THE SIRTFOOD DIET

With red wine and dark chocolate on the menu, this eating plan could be your diet saviour

- ROSE GOODMAN, DEBRA WATERS

Do you fancy a weight-loss plan that promises treats? Of course you do! The biggest positive of the sirtfood diet, which puts it in real contrast to other restrictive eating plans, is the green light on red wine, dark chocolate and coffee. ‘These are actively encouraged,’ says Dr Deborah Lee from Dr Fox online pharmacy. ‘In fact, you can drink two to three glasses of red wine per week.’

Not heard of it before? The sirtfood diet was developed in 2015 after a study on a family of proteins known as sirtuins suggested that these may help regulate metabolism, reduce inflammation and extend lifespan.

While it lay on the sidelines of the diet industry for a few years, after a rumour that the superstar singer Adele had lost a significant amount of weight following the plan (which turned out not to be true!) there was a renewed interest in it.

According to Aidan Goggins and Glen Matten, nutritional experts and authors of The Sirtfood Diet*, stocking up on sirtuin-rich foods, such as kale, green tea and apples, can stimulate the ‘skinny’ gene pathways and help you lose fat – 7lb in a week! But it’s not always easy.