Metabolic Autophagy
Page 39
You don’t need to be eating any more than once a day. Even I who’s working out almost every day can maintain physical performance and even build muscle. Most people shouldn’t eat more than twice a day but OMAD is still more optimal.
Eating at a slight caloric deficit or at least around maintenance promotes longevity. By doing TIF you’re circumventing the limiting factor on muscle performance and are still able to build muscle despite eating extra calories.
The only time you should follow a higher meal frequency would be during pregnancy, malnourishment, some medical condition, severe metabolic damage, elderhood, or when you’re doing a ton of physical exercise. At other times it’s better to become keto-adapted and fast.
How Long Should I Fast
The leaner and more physically active you are, the less you need to fast. First of all, there’s not much benefit to gain from that frequent abstinence. You’ll hit a point of diminishing returns quite quickly after which there are no great advantages. Secondly, if you want to work-out and keep making progress in your exercise performance, then you simply won’t be able to do so as much. Fasting is powerful but good quality nutrition is still the foundation for getting stronger and building healthy muscle.
What I recommend is to have therapeutic water fasts that last for 3-5 days 2-4 times per year. Preferably every quarter. You should have a 48 hour fast at least once within 1-3 months and a 24 hour one every 2 weeks.
You can choose your window of fasting depending on the situation you’re in. If you don’t have access to good food or simply feel like skipping a meal, then do the 24 hour fast. At other times you can do less and stick to 18/6. While traveling it’s so easy to do this. You don’t want to be consuming all of that processed food sold in airports anyway and IF helps to avoid that effortlessly. Whenever I’m flying overseas, I’m always doing either a 48 or 72 hour fast. Helps with jet lag.
Chances are if you’re used to eating 4-6 meals a day you may find transitioning over to intermittent fasting difficult. Having less frequent meals forces your body to adapt and may take some time until your ketogenic pathways get reinvigorated. You can “ease into it,” by starting to eat less often at first and then shortening your feeding window even further.
For me, changing my eating schedule happened quickly. First, I started off with the 16/8 approach and pushed my breakfast until 10 AM. Dinner was at 6 PM and because of that, I tended to go to bed hungry. This didn’t work for long and I kept pushing my first meal later into the day. It was a lot more sustainable and satisfying, as I got to eat more food and sleep satiated. You have to find out what works for you.
The best advice I can give you is to simply start. Jump in head first and expect nothing but the best. You can ease into it and start with skipping breakfast at first, but in my opinion, it’s a lot better to simply shock yourself completely. This will wake your metabolism up and tells the liver that it’s time to start producing those ketone bodies. That’s what I did. I read about IF and after a couple of days started doing it. I haven’t looked back ever since. The same happened with my first 24- and 48-hour fast. I always wanted to do it but had never gotten around to do so. One day I was having dinner and thought to myself: “what the hell, might as well get it over with.”
The key is to practice IF daily, in some shape or form. Even when you schedule a 100-hour fast but can only make it until 48 hours, you should still consider it a great success. You don’t want your feeding window to oversize the time you spend fasted. 12-12 isn’t ideal either. It’s better to always be on the negative side of things if you get my point. This way your body will be predominantly on the side of autophagy and ketosis instead of unwanted growth.
Metabolic Autophagy Cycle
Both autophagy and mTOR can be good as well as bad in some situations. That’s why the context of when and where you express these pathways is critical for determining the final outcome on longevity.
If you have inadequate autophagic clearance, then you’ll prevent the dysfunctional components from being recycled. Likewise, not having enough mTOR, especially after resistance training, may lead to a decrease in muscle and strength. Too much of each, however, may actually cause some health problems because of over-expression. The body functions best around homeostasis.
This equilibrium can be created on a daily basis, week-by-week, within a month, or throughout the year. The overall balance between anabolism and catabolism is what matters. Your goals, whether to build muscle or promote longevity, also have to be taken into account in choosing what kind of foods you’ll end up eating.
