I really overdid it this festive season, and a wobbly Christmas-pud-tum is the result. After Annabel’s post last week about the brain benefits of ping pong I’ll be dragging out our table tennis. But I suspect it’s going to take a little more than that. We’re anti-diet at Kale & Cocoa but the latest wonder diet has intrigued me. It’s known as the Sirtfood Diet and is rich in the polyphenols found in dark green vegetables and red fruits, as well as other ingredients we love: buckwheat, tofu, green tea, dark chocolate and red wine. These compounds activate genes known as sirtuins in our bodies which influence our lifespan. So the more sirtfoods we eat, the longer we live. The side effect of this, it turns out, is weight loss. There are many overlaps between the Sirtfood diet and the Mediterranean diet – both aim for wellness, but the Sirt is a more specific regime that keeps the weight off. Sirting (now a verb) focuses on green juice made from kale and matcha (among other things) and a meal plan that’s high in protein and vegetables but low in carbs. The book was serialised in The Times this week (behind a paywall sadly but there’s a good summary here http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/healthyeating/11591828/Could-chocolate-and-red-wine-be-the-key-to-weight-loss.html)
There are many similarities too between the Sirt and the diet suggested in a new book ‘The Brain Fog Fix’ by Mike Dow. This isn’t a diet for weight loss, but part of a three-week strategy which promises to help us ‘reclaim focus, memory and joy’. The book is aimed at the middle-aged ‘Scatterbrain’ – that’s me, then. It’s a good, if rather repetitive, read. The diet focuses on cutting out flour and refined sugar and increasing fruit and veg intake to seven portions a day. The diet includes a daily portion of oily fish to boost Omega 3 intake. This reduces inflammation and leads to better brain function (personally I think that’s too much fish but it’s only for a short time). The eating plan also advocates reducing Omega 6 intake: not all Omegas are created equal. Omega 6 increases inflammation. Our Omega 6 to 3 ratio should be about 2:1, but in the USA (it’s an American book) the ratio can be as much as 25:1. Omega 6s are found in processed oils and factory-farmed meat and dairy so the author suggests switching to organic eggs and meat or getting more protein from plant-based sources. Other strategies for lifting the brain fog include minimising social media use, meditation, connecting to the world through community, friends and family and optimising sleep.
Ahhhh, sleep. Our most read post last year was Annabel’s on ‘Is poor sleep the new killer?’ and I’m writing this in New Zealand where I am battling jet lag while visiting family. A new study – published in the journal Sleep last week to coincide with the January diet panic – reveals that a good night’s sleep does more than help clear the mind. Researchers at Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia (a city where 68% of adults are overweight or obese!!) have discovered there’s a virtuous circle linking weight loss and sleep. Their findings suggest that when people lose excess weight, they sleep better, so they feel more alert during the day, so they are more likely to exercise. The research was done on mice and within a week of switching them from a high fat diet to a regular one, their sleep quality improved. In other words, they didn’t need to lose all the excess weight in order to benefit from their diets, they just had to START losing weight. Which is pretty good motivation to lose excess pounds.
This week’s recipe is full of hearty, warming lentils. This is a big year for lentils: the UN has declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses to put these fabulous plant-based protein sources front and centre. We love them for their high-fibre content: studies show that the more fibre people eat, the lower their risk of mortality from any cause – and they lose weight. And you know how we keep going on about our micro biome? Our gut bacteria ferments fibre and the by-products of this process nourish the lining of the colon and recalibrate the immune system. We try and eat beans every day.
The recipe also makes use of Sirtfood-friendly red wine and contains very little fat, except a little brain fog-busting olive oil, so tuck in and enjoy!
LENTILS IN RED WINE (serves 4)
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped (optional)
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbs olive oil
250g puy lentils, rinsed
125ml glass of red wine
Vegetable stock or water
Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Sweat the first four ingredients in the oil, adding a little water if they start to stick. Stir in the lentils then add the red wine. Once it’s been absorbed by the lentils cover them with stock or water and simmer until cooked through but with a little bite, adding more liquid as necessary. Stir through the parsley and serve.
Susan
As a vegetarian of almost 30 years, I noted that you suggest that it’s a good idea to restrict Omega 6 intake. I don’t eat fish, so would not be able to increase my Omega 3 intake in this way. Any suggestions for this?
I’ve also found that restricting dairy in my diet actually has allowed my nails and hair to grow : they were virtually at a standstill, my nails flaking and my hair thinning until mu daughter suggested I cut out various foods to see what might work. Perhaps the way to go is partial veganism?
Walnuts and flaxseeds are good vegetarian/vegan sources of Omega 3s. We’re not nutritionists but I’m a big fan of plant-based protein sources – beans and nuts – as they bring so many other benefits like fibre, vitamins and minerals. It sounds as if your diet is working well for you if your hair and nails are growing!
Does this have grated cheese on top? It isn’t mentioned in the recipe, but looks as though it does from the photo. Sounds delicious and I will make it next week!
Hi Sarah, yes it does have grated cheese on the top for the pic but it really doesn’t need it for flavour! Do give it a go and let us know how you get on.