savor it, taste it, and make it last.

9. Set goals by the clock.  After breakfast, vow not to put any calories in your mouth until noon. Then at noon, tell yourself that you can hold out for another 2 hours. Maybe setting a timer will help you: while the timer is ticking, don’t eat. This does not mean that you will eat when the timer rings! No. Set a new goal.

10. Distract yourself. After breakfast, I pour a large [1.5 cups] glass of water which I sip on until 2 pm. Then I have earned a hot cup of tea — something bold-tasting or soothing as mood dictates. A touch of honey in the drink provides a real lift. Mid- to late afternoon is difficult for me. Go for a walk [not to the kitchen or break-room!] or get involved in a long project to take your mind off eating.

11. Hide the temptation.  I stash the bowl of pistachios in the cupboard on Fast Days. Yes, I still know they are there, but out of sight, is out of mind.

12. Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow. This has a double meaning. 1] If you yearn for something on a Fast Day, tell yourself that you can have it tomorrow. It is not a promise that you have to keep. Tomorrow it might not be calling to you.  2] Tomorrow is the day that you will weigh less. Tomorrow is also weeks from now when you will be slimmer and thinking about new clothes. Tomorrow will come.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

Mediterranean Vegetables [See SIDEKICKS II posted on Oct 4, 2017] next week you will see recipes for bread-stuffs suitable for a Fast meal
1.5  two-oz eggs
tuna  Browse the archives for a breakfast menu
frozen spinach
clementine
Whatever you need for your smoothie
Whatever you need for your hot beverage

Dinner, single portion:

 3 oz cooked or raw fish, two varieties
 shallot  +   Spinach  leaves, fresh  Browse the archives for a dinner menu
 Swiss chard leaves
 egg    +  cream
 canned white beans
 granulated garlic   +  nutmeg
Sparkling water Sparkling water

A Fresh Start

~ me ~ Leave a comment

How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow. On Thursday, eat the meals that will be posted on Wednesday.  Eat sensibly the other days of the week.  That’s it.  Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.                                                                             Welcome to BeBlogger who is now Following.

This blog is about Fasting, aka: 5:2 Diet; IF.  “I’m not giving up eating!” you sneer. “Fasting is for ascetics who don’t enjoy life.”  If you really think that, then I want you to understand that this Lifestyle does involve eating [some really good food] and that there are many benefits beyond weight loss.  While on this Lifestyle [WOL], my husband and I have enjoyed lots of delicious food while losing a combined total of 50 pounds.  This Lifestyle is sustainable: you can do it week after week, year after year and not feel deprived.                                                                                                                                         What do you eat on the Slow [non-Fast] Days? What you want — WITHIN REASON.  Pigging out is not approved, but we go to restaurants and eat all sorts of foods. The key is learning the number of calories that you can ingest [TDEE] to get to the weight you want to achieve. This diet is not about counting calories, but you need to get a realistic sense of how much you are eating daily.  Weight loss comes with less food taken in over time and a resulting decrease in appetite.

WHY FAST?                                                                                                                                             “We all know how you are supposed to lose weight: eat low-fat foods, exercise more… and never, ever skip meals. This has been standard dietary advice for decades and though it may work for some people, levels of obesity continue to soar. So is there an alternative? We think there is. Intermittent fasting. Based on the work of leading scientists from around the world, this is an exciting new alternative to standard dieting.

“Intermittent Fasting does not mean stopping eating entirely. It means reducing the amount you eat, but only for quite short periods of time.

“In The Fast Diet book I outline my experiences of trying different forms of intermittent fasting, before settling on what I called a 5:2 regime. With 5:2 intermittent fasting you eat normally five days a week and diet two days a week, cutting your calorie intake for those two days to a ¼ of their normal level. This means that on, say, a Monday and a Thursday you will eat 500 calories if you are a woman, 600 if you are a man.

“If you stick to this plan then you should lose around 1lb (0.46kg) a week if you are a woman, slightly more for a man. Success also depends on not over-eating on your normal days.

“You should not only lose weight but also enjoy a wide range of health benefits. Studies of intermittent fasting show that not only do people see improvements in blood pressure and their cholesterol levels, but also in their insulin sensitivity.

“As one of the medical experts I interviewed put it: ‘There is nothing else you can do to your body that is as powerful as fasting.’

“Welcome to The Fast Diet and to the community on this site. We will keep you up to date with the latest in this exciting new field. You can read how others are managing this way of life and pick up lots of helpful tips. We hope it works for you.”                                              — Michael Mosley, originator of the Fast Diet

This blog is about recipes to eat on Fast Days.  Some of them appear in our regular diet on Slow Days because they are so yummy. Throughout 2018, I will be posting recipes which I hope will make following the Fasting Lifestyle as easy as A-B-C. There will also be tips for how to stock your freezer and your pantry to make it convenient to prepare the healthy, home-made food that we eat every week.

