FitSugar

Celebrity Trainer Harley Pasternak Dishes About Food

FitSugar — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 05:50:18 PDT

Harley Pasternak says that if you follow his 5 Factor diet, you will see results. First, eat five times a day: two meals and three snacks. Next, everything you eat should have five components: lean protein, low glycemic carbs, healthy fats, fiber, and a sugar-free beverage. And to keep it real, there's a cheat day once a week.

The in-demand trainer recently came out with a new book - the 5 Factor World Diet - that draws on lessons learned from constant travel. Harley selected 10 countries with the lowest obesity rates and highest life expectancies and studied what they eat, how they eat, and how they burn it off. Although busy bopping between clients, Harley took some time out of his day to talk all things food: what you should be eating, why fresh food isn't always better, and yes, even he has a cheat food.

To see the interview,

FitSugar: Your latest book, The 5 Factor World Diet, is based on the insights you’ve gained while traveling. What are some healthy eating tips you’ve picked up from other countries?
Harley Pasternak: I saw a lot of fish - not beef - in the healthiest countries, and whole grains, vegetable, and whole soy - especially in Okinawa where everyone is 100 years old. In Sweden, sandwiches are made with one piece of bread, not two - it’s always always an open-faced sandwich. Physical activity is very much tied to meals too. In Italy they have something called a "pasa giatta," and when the meal ends they all get up and go for a walk together. And in other parts of the world they go grocery shopping every day, so you’re basically burning off half the meal to pick up ingredients, and when you’re preparing your food, you have more control over what you put into it.

FS: What advice do you have for people who can’t walk to pick up fresh food because the nearest market is 30 miles away?
HP: I’m a big fan of frozen food and canned food. I know that’s not what we’re used to hearing but frozen and canned food can be as healthy, if not healthier than fresh counterpart options. Fresh produce is not the end-all be-all - when I make smoothies I almost always use frozen fruits, and when I make soups I often use frozen vegetables. You can use canned beans and frozen vegetables for dips as well. Also, don’t be afraid of canned fish, canned salmon, canned tuna, and frozen seafood like shrimp cocktail. It’s another great way to get seafood into your diet, if you can't get fresh.

FS: What are some of your favorite meals from the 5 Factor World Diet?
HP: Gosh, there are so many. As I wrote the World Diet book, I was looking abroad for some good fiber recipes and fell in love with Japanese food like soba noodles. I also love the idea of ceviche. Going to Spain and learning to make ceviche was great. It's absolutely foolproof, even for someone who has no idea how to cook.

FS: What about snacks - especially when you’re on the go?
HP: Snacks - as should a meal - [should] have a lowfat protein and a fibrous carbohydrate. I tell my clients to grab some plain nonfat Greek yogurt and some frozen berries and mix that together. Soy snacks are great too: edamame, Soy Joy bars, and soy milk are all great. I often make a dip out of nonfat Greek yogurt and natural peanut butter for protein and calcium. It’s 1:2 ratio of peanut butter to yogurt and it’s delicious with apples or pears.

FS: Now that you’ve brought up fruit, one of our readers wants to know why there are no grapes or bananas on the 5-Factor Diet?
HP: No one is going to live a shorter life if they have bananas or grapes, however there are much, much healthier fruits. I try and tell my clients to choose those fruits over others. I tell my clients to stick to fruits that either have edible skin, edible seeds, or citrus - bananas do not have edible skin, nor do they have edible seeds really, nor is it citrus. Most of the fiber and nutrients that are in a fruit are in a fruit’s skin. A banana is just the densest piece of fruit that you can put in your body, and since it doesn’t have much fiber, it won’t keep you full. It’s kind of a shame to have a fruit with no fiber.

Grapes are an exception to the rule because they have a special sugar in them called dextrose, which is the highest glycemic sugar that you can possibly put in your body. They actually make grape pills for diabetics so that they don’t become low.

FS: Are there any foods that you think people should avoid, even on their cheat days?
HP: Absolutely no, not at all. Life is short and you have to enjoy it, and you should indulge when it’s time to indulge. At some point, I think everyone should eat everything at least once.

