The Sirtfood Weight-loss Diet

The Sirtfood Diet was founded in 2016 by nutritionists Aidan Goggins and Glen Matten. It is touted for rapid weight loss, claiming to help people lose seven pounds in seven days. But this requires you to restrict yourself to 1,000 calories per day for that time. But the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends 1,600 to 2,400 calories a day for women and 2,000 to 3,000 a day for men.

Another one of the diet's distinguishing qualities is that it incorporates more indulgent foods like dark chocolate and red wine alongside traditional, healthier options like kale, strawberries, and other whole foods.

The Sirtfood Diet is built around natural compounds found in fruits and vegetables called polyphenols. Some polyphenols mimic the effects of fasting and exercise by activating proteins in our bodies called sirtuins, which play a role in how the body metabolizes sugar and stores fat, especially during periods of fasting or severe caloric restriction.

For the Sirtfood Diet, Goggins and Matten recommend eating a lot of foods that are rich in polyphenols in order to activate sirtuins in the body. They call these foods "sirtfoods" — hence the diet's name.

Common sirtfoods that the diet promotes include: 

• Arugula

• Blueberries

• Buckwheat

• Celery

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Kale

• Onions

• Parsley

• Soy

• Strawberries

• Walnuts      

Followers of this diet plan can also expect to drink a lot of sirtfood-full juices that contain ingredients like kale, arugula, parsley, green apple, ginger and matcha powder.

The Sirtfood Diet has two phases

Phase 1

Length: 7 days

Days 1-3: drink three green juices and eat one sirtfood-rich meal per day. The daily caloric intake should be 1,000 calories regardless of age, gender, or weight.

Days 4-7: include two green juices and two sirtfood meals bringing the caloric intake up to 1,500 calories. This phase is intended to shed 7 pounds in the first week, mostly due to the drastic calorie reduction.

Phase 2

Length: 14 days

In this phase, you will have three sirtfood meals and one green juice each day. The focus is not on counting calories, but eating balanced, sensibly portioned meals. Dieters are expected to steadily lose weight.

After three weeks, when phase 2 has ended, you can drink green juice each day and eating a sirtfood-rich diet to sustain weight loss.

But dietitians caution that people with diabetes or other chronic conditions could face serious health risks on this diet. So, before trying, it is always advised to consult a doctor first about potential risks you may face.