Vegetarian Diet/Lefestyle

Next I will be reviewing a vegetarian diet/lifestyle. I was a vegetarian for a year and a half.

What is a vegetarian diet?

Some people follow a "vegetarian" diet, but there's no single vegetarian eating pattern. The vegan or total vegetarian diet includes only foods from plants: fruits, vegetables, legumes (dried beans and peas), grains, seeds and nuts. The lactovegetarian diet includes plant foods plus cheese and other dairy products. The ovo-lactovegetarian (or lacto-ovovegetarian) diet also includes eggs. Semi-vegetarians don't eat red meat but include chicken and fish with plant foods, dairy products and eggs.

Are vegetarian diets healthful?

Most vegetarian diets are low in or devoid of animal products. They’re also usually lower than nonvegetarian diets in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Many studies have shown that vegetarians seem to have a lower risk of obesity, coronary heart disease (which causes heart attack), high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus and some forms of cancer.

Vegetarian diets can be healthful and nutritionally sound if they’re carefully planned to include essential nutrients. However, a vegetarian diet can be unhealthy if it contains too many calories and/or saturated fat and not enough important nutrients.

What are the nutrients to consider in a vegetarian diet?

Protein: You don't need to eat foods from animals to have enough protein in your diet. Plant proteins alone can provide enough of the essential and non-essential amino acids, as long as sources of dietary protein are varied and caloric intake is high enough to meet energy needs.
Whole grains, legumes, vegetables, seeds and nuts all contain both essential and non-essential amino acids. You don't need to consciously combine these foods ("complementary proteins") within a given meal.
Soy protein has been shown to be equal to proteins of animal origin. It can be your sole protein source if you choose.
Iron: Vegetarians may have a greater risk of iron deficiency than nonvegetarians. The richest sources of iron are red meat, liver and egg yolk -- all high in cholesterol. However, dried beans, spinach, enriched products, brewer's yeast and dried fruits are all good plant sources of iron.
Vitamin B-12: This comes naturally only from animal sources. Vegans need a reliable source of vitamin B-12. It can be found in some fortified (not enriched) breakfast cereals, fortified soy beverages, some brands of nutritional (brewer's) yeast and other foods (check the labels), as well as vitamin supplements.
Vitamin D: Vegans should have a reliable source of vitamin D. Vegans who don’t get much sunlight may need a supplement.
Calcium: Studies show that vegetarians absorb and retain more calcium from foods than nonvegetarians do. Vegetable greens such as spinach, kale and broccoli, and some legumes and soybean products, are good sources of calcium from plants.
Zinc: Zinc is needed for growth and development. Good plant sources include grains, nuts and legumes. Shellfish are an excellent source of zinc. Take care to select supplements containing no more than 15-18 mg zinc. Supplements containing 50 mg or more may lower HDL ("good") cholesterol in some people.

What meal plans are recommended?

Any type of vegetarian diet should include a wide variety of foods and enough calories to meet your energy needs.

* Keep your intake of sweets and fatty foods to a minimum. These foods are low in nutrients and high in calories.
* Choose whole or unrefined grain products when possible, or use fortified or enriched cereal products.
* Use a variety of fruits and vegetables, including foods that are good sources of vitamins A and C.
* If you use milk or dairy products, choose fat-free/nonfat and low-fat varieties.
* Eggs are high in cholesterol (213 mg per yolk), so monitor your use of them. Limit your cholesterol intake to no more than 300 mg per day.

Why I did it?

I became a vegetarian because my bad cholesterol was high and my good cholesterol was low. I did not eat red meat even though I love the taste. I did not eat pork because of the fattiness. I didn't eat chicken more so because I figured if I was eliminating the others I cut out chicken mostly for treatment of animal reasons. So many chickens live their lives in small cages. I did eat some fish which is not a traditional vegetarian but that was my compromise. Fish oil (Omega 3) is good for you and unbreaded fish is healthy and a good source of protein.
Also, for the first year I cut out as much refined sugar as possible, I ate honey and about three cafe mochas a week (my other great vice).

