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.

Iowa is a state in the United States. Named after the Ioway Tribe of indigenous people, Iowa became the 29th state in the Union in 1846. Incidentally, the Ioway don’t live there anymore. The state is known for its agricultural production and the First in the Nation Presidential Caucuses, held every 4 years. Herbert Hoover, US President who presided over the early years of the Great Depression, was born in Iowa, as was artist Grant Wood. The Broadway musical “The Music Man” is set in Iowa, so is The Bridges of Madison County. For some strange reason, June 11th has several events [some fun, some fearsome] that have happened in Iowa over the years. In 1945, Life magazine published an article about teen-aged boys living in Des Moines during World War II. The article’s author wanted to see how the boys were affected by the shadow of war. Answer: they weren’t. On the sad and scary side of life, on June 11, tornadoes ripped across the state, causing damage to houses and businesses [2025] and deaths at a scout camp [2008]. Iowa is in Tornado Alley after all. In 2020, nine deaths were reported during the Covid epidemic. Also weather related, there was a frost on June 11 in 2023, causing both corn and soybean farmers to worry. For fun, in 2026, both the Iowa State Fair and the Farm and Food Conference will be taking place on the same day. When Americans think of some place that has home-grown American values, they think of Iowa.

Iowa is all about corn, so we will serve corn at breakfast. For dinner, another agricultural product from the fields of Iowa.

Corn Salsa Egg Toast: 209 calories… 7 g fat… 5.5 g fiber 10 g protein… 30.5 g carbs… 57 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  Here is a taste treat for breakfast-time.

++ 3 Tbsp Corn-Tomato Salsa** ++++ 1 slice 70-calorie whole grain bread [Dave’s Killer Bread  is perfect] ++++ one 2-oz egg, fried or scrambled or hard-boiled ++++ 2 oz apple ++++  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or  mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++ 

Toast bread lightly. Cook the egg or slice the hard-cooked egg. Spread salsa on bread and top with egg. Plate with fruit and enjoy another easy, flavorful meal.

CORN-TOMATO SALSA makes 1½ cups 87 calories per ¾ cup  –1 cup corn kernels — 1 cup diced tomato — 2 Tbsp minced red bell pepper — 2 Tbsp diced red onion — 2 Tbsp cider vinegar — ¼ tsp dry mustard — 1/8 tsp turmeric — ¼ tsp sugar — 2 dashes ground cumin —  Stir everything together and find lots of ways to use it. 

Zucchini, Stuffed: 295 calories… 6 g fat… 6 g fiber… 29 g protein… 25.5 g carbs…141.5 mg Calcium…  PB GF This Summer favorite is easy to prepare and very easy to eat. HINT: this recipe makes enough for 2 [two] servings.

1 pound Zucchini squash = 3 slim 8” ones OR use one larger zucchini ++	If using small squashes: Poach whole squashes in simmering water 3 mins, remove. Slit each one length-wise, scoop out insides to leave a thin-walled boat. If using large squash: Cut in half, scoop out insides. Poach in sim-mering water 3-4 mins, remove.
Cooked zucchini insides ++½ tsp olive oil ++ ½ cup onion ++ 1 clove garlic	Chop zucchini, onion, garlic. Cook in olive oil and non-stick spray in a saute pan.
4½ oz cooked chicken, minced ++ ½ tsp salt ++ ¼ tsp paprika ++ ½ tsp dill weed ++ black pepper ++ ½ c cooked brown rice +++++	Combine contents of the saute pan with these, stir well. Spoon into the zucchini boats, using it all up.
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated ++	Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 20 mins at 350F
tomato juice or salsa	Drizzle 1 Tbsp over each portion