Triggering autophagy
Autophagy has many benefits in several systems of the body. In fact, autophagy may be helpful to prevent or even reverse diseases such as cancer, diabetes, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. But how can we trigger autophagy? The simplest way is intermittent fasting. It may take 12 hrs of fasting for autophagy to begin. Since we sleep overnight for 8 hrs or more, it only takes skipping breakfast for the effects of autophagy to trigger. The longer you fast, the strongest the autophagy will be.
Exercise and autophagy
The evidence is mounting that exercise, and more specifically, exercise while fasting, triggers autophagy. Exercise makes it more efficient in recycling the intracellular waste material (see the video below). A body in a state of starvation enters autophagy most commonly. Because intermittent fasting mimicks this state in some ways, it is generally recommended as a way to induce autophagy. The primary reason why exercise is a useful method of autophagy activation has to do with glucose depletion in cells. Since muscles absorb glucose during exercise to support the activity, it follows that a vigorous workout may deplete glucose.
Longevity
If fasting triggers autophagy, fasting is very likely to increase our life expectancy. I for one, have accepted one meal a day (OMAD) as a critical part of my lifestyle. I used OMAD for years without negative effects. Then I went back to a light breakfast and dinner. Recently, I have begun to understand how OMAD helped me lose weight, increase my muscle tissue, fitness, and mental focus. For almost a year now, I have returned to an OMAD regimen, which I intend to keep for life. The benefits of OMAD are just too many to ignore and longevity appears to be a real outcome. OMAD itself is the best way to keep the weight off. Therefore, there is no reason to return to 3 or more meals a day.
Fasting is in our evolution
Feasting and fasting is the way we evolved as humans. It is only in the last few decades that we have been told to eat continuously. Yet, I find absolutely no need to eat more than one meal. Even when going to bed sometimes I am surprised to realize that I did not have dinner. In the past, I used to struggle through dinner time, keeping busy not to think of food. Now, I go through dinner time without a thought of food. Once habituated, OMAD is all you need.
OMAD and energy requirements
It is hard to convince anyone in casual conversation, that I am not triggering a starvation mode in my body. In fact, I eat on average of 2000 calories in my OMAD. I find it more than sufficient to provide me with my energy requirements, even for 2 hrs of daily workouts. But I am not alone. Others find it a perfectly rational way to keep a slim body and high energy.
A future of feast and fast
I truly believe that this is the way most humans will eat and live in the future. With it, they will reach a new level of longevity that will take the average lifespan to new highs. Wouldn’t you want to be one of us?