Best Regards,
Mike

Cinch Diet/inch loss plan by Shaklee Review

I did the Cinch inch loss plan by Shaklee for two months. I was very strict for the first month and a half. I would categorize Cinch in with the shake diets. I have done shake diets before and don't like them at all because they always say "after the shake I felt so full" - Bullshit. I was always hungry. It was different with Cinch it is a program not based on starving yourself. The great thing was it came with the Cinch success guide with cinch coach software CD. It helped you balance exercise and good nutrition. With starvation diets they might work during the diet but after you get the weight back twice as fast.

The Cinch starter kit besides the shake mix also comes with a 3 in 1 boost that is a multivitamin, multi mineral, with chromium, vanadium, and banaba leaf extract. It is hard to say the effect of this one product when I didn't use it without the other products but this could explain why on other shake diets I was always hungry. The kit also included cinch bars which are similar to the health bars common at the health food store. I always find diet bars with chocolate taste a bit funny to me as did Shaklee chocolate bar but they had a very strange lemon cranberry bar that was unlike any other diet bar I ever had and I think it was good. The kit also includes an energy tea that was helpful but I am not a big fan of most teas but they also had a pomegranate energy tea that was great, I would use it in ice water or in hot water. It comes in a handy little single use pack that is similar to the crystal light individual ice tea pack. The kit also includes a pedometer and a tape measure. I was walking almost double the minimum required steps for the pedometer.
Cinch allows you to eat other food besides the shakes and the software CD will walk you through what and how much you can eat.
Shaklee doesn't advertise this product as a lose 50 lbs. in two months. They are realistic about it and sell it as an inch loss plan. Shaklee has independent resellers that just like Mary Kay could be very different from one another though.
The only thing that was not enjoyable with the plan was the result of the shakes. It caused a large amount of gas for me and a real slight amount of abdominal discomfort. I understand that products high in fiber can cause this. This was one of the healthiest diets I have ever used and I felt Shaklee was honest compared to other diet plans that say you will lose a lot of weight but they don't work.
The two months that I was on this diet followed right after doing the Atkins diet for three weeks and I think that caused me to lose less then I originally anticipated. In the two months I used the Cinch plan I lost 22 lbs. but I lost six and a half inches on my waist. I had to add three holes to my belts. That was a great feeling.
I would recommend the Cinch inch loss plan to anyone. Below are the ratings that I gave Cinch




Best Regards,
Mike

Perfect Circle Remedies, LLC
Perfect Circle Community

Cinch Diet/inch loss plan by Shaklee

Next I will be reviewing Cinch the inch loss plan by Shaklee. Shaklee takes a nice approach by advertising their product as an inch loss plan compared to exclusively referring to it as a weight loss diet. Weight isn't always the best way to judge the success or failure of a diet. muscle ways more then fat and the best fat to lose is around your midsection therefore inch loss makes sense.



This Shaklee's description of the Cinch plan:

The Dreaded Diet Cycle
If you are like most people, you’ve struggled with your weight at one time or another. You’ve
been on every fad diet. Initially you lose some weight, but then you gain it back and find
yourself heavier than before. This is the dreaded cycle of yo-yo dieting.
Yes, in the short term you can lose the weight, but every time you do this you may be doing more
damage than good because your body thinks it’s experiencing a “famine.” In response to that
famine, your body goes into survival mode and conserves energy by slowing down your metabolism.
Your body does its best to hold on to the fat you have for as long as it can. So, with many diets
the weight you initially lose is not from just fat, but muscle, too. And that loss of muscle slows
down your metabolism even further because muscle burns calories. Muscle = Metabolism.
There are also common challenges—emotional and other physical ones that come along with
dieting. Many diets are too restrictive or monotonous, or leave you feeling deprived and don’t
teach you how to permanently change your eating and exercise habits. They leave you feeling
hungry, tired, and craving the foods you miss most. You’ve about had it, so you return to your old
eating habits and gain the weight back. And the sad part is, the weight you put back on is fat weight.