If you want to improve your health and lose weight, I recommend that you follow the Fasting Lifestyle. The New Year is a time for a fresh start.  Try Fasting.

Feeling Bleu?

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Around the month of March, people get tired of winter. Imagine that!? Cabin Fever sets in and they get grumpy. And then they eat.  What could be a better antidote than some fine meals featuring Bleu Cheese? When following the Fasting Lifestyle, food should lift our spirits and make us happy. Cue Pharrell Williams music.    For National Nutrition Month, read this: https://www.yahoo.com/news/30-simple-health-tips-try-day-march-155925900.html

Bleu Cheese Bake:   292 calories   7.3 g fat   2.3 g fiber      14.3 g protein   37 g carbs    250.7 mg Calcium  PB GF    You’ll go ga-ga over these flavors!bleu-cheese-bake-w-r-b-applesauceyog

1 two-oz egg                                                                                                                                                              ¼ oz bleu cheese, crumbly rather than creamy                                                                                           1 Tbsp fatfree cottage cheese, drained                                                                                                              2 oz applesauce, unsweetened, with 2-3 raspberries mixed into it                                                          5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or natural apple cider                                                      black-ish coffee, black-ish tea, or lemon in hot water

Mash the cheeses together with a fork and whisk in the egg. Bake in a lightly-spritzed ramekin at 350 degrees until cooked through, about 12-15 minutes. Dish up the applesauce, pour the smoothie, pour your beverage.

Beet & Bleu Cheese Salad: 288 calories   11 g fat   5.3 g fiber     13.7 g. protein   19.5 g carb    212 mg Calcium  PB GF    This recipe takes me back to a delightful restaurant 2 blocks north of Notre Dame in Paris. You will enjoy the earthy flavors and beauty of this salad.Beet & Bleu Cheese Salad

2.5 oz beets, cooked, skinned, sliced or cubed, cooled                                                                               1 and 1/4 oz bleu cheese, cubed or crumbled                                                                                                1.5 oz tomato, sliced or cubed                                                                                                                                      3 walnut halves [or use slivered almonds if you don’t eat walnuts]                                                           1 oz white beans, rinsed and drained if using canned                                                                                            2.5 c. salad greens                                                                                                                                                   3/4 tsp olive oil    +    3/4 tsp balsamic vinegar                                                                                        garnishes: pansy, chive, or nastursum flowers;  scallions

Assemble and prep all vegetable ingredients. Whisk oil and vinegar in a wide bowl. Put greens in the bowl and toss. Place in serving bowl and arrange the other ingredients on top. Add a few garnishes. Voila! A beautiful meal.

Fasting While Feasting

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Lent is one of the times of the Christian calendar when people think about fasting: reduced calories, meatless meals, more fish, no eggs.  Now at the Lenten season, it is not too late to begin Fasting: either for religious reasons or health reasons.  Just like dieting, if you stray, you can always get back onto the path.  Here are some suggestions for meals that will meet the requirements any day you choose.  Welcome to MLE who is now following. [Thanks, Peg.]           Check out the bottom of the page for next week’s shopping list and a recipe for some fabulous Mexican Pickled Vegetables.

Moroccan Tuna posted under ‘Western Med’ February 5, 2017

Tuna-Bean-Garlic Patties posted under ‘Rich Flavors’ February 28, 2016Tuna:bean:garlic patties

Spinach/Fish Timbals posted under ‘Keep the Faith’ February 7, 2016Spinach-Fish Timbales w: gr beans

Chili non Carne posted under ‘Go Wild’ March 2, 2016

Minestrone Soup posted under ‘Mmmmmm….’ February 3, 2016

Mediterranean Vegetables with Couscous posted under ‘…Summer…’ February 3, 2016Mediterranian Meal

Salmon Roasted with Tomatoes posted under ‘What do we do now?’ January 3, 2016Roasted slamon w: tom + sug-snap peas

Red Beans and Rice posted under ‘Some of That’ October 7, 2015

INGREDIENTS LIST FOR NEXT WEEK’S MEALS: one portion servings                               breakfast:

1 two-oz egg 1.5 two-oz eggs
¼ oz bleu cheese 3 Tbsp Mexican Pickled Vegetables
cottage cheese cheese, low-fat [or ricotta] 1/3 oz Cheddar cheese
Parmesan cheese pear or apple
salt, pepper
Applesauce [unsweetened], 2 oz [or pear]
Whatever you need for your smoothie Whatever you need for your hot beverage
Whatever you need for your hot beverage Whatever you need for your smoothie

dinner:

2.5 cups baby salad greens 1 oz thinly sliced corned beef
2.5 oz beets 1/3 cup Bechamel sauce, plain
1.25 oz bleu cheese 1/4 oz Swiss cheese, from deli
1.5 oz tomatoes, fresh 1.5 cups cabbage
1 oz white beans, canned
Olive oil + balsamic vinegar

Mexican Pickled Vegetables: This Yucatan treat comes to us via It’s All American Food by David Rosengarten. Quantities given to make one quart. Easily doubled.                       NB: Will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.                                                                       NB: The longer it sits, the spicier it gets. Super as a side dish; a nibble; an ingredient.