FS: And what’s your cheat food?
HP: My cheat food? That’s easy, it’s chocolate chip cookies. I’m the biggest chocolate chip cookie freak in the world.

FS: And do you give yourself some cookies every week?
HP: At least every week.

To get a taste of Harley's diet, try his recipe for five-spice halibut. It's tasty and easy to make.

Book Review: The 5 Factor World Diet by Harley Pasternak

FitSugar — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:00:50 PST

Celeb trainer Harley Pasternak has traveled the world while keeping A-list celebs in A-plus shape, and he took some notes on international eating habits while on the road. Harley has turned his studies into the 5 Factor World Diet ($25), equal parts cross-cultural study and cookbook. The book makes for an interesting read and some tasty meals.

Pasternak selected 10 countries with the lowest obesity rates and highest life expectancies and studied what they eat, how they eat it, and how they burn it off. His world diet includes chapters on each country's dietary staples and food philosophies, including Japan, Singapore, Sweden, France, and Israel. The chapters are peppered with tips from each nation, like in Japan there is an emphasis on food presentation as well as flavor. We also learn that Swedes practice lagom, which means "just enough," eating until they are satisfied but not full. We learn that cabbage is popular in both Japan and Sweden and that yogurt is a staple in France as well as Israel.

Harley has taken popular dishes from each country to create the recipe portion of the book as well as a month of meal planning. His diet philosophy centers on the number five: you eat five small meals a day (or three meals and two snacks) to stabilize insulin levels; all meals need to meet the following five nutritional criteria and contain protein, carbs (healthy whole grains of course), fiber (5 to 10 grams in every meal), healthy fats, and a low-calorie, sugar-free beverage. His recipes are simple, using only five main ingredients or less. You can learn about the ins and outs of his diet plan at his website.

I tested a recipe last night, the Chinese 5-Spice Halibut, since it pays tribute to the number five. To see the recipe, just

Five-Spice Halibut
Harley Pasternak's 5 Factor World Diet

Ingredients

1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons peeled and minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
2 halibut fillets (about five ounces each)
4 ounces sugar snap peas
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 1/2 cups cooled brown rice, warmed

Directions

In a medium nonreactive bowl, combine the lime zest, lime juice, oil, ginger, and five-spice powder. Add halibut and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to two hours.
Coat a medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add the fish; cook for four minutes per side, until just cooked through. Transfer to a platter; cover to keep warm.
In the same skillet over medium heat, cook the peas for 4 minutes, until tender-crisp, stirring often. Add the garlic; cook for one minute.
Serve the halibut and peas atop the rice.

Serves two.

Print recipe with images | without images

The meal was tasty (I will definitely be making it again) and the ingredient list is indicative of most of the others in the book: low in fat, low in salt, high in spice. The book is definitely a primer on clean cooking. I do wish there were photos of some of the dishes since I find them inspirational when perusing a cookbook. Harley is not into calorie counts, but I am still curious about the nutritional makeup of each of the dishes. There are a few details omitted from recipes, like how high the flame should be to cook the fish in the recipe above, and the ingredient olive oil is followed by the word "divided," which is confusing because the ingredient is listed once in the directions.

The recipe I prepared was easy to make, and many other recipes look enticing: Eggplant Caponata from Italy, Herb Falafel from Israel, and Swedish Pancakes with Raspberries. I like the idea of exploring other cultures' health habits in the kitchen, knowing I am not going to be racking up the calories while doing so since the recipes were prepared by healthy living guru.

Jessica Simpson Talks Shop, Body Shop That Is

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 11:00:00 PDT

We've all been watching as Jessica Simpson tones up using the 5 Factor and she looks great!

We're used to Jessica saying some off the wall things (chicken of the sea anyone?), People.com got the scoop on her recent interview with Harper's Bazaar where she seems to be making perfect sense:

On her butt: One thing that has changed is her body, as she prepares to join the Marines in her upcoming movie, Major Movie Star. "I've started with a trainer, Harley Pasternak," she says. "He's given me a butt, because I have white-girl syndrome. I have to do as many squats as I can to get a little booty. ... I have to be [diligent]. I'm a curvy girl. You don't want to see me not working out."