How Cinch Works

The Cinch Inch Loss Plan is different. It addresses one of the primary reasons why other diets
fail. Cinch provides you a plan to lose the right way. Instead of losing weight from fat and muscle,
the Cinch Inch Loss Plan is Powered by Leucine™ to help preserve muscle while you lose
weight from fat.† Preserving muscle mass also prevents your metabolism from dropping.
The Cinch Inch Loss Plan with leucine is scientifically formulated to help you lose weight, lose
inches, and break the cycle of perpetual dieting.
The Cinch Inch Loss Plan is designed for real life, so it also addresses the physical and emotional
challenges that come along with your weight control efforts. With proprietary formulas, the
Cinch products will help you control your hunger, boost your energy, and keep you feeling
satisfied. Plus, you’ll get healthy personalized menus, specific to your body’s needs and your
individual preferences.

Benefits
• Helps you lose pounds and inches†
• Helps you lose weight and inches without feeling hungry
• Clinically tested with leucine formula to help preserve muscle during weight loss†
• Promotes weight loss from fat
• Provides protein to help control hunger and preserve muscle
• Offers personalized and flexible meal plan options
• Provides the support and tools you need to be successful
• Helps you achieve healthy lifestyle changes
The Challenge
Inch Loss Plan
†Based on results from a 12-week preliminary study, which did not include Cinch Meal-in-a-Bar, as it was introduced after the study.
The Solution Cinch inch loss plan

Everything You Need to Start Losing Inches Today
With Cinch, you get two meals a day in a delicious shake or a meal-in-a-bar, a yummy snack
bar to treat yourself, a three-in-one supplement with ingredients to kick up your metabolism*,
and an extraordinary tea for natural energy.
Each product uses proprietary formulas, which were developed out of the Shaklee tradition
of scientific innovation in nutrition.
• Cinch™ Shake Mix in rich chocolate, creamy vanilla, café latte, and strawberry flavors.
Packed with soy protein to keep you feeling full and Powered by Leucine™ to help you hold on
to muscle while you lose weight. Vanilla is also available in a non-soy, whey protein blend formula.
• Cinch™ Meal-in-a-Bar in two scrumptious flavors—Berry Almond Crunch and
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip. A great alternative to a Cinch shake. Packed with
20 grams of protein to keep you feeling full and Powered by Leucine™ to help hold on to
muscle while you lose weight.
• Cinch™ 3-in-1 Boost™ is three products in one—a balanced multivitamin with 23 essential
nutrients, a metabolic booster that kicks you into calorie-burning gear, and nutrients including
chromium to help retain normal blood sugar levels and keep energy levels stable.*
• Cinch™ Snack Bar serve up hard-to-believe snacking pleasure with hunger-fighting
protein. Powered by Leucine™, they help preserve muscle. 120–130 calories per bar.
• Cinch™ Energy Tea Mix serves natural oomph in a cup. Hot or cold, this exotic blend
of red, white, and green teas gives you a natural energy boost anytime you need it.
Available in unsweetened and pomegranate flavors.
Cinch Starter Kit
Each kit contains:
• Cinch Shake Mix (Canister) (15 servings) • Cinch Daily Journals (2)
• Cinch Shake Mix (14 single-serving packets) • Cinch Pedometer
• Cinch 3-in-1 Boost (42 tablets) • Cinch Shaker Cup
• Cinch Bar Assortment Pack (10 bars) • Cinch Tape Measure
• Cinch Energy Tea Mix, Unsweetened (28 sticks)
• Cinch Success Guide with CinchCoach™ Starter Kit (Vanilla), #59065
Software CD Starter Kit (Chocolate), #59066
cinch Products
†Based on results from a 12-week preliminary study, which did not include Cinch Meal-in-a-Bar, as it was introduced after the study.
Cinch Products
Cinch™ Shakes
• Cinch Vanilla Shake Mix
Canister, 15 servings #20340
net wt. 25 oz. (1lb. 9 oz.) 720 g
Single-Serving Packets, 14 packets #20342
1.7 oz. (48 g) ea.
net wt. 24 oz. (672 g)
• Cinch Chocolate Shake Mix
Canister, 15 servings #20341
net wt. 27 oz. (1lb. 11 oz.) 765 g
Single-Serving Packets, 14 packets #20343
1.8 oz. (51 g) ea.
net wt. 25 oz. (714 g)
• Cinch Vanilla Whey Protein Blend Shake Mix
Canister, 15 servings #20068
net wt. 25 oz. (1lb. 9 oz.) 720 g
Cinch™ Meal-in-a-Bar
7 bars per box, net wt. 18 oz. (490 g)
• Berry Almond Crunch #20373
•Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip #20405
• Cinch Café Latte Shake Mix
Canister, 15 servings #20339
net wt. 26 oz. (1lb. 10 oz.) 750 g
Single-Serving Packets, 14 packets #20338
1.8 oz. (50 g) ea.
net wt. 25 oz. (700 g)
• Cinch Strawberry Shake Mix
Canister, 15 servings #20336
net wt. 27 oz. (1lb. 11 oz.) 765 g
Single-Serving Packets, 14 packets #20335
1.8 oz. (51 g) ea.
net wt. 25 oz. (714 g)
Cinch™ 3-in-1 Boost™
• 84 Tablets (28 servings) #20347
*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Clinical Study
• Leverages 50 years of nutritional science leadership and innovation
• Clinically tested — this leucine-enhanced nutrition program was shown to help retain
100% of lean muscle mass.†
• Powered by Leucine™, specifically formulated to help you break the diet cycle so you:
 Keep muscle you have
 Burn fat you don’t need
 Lose inches you don’t want
• 100% unconditional guarantee of satisfaction
• 65% of adults in the United States who are overweight
• Anyone looking for a healthy way to lose weight and inches
• Anyone who is seeking an alternative to the fatigue, hunger, and food cravings commonly
associated with typical diets
• Anyone who has been advised by their doctor to lose weight

