The Diet Deets: Sirtfood Diet – (Non)'Sirt'ified Weight Loss
- Dash Of Nourishment
- Jun 9, 2021
- 3 min read
Didn’t Adele have us all staring at her, with our jaws to the ground when she debuted her new appearance on an episode of Saturday Night Live in October 2020? Her weight loss journey was something that everybody wanted the deets on. So, we’re here to let the fad (sorry, cat!) out of the bag. Let’s talk about the Sirtfood diet.
What is the Sirtfood diet?
U.K. based celebrity nutritionists Aidan Goggins and Glen Matten came up with this diet, certain that it was the key to unlocking one’s skinny side. The diet was created keeping in mind sirtuins, a group of proteins known to regulate metabolism and inflammation. The belief is that consuming foods which make the body produce sirtuins will boost the metabolism, and when combined with a calorie-deficit method, will aid in weight loss. This diet, apparently is also said to prevent chronic diseases. What’s really interesting about this diet is that its makers claim that in the process of weight loss there is no loss in muscle mass.
How it Works
The Sirtfood diet lasts 3 weeks and is divided into two phases. For long-term benefits, even after the end of three weeks it is recommended to continue including sirtfoods in your meals. The ingredients in the Sirtfood diet meals need to be precisely weighed, and the recipes for these meals are provided in Aidan Goggins and Glen Matten’s book.
Phase 1:
The first week is dominated by the consumption of a sirtfood ‘green juice’ to boost the weight loss process. For the first three days, you are meant to consume just one cooked meal a day and drink the green juice thrice, and the calorie intake is limited to 1000 calories a day. In the next 4 days the calorie intake is increased to 1500 calories. Now you can have two sirtfood meals and the green juice twice.
Phase 2: This is when the rapid weight loss turns into a steady weight loss. There are no particular calories restrictions, but of course, an unreasonably high number will not be helpful. Now you can have three meals a day and the green juice just once.
If you wish to lose more weight at the end of three weeks, you may repeat the two phases again. The green juice seems to be the star of the diet and its consumption is suggested at least once a day even after you have completed the diet.
Do the CONS outweigh the PRO-teins?
People with diabetes might want to stay away from this diet, or at least confirm with their physician before trying it – because a diet with such stringent calorie intake and a sharp focus on liquid consumption could negatively impact blood sugar.
You can find yourself being super hungry when you’re consuming calories as alarmingly low as 1000-1500 a day. My fellow hangry people, maybe reconsider?
As your calorie deficit increases, you are more likely to experience feelings of lightheadedness and fainting.
The infamous star of the show, the ‘green juice’, makes up for a good chunk of the diet – and doesn’t make enough room for ample fibre content.
Your food choices come down to a very narrow selection.
Ironically enough, you may even be consuming insufficient quantities of protein, itself!
Final thoughts
The claims are tempting but the proof is lacking. This diet seems perfect with its promise of ‘rapid weight loss’ but most of these claims have no solid evidence to back them. While the recommended foods do have beneficial nutritional properties, there aren’t enough long-term studies to actually prove the benefits of consuming sirtfoods. Including sirtfoods in your meals is a good idea as they are great antioxidants and anti-inflammatory foods, however the entire diet might be too restrictive. Moreover calorie intakes as low as just 1000-1500 calories should not be followed without consulting your physician and nutritionist. We’ve read/heard time and again that ‘rapid weight loss’ is rarely ever, if at all – here to stay. Maybe it’s smarter to be the tortoise over the rabbit, any day!
Written and designed by Swaraa Aras
Cover Credit: Shria Bellalcheroo
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