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.
Pity, please, the capital city of Sweden. Despite the fact that it is a lovely and storied city, it is also associated with two darker events: one a heinous crime, the other a would-be psychological disorder. No one knows when exactly people began to settle the area. It is located on 14 islands where a fresh water lake meets the Baltic Sea — a defensible and strategic location for a settlement in turbulent times. Under Birger Jarl‘s leadership in the 1250s, the city grew and prospered, becoming the location of the royal court. Part of the city’s wealth was due to membership in the Hanseatic trade group. In 1397, Sweden joined Denmark and Norway in the Kalmar Union, under which the three nations had one monarch. This lead to years of disgruntlement, rebellion, and outright war. By 1519, there were two opposing factions in Sweden: the pro-unionists who backed the Kalmar Union vs. the anti-unionists who favored Swedish independence. Needless to say, the Union’s Danish King Christian did not want anyone suggesting an end to the status quo. He invaded Sweden to set things right, and by September, 1520, Christian was in control of Stockholm. He then did a very un-Christian thing: he ordered the execution of 80 anti-union nobles on November 8th and 9th. This shocked Europeans and it became known as the “Stockholm Bloodbath”. The event unified disparate factions, resulting in their successful fight for independence in 1522. Have you heard of Stockholm Syndrome? In August of 1973, bank robbers took four people hostage in a Stockholm bank. For six days the hostages lived in fear of being killed — either by their erratic captors or by the police who seemed unequal to the job of freeing them. When the stand-off was resolved, the hostages were said to have feelings of sympathy for the robbers. The world called this “Stockholm Syndrome”, characterized by a bond forming between kidnappers and their victim, as well as the victim having a poor opinion of the police. In 1975, Patty Hearst, who had been kidnapped by a terrorist group, plead at her trial that she suffered from Stockholm Syndrome. The jury did not buy the idea, mostly because the American Psychiatric Association never accepted it as an official disorder. Let’s focus on the good things about Stockholm: the natural beauty of the place, historic museums, and lots of good food.
From the smoked salmon at breakfast to the cold open-faced sandwich at dinner, these are true flavors of Stockholm.
Smoked Salmon Bake: 172 calories… 10 g fat… 1 g fiber… 14.4 g protein… 8 g carbs… 53 mg Calcium… NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF Gosh this is good. You must try it!
++ 1 two-ounce egg ++++ 1 oz smoked salmon, crumbled into pieces ++++ 2½ Tbsp scallions, green & white parts, diced or sliced ++++ 2-3 tsp chopped parsley ++++ 1 Tbsp chevre [goat cheese] ++++ ¼ cup blueberries ++++ Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++++ Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] ++
Put a good spray of cooking oil into a 1-cup capacity heat-proof dish. Put scallions and parsley into the dish, and microwave for 30 seconds. Add the salmon. HINT: I did this the night before. Beat goat cheese and egg together until the cheese breaks up into tiny lumps. Pour into dish and stir all together to mix. Bake at 350 degrees 12 mins, depending on how you like your eggs. Brew your optional beverage and dish the fruit.
Smørrebrød with Turkey: 243 calories… 8 g fat… 3 g fiber… 10 g protein… 29 g carbs… 18.5 mg Calcium… PB GF – if using GF rye bread From Oslo comes the best of Summer sandwiches: smorrebrod [smeared bread]. Light and flavorful from summer vegetables, this meal is filling and simple to prepare without heating the kitchen. It is a great quick meal in any season.
++ 1 slice [1.5 oz] sourdough rye bread @ 110 calories [the bread should be dense, not fluffy] ++++ 1 Tbsp whipped cream cheese ++++ 4 large leaves of fresh spinach ++++ 1.5 oz thinly-sliced tomato, slice and salt about 30 minutes earlier for best taste ++++ 1 oz cooked turkey breast or tenderloin ++++ ½ hard-boiled egg, sliced ++++ ½ cup Swedish Cucumber Salad ++
Spread the bread with the cream cheese and lay the spinach leaves on top. Place the tomato slices atop that. For the next layer, put down the turkey, topped by the egg slices. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drain the Cucumber Salad and plate it alongside the sandwich. Excellent!
