5 Factor Diet
5 Factor Diet is a balanced and healthy eating plan that is aimed to reduce deprivation and increase satisfaction. It includes all food groups in a clever way, also teaching you to change the behavior patterns that caused you to gain weight.
It is a long-term eating plan that is built around the number five:
• Five weeks to get results.
• Five meals a day.
• Five simple ingredients.
• Five minutes to prepare each meal- not including cooking time.
• Five days a week workout of five exercises- each for five minutes: total of 25 minutes x 5 days.
• And you can cheat five times in five weeks- once a week. You can eat pizza, ice cream, chocolate on that day.
Five criteria:
• Lean / low fat protein: chicken, turkey, fish, low fat dairy.
• Low glycemic index foods.
• High fiber: Whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
• Healthy fats: Nuts, monounsaturated olive oil.
• Water.
Advantages of 5 Factor Diet:
• You won’t be missing out on your favorite foods and there is no starving yourself.
• Vegeterian friendly.
• Flexible eating plan.
• Very little time ommitment- it takes no more than five minutes to prepare simple meals.
• You will eat more often.
5 Factor Diet and Glycemic Index:
5-Factor diet is not a no or low carb diet, instead it focuses on good quality carbohydrates that are low in glycemic index- GI value. Low GI foods tend to be lower in fat and higher in fiber in general and they help stabilize your insulin levels. Your appetite is related to insulin levels.
The higher and the faster insulin spikes during or after a meal, the quicker and sooner it will drop, you will feel hungry and be more likely to overeat. When insulin levels are more stabilized by eating lower glycemic foods like whole grains, vegetables, fruits and lean protein a few times a day, you will be more able to control your hunger soon.
5 Factor Workout:
Working out more often for shorter periods– 25 minutes can be more effective than spending hours at the gym. This way you can burn fat and build lean muscles, as part of the 5 factor diet plan. Working out- a mix of strength training and cardio- more often is likely to keep your metabolism up and this will be in your benefit in the long run.
It is also important to focus on changing your routine and adding a bit of variety every week, to stimulate muscles more. Change the number of sets, repetitions, weights you use and rest periods.
Return from 5 Factor Diet to Glycemic Index home page
Or take me back to No Carb Diet
References:
Jean Mayer, U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA), April 2007.
The 5-Factor Diet , goodtoknow.co.uk/diet/ 138837/The-5-Factor-Diet.
Goodtoknow.co.uk/ diet/138857/ Who-is-the-5-Factor-diet-good-for.
http://www.everydiet.org/diet/5-factor-diet.
The 5 Factor Diet: Can It Work for You? By Colette Bouchez.
Angela Kurtz, MS, RD, nutritionist, New York University Medical Center, New York. Abby Aronowitz, PhD, director, SelfHelpDirectives.com.