Here’s an example Metabolic Autophagy Routine for 4 weeks:
DAY
FASTING
TRAINING
METABOLIC GOAL
FOOD EATEN
WEEK ONE - ANABOLIC
Monday
16/8 2MAD
Resistance Training
Anabolic Muscle Growth
Ketogenic ModTOR Foods
Tuesday
20/4
Walking and Yoga + Sauna
Recovery and Repair
Low Carb nTOR with a Few Servings of ModTOR Foods
Wednesday
Targeted IF
Resistance Training
Anabolic Muscle Growth
Low Fat ModTOR With Some Carbs
Thursday
Targeted IF
Short Low Intensity Cardio and Walking
Cardio and Recovery
Low Carb Moderate Fat ModTOR Foods
Friday
22/2 OMAD
Long Walking and Yoga + Cold-Heat Exposure
Recovery and Repair
Low Carb nTOR Foods With Some ModTOR
Saturday
Targeted IF
Resistance Training
Anabolic Muscle Growth
Ketogenic ModTOR Foods
Sunday
22/2 OMAD
Long Walking and Yoga
Recovery and Repair
Low Carb nTOR Foods With some ModTOR
WEEK TWO – AUTOPHAGIC
Monday
Targeted IF
Resistance Training
Muscle Maintenance
Ketogenic ModTOR Foods
Tuesday
20/4
Walking and Yoga + Sauna
Recovery and Repair
Low Carb nTOR with ATG Foods
Wednesday
Targeted IF
Resistance Training
Anabolic Muscle Growth
Ketogenic ModTOR Foods
Thursday
20/4
Short HIIT and Walking
Cardio and Recovery
Low Carb nTOR With Some ModTOR
Friday
22/2 OMAD
Long Walking and Cardio + Cold-Heat Exposure
Deeper Autophagy
Plant-Based Low Carb nTOR With ATG Foods
Saturday
Targeted IF
Resistance Training
Anabolic Muscle Growth
Ketogenic ModTOR Foods
Sunday
23/1 24-Hour Fast
Long Walking and Sauna
Deeper Autophagy
Plant-Based Low Carb nTOR With ATG Foods
WEEK THREE – ANABOLIC
Monday
18/6 2MAD
Resistance Training
Anabolic Muscle Growth
Low Fat ModTOR with Some Carbs
Tuesday
20/4
HIIT + Walking + Sauna
Cardio and Recovery
Low Carb nTOR with Some ModTOR
Wednesday
Targeted IF
Resistance Training
Anabolic Muscle Growth
Low Fat ModTOR with Some Carbs
Thursday
20/4
Walking and Yoga + Cold-Heat Exposure
Recovery and Repair
Low Carb nTOR with Some ModTOR
Friday
Targeted
IF
Resistance Training
Muscle Growth
Ketogenic ModTOR
Saturday
20/4
Walking and Yoga + Sauna
Recovery and Repair
Ketogenic ModTOR
Sunday
22/2 OMAD
Walking + Short Tabata and Sauna
Cardio and Recovery
Plant-Based nTOR with ATG Foods
WEEK FOUR – HOMEOSTASIS
Monday
Targeted IF
Resistance Training
Anabolic Muscle Growth
Ketogenic ModTOR + nTOR Foods
Tuesday
20/4
Low-Intensity Cardio + Sauna
Cardio and Recovery
Low Carb nTOR with Some ModTOR
Wednesday
Targeted IF
Resistance Training
Muscle Maintenance
Ketogenic ModTOR
Thursday
22/2 OMAD
Walking and Yoga + Cold-Heat Exposure
Recovery and Repair
Plant-Based Low Carb nTOR With ATG Foods
Friday
18/6 2MAD
Resistance Training
Muscle Maintenance
Ketogenic ModTOR
Saturday
22/2 OMAD
Low-Intensity Cardio and Sauna
Cardio and Recovery
Ketogenic ModTOR
Sunday
Targeted IF
Resistance Training
Anabolic Muscle Growth
Ketogenic ModTOR
The periods of anabolism and catabolism reflect in both the weekly cycles as well as during the 24-hour period. On days where you’re not lifting heavy and are resting, then it’s better to go into deeper autophagy and ketosis by limiting your carbs and mTOR stimulating foods. On these autophagic days, you can also eat at a slight caloric deficit to promote longevity and make yourself more sensitive to anabolic growth the next day.
Figure 87 Metabolic Autophagy Flow Chart
If you’re about to have a heavy resistance training workout, then using the targeted intermittent fasting protocol is perfect for giving yourself some energy and amino acids. This can lift up your strength and muscle homeostasis even if you’re coming off from a long 22-hour fast. That small amount of protein you get will make you feel like you haven’t fasted for that long while still stimulating anabolism post-workout.
On days you’re resting and not moving that much, it’s a good idea to consume some of the ATG-boosting foods, such as turmeric, ginger, herbs, polyphenols, etc. This can deepen autophagy and promotes clearance of dead cells. If, however, you’re working out, then it’s not advised to fill yourself up with a ton of antioxidants or these calorie mimetics because they may blunt the anabolic response from training. That’s why on workout days you should eat primarily ModTOR foods and then have the ATG ones on rest days.
I have also created a separate meal plan + workout routine called the Metabolic Autophagy Diet Program that includes a 4-week step by step walkthrough of what foods to eat in what amounts at what time and how to train as well. It has two 4-week meal plans for both low calorie and high calorie intakes and it includes exact ingredients, amounts, and macros of the foods to eat. If you’re interested, then head over to https://siimland.com/metabolic-autophagy-diet-program/ and check it out.
Principles of Metabolic Autophagy
With the knowledge we’ve learned so far about different metabolic pathways and physiological effects of food, I think you’re starting to form quite a firm picture of what’s optimal to eat. The purpose of this book isn’t to give you a very strict and confining protocol that you have to stick to no matter what or otherwise you’ll become obese.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to nutrition and health because the context of the situation is going to determine what’s the final outcome. That’s why I’ve tried to give you different guidelines and tricks to remember. These strategies are just one of the many tools in your toolbox that you can then use according to your circumstances.
Nevertheless, we can also safely say that there are still a few principles and tenets we know will exponentially increase our results. What your final outcome looks like depends upon the choices you’ve made.
