Experts agree that the logic behind the 5 Factor Diet is reasonable and healthy, but it’s not for everyone

Photo by Mikhail Nilov/Pexels

It’s always interesting to see how diet trends emerge and work, but a lot of them have the tendency to look like a gimmick more than a potentially helpful lifestyle. However if you want to try something simple and actually based on a study, consider the 5 Factor Diet, which is believed to be followed by celebrities like Katy Perry.

What is the 5 Factor Diet all about?

The 5 Factor Diet was created by celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak. Just as the name implies, it revolves around the number five for simplicity purposes. It promises a balanced diet and that you won’t go hungry. The key component of this diet is eating five meals a day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks. Your meals should contain these five elements: lean protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber, healthy fat, and sugar-free drinks. Your meals should be done no longer than five minutes with no more than five steps and five ingredients. You also have a cheat day once a week.

The key component of this diet is eating five meals a day—breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks—that contain five elements: lean protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber, healthy fat, and sugar-free drinks

The basis

The idea behind these five factors is based on the Glycemic Index (GI), which is a measurement that determines the effect of food on your blood sugar. Foods that have a high GI spike your blood sugar level, which signals your pancreas to secrete more insulin. Insulin converts sugar to fat and too much of it can decrease your blood sugar too low. The idea behind the 5 Factor Diet is to maintain normal blood sugar levels. High blood sugar hurts weight loss, but too low increases hunger and the tendency to overeat.

Half the diet also requires completing a workout of five exercises, each done in five minutes for five days a week

The workout

Pasternak also stated that half the diet involves exercise. For this, you need to complete a workout of five exercises, each done in five minutes for five days a week. The workout consists of cardio warm-ups, upper body strength training, lower body strength training, core training, and fat-burning cardio.

This diet promises results in five weeks but if you still have a lot more weight to lose, it might take longer than that because the 5 Factor Diet is more about gradual loss than extreme loss. Experts agree that the logic behind this diet is reasonable and healthy, but it’s not for everyone. This is not an advisable diet for the diabetic because the carbs aren’t enough. Also, it’s not an ideal diet for those with hypertension and kidney problems.