Unlocking the power of autophagy for cellular cleaning

Let’s have a chat about something that’s been making waves in the health world since 2016. That’s when Dr. Yoshinori Ohsumi snagged a Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking work on autophagy. Now, you might be wondering, “What on earth is autophagy?” Well, think of it as your body’s way of doing a spring clean at the cellular level. It’s like your cells are taking out the rubbish, getting rid of the old and damaged ones to make way for shiny, new, healthy cells. How good is that?

So, what’s the connection between autophagy and fasting? Well, fasting is a fantastic way to kickstart this magical process. Just a heads up, though—autophagy isn’t the same as ketosis. Ketosis is all about burning fat, while autophagy is more like a detox for your cells, helping with healing and keeping you looking youthful. Fasting is one of the best ways to get autophagy going, but there are other tricks up your sleeve too!

How to Get Your Autophagy Going

Here are some fab ways to stimulate autophagy:

• Autophagy Fasting: This involves fasting for about 17 hours, munching on a high-fat, low-carb diet, and keeping protein to a minimum. Check out the macros below!
• HIIT Training: Get your heart pumping with some high-intensity interval training.
• Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT): Sounds fancy, right? It’s all about getting more oxygen to your cells.
• Red Light Therapy: A bit of light therapy can do wonders.
• Quality Sleep: Never underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep!
• Coffee: Yes, your morning brew can help!
• Cacao: Who doesn’t love a bit of chocolate?
• Power Phenols: Think turmeric, berberine, green tea, and even citrus bergamot found in Earl Grey tea.

Autophagy fasting is a brilliant option because it doesn’t require you to fast for ages. It’s a solid foundation that anyone can try!

The Benefits of Autophagy

Now, let’s talk about the perks of autophagy:

• Boosted immune function (because who doesn’t want a strong immune system?)
• Creation of new, healthy cells
• Better detection and clearing of infections, viruses, and bacteria
• Removal of toxic proteins from cells
• Help in regulating those pesky cytokine storms
• Improved brain function
• More energy for your mitochondria (the powerhouses of your cells)
• Protection for your nervous system

A study even highlighted that intermittent fasting can prime your immune response and activate autophagy, making it a potential strategy to fend off infections like SARS-CoV-2. How cool is that?

Autophagy Basics

So, what does autophagy fasting look like? You’ll want to aim for about 17 hours of fasting, which we’ve found to be the sweet spot. But don’t worry; autophagy can kick in anywhere between 17 to 72 hours of fasting. Think of it like a dimmer switch—turning up the light the longer you fast.

When you break your fast, go for healthy fats like avocado, MCT oil, or grass-fed ghee. Wait at least an hour before diving into your eating window. And when you do, stick to these macros:

• 50 grams of net carbs
• Under 20 grams of protein
• 1-2 tablespoons of good fats with your meals

Eating good fats won’t spike your blood sugar, so even after your fast, you’ll still be in that lovely autophagy state.

Measuring Autophagy

Curious about how to measure autophagy? Here are a few methods:

1. Blood Test: An autophagic flux test can give you insights.
2. Glucose Ketone Index (GKI): This nifty formula tracks your blood glucose to ketones ratio. For example, if your blood sugar is 90 mg/DL, divide that by 18, then divide by your ketone reading. Easy peasy!
3. Another calculation is to divide your glucose by your ketones. If your blood sugar is 85 mg and your ketones are 1.5 mmol, you’d get a score of 56, indicating a low level of autophagy.

How Often Should You Fast?

You might be wondering how often you should be doing this autophagy thing. Well, it really depends on your goals. If you’re after muscle growth, you might want to look into protein cycling. But if you’re keen on healing and detoxing, autophagy is your best mate.

And speaking of detoxing, autophagy is brilliant for detecting and removing viruses and bacteria. Just keep in mind it won’t detox heavy metals or synthetic chemicals.

So there you have it, folks! Autophagy is a powerful tool for your health, and with a bit of fasting, you can unlock its benefits. Give it a go and see how your body feels!