Lately, Adele has been making headlines beyond her stunning voice: After stepping out looking slimmer than usual, a frenzy of reports claim that the 31-year-old Someone Like You singer lost weight by following the Sirtfood Diet, a calorie-restricting eating plan, after her breakup with her husband Simon Konecki.

This isnt the first time Adeles name has been associated with the Sirtfood Diet. Back in 2016, the New York Post claimed the singer lost 30 pounds by eating foods rich in sirtuins, a.k.a. proteins that can be found in certain foods (they also occur naturally in the body). Her former Pilates instructor Camila Goodis also told The Sun that she believed the stars weight loss was 90% diet.

Adele hasnt publicly commented on the rumors swirling around her figure (why should she?!), but her trainer Pete Geracimo (who also works with Pippa Middleton) supposedly likes to put his clients on the Sirtfood Diet.

And as the seventh most Googled diet in 2019, people clearly want to know what its all about. Here, dietitians and a doctor explain what the Sirtfood Diet entails, the foods it encourages, and whether or not its a legit way to lose weight long-term.

The Sirtfood Diet is based on the book by the same name that was written by Aidan Goggins and Glen Matten. The diet focuses on eating so-called sirtfoods, a group of wonderfoods that include nutrient-rich options like kale, cocoa, strawberries, and coffee.

The idea is that certain foods activate sirtuins in your body (a type of protein found in plants) that allegedly boast a slew of benefits, like protecting cells from inflammation, kick-starting your metabolism, reversing aging, and activating your skinny gene pathways, according to the diets website.

Some research, like one 2018 review published in the journal Circulation Research, suggests that sirtuins may help prevent age-related decline (in mice, at least). Another review published in Frontiers in Endocrinology concludes that sirtuins may help prevent insulin resistance and chronic inflammation. But again, this was based on animal studies.

While sirtuins are considered healthy, theres still a lot people dont know about them. The research on sirtuins is promising but more is definitely needed, especially on humans, to determine if any of the claims can be conclusively substantiated, says Keri Gans, M.S., R.D.N., C.D.N., a nutrition consultant based in New York City.

The Sirtfood Diet only mentions a few sirtfoods on its website and blog, but these options make the cut, all of which are nutrient-dense and healthy to eat regularly:

The diet is divided into two phases, and followers are encouraged to do them whenever they feel like they need a weight loss boost.

This lasts for seven days and its also split up. During the first three days, youll have three sirtfood green juices and one regular meal thats rich in sirtfoodsfor a total of 1,000 calories a day. On days four through seven, youll have two green juices and two daily meals for a total of 1,500 calories a day.

This is a 14-day maintenance phase thats designed to help you lose weight at a steady pace. During this phase, youll eat three balanced meals that are rich in sirtfoods, along with one green juice. Its unclear whether this phase has a set calorie intake.

The juices usually consist of matcha, the herb lovage, and buckwheat. As for the meals, recipes include soy yogurt with berries, walnuts, and dark chocolate, an omelette with bacon, red chicory, and parsley, a pita with turkey, cheese, and hummus, and stir-fried prawns with kale and buckwheat noodles.

Once youre done with the phases, youre supposed to look at the Sirtfood Diet as a way of life. You are encouraged, once youve completed the first three weeks, to continue eating a diet rich in sirtfoods and to continue drinking your daily green juice, the diets website says.

The official site also recommends that you stop working out or cutting back on your usual routine during the first phase, since youre not taking in many calories. But, once the diet becomes a way of life for you, it encourages exercising (and eating protein an hour after you work out to repair muscles and reduce soreness).

Yes, youll probably lose weight on the diet. Most people definitely will lose weight during phase one, since they are probably consuming way fewer calories than they usually do, says Gans. While a lot of this may be water weight, its possible to lose actual body fat too.

But that doesnt mean its healthy. It seems gimmicky, says Jessica Cording, M.S., R.D., author of The Little Book of Game-Changers. Any diet where theres a cycle of super restrictive eating and maintenance isnt really sustainable.

First, phase one of the diet is a bit extreme, says Scott Keatley, R.D., of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy. A 1,000 calorie-diet is below what is used in almost all human research studies because it is deemed unsafe. People can lose fluid and lean muscle mass while having a caloric intake this low, and it can mess with your metabolism, he says.

Restricting your caloric intake this heavily can only be OK for a few days, but its really not ideal, says weight loss expert Michael Russo, M.D., a bariatric surgeon at MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA. Its really important to pay attention to what types of calories youre getting in, he says. Getting adequate protein is crucial, because theyre the building blocks of the body.

The Mediterranean Diet Has Really Amazing Benefits

Why Intuitive Eating Is Better Than Diet Culture

The juicing part isnt exactly a hit with experts, either. Im not a huge fan of making juice out of foods, especially when were talking weight loss, as the blender is doing a lot of the work your body should be doing, Keatley says. Green juice is often much lower in gut-filling fiber than youd get if you just ate the ingredients themselves, Cording says, which is bound to leave you hungry.

The diet is also lacking an educational component of helping people better understand what foods are good for their health, and how to develop healthy eating patterns due to how restrictive it is, Cording adds. Finally, there are really no guidelines beyond the two phasesunless you buy the Sirtfood Diet books.

You should also speak with a dietitian or doctor before your dramatically reduce your calorie intake and glug a ton of juice in the name of weight loss.

Ultimately, the Sirtfood Diet isnt backed by significant research, so youre likely better off following a healthy diet you know you can stick to consistently (or a more scientifically-proven option, like the Mediterranean diet), exercising regularly, and getting plenty of sleep.

Like what you just read? Youll love our magazine! Go here to subscribe. Dont miss a thing by downloading Apple News here and following Prevention. Oh, and were on Instagram too.

Read this article:
What Is the Sirtfood Diet? Inside Adele's Reported Weight Loss Plan - Prevention.com