EATING SIRT FOODS

      There are just two considerations when following the SIRT Diet. Firstly, you must actively seek out SIRT foods and incorporate them into your daily routine. Secondly, you need to show restraint in terms of portion sizes, extra snacks and empty calories. The easiest way to ‘show restraint’ is to count calories but if you are confident of your ability to track and curb your cravings, then a general awareness of calories rather than vigorous calorie counting should be enough, especially on days that are not jump-start days.

      There is one huge advantage of eating SIRT foods that cannot be overlooked. Eating SIRT foods actually controls your appetite, making you less hungry. This is because the SIRT foods convert body fat into energy, reducing your hunger pangs.

      You will now be aware of the easiest SIRT foods to fit into your daily life. Is it green tea? Dark chocolate? Red grapes? It is probably all of these and more. This is also where following the meal planners (see here) and the inspiring SIRT recipes in this book will really help.

      You should have a bank of easy SIRT boosters that you can easily reach for if you need a SIRT top-up. Combine SIRT boosters with meals containing one, two or even more portions of SIRTs and you’ll find you can easily reach your SIRT targets.

      Remember the SIRT 5 a day is a minimum. When you are actively following the SIRT Diet plan – on both jump-start and normal SIRT Diet days – you should aim for at least ten SIRT portions each and every day.

      GETTING ENOUGH SIRTS

      Are you worried that you can’t get enough SIRTs into your diet? Perhaps you have a passionate dislike for kale? Don’t worry, there are many different ways to get your daily SIRT requirements. So if there is a food or two you want to avoid, then just steer clear, there are many other options. Have a look through the ‘Top SIRT foods: quick reference’ (see here) and see what your favourites (or easy wins) are.

      Think about your green vegetables – ideally one to two portions daily. If you don’t like the stronger tasting leafy greens, then perhaps plainer broccoli or cauliflower? You only need a handful of parsley (10g) and it has a mild, unobtrusive taste. You could buy a growing pot of parsley from the supermarket and add a portion to your main meal or a salad.

      Olive oil and olives – at least one portion a day. Olive oil is such a versatile oil that it can be used in virtually all your cooking. Use extra virgin olive oil in salads and a light and mild version for frying when you don’t want an oliveoil flavour.

      Onions and apples – at least one portion a day. Raw red onion is great in salads or salsa. Many a main dish starts with lightly sautéed onions. And what could be easier than grabbing an apple as a mid-afternoon snack?

      Resveratrol: red wine, red grapes, chocolate – at least two portions a day. Oh the hardship!

      Turmeric – at least two portions a week. You only need ½ tsp to get a portion of SIRTs from turmeric. Easy to add to Indian and North African dishes. There are lots of ideas for turmeric in the recipe section of this book.

      Oily fish – at least two portions a week. I think you know the drill on this one. Salmon, trout and mackerel all count. Salmon is especially versatile and is very quick to cook. Or try a posh breakfast of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs.

      With all these normal everyday foods, it is very easy to increase the amount of SIRTs you eat each day. A few wise decisions will pay huge dividends.