On her curves: But she's fine with her curves – and she thinks guys are too. She recalls attending a recent fashion party with her friend and hairstylist Ken Pavés and asking him, "Do you think the guys in here are all really looking at all those skinny girls and thinking, Wow, I want to get with her? Or are they looking at the girls with the curves and thinking, Yeah, I want to get with her!"

Simpson, for one, knows where she stands. "Curves are better," she says. "I don't get the whole rail thing. It's not good for your heart, it's not good for your mind; it's emotionally destructive, it really is."

Nice Jessica! I am very impressed with such positive body image messages coming from her. There are more pics of Jess looking fitter than ever at the airport, so

View 10 Photos ›

Pacific Coast News

Get the Bod: Jessica Simpson

FitSugar — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:45:00 PDT

Jessica is hard at work on getting in shape for her upcoming role in Major Movie Star. She has joined the 5-Factor the diet / workout plan that is ever so popular in Hollywood these days. Folks are saying she has lost about 20 pounds in a month - which seems like a lot to lose in a month from her tiny frame (she is only 5'3").

We have seen her running with 5 Factor creator Harley Pasternak, tall knee socks and all. Pasternak says "We're making Jessica taut and toned without taking away her femininity." It looks like the plan is working she is still curvy but buff as well.

Want to know a little more about the plan? Then,

The 5-Factor Diet is a fairly uncomplicated regimen of 3 meals and 2 snacks daily, consisting of: low-fat protein, fiber, healthy carbs and fats, and a sugar-free drink with every meal (yep, that could be a diet soda or my beverage of choice - water). ET Online is reporting that Jessica is having 1300 calorie meals delivered to her home through the 5-Factor website. I was curious as to the cost of the service and after spending considerable time on the website couldn't find any information on that. She is a star so it seems she is getting star treatment.

The 5-Factor Plan is not just about dieting, the workout is an integral part of the plan to take the weight off and keep it off. It is reasonable, combining both strength and cardio in each session of only 25 minutes exercise, 5 days a week. The entire plan seems pretty doable to me, since there is one diet "cheat day" a week and two days off from exercise. I'm sure it helps to have those meals delivered to your door too.

Check out some 5-Factor Diet healthy trades - recipes and all from Us Magazine. The 5-Factor website is full of information too.

Pacific Coast News

Get the Bod: Katherine Heigl

FitSugar — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 13:30:00 PDT

Now that "Grey's Anatomy" is on break, we're getting our fix of the doctors in other ways. Katherine Heigl (aka Izzie Stevenson) has been promoting her new flick Knocked Up and apparently a rather revealing love scene was just the motivation Heigl needed to hit the gym (not that she really needed to, aesthetically).

People.com got the scoop from her trainer, Harley Pasternak, on what she did (and still does) to tone up her bod.

Heigl, 28, met with him for cardio and circuit-training sessions of 25 to 50 minutes, up to five times a week for six weeks prior to shooting. On-set, she'd jump rope or lift dumbbells outside her trailer. All the while, she ate Pasternak's 5-Factor Diet, which delivered five high-protein, high-fiber meals a day.

Even with a scheduled weekly "cheat day," says Pasternak, Heigl soon looked "tighter and more toned."

As for the former gym-hater, Heigl says now, a year after filming, she still works out regularly. "I used to have back pain. Suddenly, my body is supporting itself the way it's supposed to," Heigl says. "I wake up and I go, 'My god, I can't believe this is my body!' "

Want to see a sample of her typical workout and diet? Then

Typical Workout for Heigl:

5 minutes of jump-roping, jogging, or stair-climbing for a cardio warm-up.
A circuit of 4 sets each of the following:
- 25 dumbbell flies
- 25 lunges
- 25 low-body crunches
Followed by:
- 5-25 minutes of cardio running, elliptical training, stair-climbing or biking, with the last five minutes working as a cool-down period.

