Sirtfood Diet: Sirtuins for Weight Loss

Lose weight healthily and look younger: This is what the so-called Sirtfood diet promises. It relies on the activation of endogenous enzymes, the so-called sirtuins. Sirtuin diet, sirt diet, sirtfood program or sirtuin method are other common names for this diet. As part of the sirtfood diet, foods that activate the body’s own sirtuins should be consumed in particular – these foods are referred to as sirtfood. At the same time, calories are strictly counted, especially at the beginning of the diet. According to her own statement, the singer Adele managed to lose weight rapidly in 2020 thanks to the sirt food diet. In the following you will find out for which people the diet is suitable, what exactly is behind it and which foods are recommended as part of the diet. We also present a diet plan and a few delicious recipes.

Sirtfood Diet: What is Sirtfood?

Sirtfood refers to plant foods that are rich in certain substances that   can activate the body’s enzyme sirtuin . These substances are therefore also referred to as  sirtuin activators  . The sirtuin activators are more than 20 different secondary plant substances that are found in the following foods in particular:

• fruit
• vegetables
• legumes
• nuts
• Tee
• Coffee
• Cocoa

The most well-known phytochemical in this context is resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant that is found in blueberries, strawberries and raspberries as well as in cocoa, green tea and red wine. The list of other secondary plant substances is long.

The following  table  provides an overview of a selection of the substances and their occurrence in sirt food:

It is sometimes assumed that sirtfood is the name for  foods containing sirtuin. That’s not right. Sirtfood can only activate the body’s own sirtuins.

What are sirtuins?

Sirtuins are enzymes (proteins) in the body cells that control various metabolic and aging processes. They can be activated using a variety of plant foods known as sirt foods. A reduced calorie intake (calorie restriction) can also get the sirtuins going. They are boosted when there is little food for the body for a period of time. For this reason, only a few calories should be consumed as part of a Sirtfood diet, especially at the beginning.

To date, seven different sirtuins have been found in the human organism, which are referred to as “Sirt1” to “Sirt7”. Depending on the sirtuin, they are found in different places in the body cells, for example in the cell nucleus, in the cytoplasm or in the power plants of the cell, the mitochondria.

What is the function of sirtuins?

Sirtuins have very different tasks, depending on the cell component in which they occur. Important in relation to the Sirtfood diet is its function as a metabolism accelerator. They boost digestion in the cells, so to speak.

In addition, they support various repair and protective mechanisms in the body. They are said to make him healthier, younger and fitter, which is why the sirtuins are also known as  “anti-aging enzymes”  . However, scientific studies do not provide sufficient evidence of the functions of sirtuins.

What is a sirt food diet?

The Sirtfood Diet was developed by two American nutritionists, Glen Matten and Aidan Goggins. Sirtuins are the focus of the Sirtfood diet. They are said to be activated by eating plenty of plant-based foods, sirtfood. At the same time, it is important to eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly. Because then the Sirtfood foods can best fulfill their function.

According to Matten and Goggins, the following effects can be achieved with the help of the sirt food diet:

• Fat burning is boosted.
• Food cravings  are prevented.
• The immune system is strengthened.
• The body cells are repaired.

Sirtfood Diet: What Can You Eat?

Choosing the right foods is critical to the success of the Sirtfood Diet. As already mentioned, sirt food in particular is permitted as part of the sirt food diet. These are plant foods that contain a particularly high content of secondary plant substances and thus activate the body’s own sirtuin.

This list shows which foods are considered sirt foods:

• Apples in their skins, apricots, plums, dates, blueberries, raspberries, citrus fruits
• Broccoli,  kale , arugula, onions, tomatoes (especially tomato passata and tomato juice), chilies, garlic
• Buckwheat ,  barley , quinoa
• cashew nuts and walnuts
• Olive oil and walnut oil (only for the cold kitchen)
• fresh herbs such as  parsley , lovage and sage
• Turmeric
• Products made from soybeans, such as tofu, tempeh, soybean oil or soymilk
• Dark chocolate with at least 75 percent cocoa content
• Green tea, preferably Sencha, Kyokuro or Bancha
• Coffee, no more than four cups a day
• Red wine in moderation

Basically, the sirt food method is also very suitable for  vegetarians  or vegans.

Forbidden foods: what should you avoid?

Carbohydrate-rich foods that are not sirt food, such as  potatoes ,  rice , pasta and bread, should only be eaten in small amounts, and if so, then preferably in combination with sirt food foods. Meat is allowed, but if possible you should only eat a little of it. Poultry or fish are best.

Dairy products are allowed in moderation, but it is best to use the low-fat versions. Products with a high sugar content and alcohol – with the exception of red wine in moderation – as well as ready meals and snacks should also be avoided.

Diet Plan: How Does the Sirtfood Diet Work?

The Sirtfood diet is divided into different phases and should  last at least three weeks. The nutritional plan developed by nutritionists Goggins and Matten includes two phases:

1st phase (duration: 1 week)

These days are sometimes referred to as “detox days” or “relief week.” Calories are strictly counted, at the same time it is recommended to eat only sirt food. This should lead to a double activation of the sirtuins in the body cells: through calorie reduction and plenty of sirtuin activators from the Sirtfood foods.

• Days 1 through 3:  Caloric intake should be limited to 1,000 kilocalories on each of these days. Daily meals consist of sirt food fruit and vegetable smoothies or juices and a main meal.
• Day 4 to 7:  You are allowed to eat 1,500 to 1,800 kilocalories per day. These are divided into two  smoothies  and two meals, which should consist primarily of sirt food.

In the first week, up to three kilograms can be lost in this way.

