Tell-tale signs of autophagy means great things are happening to your body. After all, autophagy is your body’s cleaning and disinfecting system. Here’s how some of our favorite fasting experts describe autophagy and some signs of autophagy to be looking for.
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What is autophagy?
“Autophagy is the natural cellular recycling process that rids our body of old or malfunctional protein. This sets in motion the process of rejuvenation as our body rebuilds new proteins to replace the old ones. Autophagy is a powerful method of healing and is best activated by fasting.” –Dr. Jason Fung
“Autophagy is a process that helps your cells “take out the garbage”, removing damaged cells in order to generate new, healthier cells. It’s something a healthy body does naturally to promote healing and overall well being.” –Dr. Mindy Pelz
“Autophagy is a condition where your body is recycling old or damaged proteins. I’m talking about the little enzyme protein machines that actually do the work of the body. The word autophagy means, “self eat.” This is because your cells are basically eating up and recycling these proteins that no longer work or have any use to the body.” –Dr. Eric Berg
“Fasting stimulates autophagy. This is how your body naturally takes out the cellular trash, and the more I read about it, the more I believe it’s one of the most powerful things you can do for your health.” –Gin Stephens
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Benefits of Autophagy
Autophagy is my favorite thing to research because every time I discover more and more benefits. In fact, in my previous post, How to Prevent Dementia, I discussed how studies are showing that autophagy may help protect the brain from Alzheimer’s disease. That’s pretty exciting to me!
But that’s only one of several breakthroughs we can appreciate. I hope you’ll read this article in Everyday Health, because it explains it very well. In summary: “When the process [autophagy] is induced in animals, life span is extended and health is improved during aging.” So basically it can extend your life AND you’ll be healthier during those extra years. I think that’s something we all hope for!
One thing to keep in mind: While autophagy has been going on since humans have been alive, the discovery of the process is still relatively new. In my opinion, we have a lot of encouraging revelations still to come. So stay tuned!
Intermittent Fasting and Autophagy
Autophagy is taking place (at least at a micro level) all the time. However, there are several ways to induce a more dramatic autophagy including intermittent fasting and ketosis. Increased autophagy takes place when the body’s cells are deprived of nutrients or damaged in some way. (Cleveland Clinic)
By definition, fasting is a time when you are not eating for a period of time so there are no incoming nutrients. Ketosis occurs when the body doesn’t have enough incoming carbs to use as energy and burns stored fat instead. Both are effective ways to pursue autophagy and can be done together.
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8 Signs of autophagy
You won’t “feel” autophagy starting in your body. However, there are certainly some indicators that let you know when it may be happening or has happened. Let’s take a look…
1. You feel more alert and focused
Several studies show that autophagy is a contributing factor to increased brain function. In fact, autophagy appears to directly improve the health of nerve cells that play a part in brain cognition. (Healthline) And like I mentioned earlier, there are newer studies that show autophagy is protective against brain disorders like Alzheimer’s Disease! (NIH)
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Much of the research done on autophagy and increased cognition notes the relationship between autophagy and ketones. Ketones are released into the blood when there is not enough sugar or glucose to supply the body’s fuel needs. When the body uses ketones as energy versus sugar, autophagy is increased. As time goes by, studies are emerging all the time on the positive therapeutic effects of a ketogenic lifestyle.
2. You are in ketosis
Ketones in the blood can be one of the signs of increased autophagy. So, how do you know if you are in ketosis?
Many years ago, hordes of people used the Atkins diet to get into ketosis and I was one of them. At the time, I regularly used ketone strips to make sure I was in ketosis. Ketone strips are inexpensive and if you don’t mind the process of testing your urine, they work great.
However, technology has improved a lot and now there are also devices you can simply breathe into to determine if you are in ketosis. This is my preferred method because it is quick and simple and can be done without a trip to the bathroom. Plus, the devices I like comes with a free app that provides lots of encouraging information. That said, I still always have some keto strips on hand.
Don’t forget: Ketosis isn’t safe for everyone. Especially if you are diabetic, pregnant, or nursing.
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3. Your breath smells a little bit like nail polish
Bad breath is a common symptom that comes along with ketosis. So if you’re in ketosis to stimulate autophagy, you may notice that your breath smells a little bit fruity. Some people say it smells like nail polish. That may be because there’s a type of ketone that’s called acetone. (NIH) But whatever it smells like, it isn’t good.
