low-fat meals

Amour-propre

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Literally, the title means ‘love of self’ implying vanity and selfishness.  But it can also mean ‘self-respect.’  Many people want to lose weight so they will like themselves better. Like yourself enough now, so that you will want to stay with the Fasting Lifestyle and lose those extra pounds. If you aren’t happy with yourself now, losing weight won’t help.

Coddled Eggs 280 calories 6.3 g. fat 10 g. protein 16.6 g. carb  PB GF if using GF breadcoddled egg w: yog blueberries

one 2-oz egg                                                                                                                                                              1 ½ tsp grated Parmesan cheese                                                                                                                           other seasonings to taste                                                                                                                                   ½ slice 70-cal bread                                                                                                                                               ¼ cup berries                                                                                                                                                          2 tsp plain nonfat yogurt                                                                                                                          blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon and hot water                                                                           5-6 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie or cider

Bring a small pan of water to a simmer. Use enough water to cover the egg coddler by 1” or to come ½ way up the custard cup. Spritz some cooking spray into an egg coddler or ramekin or custard cup. Break the egg into the coddler or ramekin, and add and salt/herbs to taste. IF USING A CODDLER: Screw on the lid of the coddler and lower it into the water. IF USING A CUSTARD CUP OR RAMEKIN: carefully place the custard cup into the water and adjust the water level so it comes up half-way. Put the lid on the pot. Simmer 4.5 minutes then turn off the heat and leave the eggs in the water for about 3 minutes more. Toast the bread and serve with mixed fruit/yogurt. Pour your hot breverage, and the smoothie. You will feel coddled and cossetted when you treat yourself to this breakfast.

Seafood Tacos:    270 calories    2.1 g. fat 2   3 g. protein    36.4 g. carbs          PBseafood tacos w: slaw & salsa

two 6” corn tortillas        I like Ole brand                                                                                                            3 oz cooked fish HINT: next time you grill or broil fish, cook an extra 3 oz for this recipe. Wrap it and label it and store in freezer until needed.                                                                                 ½ cup tomato, cubed  and drained                                                                                                                                          ½ cup cabbage, chopped                                                                                                                                         1 oz red onion, sliced                                                                                                                                                 1 Tbsp lime juice or salsa verde [Herdez brand is good]                                                                         pinch chili powder + pinch cumin                                                                                                                    1.5 Tbsp plain yogurt

Combine the cabbage, tomato, and onion in a bowl with the lime juice and spices. Heat a large griddle or cast iron pan and put the tortillas in it until they are warm, pliable, and beginning to brown. Remove to your plate. Spread the tortillas with the yogurt. Divide the fish between the tortillas and add a splash of lime juice or salsa verde. Top with the vegetable slaw. If there is too much slaw to fit into the tortillas, serve it on the side.

Do you like yourself enough to take action for your health? Start following the Fasting Lifestyle and read the following link:                                                                                                          8 Things You Can Do on Sunday to Lose Weight All Week    http://www.cheatsheet.com/health-fitness/8-things-you-can-do-on-sunday-to-lose-weight-all-week.html/3/

Mmmmm…

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“Mm-mm Good” said the TV ad, and that’s how our food should taste, even if we’re ‘dieting.’  But this isn’t a diet, its a Lifestyle: good food with few calories twice a week, then eat normally the other five days. And today’s menu does taste good, right down to the soup.

Mushroom-Egg Toast   290 calories                                                                     PBEgg-mushroom toast w: applesauce This is yummy. The eggs are creamy and the mushrooms lend a marvelous layer of flavor. I like this better than poached eggs.

1 piece 35-cal bread OR 1/2 piece 70-cal bread                                                                                             one 2-oz egg                                                                                                                                                              1 oz mushrooms, chopped                                                                                                                                    1 Tbsp chives, chopped                                                                                                                                        1 ½ oz of applesauce                                                                                                                                                       blackish coffee, blackish tea, or lemon in hot water                                                                                      5-6 oz smoothie or natural apple cider

Toast the bread. Spritz the non-stick saute pan with oil or spray and gently cook the mushrooms. Put the chives, salt, and pepper in with the egg and beat it up. Scramble lightly with the mushrooms, keeping the eggs moist. Turn out over the toast and plate the fruit. Sip your beverages and have a good day.