2nd phase (duration: 2 weeks)

In the next two weeks, the calories you eat don’t matter that much. Now it is important to eat a balanced diet and to feel full and satisfied. Losing weight now happens, at least according to nutrition experts Goggins and Matten, all by itself by eating plenty of sirt food.

• Day 8 to 21:  Three sirt food meals are on the daily menu. A sirt food smoothie should also be drunk daily.

What’s next after that?

After the end of the second phase, there are various options to choose from as to how to proceed in order to continue to lose weight and/or feel fit and healthy in the long term:

• You can start back at Phase 1 to lose even more weight.
• The Phase 2 diet is maintained, either with or without a daily smoothie. In this way, the weight can stabilize or reduce even further.
• The diet is ended, but a lot of sirt food is eaten every day and foods that are not recommended are avoided.

In addition to this nutrition plan, there are also a few other variations of the Sirtfood diet, which include a 10-day nutrition plan.

How Healthy is the Sirtfood Diet?

The concept sounds promising and, according to individual reports, seems to work well if you stick to certain dietary rules and follow a special nutrition plan.

For long-term success, however, the diet must be changed significantly. Not everyone is suitable for this. Because you need perseverance, discipline and also a certain background knowledge of food and its preparation. Individuals who have difficulty eating and are not comfortable with a low daily calorie intake should consider whether the sirt food diet is right for them.

In every respect, it is advisable to plan a change in diet or diet very well and to obtain medical advice in advance or consult a professional nutritionist.

Criticism: effect and risks

The sirt food diet has also come under criticism: Many nutritionists consider a calorie reduction to just 1,000 kilocalories a day to be too radical. As with all radical weight loss diets, there is a risk of the dreaded  yo-yo effect , because the diet puts the body in “economy mode” so that it later uses the calories supplied immediately to create fat reserves for the next “hunger period” – you take back to.

In addition, it is important to ensure that you have enough protein and exercise so that no muscle mass is lost during the diet. Even if the Sirtfood diet relies on many healthy and fresh foods, it is still too restrictive for a balanced diet. Experts therefore point out that the detox days should never last longer than a week.

In addition, there is no scientific evidence for the effectiveness of this method, because corresponding studies are still pending. The effectiveness observed so far is probably mainly due to the strong calorie deficit. In the long run, a balanced diet with additional exercise usually leads to long-term success.

Sirtfood Diet: Recipes to Try

Still want to try the Sirtfood Diet? The following recipes are intended for two servings and are suitable for testing the sirt food diet for a day:

Breakfast: Quinoa porridge (about 330 kilocalories per serving)

Ingredients (for 2 servings):

• 100 Gramm Quinoa
• 300 milliliters of water
• 2 apples or some grapes
• 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds or walnuts
• honey  to taste

Preparation:

1. Rinse the quinoa with cold water until the water runs clear. Then put them in a pot with 300 milliliters of boiling water and let them simmer gently for 15 minutes. When the grains are soft, the pot is removed from the stove, stirred and left for another 5 minutes.
2. In the meantime, the fruit can be washed and cut into small pieces.
3. Fill the finished quinoa porridge into small bowls, let it cool down for a moment and then add honey, seeds or nuts and fruit as you like.

Lunch: Broccoli Salad with Egg (about 300 calories per serving)

Ingredients (for 2 servings):

• 2 Owner
• 500 Grams of Broccoli
• 4 small sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon of pine nuts
• 150 grams  of yogurt
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 clove of garlic
• 6 brown mushrooms
• salt  and pepper

Preparation:

1. Clean and wash the broccoli, divide into florets and steam in a little salted water for about 5 minutes. Cut the tomatoes into fine strips and add to the broccoli for 3 minutes. Then drain and drain well.
2. Roast the pine nuts in a pan without fat, stirring constantly. Remove from the pan and let cool.
3. Hard boil the eggs.
4. Clean the mushrooms and cut into thin slices.
5. For the  dressing  , the yoghurt is mixed with mustard, oil and pressed garlic and seasoned with salt and pepper.
6. Toss the cooled broccoli with the mushrooms and dressing and set aside for 10 minutes. Decorate with pine nuts and quartered eggs before serving.

Dinner: Vegetable and olive tortilla (about 320 kilocalories per serving)

Ingredients (for 2 servings):

• 4 Owner
• 1 Zucchini
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper
• 1 small red onion
• 5 black, pitted  olives
• 2 sprigs  of thyme
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• some chili flakes, if you like
• salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Beat the eggs with a whisk and season with salt, pepper and chilli flakes.
2. Wash zucchini and peppers, clean and cut into small pieces. Peel, halve and thinly slice the onion.
3. Cut the olives into rings. Wash the thyme, pluck off the leaves and chop.
4. Heat olive oil in a small ovenproof saucepan or skillet. (Caution: Since the pot or pan is then placed in the oven, do not use containers with plastic handles!)
5. Sauté the onion and vegetables over high heat until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add the thyme and olives and stir briefly.
6. Pour the beaten eggs over it, heat briefly and then leave to set in the hot oven for about 15 minutes. Then remove the tortilla and divide into quarters or eighths. The tortilla can be eaten warm or cold.

Smoothie: Kale smoothie

Ingredients:

• 3 kale leaves with stem
• 2 handfuls  of lamb’s lettuce
• 1 pear or apple
• 1  Banana
• 1 tablespoon good oil (walnut oil, olive oil,  canola oil )
• water as needed

Preparation:

Wash the kale leaves and the fruit, chop them up a bit. Place the ingredients all together in a high powered blender and blend until desired consistency is achieved. If the smoothie is still too thick, simply add more water.

This smoothie can also be prepared with other types of cabbage, such as  savoy cabbage , white cabbage, red cabbage or pointed cabbage. Smoothies should always be drunk immediately after preparation and not left for long. So they are an important part of the sirtfood diet.