And it’s time to open a nice bottle of red!

THE NEXT STAGE: BACK TO 3 MEALS A DAY...

HAVING followed the first seven days of the Sirtfood Diet, the chances are that you will already be seeing sparkling results. You will probably have lost about 7lb, you’ll be looking slimmer, and feeling lighter, leaner and revitalised.

Remember that the greatest revelation of the Sirtfood Diet is that most, or all, of the weight that people lose is from fat, and many actually gain some lean muscle.

Don’t judge your progress purely by the numbers you see on the weighing scales, see how you look in the mirror and if your clothes feel looser. So, what happens now?

Well, it’s time for Phase Two, which is designed to help you make the transition from Phase One to a more normal dietary routine, and thus help sustain and extend the benefits of the Sirtfood Diet.

For the next 14 days, every day you should consume:

1 x sirtfood green juice 3 x meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) Optional 1-2 x sirtfood bites (recipe, below right)

For more recipes and a Phase Two meal planner, you can buy our bestselling book The Sirtfood Diet. But you should already have a pretty good idea from this pullout about how to ‘sirtify’ your diet.

During Phase Two, you can also enjoy the occasional glass of red wine – one of the most powerful sirtfoods due to the abundance of sirt-activating polyphenols resveratrol and piceatannol it contains. If you’re going to drink alcohol, red wine is by far the best choice. However, alcohol has an adverse effect on our fat cells, so moderation is still best. Limit your intake to one glass of red wine with a meal, two or three days per week. And if you have a sweet tooth, you’ll love our Sirtfood Bites, which give you a daily dose of dark chocolate, along with other sirtfoods such as dates and nuts.

When following Phase Two, remember to drink your green juice first thing in the morning, at least 30 minutes before breakfast, or mid-morning, and try to eat your evening meal by 7pm – food eaten later tends to be stored as fat.

You won’t find any calorie counting in Phase Two, only sensible portions and really well-balanced meals rich in sirtfoods so you can continue to benefit from their fat-burning and health-promoting powers. Here, we answer the most common questions people have at this stage...

Can I eat whatever I want while eating plenty of sirtfoods and still see results?

One of the key reasons the Sirtfood Diet works so well long term is that it promotes good food instead of demonising bad food.

Most people who follow the Sirtfood Diet find that their appetite is sated and their craving for junk food is less than the average person’s.

Although processed foods are high in sugars and fats that will reduce sirtuin activity in the body, if you indulge in them occasionally, don’t worry. So long as you eat a sirtfood-rich diet most of the time, you will still reap the health benefits.

Can I eat as many sirtfoods, even the high-calorie ones, as I like and still lose weight?

Yes! We do not promote calorie counting. sirtfoods regulate your metabolism and appetite so you don’t need to worry about eating too many of them.

With the exception of Medjool dates, which contain a lot of natural sugar, feel free to eat as many sirtfoods as you like to satisfy your natural appetite. Stick to government alcohol guidelines when drinking red wine – in Ireland 11 standard drinks a week for women, 17 for men. A standard drink is a small glass of wine.

Should I exercise during Phase One?

Regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health, and doing some moderate exercise will enhance the weight loss and health benefits of Phase One.

However, intense exercise – even if that’s what you’re used to – may place too much stress on your body during Phase One. Listen to your body and let the sirtfoods do the hard work instead.

I’ve reached my target weight and don’t want to lose any more – do I stop eating sirtfoods?

Many of our clients are now at their ideal body composition but continue to eat sirtfood-rich diets without cutting calories.

The great thing about sirtfoods is that they are a way for life. Eating them in the right quantities – as in all the recipes we’ve shared here today – helps bring your body to the weight and composition it was meant to be.

From now on, simply fill your daily meals with an abundance of sirtfoods to maintain all the fabulous benefits to your health, wellbeing and physique that you’ve already achieved in Phases One and Two.

How often can I repeat Phase One?

You should always follow Phase One with the 14-day Phase Two regime. If you feel in need of a weight-loss or health boost, Phase One can be repeated, but probably no more than once every three months. Instead, repeat some or all days of Phase Two as often as you like to reap the most benefits. After all, Phase Two is all about establishing a life-long way of eating sirtfoods.