How is the sirtfood diet made list sample menu

How is the Sirt food diet made list sample menu?

Sirtfoods are mostly plant-based and high in antioxidants,

that help tricks your body into burning fat at a higher rate.

It’s called Sirt because it includes eating foods that are high in sirtuin activators,

defined as seven proteins found in the body that regulate metabolism, inflammation, and the longevity of cells.

Launched originally in 2016, the Sirtfood diet remains a hot topic,

and involves followers adopting a diet rich in ‘Sirt foods’.

According to the diet’s founders, these special foods work,

by activating specific proteins in the body called sirtuins.

Sirtuins are believed to protect cells in the body from dying

when they are under stress and are thought to regulate inflammation, metabolism, and the aging process.

It’s thought that sirtuins influence the body’s ability to burn fat and boost metabolism,

resulting in a seven-pound weight loss a week while maintaining muscle.

However, some experts believe this is unlikely to be solely fat loss,

but will instead reflect changes in glycogen stores from skeletal muscle and the liver.

The diet

So what are these magical ‘Sirtfood’?

The ten most common include:

• Green tea
• Dark chocolate (that is at least 85 percent cocoa)
• Apples
• Citrus fruits
• Parsley
• Turmeric
• Kale
• Blueberries
• Capers
• Red wine

The diet is divided into two phases;

the initial phase lasts one week and involves restricting calories to 1000kcal for three days,

consuming three Sirtfood green juices and one meal rich in Sirtfood each day.

The juices include kale, celery, rocket, parsley, green tea, and lemon.

Meals include turkey escalope with sage, capers, and parsley,

chicken and kale curry and prawn stir-fry with buckwheat noodles.

From days four to seven, energy intakes are increased to 1500kcal,

comprising of two Sirtfood green juices and two Sirtfood-rich meals a day.

Although the diet promotes healthy foods,

it’s restrictive in both your food choices and daily calories, especially during the initial stages.

It also involves drinking juice, with the amounts suggested during phase one exceeding the current daily guidelines.

The second phase is known as the maintenance phase which lasts 14 days where steady weight loss occurs.

Authors believe it’s a sustainable and realistic way to lose weight.

However, focusing on weight loss is not what the diet is all about,

it’s designed to be about eating the best foods nature has to offer.

Long term they recommend eating three balanced Sirtfood-rich meals a day along with one Sirtfood green juice.

How to Follow a Sirtood Diet

The diet is usually divided into 2 phases.

First Phase

This is the phase where most of the weight loss can happen.

It is because when calories are first cut, water and glycogen stores are lost first, not fat.

The diet advises this extreme cut in calories, but you should speak to a health specialist first.

Day 1 – 3

The first phase restricts calories to 1000kcal from days 1 – 3. This includes, per day:

• 3x Sirtfood  juices (includes kale, celery, rocket, parsley, green tea, and lemon)
• 1x Sirtfood-rich meal

Day 4 – 7

The second phase increases calories to 1500kcal from day 4 – 7. This includes, per day:

• 2x Sirtfood  juices (includes kale, celery, rocket, parsley, green tea, and lemon)
• 2x Sirtfood-rich meals

Maintenance Phase

This second phase lasts for 14 days and is where more gradual weight loss occurs.

The authors of diet try to put more focus on the types of food you’re eating, not just losing weight.

Over the long-term, this includes, per day:

• 3x balanced Sirtfood-rich foods
• 1x Sirtfood green juice

What to Eat on the Sirtfood Diet

The diet claims that particular foods are ‘Sirtfood’ for their effects.

Most popular foods to base your meals around include:

• Citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes)
• Dark chocolate (with 85%+ cocoa)
• Apples
• Blueberries
• Turmeric
• Kale
• Parsley
• Capers
• Red wine
• Green tea
• Buckwheat
• Walnuts
• Medjool dates
• Soy
• Strawberries
• Olive oil
• Red onion
• Rocket

Does It Work?

The diet makes bold claims about losing weight and turning on your ‘skinny gene’.

In reality, there are few scientific studies that back these claims.

Calorie-controlled diets will usually result in weight loss,

as long as your calorie intake is lower than your calorie expenditure.

The Sirt food diet is no different in that aspect.

Most people will lose lots of weight within the first week since calories are dropped considerably.

However, studies find during the first week of extreme calorie-restricted weight loss,

1/3 of weight loss is fat loss, whilst the other 2/3s are from water, muscle, and glycogen.

When you increase calories, your body will replenish glycogen stores and water weight, resulting in weight gain.

This type of extreme dieting can also be unhealthy in the long term,

and can even undermine your weight loss progress.

This is because extreme calorie restrictions can cause the metabolic rate within your body to lower.

Therefore, if you want to lose weight, slowly reduce your calorie intake and avoid extreme dieting,

unless under a doctor’s supervision.

In terms of its touted health benefits,

a 3-week period just isn’t long enough to have a measurable impact long-term.

