Let's look at one of 2016's most talked about diets
Hailed as the diet of 2016, the Sirt diet is quickly gaining popularity as a new eating plan, which claims to promote weight loss by actively encouraging the consumption of foods such as coffee, red wine and chocolate. Sound too good to be true? Here’s the lowdown.
What are Sirt foods?
Author of The Sirt Diet Cookbook (£7.99, Harper Collins) Jaqueline Whitehart, describes Sirt foods as foods that are rich in antioxidants including resveratrol, berberine, quercetin and catechins. These foods activate the sirtuin genes in our bodies, which help to protect our cells from dying, ageing or becoming inflamed through illness. Research has also shown that when triggered these sirtuins can help boost our metabolisms, increase muscle and produce an increased fat-burning response.
What Sirt foods should I eat?
To get the most from the Sirt diet you also need to boost your intake of healthy Sirt foods. These include apples, citrus fruits, parsley, walnuts, strawberries, tofu, oily fish, turmeric, olive oil, red onion, rocket, pomegranate, red grapes, green tea and that old nutritional favourite, kale. Whitehart suggests aiming for a minimum of five portions every day with as much variety as possible.
Why does this sounds quite familiar?
Most of the Sirt foods make up the basis of many healthy diets from around the world such as the Mediterranean diet and the Japanese diet. And of course eating five or more portions of Sirt foods a day builds on one of the cornerstones of the British diet – five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
Is there a set plan for this diet?
There’s no harm in incorporating Sirt foods into your everyday eating. However, authors and nutrition experts Aidan Goggins and Glen Matten, who are behind the new book The Sirtfood Diet (£7.99, Yellow Kite) have divided their eating plan into two phases. The first is a week plan of 1000 calories a day comprising green juices and Sirt food meals. Calories are then upped to 1500 in week two.
Does it work?
Goggins and Matten trialled their healthy eating programme on 40 gym-goers at the KX Health Club in Chelsea, London. The results showed that each of the participants lost 7lbs in seven days and reported higher levels of energy.
Any negatives?
As with anything, moderation is key. And although red wine, coffee and chocolate have grabbed the headlines as Sirt foods, a diet based entirely on these wouldn’t make a healthy individual.
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