Decoding the 5-Factor Diet Plan

The Five-Factor Diet is actually a lifestyle plan, conceived by celebrity fitness trainer Harley Pasternak, whose client list includes Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Halle Berry, Katy Perry, Megan Fox, Robert Downey Jr., Robert Pattinson, Jessica Simpson, Ke$ha, Hilary Duff and Jennifer Hudson. Aiming to reduce hunger and cravings, while providing you with optimum nutrition, the Five-Factor Diet focuses on the number 5. He first proposed the plan in his book, The 5 Factor Diet, and then followed it up with a 5 Factor World Diet.
According to the Five-Factor Diet plan, you must eat five meals in a day. Each meal has to include five ingredients (each with 5 minutes’ prep and cook time). There is a “cheat day,” too, every week, when you can satisfy your cravings.
While planning the day’s meal, you need to ensure that you eat a maximum of 65 grams of fat (either mono- or polyunsaturated fats), consume carbs with an acceptable glycemic index (aka, GI, a ranking of carbs showing how carbs in a particular food will affect the blood glucose levels), and eat only lean protein.
Eating a balanced meal five times a day will take care of your blood sugar levels and keep you energetic through the day. 

Each meal in the 5-Factor Diet plan must include all the five nutrient groups:
·         Protein: egg whites, lean meats, poultry, fish, fat-free dairy
·         Complex carbohydrates, with no more than 80 GI: vegetables, sweet potato, wild rice, beans, lentils, oatmeal, quinoa
·         Fiber (5-10 grams): whole-grain cereal, wild rice, beans, whole wheat bread, fruits and vegetables with edible skins and seeds
·         Healthy fat: Fish oils from tuna, salmon, mackerel, sardines, rainbow trout; flaxseeds; peanut oil; olive oil; canola oil; sunflower oil
·         Sugar-free drinks (8-12 ounces): water, tea, coffee, sugar-free soda, or an unsweetened energy drink. You can have your alcohol on the “cheat day.”
The other part of this 5-Factor Diet is a 25-minute workout done five times a week. 
Each session consists of five, 5-minute segments of the following workout types”
•           Cardio warm-up
•           Upper-body strength exercises
•           Lower-body strength exercises
•           Exercises to strengthen the core muscles
•           Cardio workout

According to Harley, shorter and frequent workouts are more beneficial than long-stretching ones.
The 5-Factor Diet plan is a good option for those who are aiming at weight loss. Each meal is well balanced in nutrients, where all food groups are taken care of. Moreover, all meals are high in fiber, which is great for weight loss.

The 5-Factor Diet has no specific caloric requirements and same menu applies to everyone, regardless of the activity level, height, or gender. However, one can modify it to suit one’s specific requirement.
Patients of certain chronic conditions and diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney diseases etc., MUST consult their doctors before taking up this diet. According to some nutrition experts, the amount of carbohydrates in the meals can be insufficient for diabetes patients, while sodium levels may be too high for those requiring a low-sodium diet.


To sum it up, the 5-Factor-Diet plan is a useful plan, incorporating all food categories in appropriate proportions. It includes enough fiber and stresses on low fat protein choices and low-fat dairy suggestions. It also gives equal stress on physical exercises, combining cardio and strength training.

Read More
Web MD review of the 5-Factor Diet Plan
Interview with Harley Pasternak on Forbes
Parternak writes for People

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