Minestrone Soup    215 calories   3 g fat   10.2 g protein   36 g carbs   5.6 g fiber    PB GF [if you use GF pasta]Minestrone SoupHINT: One serving is one cup, but you could go to 1 and ¼ cups each. This recipe made 6 cups for me – several future meals from this recipe!                                                                             1 tsp olive oil                                                                                                                                                             1 cup onion, chopped                                                                                                                                          2/3 cup carrot, chopped                                                                                                                                         ½ cup celery, chopped                                                                                                                                         2 cloves garlic, chopped                                                                                                                                       3 slices pepperoni, chopped                                                                                                                              ½ cup sweet potato, cubed                                                                                                                                     ½ cup zucchini, diced                                                                                                                                          ½ cup mushrooms, chopped                                                                                                                              2 cups crushed tomatoes                                                                                                                                     ¾ cup small white beans, drained and rinsed if canned                                                                                 lots of sage and rosemary, chopped                                                                                                                  3 cups water                                                                                                                                                                    1 oz pasta, all or some of it could be whole wheat if you are boosting fiber [orzo, dinetelli, broken spaghetti]                                                                                                                                                     2 tsp Parmasan cheese, grated                                             salt and pepper to taste

Put the olive oil, onion, carrot, celery, garlic and pepperoni into a sauce pan together and cook over medium heat until onions begin to wilt.  Add the sweet potato, zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, white beans, herbs, and water.  Cook at a simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the pasta and cook until it is soft. Add remaining seasonings.

 

Not Your Grandmother’s Diet

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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: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle. 

I get a kick out of novels from the early 1900s, when my grandparents were young.  One old goodie is The Melting of Mollie, in which our heroine seeks advice on how to lose weight before her boyfriend returns from a sea voyage.  The kindly, wise young doctor suggests one hard-boiled egg for breakfast, a peach for lunch, and chicken breast for dinner with vegetables. Mollie is spurred on by letters from her distant sweetheart in which he fondly remembers her slim silhouette. Since she has become a bit pudgy, she is ready to do anything to regain her figure. Imagine her horror when her sailor returns, and she finds that he has gained so much weight that she finds him unappealingly fat! The hypocryte wanted her to be slim while he thought it was alright to let himself go to seed.  [Spoiler alert: she marries the doctor!]

Mollie’s way of eating might be effective but you wouldn’t want to stay on it long — too little variety and too many foods off limits. One of the beauties of the Fasting Lifestyle that there are many food choices available to you.  Keep at it and you will melt like Mollie.

Improper English 265 cal.   4.3 g. fat     17.2 g. protein    47.5 g. carbA “proper English” is the full Victorian breakfast, serving every conceivable food you can imagine. This version leaves out the eggs and kippers [how improper!], but keeps the protein-rich baked beans along with the rest of the usual stand-bys.

Improper English

++ ¼ cup baked beans ++++ one 50-60 calorie sausage  ++++   ½ piece of 70-calorie whole-grain toast ++++ ½ of a 2.5” diameter tomato     +     salt  ++++ 1 oz mushrooms ++++ a few grapes ++++ optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie ++++ blackish coffee or tea ++

Cut the tomato around its equator and put one half away for later. Salt the tomato and put under the broiler until it softens. Cook the sausage and mushrooms in the same pan to heat through. Heat the beans – perhaps in the microwave. Toast the bread and brew the hot beverage. Pour the smoothie and plate everything. Cheerio!