Summary of Results †
• Study participants lost an average 15.4 lbs. over 12 weeks.
• Study participants lost an average of 4.1 inches from their waists and 2.6 inches from their hips.
• Study participants lost on average 16.3 lbs. of fat over 12 weeks.
• Study participants experienced no significant changes in fat-free mass over 12 weeks.
These data suggest that most, if not all, weight loss was derived from body fat and fat-free
mass was preserved.
• More than 90% of study participants reported their energy levels as “very good” or “great”
while on the Cinch Inch Loss Plan.
NOTE: For details on the scientific support for each product, please see the individual Product Briefs.
†Based on results from a 12-week preliminary study, which did not include Cinch Meal-in-a-Bar, as it was introduced after the study.
Who will
benefit?
Study participants
who followed the
Cinch Inch Loss Plan
lost an average of
15.4 lbs. over
12 weeks.†


Best Regards,
Mike
Perfect Circle Remedies, LLC

Atkins Diet Review

I did the Atkins diet for three weeks. It wasn't much of a change from what I would normally eat. The biggest struggle for me was cutting out sugar completely. At the time I was drinking a six pack of Mountain Dew a day. My Triglyceride levels where at about 650 - the doctors said that 250 would have been high, my bloodstream was high fructose corn syrup with some blood in it. I also didn't like the vegetables that I could eat the first week because even though most vegetables have very little carbs the first week is so strict that you can only have very little carbs in the beginning.
I lost 27 lbs. during the three weeks that I was on the Atkins Diet. In the beginning I enjoyed being on a diet and eating all the food I wanted and still lost weight. The craving for caffeine was usually brought on by lack of sleep. I made sure I was well rested and it went great. The first week I lost 14 lbs. then the next week I lost 8 lbs. and the last week I lost and the final week I lost 5 lbs. From other people I have talked to it seems that most people hit a point where it is hard to continue to lose weight with Atkins.
Once I got in to a routine this was an extremely easy diet and a major problem I have with diets is that I am usually always hungary but not with this diet.
Below is the rating I gave for the Atkins Diet.



Best Regards,
Mike

Perfect Circle Remedies
Perfect Circle Community

The Atkins Diet

One of the most controversial diets ever.

"Atkins Nutritional Approach, popularly known as the Atkins Diet or just 'Atkins', is a well-known low-carbohydrate diet. Dr.Robert Atkins from a diet he read in the Journal of the American Medical Association and utilized to resolve his own overweight condition following medical school and graduate medical training. He later popularized the Atkins diet in a series of books, starting with Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution in 1998. In his revised book, Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, some of his ideas, but remained faithful to the original concepts.

