Autophagy & Intermittent Fasting: Activate Garbage Recycling and Cellular RemodelingI have used fasting for many years to lose weight. I didn't know that it had all these detox properties until Yoshinori Ohsumi won the Nobel in Medicine in 2016.
I did notice, going back to when I was in grad school in the 1970's, that fasting was a good way to keep the mind clear.
My fasting has usually consisted of not eating after lunch until breakfast the next day. I figured I wasn't exercising when I was asleep so I didn't need the extra calories.
As an aside, I have always been a heavy exerciser (weight lifting to stay toned and lots of cardio). Fasting has never bothered my workouts that I have noticed. BTW, fasting is the only way I have ever found for getting ripped. It keeps the skin tight and docs say that it gets rid of the excess skin on folks who have lost a lot of weight.
Of course, like everything, this may not work for everyone.
Auto-phagy? Sounds automatically gay.
It occurred to me when I was in Med School that there is no reason biochemically one could not fast totally for weeks as long as you had residual fat stores. Over my 35 year career I have advised several >300 lb people fast and offered to help them. One lady asked me for help losing 75 pounds because she “was afraid of losing her husband”. She lost 75 pounds over a 3 month fast and she looked hot at the end. Other doctors told me I was crazy for recommending total fast but no one ever complained or was hurt by it. In fact, I find that when you become totally ketotic in 72 hours your mind clears immensely and you realize just how much toxins are in food.
Fasting is good stuff. Usually do 3-7 days twice a year with a few 2-3 days in between.
I was a wrestler, so not eating for a few days doesn’t bother me.
Gives me a good excuse to lay off the booze too.
I won a biggest loser contest once by eating large breakfast every day then either total fast or slim fast shakes for remainder of day. I lost 22 percent of my body weight in 10 weeks
Yep do my own fasting. In my case, I don’t even consider it fasting until I reach 36 hours with nothing but water and black coffee. But when possible (i.e., wife out of town), I will typically go 7 to 10 days of fasting, then have a single meal, and go another 7 to 10 days. Nice way to lose weight too, and certainly much easier than being hungry 24/7. I likely fast around 60 days per year.
I think fasting does reset our bodies, particularly in forcing our bodies to use the fat we store up, thereby getting it out of places where it is doing us harm - and for people who aren’t diabetic, it probably prevents the onset of the disease (particularly if you look at how I eat when I’m not fasting, LOL).
That’s interesting about the extra skin after weight loss, as would seem to fit the autophagy theory.
Bkmk
For those not familiar with the concept ..... I personally use intermittent fasting & a ketogenic way of eating:
How to renew your body: Fasting and autophagy
https://www.dietdoctor.com/renew-body-fasting-autophagy
This article is by Dr. Jason Fung - anything he writes is excellent. The Diet Doctor site has lots of good, interesting articles .... they are proponents of a ketogenic, LCHF diet.
Ping to LJ for the natural health ping list.
Bkmrk.
There is lots of good research currently being done on the KETO (High fat, low carb) diet and fasting. I have been doing the KETO diet since the beginning of Feb. I have lost 12 pounds but that was not the real reason I was doing it. I wanted a reduction in joint inflammation and it has helped.
If you want an explanation that is not to sciency, Dr. Bozewell is nice lady and a good cheerleader for KETO.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHYL9L71O2c&list=PL2Pw0R3qlUSAjIFtYOgJwVoe52Ncn9MQr&index=3
OMAD:
One Meal A Day
Lots of people do it. You know Terry Cruise, that ripped NFL black guy from Idiocracy and the Old Spice commercials..?
He has been OMAD for maybe 20 years.
I’m OMAD also.
Autophagy is good — don’t mistake it for one of those wacko alternative medicine schemes that dumb people believe.
Long, absolute fasting is bad.
Atkins is bad.
Induction is bad.
Hanging around with people who believe the Moon landing was fake and Tower 7 was imploded, is bad.
All you have to do to take advantage of autophagy is, cut your carbs back to one small serving a meal, get hungry between meals, and get hungry before bed.
“Don’t spoil your appetite” didn’t mean save up room for a huge meal, it meant get hungry between meals. It was the health trick of your great grandmother. They knew that being hungry was good for you. And there is a reason it is called “break”fast.
Every day you do this, is good. Even if you do it once a week, it will do you good. Every day would be best, but there is no “all in” requirement.
Funny; the Bible recommended fasting thousands of years ago. But what did God know, right?
/sarc
I’ve tried the warrior’s diet which is one meal per day, and watch my carbs, especially pasta for me. It works but I also tend to fall off... so you have to climb back on.
Thanks for the extremely concise testimony. I’ve been exploring this and trying to figure out how to practically incorporate it into my life.
I dropped from 320 to 245 using Keto, which is great. Of late I started doing the ‘no eating after 6 or before 10’ thing. I’m managing it pretty well so far.
Just got back from a cruise. Strayed from the diet for the tropical drinks. Not sorry I did it.
I did notice, going back to when I was in grad school in the 1970's, that fasting was a good way to keep the mind clear
That is my experience as well. A few times a year I have to do some public speaking around the country. It is 6 hours of me yakkity yakking on my feet, usually in a large conference room. As much as I enjoy it, it is physically exhausting. I discovered that if I eat nothing except a light meal before bed each day of my lecture, I am much more refreshed, relaxed and clear headed (doesn't help the sore old feet though!).
Then on my last night before returning home, I find a great restaurant and indulge in two martinis and a steak!
Huh.
Reading the title, I thought autophagy meant eating cars.
Beats geophagy
Marked.
Thanks for posting this thread.