Pomelo-Shrimp Salad:     259 cal     5.9 fat     22.5 protein      26.6 carb   PB   GF

pomelo-shrimp salad w: chips + romaine

The pomelos were ripe in our son and daughter-in-law’s garden, so I used some to make this meal.   Since pomelos are uncommon, substitute grapefruit.   The recipe is from Hot Sour Salty Sweet by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. I’ll be perfectly honest:  my chief taster thought the pomelos tasted bitter.  In future, I will use grapefruits.

++ 1 Tbsp fish sauce  ++++ 1.5 Tbsp lime juice ++++ 1.5-2 tsp brown sugar  ++++  1 cup grapefruit  segments ++++ 1.5 tsp coconut  ++++ 1/4 oz dry roasted peanuts ++++ 2 tsp chopped shallot  ++++   1/2 cup fresh mint  ++++ 1/4 tsp Thai chile sauce ++++  3 oz shrimp, cleaned — I used tiny cold water shrimp. If you use larger shrimp, cut them into smaller pieces. ++++ 1 large leaf romaine lettuce ++++ chopped scallion ++

Mix the fish sauce, lime juice and brown sugar in an oven-proof bowl. Add the shrimp and let marinate. Toast the coconut in a dry skillet until just beginning to brown. Peel and segment the pomelo/grapefruit and remove pulp from the membranes. Put the shrimp and marinade into the microwave and heat until cooked. Gently combine the shrimp, marinade, pomelo, coconut, peanuts, shallot, mint, and chile sauce in a wide bowl. Put the lettuce leaf on the plate and fill it with the salad. In the photo, you see some colorful chips. Those are veggie chips by Terra which add a nice crunch and a few more calories to the meal. Omit if you wish, but do not substitute potato chips!

Keep on trying

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If you had made a resolution this year to do better at being healthy, how’s it going? Is it difficult some days? Keep on trying! After all, the Fast Lifestyle involves only 2 days a week, and surely you can find the resolve to stick to that. Hang in there. Eat your veggies.*  Keep the faith. Lower the fat and carbs. Get back on the plan tomorrow and you will thank yourself later.

Shirred Egg    284 calories    8.4 g. fat     12.25 g. protein     25.7 g. carb   PB, if you eat only 3 eggs per week [GF if you use GF bread]    I learned to prepare this dish when working on my Girl Scout ‘Cooking’ badge. I still eat it because it tastes so good. Peter says, “this is my favorite FAST breakfast!” Shirred EggOne 2-oz egg                                                                                                                                                              1 Tbsp half&half                                                                                                                                                    1/2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese                                                                                                                                half a slice of 70-calorie bread, toasted                                                                                                             2 oz apple slices                                                                                                                                              blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water                                                                               5-6 oz fruit smoothie, green smoothie or natural apple cider

Heat the toaster oven to 325. Spritz a 1-cup ramekin with cooking oil or spray. Break the egg into the cup, and pour the half&half on top. Sprinkle with cheese, add salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 12-15 minutes, then let sit 2-3 mins. Plate with the toast, apples. Serve with your choice of black-ish coffee or tea, or lemon in hot water.

Spinach-Fish Timbale   264 calories    7.4 g. fat    6.6 g. fiber    37.8 g. protein    19.2 g. carbs 341.8 g. Calcium     PB [GF if you use GF bread]                                                                                      Seen in cookbooks, this recipe lends itself well to our uses. The calorie count looks low, but you will find it to be filling and satisfying.

Spinach-Fish Timbales w: gr beans

½ cup blanched spinach [this used most of a 4.5 oz bag of fresh leaves] nutmeg, salt 1 Tbsp onion/shallot, minced 1 wedge Laughing Cow cheese 5 oz sole or ocean perch fillets, skinned [this is 2 small fillets] ½ slice 70-calorie bread, ground to crumbs HINT: use fresh bread crumbs: dried crumbs have more calories + carbs per volume 3 oz green beans

Heat the toaster oven to 400 degrees. Rinse the spinach but do not dry it. Put into a wide pan and put over medium heat with a lid. Check the spinach frequently and remove from heat when the leaves are wilted. There might be some liquid still in the pan. When the leaves are cool enough to handle, remove by the hand-full and squeeze the liquid out, saving it in the pan. Coarsley chop the spinach leaves and put into a bowl with the salt and nutmeg. Add the cheese to the warm spinach and stir until the cheese mixes in.

