Trainer to celebrities like Halley Berry, Eva Mendez, Alicia Keys and Orlando Bloom, Harley Pasternak has travelled across the globe to help his A-list clients maintain their weight on the set of their movies.

In his third book, The Five Factor Diet, the Canadian-born trainer and nutritionist explains how Americans can lose weight by adopting the healthy-eating habits of the world’s 10 healthiest countries. In a recent interview with That’sFit, Pasternak shared the basic nutrition guidelines of his diet:

1.  Stick to these eating habits for at least 5 weeks. You need to allow this way of eating to become second nature so you can make the healthy-eating change a life change.
2. Avoid cravings and unhealthy binges by eating 5 small meals per day – 200 to 400 calories per meal.
3. Only use 5 or less ingredients when cooking or preparing a meal.
4. Some basic preparation of meals beforehand make them healthier. If you need to make lunch at work for instance, bring along a bag of healthy goodies you can quickly whip together.
5. You’re allowed 5 cheat foods per week – yes, you can have pizza and even ice cream!

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You can’t slow down a single gal.  Jessica Simpson is not going to allow the media to discuss her love life, her emotions and her body weight without putting up a fight.  Even though it’s just been a couple of weeks since her big break up she has been spotted numerous times in training, and now she has even graced the cover of OK! Magazine while working up a sweat.  One of Jessica’s friends told the tabloid that after she split with Tony Romo she said she wanted to get her old body back and she proceeded to the kitchen to  clean out the refrigerator.

“She went into her kitchen, got a trash bag and started to clear it out.”

Jessica has been spotted numerous times visiting celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak’s West Hollywood fitness center.  Her friend said,

“Working out is helping to give her focus and clear her head. It’s better than sitting around moping or throwing pity parties with ice cream sundaes.”

And all of her hard work is paying off.  Supposedly she has already dropped  10 pounds in just two weeks!  Now that’s obviously extreme and impossible for that matter, but it is evident she’s trying to slim down.  Jessica is not going to allow her body weight to be a negative topic of conversation in the tabloids.

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Seth Rogen has had roles on the big screen in movies such as Superbad, Knocked Up and the 40-Year-Old-Virgin.  Normally, he’s the chubby character that has us rolling in the aisles with laughter, but now that has all changed as he prepared for his starring role in the movie The Green Hornet.

The 26-year-old-star lost approximately 30 pounds while on the celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak’s 5-Factor Diet over the past nine months.  But when the comedian/actor was asked if he plans to keep the weight off after filming he said,

“I lost for a role, but I don’t know if I’ll keep it,” Seth says. “That’s the big question. I have a lot of tantrums. I want my food. I cry for no reason.”

Dropping 30 pounds is a huge accomplishment.  Let’s hope that Seth is only joking and he’ll soon realize the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle.

Other stars that have followed the 5-Factor Diet includes Katherine Heigel, who also starred in Knocked Up, and Mila Jovovich.

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In 2004, Forbes Magazine named Milla Jovovich as the ‘Richest Supermodel of the World.’  However in 2007 Milla stepped out of the limelight to have a baby and she’s just now getting back into the Hollywood lifestyle.  Why haven’t we heard from her for over a year?  She admitted that it has taken all of this time to drop the 70 pounds she gained while pregnant.  Milla said she lost the weight with,

“Diet and lots of exercise, I worked my big, little butt off,” adding “It’s been a lot of work and I’ve been working with Harley Pasternak and his 5-Factor program, they actually have diet food sent to my house. At one point I just ate oatmeal, salmon, and artichokes every day for a week. It was definitely a lot easier putting it on!”

Considering it took her over a year to lose the weight, she obviously approached post-pregnancy weight loss with a clear mind and didn’t try an extreme weight loss plan like so many other women do in Hollywood.  When asked about having more children, Mila responded,

“I do want another baby but not for a little bit.  I’ve only just lost all the weight so I want to enjoy my old body for a while before I have to become a crazy alien again.”

This week, Milla attended a gala in Hollywood for the unveiling of celebrity portraits (see photo above) that will be auctioned off to support UNICEF, an organization that supports literacy and education around the globe.

