5 Factor Diet Review

Harley Pasternak is a celebrity trainer who has penned Hollywood’s hottest diet, The 5 Factor Diet. Some of his clients include Jessica Simpson, Alicia Keys, Eva Mendes, Kanye West, and Mandy Moore. So why 5 Factor?

5 is the unifying principle for the book: 5 meals a day, 5 “elements” at each meal, 5 is the maximum number of ingredients in each recipe, 5 workouts per week, 5 types of food to keep in your kitchen… you get the idea.

5 Factor Diet
According to Harley, the benefit of frequent small meals throughout the day is to keep insulin levels low so less food is converted into fat, keep your metabolism up, improve your mood, and reduce stress. The 5 “elements” you should have with every meal include

1. Protein: Protein has been shown to satisfy hunger more effectively than carbs and fats. It is also not as efficiently converted to fuel or fat, as carbs and protein.
2. Carbohydrates: Low and moderate glycemic carbs will tend to keep blood sugar levels lower which helps reduce insulin levels and conversion of calories into fat.
3. Fiber: Between 5-10 grams of fiber with each meal will help keep you full, lower blood sugar levels and lower cholesterol.
4. HealthyFats: Good fats are monounsaturated (olive oil, peanut oil) and polyunsaturated fats (fish, sunflower, canola and flaxseed oils). Bad fats include saturated fats (primarily found in animal products such as butter, milk, poultry skin and meats as well as coconut and palm oils) and hydrogenated or transfats (found in processed commercially prepared baked goods, margarine, and shortening)
5. Sugar Free Beverages: To help keep you from feeling thirsty so you don’t confuse hunger for thirst.

5 Factor Workout
There are 5 workouts a week, each 25 minutes long. Each workout is broken up into 5 phases:

1. Phase 1: 5 minutes of cardio-warm up
2. Phase 2: 5 minutes of upper strength training
3. Phase 3: 5 minutes of lower strength training
4. Phase 4: 5 minutes of core training
5. Phase 5: 5 minutes of cardio.

Celebrity Diet Doctor Weigh in…
The “5″ in 5 Factor is a little gimmicky and seemed contrived at times. On the plus side the menu plan is clear and well laid out. With only 5 ingredients each, the recipes are really easy to make although I can’t vouch for the taste.

There are a couple errors in the book including the suggestion that dairy will help with weight loss. As the FDA ruled against the dairy council earlier this year, we should stop perpetrating this myth. Dairy will not help you lose weight. Think about it. Do you think milk, which is created so calves can double in size every couple of months, is going to help you lose weight?

So what’s it going to take to get you looking like a Hollywood celeb? Portion control is going to be the key to making this diet work, although he does not really address this in the book, as well as the workouts. Harley Pasternak claims that what sets his diet apart is the use of the glycemic diet. Considering that the South Beach Diet and the GI Diet have already popularized the glycemic index concept, this is really nothing new. Personally I think what sets his diet apart are Jessica Simpson, Mandy Moore, Eva Mendes…

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