In the pan of spinach water, cook the onion/shallot until the water is gone. Combine the onion, bread crumbs, and spinach.

Lay the fish fillets out so that they make one long line, over-lapping by about an inch. Spoon the spinach stuffing on the fish to cover it. Spray the inside of a 1-cup ramekin or custard cup with oil or non-stick spray.

Roll up the fish as compactly as you can and put it into the ramekin. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Cook the green beans. When the fish is baked, hold the ramekin in one oven-gloved hand while you invert a plate over the ramekin. Flip it all over so that now the ramekin is upside down. Lift off the ramekin. Plate with the beans.

 

* Meet Your Daily Veggie Quota

“My long-term resolution is to get five to six cups veggies (raw or cooked) daily for good health and energy. Yes, even dietitians can have days when they don’t meet their veggie quota! Increasing veggie intake not only boosts general health, it helps to prevent disease, too. Plus, veggies also make excellent hunger tamers. Deeply colored veggies naturally suppress appetite and increase fullness from their fiber and essential fatty acid content, making these nutritional gems something you should aim to include at every meal! — Lauren Minchen MPH, RDN, CDN

Mex-Moroc

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Hundreds of millions of years ago, North America and Africa were side-by-side in the giant continent of Pangea.  Today we celebrate that proximity with foods from Mexico and Morocco. Why not?

Tostada : 308 calories 7.6 g. fat 18.1 g. protein 39.7 g. carbs GF PB Use some of the chili non carne [See November 4 posting for recipe] to give this simple breakfast rich flavor. It will keep you going for hours.Tostada

one 6” corn tortilla                                                                                                                                           one 2-oz egg                                                                                                                                                              2 Tbsp chili non carne                                                                                                                                          2 tsp Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese, grated                                                                                    hot beverage of your choice – hold the cream and sugar                                                                       5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or unpasturized apple cider

Heat the toaster oven to 350. Put the chili in a custard cup and put it into the oven to heat. Warm a dry cast iron skillet over med-high heat. Warm the tortilla in the pan on both sides until it is warm and pliable and starting to brown. Remove the tortilla and keep warm in a dish towel. Spritz the skillet with non-stick spray and fry the egg until it is done as you like it. Remove the egg. Spread the chili on the tortilla and return the tortilla to the skillet. Put the egg on the chili and sprinkle with the cheese. Put the pan into the hot oven until the cheese melts. Brew your beverage, pour the smoothie and wake up your mouth.

Morrocan Tuna: 278 calories   1.4 g. fat    8.7 g. fiber     34.9 g. protein     PB GFMorrocan Tuna w: beans, clementines

4 oz tuna steak [When I see frozen tuna steaks at the supermarket, I get a few]                                    Moroccan spices or ground cumin                                                                                                                    1/3 cup white beans, rinsed [Goya brand is always reliable]                                                                            1 slice preserved lemon OR 1 slice fresh lemon                                                                                                  4 oz green beans                                                                                                                                 1 or 1/2 clementine [they originated in Morocco]                                                                  cilantro

Rub tuna on both sides with Moroccan spices. Chop the lemon and stir into the beans. Bake the tuna on a cast iron skillet for 4-5 minutes per side in a 400 degree oven. When the beans are cooked, drain and stir in the cilantro. Plate with fruit.

