The Brown Fat Revolution diet plan was created by plastic surgeon, James Lyons, MD. He asserts that fat can be good. Yes folks! Fat can be good – the right kind of fat. The right kind of fat can keep you looking younger and even provide you with a slim, toned physique. The key is consuming “good fat.” Dr. Lyons essentially color codes fat. The bad fat is called yellow fat. This is the fat in our body that stores all those extra calories. The good fat is called brown fat and is found in smaller amounts in your body. Brown fat, he asserts, actually burns calories to generate body heat. So, how do you reduce the yellow fat and increase the brown fat in your body? Dr, Lyons asserts that by following his four week diet and exercise plan will help you achieve that goal. What you will do during these four weeks is alternate days where you take in high-carb and high-protein. Dr. Lyons claims that alternating the carb and protein levels will control blood sugar levels thus preventing yellow fat from accumulating. He writes, “When you eat high-fiber, low-glycemic index carbs, you manage insulin [and] blood sugar levels and prevent overeating, which in turn reduces yellow fat deposits and increases brown fat.” You will also exercise 20 minutes a day, focusing on your core muscles, using bungee cords and light weights. This helps build lean muscle, boost metabolism which he says will also help convert yellow fat to brown fat.

The guiding principles of The Brown Fat Revolution diet are:
-You eat 6 times a day to maintain optimal metabolism levels
-Alternate “carb days” with “protein days.” Carb days include consuming grains, starchy veggies, high-carb fruits and small amounts of protein. Protein days include consuming protein, low-fat dairy, non-starchy veggies, low-carb fruits and healthy fats.
-Recommends using Glycemic Index to choose the best types of carbs like fruits, veggies, whole grains and Legumes.
-Recommendations for protein includes lean meats, poultry, seafood, eggs, soy, legumes, nuts, low fat dairy, and eggs.
-You are encourages to eat before and after every workout.
-You are encourages to eat a variety of foods but to keep the portions reasonable and drink plenty of liquids.
-You are allowed a “choice day” once a week but must keep your caloric consumption at 2,000 calories.

Another message from this diet is to keep processed foods, artificial sweeteners, colors and preservatives at a minimum. Also daily multivitamin/mineral supplement are recommended as well.

Here are some great core exercises. Core is from the bottom of your chest to your mid thigh. Your core supports your entire body and enhances all other workouts. It is important to work on core consistently. Try these and see just how much stronger all other exercise routines become!

The motto of the 5-Factor Diet is: Eat More. Work Out Less. Get into the Best Shape of your Life. Creator and celebrity trainer, Harley Pasternak, created a diet and exercise program that he says he uses on his celebrity clients, including Alicia Keys, Rachel Weisz, Kanye West, Miley Cyrus, Katherine Heigl, Lady Gaga, Robert Pattinson and more. Essentially, Pasternak states that you can do away with measuring your food, skipping carbs and engaging in exhaustive and lengthy exercise routines. How? Well, read on.

The 5-Factor plan is such that you follow these rules: Complete five 25-minute workouts each week and eat five healthy meals per day. The following guidelines were taken off the 5-Factor Plan Website:

Five Week Plan: Designed to give you results in five weeks, it’s so easy and effective that you may naturally turn your five-week plan into a lifestyle (as many of Harley’s personal clients tend to do).

Five Meals a Day: Goodbye hunger and cravings. By eating five 5-Factor meals every day, not only will you start losing weight but you’ll feel less hungry throughout the day!

Five Ingredient Meals: Eating delicious and healthy meals doesn’t have to be hard. Members get hundreds of recipes that use only five ingredients and take only five minutes to prepare.

25-Minute Workouts: Based on Harley’s training experience, the 5-Factor fitness program was created with the belief that working out more often for shorter periods of time is more effective than spending hours at the gym.

Five Cheat Days in Five Weeks: Taking a diet break one day a week can empower you. Plus, Harley believes that controlled cheating can actually help you reach your goals.

There are online tools for dieters to create interactive and customized programs as well.

So, what are the experts saying? Well, they are split on whether this is a good plan to follow. Angela Kurtz, RD, is a nutritionist at NYU Medical Center. She says, “The 5 Factor Diet puts a new spin on what has been the traditional advice of every major nutrition organization for years…It’s a well-balanced eating plan that includes all the food groups, doesn’t leave anything out, and in a very subtle and very clever way also helps us change the eating behaviors that caused us to gain weight in the first place.” However, Abby Aronowitz, PHD, director of SelfHelpDirectives.com says, “I don’t see any real science behind the 5 Factor Diet — no studies to show it works, plus it doesn’t seem to address a major problem linked to obesity, which is emotional overeating.” I think that any diet that promotes healthy eating and a lifestyle that includes exercise is worthy of positive attention. So, I give a big thumbs up to trying the diet plan!