Decoding Myths

Fast & Food

*Hello Guys!! It has been a long break and I hope you guys will like this chapter as it is something I wanted to talk about from  a very long time and  I wanted a first hand experience before I wrote about this. So here it is.

Yoshinori Ohsumi, a Japanese cell biologist won a noble prize in 2016 for his research on effects of fasting in humans. 

Fasting...sounds familiar? The once a fortnight fast that our grandparents observed  and the fasting period that people who follow Jainism and Muslim religion follow.   Yes, a culture that was  bloomed and nurtured in India was waiting for a Japanese to scientifically prove it. Nonetheless, the fact that this news can bring joy and health to many is the important thing.

Before I dive into the science behind it, in ancient India people started their meal with sun rise and ended with sun set. That was probably because of lack of proper light at night to hunt in the early man period and lack of light to cook in the Vedic period. But it is given in the ancient Ayurvedic texts that our digestive fire is in sync with the Sun.

 If people eat within sunset, they give their body ample time to digest before they go to bed. If we eat just before sleeping, our blood circulation and activity is mainly focused on the alimentary canal, giving a less amount of blood circulation to our brain and the rest of the body. And moreover the digestion is highest at noon. So if you are thinking of having a cheat meal(s)  in your diet without wanting it to affect your body much, I would say lunch would be a perfect time.

In the Vedic texts, it is given that there must be a period of twelve hours or fourteen hours of fasting at night. That is when we eat when the sun sets, as an example, at 6: 30 PM, we must not eat before 8:00 AM the next morning. This obviously excludes pregnant women, diabetic people, people with variating blood pressure and growing children. 

This is what we call in the modern world as intermittent fasting that has been classified into various types.

Now coming to the science behind it, Fasting activates autophagy, which helps slow down the aging process and helps in cell renewal.

What is Autophagy?

During starvation, cells break down proteins and other cell components and use them for energy. During this, cells destroy viruses and bacteria and get rid of damaged structures. It's a process that is critical for cell health, renewal, and survival.

Autophagy is responsible for the renewal of the body, combatting infections, and the drainage of toxins. The irregularities in the autophagy process are with various diseases including cancer, type II diabetes, and Alzheimer's. It is known that an infected cell tries to "digest" bacteria using the same mechanisms and proteins that are usually used for cell renewal.

 Our cells have different specialized compartments. Lysosomes constitute one such compartment and contain enzymes for digestion of cellular contents. A new type of vesicle called autophagosome was observed within the cell. As the autophagosome forms, it engulfs cellular contents, such as damaged proteins and organelles. Finally, it fuses with the lysosome, where the contents are degraded into smaller constituents. This process provides the cell with nutrients and building blocks for renewal.

Scientists have found that fasting for 12+ to 24+ hours triggers autophagy, and is thought to be one of the reasons that fasting is associated with longevity. There is a large body of research that connects fasting with improved blood sugar control, reduced inflammation, weight loss, and improved brain function. It is done in phases. For example, 14 : 10 where we fast for fourteen hours and eat within the 10 hours ( not eat for 10 hours).

When we do the fast as given in the Vedic text or as Ohsumi says, a twelve to fifteen hour fast ( Thirteen - fourteen for women and fourteen - fifteen for men) we must keep in mind to have a healthy breakfast whenever we have it. Hence it is called BREAK FAST. 

" Eat your breakfast like a King, your lunch like a prince and your dinner like a pauper"

When you fast, you drop insulin and increase glucagon, which stimulates autophagy. However, it's not quite that simple: to induce autophagy, you need low liver glycogen, which is usually only achieved after about 14–16 hours of fasting. But doing a 24 hour fast once a fortnight gives plenty of time for cell renewal and fighting infections. It's a practice that our forefathers followed though they weren't aware of the exact reason.

Does our metabolic rate decrease due to fasting?

It does if your fasting includes more than 72 hours. But if it is between 12 to 72 hours, then you may experience increased metabolic rate as its connected to the release of stress hormone noradrenaline.Research claims  that short-term fasting leads to a high level of the growth hormone that brings energy from fat tissue. Its other functions are anabolic and anti-catabolic, meaning they prevent the destruction of muscle mass.

As most people are brought up differently ( as me) eating breakfast before eight just before rushing to school/college/job, eating late around 9:00 PM, it is highly advisable that we first take a doctor's opinion before jumping into " intermittent fasting" or whatever you would like to call it.

On a personal note, I have been eating around 6:30 PM from the past two and half months and having breakfast around 8 : 30 AM . There has been a significant change in my body. Please note to eat healthy in your first and last meal of the day. My immune system has boosted, my sleep wake cycles are more in sync, my digestion has highly improved and yes, I have lost weight and have never been in better shape and health till now. 

But I didnot forget to consult a doctor before doing this. I must warn that it shouldn't be done suddenly if one wants to try it. Try doing it for 12 hours and slowly stretch the fast. Donot forget to eat healthy. And most importantly, Listen to your body, make your diet and timing flexible to your body, make small changes  daily so  that your body won't even notice. These small changes make a big impact.

If you found this informative and would like to inculcate this in your daily life, do comment below and let me know your thoughts. Have a great day.