You may have noticed that I focus on made-from-scratch foods. This way you know what you are eating and can control for fat, sodium, and additives.  But don’t just take my word for it:   1. Cut Back on Trash— Literally “Resolve to cut down on the amount of trash you produce from food boxes, bags, plastic bottles and take-out containers. This simple act will not only decrease waste but it will also help you clean up your diet. You’ll start planning more, eating more real foods, ordering less take-out and spending more time in the kitchen! You will get healthy, decrease your carbon footprint and save money in the process.” — Katie Cavuto MS, RD, dietitian for the Philadelphia Phillies and Flyers

https://www.yahoo.com/health/10-resolutions-diet-experts-want-143451460.html

Northern Lights

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Like a lot of women my age, I have become interested in genealogy. My grandmother was a professional in the field, so the apple is dropping close to the tree. One thing I found which I didn’t expect is that the “French” branch of the family goes back to Scandinavia. In honor of my Finnish-Norwegian ancestors, I offer these menus.

Nordic Breakfast 297 cal    11.7 g. fat      15.5 g. protein      34.8 g carbs   PB     This is based on a recipe from the Fast Diet book, but I always thought it looked like a puny anount of food.  Not so — this will fill you up!Nordic Bfast3 slices of Finn Crisp crackers                                                                                                                             2 oz smoked salmon                                                                                                                                               2 Tbsp whipped cream cheese                                                                                                                              2 rings red onion, thinly sliced                                                                                                                           ½ cup raspberries                                                                                                                                                        1 oz apple                                                                                                                                                        blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon with hot water                                                                 NOTE: no smoothie

Carefully spread the cream cheese on the crackers. Divide the salmon among them. Arrange the onion rings atop the salmon. Slice the apple and pour your hot beverage. Skip the aquavit.

Baltic Bake:     302 cal        12.1 g fat      11 g protein        27.3 g carbs               GF     Believe it or not, this is from the book Two Fat Ladies Obsessions. The meal has wonderful Eastern European flavors and is so simple to prepare that I assembled it in 16 minutes!!hot dog:kraut in pasta bowl

2 low-fat, low calorie hot dogs [I like Hebrew National reduced-fat]                                                       ½ cup sauerkraut, homemade, canned, or from a bag                                                                                    ¼ c pickled beets                                                                                                                                                                ¼ c sliced onions                                                                                                                                               ½ tsp horseradish                                                                                                                                                1/2 tsp caraway seeds                                                                                                                                             2 Tbsp white beans, drained and rinsed

Put the hot dogs [frozen or thawed] and onions in a saucepan with a little water or some juice from the sauerkraut. Heat until the dogs are cooked and most of the liquid is evaporated. Remove the dogs and add remaining ingredients to the pan to heat. Cut the hot dogs into 5-6 pieces and put them back in the pan until all ingredients are heated through.

Isn’t it about time?

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Its time to take charge of your lifestyle and stop saying ‘someday’ you will improve your health and maybe lose a little weight.   Today is the day to take a little time to stock the freezer with some foods that you can use for many future meals. [The batter for crepes and the crab cakes freeze well] Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Today is the day to get serious about following the Fasting Lifestyle.

Breton Breakfast:   310 calories               PB                                                               Here is one way to use the crepe batter which we made on October 14, 2015, and you stored in the freezer. You need one crepe per serving. Make some extra for a lunch or dinner later this week.Breton bfast w: apple

1 crêpe                                                                                                                                         1 two-oz egg                                                                                                                            ¼ cup diced zucchini                                                                                                           ¼ cup diced tomatoes                                                                                                                ¼ cup diced bell pepper, any color you want                              ¼ cup diced tomato                               1/4-1/3 tsp curry powder [seafarers brought a lot of spices to Brittany’s ports]                                                                                                                       1 and 1/2 oz apple                                                                                                  5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or apple cider                                blackish tea or coffee or hot water with lemon

Put the 3 vegetables and the curry in a small sauce pan with a bit of water and cook uncovered until the veg are soft and the liquid has almost evaporated. HINT: do this the night before to save time at breakfast. If your crêpe was cooked previously, warm it a little to take off the chill. Cook the egg by frying it in a lightly-oiled non-stick pan. Spoon the vegetable on the crêpe, put the egg on top. Hold briefly, if needed, in a warm oven while you pour the smoothie and warm beverage, and while you slice the fruit.

