A Review of the 5 Factor Diet You Need to Read

The 5 factor diet was created by Harley Pasternak, who is a holds a Master of Science in exercise and physiology from the University of Toronto. He has authored several books on diet and fitness. The 5 Factor series of books is the latest one and is endorsed by several celebrities like Halle Berry, Eva Mendes, Jessica Simpson, Alicia Keys, John Mayr and Benjamin Bratt. 

The 5 Factor diet plan doesn’t look very complicated nor does it place too many restrictions on food types, like some other diet plans. It strikes a balance between physical exercise and food intake and each of these revolves around the number 5. 

It’s one of the simplest but hugely effective diets out there, and all you need are five different ingredients to get through the day.

The diet prescribes you to follow a diet plan which allows you 5 meals a day. These 5 meals are supposed to be a balance of 5 ingredients:

• Lean protein like chicken, fish and low-fat dairy

• Complex carbohydrates like fruits and vegetables

• Foods rich in fibre like whole grains

• Healthy fats like olive oil

• Water and other sugar free drinks

The book also has several recipes which tell you how to incorporate these five ingredients. Any recipe contains no more than these five ingredients, and doesn’t take more than 5 minutes of prep time and 5 minutes of cooking. It also allows you a ‘cheat day’ once a week letting you eat whatever you want.

While following this diet you will need to exercise for 25 minutes every day. During these 25 minutes, there will 5 kinds of exercises which are done for 5 minutes each. This is great for people with busy work schedules. The 5 exercise routines are:

• Cardio warm up

• Upper body strength training

• Lower body strength training

• Core exercises including crunches and twists

• Cardio workout for burning fat

The foods that are included in the 5-factor diet all have a low Glycaemic Index. Being low glycaemic foods, they prevent spikes in the blood sugar level. High glycaemic foods cause spikes in blood sugar levels, resulting in the release of large amounts of insulin, which binds the sugar into cells. When the blood sugar level drops suddenly, it makes us feel hungry. With low glycaemic foods we are less likely to overeat and remain satiated for a good amount of time. Intake of such food every 3-4 hours helps regulate the blood sugar and contributes towards speeding up the metabolism, and in turn losing weight.

Both exercise and food contribute equally to staying fit as per this diet. You can lose around 1-2 pounds per week. It is a healthy and nutritious plan wherein you do not feel deprived, can enjoy cheat days, and do not have to spend time on preparing complex recipes. The 25-minute workout is also easily scheduled into your day. So, if you are a busy Mum or Dad, or running back and forth to the office, this diet is a great choice for you!