Hi Aggressivefatloss lovers,
Many people who fast do so because they want to maximize the benefits of autophagy, our body’s innate “detox” system that recycles decrepit cells into newer, healthier ones.
Today I released a video that is trending across many platforms, and I wanted to share it, because it really breaks down what happens when we KILL AUTOPHAGY –
And while autophagy is always occurring to some extent, autophagy while fasting is fascinating because fasting accelerates autophagic flux, meaning that the longer you fast, the more autophagy your body experiences overall.
Word of Caution:
I always recommend consuming lean protein when breaking a fast…
Because people frequently fast for long periods in order to get more autophagy, they end up with very compressed eating windows, making it difficult to consume enough high-quality, nutrient-dense foods, resulting in them becoming micronutrient deficient.
This becomes a big issue because even though our bodies are extremely sensitive and ready to absorb nutrients right when we break a fast, our gut is fragile…
So consuming fibrous vegetables right upon breaking your fast will cause stomach distress and have you running to the bathroom.
One of the ways that I like to get some nutrition in after breaking my fast is by using Organifi’s Red Juice (20% off any products – Red, Green and Gold Juice)
I’m a fan of their red juice because I’m able to get the nutrition that I would normally get from fruits with only 2g of sugar as well as some adaptogens to help me adapt after my fast.
Not to mention, in a compressed eating window, I generally don’t have enough time to eat as much as I would like to in the way of low carb fruits and veggies.
Organifi Red Juice tastes UNREAL and I asked them for a special discount link for those that subscribe to my newsletter, so HERE IT IS (20% off)
Now, back to autophagy…
You see, when we fast, there is a complex interplay between mTOR, AMPK, and autophagy that occurs. You can think of mTOR and AMPK as opposites, and they play a game of tug-of-war to turn autophagy off or on.
mTOR is phosphorylated, or upregulated, when we consume nutrients, and elevation of mTOR is associated with muscle growth. The trade-off, however, is that autophagy shuts off…
But, when we are not consuming nutrients, such as when we are fasting, mTOR winds down and AMPK, our body’s main energy sensor, detects that there is no food coming in and ramps up levels of autophagy!
Because the driver behind AMPK, and subsequently autophagy, is an absence of nutrients, you can see how fasting quickly increases levels of autophagy!
Now comes the big question that all fasters want to know:
Does one single calorie break a fast and stop autophagy?
Suppose you were fasting for autophagy and were to sip on coffee with a dash of creamer in it or chewed on some sugar-free gum containing a couple of calories during your fast…
Would it completely destroy your fasting progress, halt autophagy in its tracks, and send you right back into a fed state with little to no autophagy occurring?
Well, your body is incredibly fine-tuned to detect any amount of food in your system that it can use for energy instead of relying upon its own stored energy (fat)…
So, yes, mTOR and AMPK will detect any sort of nutrient you consume, regardless of how negligible it may seem.
Before you begin to panic, there are some exceptions…
There are certain drinks and foods that increase autophagy on their own, despite containing calories…
Meaning that even though consuming them while fasting technically would break your fast, the net result is still an increase in autophagy because consumption of them increases autophagy.
For a quick list of autophagy-safe fasting drinks & foods:
- Black coffee
- Decaf coffee
- Black tea
- Green tea
- Turmeric
- Ginger
- Reishi
Coffee and tea are particularly helpful to make your fast much more manageable and to get to the most important part of fasting – breaking your fast.
You do NOT want to undo all the hard work you’ve done by breaking your fast with garbage when your body is most sensitive. People often make this mistake and wonder why they feel terrible after fasting and end up quitting…
So, as I mentioned earlier, break your fast with some lean protein and perhaps some of Organifi’s Red Juice and you’ll not only properly supply your body with a bioavailable source of micronutrients, you’ll continue to feel sharp even after fasting, allowing you to continue fasting a few times a week and maxmizing your autophagy levels!
Cheers
P.S. I explained this in more detail in a video over on my YouTube channel, feel free to check it out here!
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