Here are the principles of the Metabolic Autophagy Diet:
Time-Restricted Feeding as Long as You Can Every Day – This is probably the most cost-effective thing you can do to improve your health and longevity. I mean, by simply not eating and fasting instead is one of the easiest ways to promote longevity and health. There isn’t a real physiological reason to be eating any more than twice a day. Hell, most people will do perfectly fine with a single meal, unless they’re under some special requirements. Whatever the case is, the minimum for daily time-restricted feeding is the 16/8 hour window, even when trying to build muscle. Instead of eating for distraction, you should leverage the fasted state as long as you can and then eat to support your physical conditioning.
Lift Heavy Things and Do Resistance Training – The goal of your exercise should be to promote muscle growth and maintenance. As it turns out, having more lean tissue is one of the best things for healthy aging and longevity. That’s why you want to predominantly resistance training instead of cardio. At minimum 2-3 and up to 4-6 times per week. If you’re working out more intensely more frequently, then you may have to adjust your fasting window to make sure you’re not getting weaker or losing muscle. Some days should still be kept for cardiovascular training and full-on recovery but they aren’t the main focus.
Get a Sweat on Daily – It’s incredibly important to keep your lymph system flowing and more active. Modern life is already quite sedentary and that can cause stagnation within the body. A lot of digestion issues and toxicities occur because of not clearing out the lymph fluids. Exercising and moving around are one of the best lymph node stimulators but any form of sweating whether by going to a sauna, doing yoga or running is great.
Maximize Nutrient Density – This means eating high-quality foods that have an abundance of micronutrients, minerals, and other co-factors. Your purpose isn’t to eat as many calories as you can get away with but to get more nutrition out of fewer calories. Mild caloric restriction and eating around maintenance is beneficial for longevity. Eat nose to tail, get adequate electrolytes, cover your essential nutrients, supplement your deficiencies, incorporate some superfoods into your diet, and cycle between different food groups. You shouldn’t deprive yourself of nutrients either. Doing intermittent fasting doesn’t mean you’re starving yourself. Quite the opposite. You’ll be getting more than enough nutrition. Just in a time-restricted manner.
Eat Whole Foods (A Lot of Plants) – In terms of nutrient density, you’d have to focus on eating a lot of vegetables that have many vitamins and other beneficial compounds but not a lot of calories. Animal foods have their place but you shouldn’t overconsume them. Most of what you eat in terms of volume should still be plant-based. Meat, eggs, fish, and fats simply have more calories. The antioxidants and polyphenols from cruciferous, veggies, berries, and other plants are pro-longevity because of being nTOR as well.
Control Blood Sugar and Insulin – This is one of the best ways to ensure stable energy levels, avoid health problems, and maintain a more effective state of nutrient partitioning. It’s just not a good idea to have high levels of blood sugar or insulin all the time and the research supports that. Instead, your goal should be to keep them relatively low the vast majority of time and only raise them where the body is more sensitive.
Don’t Combine High Carb High Fat Foods - Avoid processed inflammatory foods that are low protein, high carb, and high fat because it’s a recipe for insulin resistance, diabetes, and over-eating. This change will drastically enable you to avoid most metabolic disorders. The short dopamine rush may feel good but it’s not optimal in the long run. You can apply the 80/20 rule but do it at your own responsi
bility.
Limit Evolutionary Trade-Offs – Avoid the „natural diet“ fallacy both in the context of eating too much protein and animal fat as well as the plant-based approach. It’s not a wise idea to go into the extremes and think that you’re somehow immune to all disease. Who knows how your body individually will react to different foods. Maybe you’re not as insulin sensitive as you think you are to justify that carb-up. Likewise, don’t roll the dice with eating things that will potentially yield negative results but come with zero benefits. I’m talking about lectins, fruit, dairy, grains, vegetable oils, too much saturated fat, and carcinogenic meat...
Stimulate mTOR and Anabolism Only When It’s Useful – You don’t want to be spiking insulin or mTOR just for nothing. To avoid any trade-offs in longevity, you want to eat ModTOR foods only after resistance training to support muscle homeostasis. At other times it’s better to stick to nTOR and autophagy-like compounds. This is relevant mostly when you’re eating more than twice a day. In the case of 2 meals a day, you’d want to make the first meal very low in anabolism and smaller in calories. The second one should be post-workout wherein you’re more sensitive to mTOR and insulin. If you’re not working out, then you’d be better off by limiting your protein intake and focusing on autophagy. You also don’t want to be eating a lot of meat, eggs, and fish every day. Most of your food should still be plant-based because of their nTOR qualities and polyphenols. Eat meat only after heavier resistance training workouts and not in excess. This way you’ll stimulate mTOR and anabolism only when it’s useful and without consequences on longevity.
Cycle Between Anabolism and Catabolism – Don’t stay in either state for too long. If you’re anabolic too long, you may accelerate aging. If you’re catabolic too long, you may lose your muscle. Both aren’t optimal for longevity nor performance. That’s why you’d want to cycle between periods of being at a small surplus with staying around your maintenance and even dropping into a deficit. The human body evolved under constant energy stress and it’s what we thrive under. Never be stagnant or dysfunctional.