However, the foods included in the diet are considered healthy themselves. For example:

• Citrus fruits are very rich in vitamin C, plus B vitamins, magnesium, copper potassium, and phosphorous
• Blueberries contain lots of fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin K
• Kale is a cruciferous vegetable that’s very nutrient-dense, containing lots of vitamin A, K, and C

Therefore, it’s best to simply just include these types of foods within your regular eating without prioritizing special ‘Sirt foods’.

Problems With the Sirtfood Diet

As mentioned, there are serious problems with extreme calorie restrictions within the first week.

However, even within the types of foods recommended (or not), there are issues.

Lack of Protein

Because both plant-based and meat-based proteins aren’t recommended within the diet,

it can be difficult to ensure you’re eating sufficient amounts of protein every day.

Protein is important within the body for building and repairing your tissues and maintaining muscle mass.

Even in the context of weight loss, high protein foods have been shown to help to increase feelings of fullness,

meaning you naturally eat fewer calories and lose weight over time.

High protein foods include:

• Legumes and pulses – such as beans, chickpeas, and lentils
• Poultry – such as chicken and turkey
• Red meat – such as beef and pork
• Fish – particularly fatty fish like salmon and tuna
• Dairies – such as milk and yogurt
• Whole grains – such as whole-grain bread and quinoa
• Eggs

Lack of Important Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are an important polyunsaturated fat,

and a nutrient that most people don’t get enough of.

They must be consumed through the diet, as they cannot be produced by the body.

Omega 3 fatty acids have a range of health benefits, including:

• Reduced inflammation.
• Reduced triglycerides.
• Reduced blood pressure.
• Reduced age-related mental decline.

It is found most abundantly in fatty fish.

This includes fatty fish like salmon, tuna, herring, sardines, and mackerel,

as well as plant-based sources such as walnuts, chia seeds, and flax seeds.

The only omega-3-rich food found in the Sirt food diet is walnuts.

However, there is a difference between omega-3 fats consumed from fish vs plant-based sources.

Fatty fish contains long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, specifically DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA

(eicosapentaenoic acid).

Plant-based sources contain ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), which is a shorter chain of omega-3 fats.

Essentially, DHA and EPA have more significant health benefits than ALA from plant sources.

ALA can be converted into DHA and EPA, but this process is very inefficient in humans.

One study found roughly 5% of ALA gets converted into EPA and just 0.5% into DHA.

Lack of Variety Even Within Healthy Foods

Although the diet does highlight healthy foods to eat such as apples, blueberries,

citrus fruits, and kale, just consuming these foods isn’t advisable because you could end up with nutrient deficiencies.

It’s best to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to ensure you meet all your nutrient requirements.

It also allows for more variety of recipes and meals to be cooked, which leads to the next point.

Overly Restrictive

The issue with diets that are overly restrictive is that they are difficult to follow over the long term.

This means once you finish the diet,

you revert back to old eating habits and lose any benefit that following the diet had.

Some studies find that dieters often end up heavier than before they started their diet.

Therefore, if you want to lose weight or get healthier,

a better alternative is to find a diet or sustainable way of eating that you can maintain indefinitely,

rather than looking for a quick fix.

Example Sirtfood Diet Meal Plan

The meal plan below is what you would follow when undertaking the Sirt food diet.

Here are some recipes that contain more of the ‘Sirtfood’ whilst trying to eat as balanced a meal plan as possible.

First Phase

Monday

• Breakfast: Sirtfood Juice
• Lunch: Sirtfood Juice
• Dinner: Chicken, Kale, and Sprout Stir-fry
• Supper: Sirtfood Juice

Tuesday

• Breakfast: Sirtfood Juice
• Lunch: Sirtfood Juice
• Dinner: Strawberry Kale Salad with Nutty Granola Croutons
• Supper: Sirtfood Juice

Wednesday:

• Breakfast: Sirtfood Juice
• Lunch: Sirtfood Juice
• Dinner: Chickpea Curry
• Supper: Sirtfood Juice

Second phase

Thursday

• Breakfast: Sirtfood Juice
• Lunch: Carrot, Chickpea, and Raisin Salad
• Dinner: Citrus Salad With Maple Cayenne Candied Walnuts
• Supper: Sirtfood Juice

• Breakfast: Sirtfood Juice
• Lunch: Tabbouleh with Quinoa
• Dinner: Spanish Vegan Paella
• Supper: Sirtfood Juice

Saturday

• Breakfast: Sirtfood Juice
• Lunch: Mediterranean White Bean Soup
• Dinner: Vegan Pesto with Basil, Walnut, and Kale
• Supper: Sirtfood Juice

Sunday

• Breakfast: Sirtfood Juice
• Lunch: Tabbouleh with Quinoa
• Dinner: Soy Salmon & Broccoli Traybake
• Supper: Sirtfood Juice