The 5 Factor Diet

Hollywood is known for a lot of glamour, glitz and skinny movie stars. It's not surprising that Hollywood also churns out a seemingly endless stream of diets. The latest diet craze to hit Hollywood is the 5 Factor Diet. Learn what convinced Alicia Keys, Jessica Simpson, Rihanna, Mandy Moore and Eva Mendes to give it a try.

Harley Pasternak is a personal trainer to the stars. With that background, making the jump to diet guru status was easy. His book, The 5 Factor Diet, spells out his plan for losing weight and living a healthier life. Some of his ideas are surprising.

The number 5 plays a key role in this diet. Why? That's not really important, is it? But every day should have 5 meals. Every meal should have 5 components (lean protein, complex carbs, fiber, fat and water). Food should have no more than 5 ingredients and take no more than 5 minutes to make. Oh, yes, there's a 5-day exercise plan that takes (you're reading ahead, aren't you?) 5 minutes a day to perform. Yes, there really are 5 elements of the 5 Factor Diet.

Pasternak's eating plan focuses on controlling blood sugar. Sometimes called Glycemic Index, this is a measure of how rapidly the food is digested. Many people believe that blood sugar spikes, caused by foods that quickly metabolize into a lot of glucose, causes hunger pangs. By eating foods that digest more slowly, blood sugar spikes are eliminated and cravings suppressed. That makes it easier to stick with your diet.

The 5 Factor diet is a 5 week plan (of course), but there is no reason to stop if you haven't reached your goal weight. Pasternak says that his diet will let you lose one or two pounds a week. This is a sensible and safe rate of weight loss. All in all, this is a moderate and conservative diet. It meets the government's guidelines for calorie intake. With the moderate exercise, this is a positive step for most people's health.

Could this diet be right for you? The meal plan is simple and the recipes straight-forward. Although there aren't guidelines for eating out, eating 5 times a day is certainly attractive. The 5 components of every meal can help bring a renewed focus on eating a balanced diet, and keep you away from fast food drive-throughs. And even 5 minutes of exercise a week can make a difference. So, why not give it a try? So grab Pasternak's book and give your diet buddy a high 5! And, of course, click on that Comment button and share you 5 tips for success.