Sample Day's Meals:
Breakfast: French toast with ricotta pillows
Mid-morning snack: A mixed-berry shake
Lunch: TexMex salad with chicken and black beans
Afternoon snack: Hummus crudite
Dinner: Sea Bass with brown rice and edamame

Source

Mandy Moore and 5-Factor Fitness

FitSugar — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 10:45:17 PST

According to Life and Style, Mandy Moore has joined the 5-Factor Fitness team, coached by diet and fitness guru Harley Pasternak. Her teammates include: Eva Mendes, Alicia Keyes, Halle Berry, Kanye West and Vanessa Williams. Zach Braff is on Pasternak's client list too, so it seems like something good that she kept from their relationship.

Want the skinny on the 5-Factor plan? Well just

The 5-Factor Fitness is a fairly uncomplicated regimen of 3 meals and 2 snacks daily, consisting of: low-fat protein, fiber, healthy carbs and fats, and a sugar-free drink with every meal (yep, that could be a diet soda or my beverage of choice - water). The workout is an integral part of the plan to take the weight off and keep it off. But it is reasonable, combining both strength and cardio in each session of only 25 minutes of daily exercise. The plan seems pretty doable to me, since there are occasional "cheat days" on the diet part.

Pasternak's latest book 5-Factor Diet, Hollywood's hottest eating plan, came out right after Christmas. Buy it from Amazon for $17.72, and look for a 5-Factor website coming soon too.

Happy 26th Birthday Lady Gaga - How the Singer Keeps Healthy

Michele Foley — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 13:07:53 PDT

Lady Gaga turns 26 today, and to celebrate, we're taking a look at how the singer stays fit - I mean, look at those abs! - while living such a demanding lifestyle. While Gaga isn't without controversy (she's admitted to occasional drug and alcohol use), she remains extremely focused when it comes to her diet and fitness regimen.

She keeps a consistent workout schedule: Without fail, Gaga maintains the fitness regimen created for her by trainer Harley Pasternak. Even while touring, she works out five times a week for at least 25 minutes each day. The secret to Lady Gaga's killer abs? Lots of crunches. Harley starts her on a basic crunch and modifies that into reverse crunches, ending with a double crunch. If you want to get abs like the birthday girl, check out Lady Gaga's favorite ab exercises. When you've finished the ab routine, watch this video of Harley as he takes you through Gaga's butt workout.
She keeps a healthy diet: Besides following Harley's fitness routine, Gaga also subscribes to his 5 Factor Diet, which says to eat five times a day (two meals and three snacks) of foods falling into these five categories: lean protein, low-glycemic carbs, healthy fats, fiber, and a sugar-free beverage. The diet also allows for one cheat day a week. Some of Gaga's favorite foods to munch on are salsa with grain chips, tofu, turkey slices, hummus, and coconut water. Tonight, make yourself a Gaga-approved meal: check out Harley's recipe for five-spice halibut.
She believes in the healing power of yoga: A longtime yogini, Gaga even makes a habit to practice at local studios wherever her travels take her (Bikram and hot power yoga are her styles of choice). She has said, "Yoga makes me feel like I can do anything," and has called her longtime NYC-based teacher Tricia Donegan an inspiration, saying " . . . yoga heals me and so do you."

Source: Terry Richardson, Getty, Twitter

How to Get Your Metabolism Moving

Health — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 03:03:06 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

Does your metabolism grind to a halt after 35? Can certain foods rev it up? Answers ahead — and they're good.
By Paige Greenfield

Here's something to feel good about: your body is a calorie-burning machine. You'll even torch a few while reading this article. The point is, every single thing you do — from breathing to eating to sleeping — uses energy. The number of calories it would take just to lie in bed all day is called your resting metabolic rate. And just like your curly hair or warm personality, yours is unique.

"There are so many factors that determine your metabolic rate," says Janet Rankin, PhD, professor of human nutrition, foods, and exercise at Virginia Tech. Among them: your height and weight (bigger people burn more calories), your gender (women have slower metabolisms than men), your age (your metabolic rate declines as you get older), how much muscle or fat you have (muscle burns more calories than fat does), and your DNA.

Health.com: Little Ways to Lose Big Pounds

Although you can't rewire your double helix or switch back the clock, there's still plenty you can do to be a fast burner, Rankin says. All you need to do is remember these four research-backed truths.