The Atkins franchise, a business formed to provide products to those individuals on the diet, was highly successful due to the popularity of the diet, and is considered the driving entity of the larger "low-carb craze". However, various factors led to its dwindling success and the company founded by Dr. Atkins in 1989, Atkins Nutritionals of Ronkonkoma, New York, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July of 2005, two years after the death of Dr. Atkins. The company re-emerged in January 2006, and the Atkins logo is still highly visible through licensed-proprietary branding for food products and related merchandise.

Nature of the Diet

The Atkins Diet represents a departure from prevailing theories. Atkins claimed there are two main unrecognized factors about Western eating habits, arguing firstly that the main cause of obesity is eating refined carbohydrates, particularly sugar, flour, and high-fructose corn syrups; and secondly, that saturated fat is overrated as a nutritional problem, and that only trans fats from sources such as hydrogenated oils need to be avoided. Consequently, Dr. Atkins rejected the advice of the food pyramid, instead asserting that the tremendous increase in refined carbohydrates is responsible for the rise in metabolic disorders of the 20th century, and that the focus on the detrimental effects of dietary fat has actually contributed to the obesity problem by increasing the proportion of insulin-inducing foods in the diet. While most of the emphasis in Atkins is on the diet, nutritional supplements and exercise are considered equally important elements.

Atkins involves the restriction of carbohydrates in order to switch the body's metabolism from burning glucose to burning stored body fat. This process (called lipolysis) begins when the body enters the state of ketosis as a consequence of running out of excess carbohydrates to burn. Dr. Atkins in his book New Diet Revolution claimed that the low-carbohydrate diet produces a "metabolic advantage" where the body burns more calories, overall, than on normal diets, and also expels some unused calories. He cited one study where he estimated this advantage to be 950 calories (4.0 MJ) a day. However, a review study in the Lancet (see below) concluded that there was no metabolic advantage and dieters were simply eating fewer calories due to boredom. Professor Astru stating that "The monotony and simplicity of the diet could inhibit appetite and food intake." [1], or possibly protein inducing a satiating effect.

The Atkins diet restricts "net carbs" (carbohydrates that have an effect on blood sugar). The effect is to decrease the onset of hunger from low blood sugar. Dr. Atkins says in Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution (2002) that hunger is the number one reason why low-fat diets fail. Though studies show the efficacy of the Atkins approach after one year is the same as a low-fat diet, Dr. Atkins claimed that it was easier to stay on the Atkins diet because dieters did not feel hungry or "deprived". Other studies have sited that the 'low fat' trend which portrays the myth that fat in the food somehow transfers to fat in the body, do not mention the essential amino-acids which are essential in brain function and precursors to serotonin and other neurotransmitters. One study goes as far as comparing the low fat trend with the increase in diagnosed depression over the last two decades.

Net carbohydrates can be calculated from a food source by subtracting sugar alcohols and fiber (which are shown to have a negligible effect on blood sugar levels) from total carbohydrates. Sugar alcohols need to be treated with caution, because while they may be slower to convert to glucose, they can be a significant source of glycemic load and can stall weight loss. Fructose (eg, as found in many industrial sweeteners) also contributes to caloric intake, though outside of the glucose-insulin control loop.

Preferred foods in all categories are whole, unprocessed foods with a low glycemic load. Atkins Nutritionals, the company responsible for marketing the Atkins Diet, recommends that no more than 20% of calories eaten while on the diet come from saturated fat."
from Wikipedia

The debate over this diet still looms but the important thing to keep in mind is that most doctors do not like the idea of telling people you can eat whatever fatty foods you want. This diet is not meant to taken advantage of. You must still keep in mind good nutrition. The Atkins Diet is basically saying we eat to many carbohydrates and too much refined sugar. Their are four phases - the induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and also lifetime maintenance.

The Phases

Induction

"The Induction phase is the first, and most restrictive, phase of the Atkins Nutritional Approach. It is intended to cause the body to quickly enter a state of ketosis. Carbohydrate intake is limited to 20 net grams per day (grams of carbohydrates minus grams of fiber, sugar alcohols, or glycerin), 12 to 15 net grams of which must come in the form of salad greens and other green vegetables (broccoli, green beans, spinach and asparagus). The allowed foods include a liberal amount of all meats, fish, shellfish, fowl, and eggs; up to 4 ounces (113 g) of soft or semi-soft cheese; salad vegetables; other low carbohydrate vegetables; and butter and vegetable oils. Drinking eight glasses of water per day is a must during this phase. Alcoholic beverages are not allowed during this phase.[4] Caffeine is allowed in moderation so long as it does not cause cravings or low blood sugar. If a caffeine addiction is evident, it is best to not allow it until later phases of the diet.[4] A daily multivitamin with minerals is also recommended.