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Katherine Heigl has slimmed down while on the hit series Grey’s Anatomy with the help of celeb trainer Harley Pasternak and his 5 Factor Diet Plan. Katherine’s lunchtime workouts include 25- 50 minute sessions that begin and end with cardio and mix arm, leg and ab moves in between. Her 5 Factor diet plan consists of 5 small meals a day that contain:

1. Lean protein such as turkey
2. Healthy carbs including fruit, veggies and whole grains
3. 5-10 grams of fiber (such as 1 cup of berries or half a cup of cooked veggies)
4. Healthy fats (found in salmon or nuts)
5. Water of tea

Here’s a peek at Katherine’s 5 Factor Diet Plan courtesy of Life and Style magazine:

Breakfast – French toast 5 factor style. In a nonstick skillet, heat 2 pieces of whole-grain bread dipped in egg whites. Top with 1/8 cup of nonfat ricotta and cinnamon. Or try 1 cup of Kashi GoLean in 1 cup of nonfat milk.

Snack – Berry Smoothie. Blend a cup of berries with 2 cups of nonfat milk. Add crushed ice and half a scoop of whey or soy portein (makes 2 smoothies). Or try a slice of pear with 2/3 cup of cottage cheese.

Lunch – Katherine’s favorite is a tortilla pizza. Layer a nonflour tortilla with tomato sauce, Roma tomatoes, turkey, pepperoni, basil, and nonfat mozzarella. Warm up in a toaster oven. Another option is tossing grilled shrimp, spinach and feta cheese into a greek salad.

Snack – Celery and carrot sticks in hummus, or in a spinach dip made from nonfat sour cream and nonfat mozzarella. Or try a slice of whole grain toast topped with 1 cup of low-fat berry yogurt.

Dinner – Marinated sea bass over a cup of brown rice or edamame or herb crusted salmon on a bed of lentils. 5 factor version of spaghetti and meatballs is spagehetti squash with ground turkey breast.

Celebrity Diet Doctor Weigh In…
The “5″ in 5 factor is little on the gimmicky side.  Otherwise it’s a sensible plan.  Up the fruits and veggies and you’ll lose even more weight, but I’m not going to argue with the results.  Katherine looks stunning.

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…

According to Us Magazine, Jessica Simpson lost a reported 25 lbs in preparation for her role in Major Movie Star which starts filming July 9th. Her secret? She’s been following celeb trainer’s Harley Pasternak’s 5-Factor Diet and Fitness Plan which consists of 5 small meals a day, plus 1 cheat day, and 5 weekly workouts. Fans of Harley’s plan include Katherine Heigl, Mandy Moore, Alicia Keys, Eva Mendes and her recent ex John Mayer.

Jessica’s Sample 5 Factor diet plan (1,300 calorie a day)
Each meal consists of a lean protein, low glycemic carbs, healthy fats, fiber and a sugar-free drink. She makes it easy, by using the 5-factor diet food delivery service, available only in the LA area, at 5factordiet.com

Day 1
Breakfast – Egg-white burrito, strawberry shortcake power smoothie, Ezekiel toast.
Morning Snack – Fuji apple wedges with chocolate peanut butter dip.
Lunch – Open-face barbecue bison burger, sweet potato fries, chipotle ketchup.
Afternoon Snack – Hot dog skewers with roasted cherry tomatoes, jalapeno mustard sauce
Dinner – Cuban-style shredded beef, cumin-dusted brown rice, char-grilled corn.

Day 2
Breakfast – Grapefruit halves, nonfat yogurt, oat bran crumbles, strawberry mint salad
Morning snack – Lemon pie
Lunch – Summer heirloom tomato bisque, grilled chicken salad
Afternoon Snack – Artichoke hummus, fiber crackers, sliced turkey
Dinner – Chicken and veggie stir-fry with brown rice, wilted bok choy

Day 3
Breakfast – Oatmeal raspberry pancakes with sugar-free maple syrup.
Morning Snack – Chocolate berry trifle
Lunch – Curried chicken Tikka, cucumber yogurt, orange salad.
Afternoon snack – Mini-pepperoni pizzas
Dinner – Grilled filet mignon over roasted sweet potato mash, lemon-scented asparagus.

Jessica Simpson’s Workout
She has been working out with Pasternak for the last 2 months. The 5 factor workout includes 5 weekly sessions (25-45 minutes) of full body strength training circuits divided into 5 phases: Cardio warm-up e.g. cycling, upper body strength exercise, lower body strength exercise, core (midsection) and more cardio. Pasternak says “we’re making Jessica taut and toned without taking away her femininity.”

The Celebrity Diet Doctor weigh in
Jessica has made this sensible diet plan automatic by using a food delivery service. Small meals throughout the day controls hunger and keeps her metabolism up. Factor in her 5 weekly workouts each week and it’s little wonder that Jessica Simpson is looking great.