Crab Cakes w: beans

Crab Cakes:        250 cal     4.7 g fat     24.0 g protein     14.2 g carbs           Rock and Jonah crabs abound on the coast of New England and they are grand as crab cakes. This recipe is from Todd English’s Olive’s Table cookbook. Note: this is the full recipe and makes 5 cakes – more than you will eat at one meal. Prepare them all and cook as directed. HINT: This will provide a few future meals.

½ pound crab meat, not ‘imitation crab’                                                                        2 T [1 oz] plain nonfat yogurt                                                                                              1 tsp Dijon mustard                                                                                        2 Tbsp. chopped green or white onion                                                                           1 T. parsley, minced                          one 2-oz egg                    1 tsp salt & ¼ tsp pepper                                                                                                                                                 1 slice fresh 70-cal bread, crumbled in a food processor if you have one            4 T. flour                               2 tsp oil                      5 oz asparagus OR green beans                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Aioli Dressing: 1 tsp low-fat mayonnaise + few drops of lemon juice + pinch each of tumeric and garlic powder 

Gently combine 1st 8 ingredients in a bowl. Dust a large plate with the flour. Using a 1/3 c. measure as a mold, form the crab cakes and turn them out onto the flour. There should be 5 cakes. Dust the top of the cakes with some of the flour. Heat a non-stick skillet and add 2 tsp olive oil. Handling them carefully, cook the crab cakes until they are beginning to brown on the top and bottom. Cook the beans. Plate the crab cakes and vegetable, and serve with a dab of aioli.

One Fast Day serving = 1.5 crab cakes. Cool the others, wrap in cling wrap and freeze. Reheat in a toaster oven until warm. [the cakes will have been previously cooked]

“If You Want To Lose Weight, Hack Your Living Environment Like Skinny People”         http://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2015/02/02/if-you-want-to-lose-weight-hack-your-living-environment-like-skinny-people/

New Year’s Eve

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Yup, sure enough — New Year’s Eve is on a Thursday, a Fast Day, this year.  What to do? You have choices:           1] blow off the diet, splurge to your heart’s content, and hate yourself on Jan 1;                                                           2] observe a Fast Day on Wednesday or Friday instead of Thursday;                         3] eat strategically on Thursday so you can ‘have your weight loss and eat it too.’   Here’s how:

Vegetable Omelette: 283 calories…  9.5 g. fat…  19.5 g. protein…  30 g. carb PB  [GF if you eliminate the piece of bread or substitute a GF bread]  Take advantage of the goodness of vegetables and use up some left-overs at the same time! Win-win.

++ 1 ½ 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, crack three 2-oz eggs into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week ++++  1/2 tsp Parmesan cheese, grated ++++ 2 tsp red onion, chopped ++++   1 oz cooked summer squash/ green beans/ broccoli, diced ++++   HINT: prepare extra vegetables at dinner on Wednesday or Sunday and save for this meal the following Fast Day ++++  ½ slice 70-cal bread ++++ salt, pepper, herbs of your choice ++++  1.5 oz strawberries ++++  5-6 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie or natural apple cider  ++++ blackish coffee or blackish tea ++

Spritz a fry pan with olive oil or non-stick spray and stir the onions until they are soft. Dice the cooked vegetables and add to the pan to warm. Whisk the eggs and pour them into the pan, stirring to mix with the vegetables. As bottom of eggs begins to set, put the cheese, salt and pepper on the eggs. Cook to your liking, fold and plate with the fruit and toasted bread. Pour your beverages and have a great day.

Now make sure that you drink lots of water today or tea to avoid being hungry or dehydrated.  SKIP LUNCH, just as you would on any Fast Day.

AT THE PARTY:  Stick to the shrimp cocktail.  Fill half your plate with the shrimp and half your plate with vegetables from the veggie platter. Do not eat the veggie dip!  Cocktail sauce is OK, and try dipping the veggies in it too.  About drinking: Sparkling wine has 88 calories per small glass, so have some. Avoid the mixed drinks, the hard alcohol, and the punch — too many calories.  Are your hosts considerate enough to provide sparkling water?  Good for them! Alternate your glass of bubbly with glasses of water. [You do know that a hang-over is mostly due to dehydration, don’t you?]  Less booze means more will power. Just saying.