The Induction Phase is usually when many see the most significant weight loss — reports of losses of 5 to 10 pounds per week are not uncommon when Induction is combined with daily exercise.

Atkins suggests the use of Ketostix, small chemically reactive strips used by diabetics. These let the dieter monitor when they enter the ketosis, or fat burning, phase. Other indicators of ketosis include a metallic taste in the mouth, or bad breath.

Ongoing weight loss

The Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) phase of Atkins consists of an increase in carbohydrate intake, but remaining at levels where weight loss occurs. The target daily carbohydrate intake increases each week by 5 net grams. A goal in OWL is to find the "Critical Carbohydrate Level for Losing" and to learn in a controlled manner how food groups in increasing glycemic levels and foods within that group affect your craving control. The OWL phase lasts until weight is within 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of the target weight. During the first week, one should add more of the induction acceptable vegetables to his/her daily products. For example, 6-8 stalks of asparagus, salad, one cup of cauliflower or one half of avocado. The next week, one should follow the carbohydrate ladder that Dr Atkins created for this phase and add fresh dairy. The ladder has 9 rungs and should be added in order given. One can skip a rung if one does not intend to include that food group in one's permanent way of eating, such as the alcohol rung.

The rungs are as follows:

* Induction acceptable vegetables
* Fresh dairy
* Nuts
* Berries
* Alcohol
* Legumes
* Other fruits
* Starchy vegetables
* Grains

Pre-maintenance

Carbohydrate intake is increased again this time by 10 net carbs a week from the ladder groupings, and the key goal in this phase is to find the "Critical Carbohydrate Level for Maintenance", this is the maximum number of carbohydrates you can eat each day without gaining weight. This may well be above the level of carbohydrates inducing ketosis on a testing stick. As a result, it is not necessary to maintain a positive ketosis test long term.

Lifetime maintenance

This phase is intended to carry on the habits acquired in the previous phases, and avoid the common end-of-diet mindset that can return people to their previous habits and previous weight. Whole, unprocessed food choices are emphasized, with the option to drop back to an earlier phase if you begin to gain weight."
from Wikipedia

Best Regards,
Mike

A little about me - Mike

Hi, I am Mike one of the contributors to this blog. Before I review products I just wanted to give you a bit of background about me and my health. This is a very long story but I will try to give you the cliff notes version. I am in my mid 30's, I have three children, a puggle (that's a type of dog) and a wonderful wife.
I enjoy working out, and being active but for the last 10-15 years it has been difficult to find the time to be active. I have had high blood preassure since I was 15 years old, I have high bad cholesterol, low good chlesterol, and am presently almost 300 lbs. My triglycerides are sky high. Therefore I am about normal in the realm of all us Americans that over indulge, lack restraint, work a sedentary job and have not dedicated the time to fix my health.
I will first review some of the diet programs I started about two years ago that worked for a long time until my vices stopped my progress about six months ago. Then I will start reviewing products on new items and programs.
In the past two years I have done the Atkins program, the Cinch program by Shaklee and was a vegatarian for about one and a half years. I will review each of these in that order.

If you have any questions please post comments or questions or feel free to email me at mikes@perfectcircleremedies.com. Also email me with suggestions of products that you think I should review, advertising opportunities, and anything else.

Best Regards,
Mike

Welcome

Welcome, we are glad to have you visit our informational blog. We will be reviewing different books, diets, vitamins, herbal supplements, and anything related to health and ways to live a healthy life. We will use different criteria for grading but at the least we will usually rate on a scale of 1 to 10 the ease of use, and effectiveness of the product, book or regimen.
Below is an example of a 7 out of 10 for ease of use. 10 being the best this means the product was pretty easy to use and the reviewer didn't really have to change the way they lived to use this product.

-Mike