Cardio Revs Your Metabolism For Hours Afterward
Resistance training often hogs the metab-boosting spotlight. It's no wonder, since a pound of muscle at rest fries three times as many calories as a pound of fat. However, cardio is every bit as crucial for keeping your metabolism humming.

New research explains why: In a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, people pedaled a stationary bike as hard as they could for 47 minutes.
The finding: They slashed 190 calories above their resting metabolic rate for 14 hours after their workout. Add that to the 519 calories, on average, the cyclists scorched from the workout itself, and that's one heck of a sweat session.

"If you do just two to three vigorous bouts of exercise per week for 45 minutes, you could lose a pound of fat every two weeks from the combination of calories expended during exercise plus what you burn afterward," says study author David Nieman, PhD, a professor of exercise science at Appalachian State University.

So how can you tell if you're pushing hard enough? Any sweat-inducing activity you can sustain for 45 minutes will do the trick.

More useful tips after the break.

Little Daily Tricks to Wake Up Slimmer

Health — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 10:01:00 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

By Jessica Girdwain

We get it: you want to lose the jiggle but don’t want to blacklist your favorite eats, count every single calorie, or overdose on gym hours. The great news is, you can drop weight without dieting: experts say making small change-ups to your day is one of the best ways to lose.

We grilled health and fitness pros for the tweaks that will help your shape the most. Road test a few, and you could shed five (this week!), 10, or even 20-plus pounds without a whole lot of effort.

Health.com: Diet Tricks the Pros Tell Their Friends

Power up PB
"Buy natural varieties of peanut butter and pour off the oil sitting on top. Each serving will have 20 fewer calories and two to three fewer grams of fat. It’s a small difference that'll add up to a couple of pounds per year."
-Amelia Winslow, personal chef in Los Angeles and founder of the healthy food blog Eating Made Easy

Pop to It
"Skimping on fiber will make you gain weight. Forget the pretzels and go for a bag of low-fat popcorn. It has five times the fiber and only 90 calories for six cups, so it’s filling and satisfying.

A recent study found that when women doubled their daily fiber intake from 12 to 24 grams, their bodies absorbed 90 calories less per day. You could lose almost 10 pounds in a year!"
-Tanya Zuckerbrot, RD, author of The F-Factor Diet: Discover the Secret to Permanent Weight Loss

Health.com: Fill Up on Fiber

Dance Your Butt Off
"Kick up your heels and go dancing with your girlfriends - or have a solo dance session at home. Fast-tempo dances are not only a blast to do, but in an hour you’ll torch 400 to 500 calories. That’s equivalent to light jogging on the treadmill, but it’s way more fun!"
-Christine Avanti, author of Skinny Chicks Eat Real Food: Lose the Fake Food and Kickstart Your Weight Loss

Keep on reading for great slimming tips!

How Can I Get Rid of Love Handles?

Shape — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 04:14:40 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to personal trainer and strength coach Joe Dowdell for some help!

Q: How can I get rid of love handles?

A: There isn't just one secret to losing love handles - it's a combination of factors. It's true that the typical answer of total-body strength training, high-intensity cardio intervals, proper nutrition, and sound recovery strategies are the keys to long-term success, but there are more secret strategies for burning belly fat.

You've probably heard that cortisol, the "stress hormone," is responsible for excess abdominal fat, but that's only part of the story. Your body produces cortisol in response to stress—physical, mental, or emotional. This may include extremely low-calorie diets (fasting or starvation), infection, lack of quality sleep, emotional trauma, or intense exercise, as well as daily stressors such as job pressure or relationship trouble.

Top 50 Fall Dit Foods for Weight Loss

Stress and cortisol alone do not make you fat, but research has linked high cortisol levels with storage of body fat, particularly visceral belly fat. Visceral fat is packed deeper in the abdominal cavity and around the internal organs, whereas "regular" fat is stored below the skin (known as subcutaneous fat). Visceral fat is particularly unhealthy because it is a risk factor for heart disease and diabetes. Therefore, the key to avoid storing excess fat around your middle is controlling your cortisol response, or the amount of stress on your body.

Learn the top tips for getting rid of love handles after the break!