NEXT DAY BREAKFAST: try the Nordic Breakfast, September 20, 2015. Easy to prepare and very filling.

Happy New Year to you all.  Keep following in 2016 for more new recipes and tips. Tell your friends.  Please remember that the Fasting Lifestyle is not only about losing weight — it is about improving your over-all health while safely losing 1-2 pounds per week. You might find this reading useful:

http://mashable.com/2015/12/28/body-positive-new-year/#g5OgjZ7ptkqd               With a new year comes the all-too-familiar pressure to lose weight. As the ball drops at midnight, the diet industry gears up to welcome women who mark Jan. 1 as the day they will begin restricting and training their bodies into the slim ideal. It’s all a part of the “New Year, New You” mantra we have been taught to value as gospel.

While the pressure to shrink your body is a constant for women year-round, the value of thinness is especially emphasized when New Year’s resolutions are thrown into the mix. It’s a time of year when hating yourself is made easy, packaged and sold by the diet industry as flaws in need of fixing. Many of us buy into it — but we don’t have to.

Body positive activists are constantly advocating for radical body love, but that work takes on undeniable significance this time of year. These women shout above the negative noise, working to build up collective body confidence and self-love in a world where women are constantly marked as needing improvement.

“It’s time for us to stop setting New Year’s resolutions altogether and to start setting revolutions instead — to, rather than resolving ourselves to ‘self-improvement’ defined by systems set up to oppress us, revolt against them. Set goals in terms of treating yourself with more compassion, take more fashion risks, enjoy more time at the beach, go out for brunch more — do all the things that you keep promising yourself you’ll do when you lose ‘X’ number of pounds.

“You don’t need to lose weight to experience your best self. You just need to resolve yourself to living the life you imagine –- in exactly the skin you’re already in. You’d be amazed at how that mental shift can be the best choice you’ve ever made in terms of health and happiness.”  Melissa Fabello, managing editor at Everyday Feminism and body acceptance activist

 

Simple Pleasures

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Ah! the virtues of the ‘simple life’!  If ‘simple’ means easy to prepare, easy to cook, and good to eat, then this is the day for simple pleasures.  If you prep the Yorkshire Pudding batter the night before, then the breakfast is very quick.  The dinner is as easy as can be.  Welcome to the simple life. Dieting can be that simple while following the Fast Lifestyle. but what about the other days?  I found this on the Yahoo front page, and thought you might profit from it:  25 Things You Did Today That Sabotaged Your Weight Loss Goals

http://news.yahoo.com/25-things-did-today-sabotaged-211858480.html

Toad in the Hole 293 calories     12 g. protein                                                          This whimsically-named meal is of old English origin – shades of Kenneth Graham and Beatrix Potter. The recipe is from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook.Toad in the Hole w: berries & Gr Smoothie

It begins with a Yorkshire Pudding batter which you need to prepare in advance. The Yorkshire Pudd recipe is from the King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook. HINT: make the batter the night before to save time in the morning.

Y. Pudd batter:     one 2-oz egg                           1 cup flour                    ½ tsp salt                                 ½ cup water                       ½ cup fat-free milk

Mix all the ingredients together and let the batter stand at room temp for 30-60 minutes or in ‘fridge overnight. You will need 1/3 cup of the batter per person. HINT: The remainder can be frozen in 1 cup or 1/3 cup batches for future meals. When it is time to use the batter, beat it with a rotary beater until it is frothy.

To prepare the breakfast:                                                                                                   1 breakfast sausage     [I like the Al Fresco brand chicken with sage @ 50 cal/link. Not the calorie count and stick to it!]                                                                 1/3 cup Yorkshire Pudding batter, well beaten                                                               ½ of a pear or apple   [strawberries are shown but are not in season now]                                                                                                                 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie or natural apple cider                           nearly-black coffee or tea; or lemon in hot water.

