#140 The Sirtfood Diet

The Sirtfood diet.

Everyone loves a diet! (sweeping generalisation - I know!)

But...

Humans love rules and boundaries, even though we feel terrible and beat ourselves up when we can't stick to them, they provide a structure that makes us feel safe.

We also want instant results. 'Let's go hard and lose 10kg in 4 weeks!!' No matter if we can't keep it off. 'If only there was a magic pill.' Quick results will always seem sexier than boring old lifestyle changes.

So what is the Sirtfood diet that is trending in 2022?

There is a lot to like about the fact that it works on the premise that foods that are high in Polyphenols like berries, turmeric, dark chocolate, red wine, kale and green tea switch on our sirtuin activators which boost metabolism, improve mood and protect against cancers and heart disease, whilst giving us great anti-ageing benefits. This is true and why we encourage eating foods rich in Polyphenols daily at Outlook.

So far so good...

But here is how the diet works:

Phase 1.

1 high 'sirtfood meal' 3 green juices a day for 1000 calories.

Personally, I love food I want to eat my meals not drink them. Whole foods rich in fibre are vital for both metabolism and gut health. I hate green juices that taste like dishwater - but that's just me! An adult woman needs 1200 cals a day just to get essential nutrients into her body - less than that will slow her metabolism and cause cravings for high sugar foods.

Then 2 meals, 2 juices daily

and then finally 3 meals 1 juice daily.

Yes, I am sure that you will lose weight on 3 juices and one meal a day. But what is it teaching you long-term and is it sustainable? One of the breakfasts they suggest is an omelette 'crammed' with bacon with red chickory and parsley, presumably to offset the inflammation caused by the bacon!!

Anyway, the premise of eating and drinking foods high in polyphenols for their health-boosting properties is mint. But turning it into a restrictive juice drinking diet rather than a healthy lifestyle... not so much!

Our lives get so busy and we feel like we never have time to focus on ourselves. But focusing on nourishing your body and looking after your health is something to make time for.

  I often see people putting weight loss and health on the back burner because they have busy lives.