Self Detox with Autophagy
Autophagy: The Body’s Self-Detox Process
Did you know your body is a powerhouse machine that is capable of delivering a self-detox?
What Is Autophagy?
This natural process is called autophagy; it’s the process of how your body cleans out the bad cellular stuff and keeps your systems tuned. There is emerging evidence to suggest that autophagy can be influenced and provide a range of health benefits including supporting anti-aging, vibrancy, and wellbeing.
The Cambridge Dictionary defines autophagy as ‘a natural process in which the body breaks down and absorbs its own tissue or cells’. It’s as though the body is so clever it is able to self-clean by identifying the damaged cells and nurturing the rest. Sounds great, right? But how do we maintain autophagy?
Why Autophagy Declines with Age
As we age, our bodies are exposed to more pollutants and toxins, meaning a greater build-up of damage. Think about a brand-new vacuum cleaner, as opposed to one that is years old. The new one is clean and shiny with powerful suction. The old one has cleaned many crumbs, missed some filter changes, and the suction is not what it was.
While autophagy naturally happens in the background, it may not work as well as it should or once did. The good news is that autophagy can be naturally triggered or even increased by following these top tips:
Top Tips to Trigger Autophagy
- Practice intermittent fasting (of course!)
- Eat a high-fat, low-carb diet – aka go keto, helping you to burn ketones (fats)
- High intensity interval training – autophagy loves the short-term stress!
- Sleep well – restorative sleep; interrupted or fragmented sleep has been found to disrupt autophagy
- Try a protein fast once a week – limiting protein intake to 15–25 g per day so that your protein recycles