2 cups cauliflower florets                                                                                                                                             1 and ¼ cup carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4” thick on the diagonal                                                        ½ cup zucchini, sliced into 1/3” rounds                                                                                                            2-3 jalapeno peppers, sliced thinly                                                                                                                 ½ cup white vinegar                                                                                                                                             1 cup cider vinegar                                                                                                                                                 1 cup water                                                                                                                                                                3 Tbsp sugar [do not use sugar substitute when pickling]                                                                          1 Tbsp kosher salt                                                                                                                                                  1.5 tsp dried oregano, Mexican if you can get it                                                                                                                   ¾ tsp peppercorns                                                                                                                                                 ½ tsp coriander seeds                                                                                                                                           ½ tsp dried thyme                                                                                                                                                   1.5 bay leaves, crumbled                                                                                                                                       ½ large onion, thinly sliced                                                                                                                                 3 cloves garlic, halved

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the cauliflower and carrot. When the water returns to a boil, boil the vegetables for 2 minutes. Drain the vegetables and refresh under cold water. Put the cooked vegetables in a large bowl with the zucchini and jalapenos and stir to combine. Put into a heat-proof one quart glass jar [ex: a Mason jar], and set aside on a cutting board.                                                                                                                                                          In a sauce pan, combine the vinegars, water, and all remaining seasonings. Bring to a boil, then simmer 5 minutes to blend flavors. Take off the heat and immediately pour over the vegetables in the jar. [I had a little left over, which I saved to pour in later] Let cool to room temperature, then put a lid on it and refrigerate until cold. Very pretty. Very yummy.

Marching Along

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It is now March.  If you have been diligent about Fasting, then you are marching along toward your goal of a new-looking you. A long journey begins with a single step, and a quest to control your eating begins with a single meal. You have your ‘marching orders.’ For other menu suggestions, read https://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/fast-diet-recipes-low-calorie-meals-120306312–abc-news-lifestyle.html which is based on Dr. Mosley’s original appearance on Good Morning America in 2013.

Ham Bake: 286 calories   7.2 g fat   1.9 g fiber   15.5 g protein   35 g carbs   282 mg Calcium GFham-souffle

1 two-oz egg                                                                                                                                                                  ¼ oz 3 % fat ham from the deli, minced                                                                                                           1 Tbsp reduced fat ricotta                                                                                                                                       1 tsp Parmesan cheese, grated                                                                                                                        large pinch of crumbled sage + salt & pepper to taste                                                                                      ¼ cup blueberries or 2 oz unsweetened applesauce                                                                                     blackish coffee, blackish tea, or lemon in hot water                                                                                   5-6 oz smoothie or natural apple cider

Spritz a ramekin with non-stick spray and set the toaster oven to 350 degrees F. Vigorously whisk the egg, ham, cheeses, and seasonings and pour into ramekin. Bake 15-17 minutes until puffed, not until golden. Portion the fruit, pour the beverages and this will surely be a good day.

Lobster Thermador:   269 calories   13.4 g fat   5.5 g fiber   29 g protein   18.4 g carbs  130.5 mg Calcium   PB GF   Lobster is wonderful for the Fasting Lifestyle, whether you get it pre-cooked or raw. The damage comes when it is slathered in butter. I think that butter masks the clean, pure taste of the lobster, so I haven’t dunked my lovely crustacean in it for years. This recipe is so elegant yet lacks calories to such an extent that I have added a very French dessert course: fresh peaches and raspberries.lobster-thermador

¾ cup lobster, cooked and cut into chunks                                                                                                       1 Tbsp heavy cream                                                                                                                                                   2 Tbsp Béchamel sauce [see: 1789, posted on July 13, 2016.] HINT: I always keep Béchamel sauce frozen in small amounts.                                                                                                                         ½ tsp Dijon mustard                                                                                                                                                     flat-leaved parsley, chopped, for garnish                                                                                                         3 oz green beans                                                                                                                                                 dessert: 1 oz raspberries [fresh or frozen] +  2 oz peaches, cut into cubes [fresh or frozen]

Stir together the cream, Béchamel, and mustard. Lightly fold in the lobster. Heap into a ramekin, sprinkle on the parsley, and heat at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cook the beans and put the fruits in a lovely bowl for dessert.