Heat the oven/toaster oven to 425. Cook the sausage, preferrably in a small oven-proof pan. If you have a small cast iron fry-pan, that would be a good choice, using a tiny bit of oil in the bottom of the pan since the sausage will render no fat. Dice the sausage.  Beat the batter until it is foamy. Pour the batter into the pan then sprinkle  the sausage over the batter. Pop the pan into the oven for 15 minutes. Slice the pear, shake your smoothie [if saved from last meal], brew your beverage, and settle down to a quick meal.

Feta Nicoise Salad  293 calories  22.9 g. fat   12.5 g. protein  10.7 g. carb PB GF

  1 and 1/2 romaine leaves                                                                                                  ¼ cup green beans cut in 1″ pieces                                                                                1 scant cup cucumber, diced                                                                                           1/2 c feta cheese, crumbled or diced                                                                           1.5 black olives                                                                                                                       1 tsp olive oil                                                                                                                          1 tsp white wine vinegar

Steam the green beans; drain, cool and set aside. Slice the lettuce crosswise into 1” pieces. Prepare the other ingredients as described. Pour the oil and vinegar into a wide, shallow bowl and whisk briskly. Put all the other ingredients in the bowl and toss gently to coat with dressing. Welcome to southern France for fine dining.

North Meets South

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Different cuisines have always fascinated me: how the flavors and the textures vary with available ingredients and the climate.  With the Fast Diet, variety is the key to staying interested.  Keep with it and reap the rewards. Breakfast from the South of Europe, dinner from the North.

Creamy Greek Omelette 309 calories 10.3 g. fat 18.9 g. protein 30.9 g. carb The feta lends a tang to the eggs, while the cottage cheese gives a wonderful melting texture. A real treat.Creamy Greek Omelette w: S-Bs

1 ½ 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.                                                                                                                                      3/8 oz feta cheese                                                                                                                    1 ½ Tbsp cottage cheese                                                                                                Greek oregano, salt, pepper                                                                                                 ½ slice 70-calorie bread [I like Nature’s Own multigrain]                                                one and a half oz strawberries or apple                                                                          5 oz fruit smoothie [March 15, 2015] or natural apple cider                                                              blackish coffee or tea or lemon in hot water

Mince the feta and combine with cottage cheese and oregano. Spritz a non-stick skillet with oil or non-stick spray and heat the pan over medium-low heat. Beat the eggs well with 1 spoonful of the cheese mixture using a rotary mixer. Pour the eggs into the pan and let cook undisturbed until the edges set. Lift the edges gently to allow the uncooked egg to flow underneath. Before the top surface sets, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put dollops of the cheese mixture on half the omelette and make an attempt to spread it out. Fold the omelette in half and continue to heat in the pan. Filling will heat and may ooze out a bit. Brew and pour your beverages. Plate the fruit and the omelette. Oh yum.

 

Baltic Hot Dog Dinner:   302 cal     12.1 g fat    11 g protein   27.3 g carbs Believe it or not, this is from the book Two Fat Ladies Obsessions. The meal has wonderful Eastern European flavors and is so simple to prepare that I assembled it in 16 minutes!!hot dog:kraut in pasta bowl

2 low-fat hot dogs [I like Hebrew National reduced-fat]                                      ¼ c sliced onions                                                                                                                   ½ cup sauerkraut, fresh or from a can or from a bag                                                    ¼ c pickled beets                                                                                                                   ½ tsp horseradish                                                                                                                  2 Tbsp white beans, drained and rinsed

Put the hot dogs [frozen or thawed] and onions in a saucepan with a little water or some juice from the sauerkraut. Heat until the dogs are cooked and most of the liquid is evaporated. Remove the dogs and add remaining ingredients to the pan to heat. Cut the hot dogs into 5-6 pieces and put them back in the pan until all ingredients are heated through.