Intermittent fasting is all the rage. The objective is to stimulate autophagy, the natural regulated mechanism of the cell to remove waste. By restricting eating for a minimum of 16 hours and hydrating to eliminate toxins, we rejuvenate and slow down aging by increasing anti aging hormones, reduce cancer risk, give our system a break and thereby improve gut function, preserve our telomere (the end of our DNA strands) length, and cause insulin levels to drop to facilitate metabolism.
Animals who eat 30% fewer calories live 30% longer!
The following tips will enhance Autophagy:
1. Healthy Fat needs to be the dominant macronutrient in our diets because it’s different from protein. Whereas protein can turn into a carb and become a sugar, fat cannot. The shift from burning glucose (carbs) to ketones (fats) increases autophagy.
Fats:
MUFA Monounsaturated: solid when cool: olive, avocado, seed and nut: heart health, cholesterol, reduced
risk of stroke, improved insulin resistance, and improved belly fat.
PUFA (poly unsaturated): fatty fish (sardine, salmon, mackerel), seeds such as flax, nuts such as walnut, can be bad if highly processed like vegetable and canola oils.
Natural PUFA will improve cholesterol and calm inflammation.
Refined will fuel inflammation and mess up your lipids: canola, soybean, safflower, and vegetable oils.
Trans: added hydrogen (hence partially hydrogenated) to increase shelf life Increases LDL and lowers HDL, leading to CVD
Saturated: solid at room temperature (unlike MUFA) needed for healthy immune, hormone, cellular, and brain health
Grass fed butter, ghee, coconut oil, eggs, meats.
Increase healthy HDL
Controversy: do not mix saturated fats with refined grains (basically glucose) because the combination amplifies inflammation of sugar.
2. Protein fast
Once or twice a week, limit your protein consumption to 15-25 grams a day. This gives your body a full day to
recycle proteins, which will help reduce inflammation and cleanse your cells without any muscle loss. During this time, while autophagy gets triggered, your body is forced to consume its own proteins and toxins.
3. Exercise using high-intensity interval training
HIIT (high-intensity interval training) exercise is another advantageous way to stimulate autophagy. Remember,
autophagy is a bodily response to stress, and high-intensity exercise puts you in the good-stress sweet spot because it stresses you just enough to provoke biochemical change. You’ll get just enough impact load to make your muscles stronger (and induce autophagy) without harm. Aim for approximately 20-30 minutes a day to give your longevity an optimal boost.
Burst training: high intensity interval training or burst training means 90-100% of your maximum heart rate for 30- 60 seconds followed by 30-60 seconds of lower intensity exercise or rest
Lose 6x more fat than long distance cardio exercise for exercising half the time.
1. Run in place
Keep your knees high and the speed fast.
2. Jumping Jacks
3. See how many jumping jacks you can fit inside 30 seconds.
3. Squat pulses
With your feet shoulder distance apart, squat low and move up and down slightly. Make sure your knees don’t come past your toes.
4. Jump rope
Connect with your inner child and pick up a jump rope. Can you still double dutch?
5. Bike
You can exercise in bursts either on a spin bike indoors or a bicycle outside.
6. Swim
7. High jumps
Simply stand in place, reach your arms above your head and jump as fast you can for 30-60 seconds.
4. Good nights sleep
5. Tea: Polyphenols (nutrients).
3 cups tea daily causes longer telomeres. Green tea has higher % polyphenols. Bergamot will enhance autophagy.
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