One of the most frequent comments I get is about my fitness and slim frame. Of course, it gives me great satisfaction, but the truth is, it is a lot of consistent, hard work, not to mention strenuous. I adhere to autophagy, what I call a little ‘self-cannibalism’.
The body does cleanse itself. Yes, you can actually train your body to eat itself 😱
Autophagy (literally ‘self-eating’) is the body’s system of cleaning your house.
Your cells create membranes that hunt out scraps of dead, diseased, or worn-out cells; gobble them up, strip them for parts and use the resulting molecules for energy or to make new cell parts.
Think of your body as a recycling generator. Autophagy makes us more efficient machines to get rid of faulty parts, stop cancerous growths and stop metabolic dysfunction like obesity and diabetes. In turn, it helps control inflammation and immunity. And here’s my other delight – it slows down the ageing process.
3 ways to self-destruct:
Put your body through stress to drum a little extra ‘auto-cannibalism’!
1) Exercise: Working out actually damages your muscles, causing tiny microscopic tears that the body then rushes to heal, making the muscles stronger and more resistant to any further ‘damage’ you might put them through. Regular exercise is the best way that people unintentionally help their body to cleanse and repair. That is why we feel good and fresh after working out.
2) Fasting:
Ironically for people who ‘cleanse’ by drinking juice, this act of consuming actually works against autophagy🤔 Skipping meals, is another stressful act that the body may not immediately love but benefits from. Fasting also promotes autophagy in the brain, an effective way to lower the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Intermittent fasting too has shown to improve cognitive function, brain structure, and neuroplasticity, which helps the brain to learn more easily.
Forgo food for 12 to 36 hours at a time but make sure to drink plenty of water. Limit activity during fasting. Fast 2/3 times a week. I do it around 4 times a week and fast for around 16 hours each time. It is not cast in stone. So do it in a relaxed manner.
3) Lower Carb intake/ Ketosis
A low level of carbohydrates encourages the body to use fat as a fuel source instead.
Ketosis can help people lose body fat while retaining muscle. It helps the body to fight cancerous tumours, lowers the risk of diabetes and protects against some brain disorders, particularly epilepsy.
It is simple as that folks. Go for it. Please let me have your feedback in due course.