SIRT FOOD DIET
And confusing it ‘sirt-ainly’ can be!
With every New Year comes a new diet, and 2016 saw ‘Sirt Food’ take the trophy. The book written by Adian Googins and Glen Matten proved extremely popular, probably due to the transformation tales whilst still consuming chocolate and red wine.
The top sirt-foods include 85% dark chocolate, most green veggies, citrus fruits, red onion, buckwheat, chilli, medjool dates, soy, miso, turmeric and walnuts. In terms of hydration the following proved sirt-ified; red wine, coffee, green tea and of course water. All are rich in antioxidants which stimulate the sirtuin genes in our bodies (SIRT1 through to SIRT7). These are all thought to help regulate the body’s biological processes such as cell regeneration and metabolism which in turn improve the aging process and stimulate fat burn.
Adian and Glen’s book recommends that for 3 days you eat 1,000kcal from three sirtfood juices and one meal rich in sirtfoods. For the remaining 4 days of the week you are allowed 1,500kcal made up in two juices and two meals. This one week completes phase 1, after which you will progress into phase 2 titled the maintenance phase. This involves 14 days of gradual weight loss by following their dietary recommendations.
So why is the plan so popular? As with any trend it’s become extremely successful. The diet activate the sirtuin genes which are responsible for metabolism, due to an increase in norepinephrine (a neurotransmitter) which triggers cells to break down fat. It also includes intermittent fasting, similar to the 5:2 diet. As stated above the sirt diet follows 3 days of extremely restricted calorie intake, followed by 4 days offering a slightly more lenient take. There have been many studies to prove the benefits of sudden severe calorie restriction even if only for a few days. It promotes just enough to stress on body to trigger weight loss therefore producing quick results.
A downside to this diet is that 1,000-1,500kcal is not really enough, especially if you are active throughout the day or exercise regularly. However, you could draw upon aspects of this diet and apply them to a higher calorie intake to work with your training schedule and lifestyle.
One very recognisable benefit of this diet is that it includes real foods that are anti-inflammatory, helping to control insulin levels and improve metabolism. It’s refreshing to see a diet that promotes healthy alongside weight loss and results. The only shame is the minimal calorie intake which will deter people from working out effectively whilst pursuing the diet!