Now, I have to warn you, there are all kinds of opinions out there about how to handle this. Some people say to brush your teeth as usual, use sugar-free mints, etc. I really want to believe that! But I’ve also read where other experts say the brain/pancreas can sometimes respond to sugar free flavors the same way it responds to sugar. And still others say “yes, it may temporarily throw you out of ketosis but it’s not a big deal.” Well, for me, it is. If I’m going to go hours without eating (intermittent fasting) to help me get into ketosis in order to stimulate autophagy, I’m not taking any chances.
From everything I read, the trick is not to use toothpaste or mouthwash that has artificial flavors, sweeteners or preservatives of any kind. I like the Tea Tree & Sea Salt toothpaste and CloSYS unflavored mouth rinse and to date they have not interfered with my fasts or ketones.
4. You are losing weight.
For many of us, intermittent fasting and ketosis are all about losing weight. I’ve certainly been there! But as each year goes by, I become more and more intrigued with autophagy. So while I can honestly tell you that increasing autophagy is the main reason I’m fasting, of course I’m still loving the weight loss. And weight loss is another one of the signs of autophagy.
But just a word of caution: not all weight loss is healthy weight loss. If you’re weighing each morning and your level of excitement is due to the number on the scale, BEWARE. You absolutely DO NOT want to be losing more muscle mass than you are losing fat. I was shocked when I first got my smart scale. Because I realized a three pound loss sometimes meant I’d lost two pounds of MUSCLE. Definitely not the direction I wanted to go.
Get a smart scale…
The only method I’ve found to conveniently determine if I’m losing fat, not muscle, is with a smart scale. An inexpensive smart scale will tell you how much of your total weight is fat, muscle, bone, water, etc. And it will store that information in a free app so you can monitor it and make changes to your routine accordingly.
I can’t mention the smart scale without mentioning the smart measuring tape. This is one of the great inventions of all times in my book! You can easily measure every body part (it walks you through) and the results are stored on the same free app. The smart measuring tape makes it easy to take measurements in those traditional hard to reach places all by yourself. The best thing about measuring is that you can see where you’re getting smaller before it even shows up in your clothes.
Arboleaf has a combination smart scale and smart measuring tape that works great.
Make sure you are losing fat (not muscle) from the right places.
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5. You don’t feel hungry
One sign of autophagy is a reduced appetite. I’ve noticed more than once I’m usually hungrier during the early hours of my fast than when I wake up the next morning.
One of the reasons this happens could be due to a hormone called Glucagon. (Doctor Kiltz) Glucagon is produced in the pancreases and increases your blood sugar level to keep it from dropping too low. So basically, your body saves up some sugar in the pancreas to release when your blood sugar gets low after a night’s sleep, intermittent fasting, etc.
Whenever I don’t feel hungry, I like to think my body has gone to get a big chunk of fat to feed my system. And that’s exactly what happens in ketosis.
6. Is your body expelling unusual things?
Of all of the signs of autophagy, this one is probably the strangest. During my research on autophagy, I discovered that the body has some unique ways of cleansing itself. I’ve included a video below that has some great explanation of some of these occurrences.
- Eye debris: So we’ve all experienced having “sleep” (eye drainage) in the mornings from time to time. But don’t be surprised if you notice a lot more of it when you’re fasting.
- Unusual bowel activity: So, I probably don’t need to explain this in detail. But let’s just say? During and after a long fast, you may notice some extra action. And on top of that, it may be a little different than you’re used to. 😉 (See video below.)
- Irregular menstrual bleeding: This one is something to pay attention to. As explained in the video below, it can be harmless but it can also be dangerous depending on your situation.
7. Do you feel unusually tired or weak?
According to Healthline, “several of the methods used to induce autophagy, including fasting or following a ketogenic diet, have been linked to low energy levels and fatigue.
Fortunately, this side effect may only be temporary. Some studies have found that fasting or following a ketogenic diet may increase energy levels with time as your body adjusts.”
Fatigue can also be a sign of something more serious, so please don’t hesitate to contact your doctor just to make sure.
8. Are you noticing less aches and pain?
Signs of Autophagy: Final Word
Pursuing autophagy has really added some motivation for me in my intermittent fasting lifestyle. Plus, understanding that carbs slow the process down has helped me many times make different food choices during my eating window. But honestly, it’s this video by Dr. Annette Bosworth that has really inspired me and I think it will inspire you too. Happy Fasting!
