have you ever wondered whether that splash of cream in your coffee or that bone broth during your fast is halting the benefits of autophagy autophagy a natural cellular cleanup process is one of the key benefits of fasting But certain choices can interrupt this process potentially diminishing the rewards of your fasting efforts So in today's video we're going to be going over what autophagy is and why it matters Signs that autophagy is occurring common fasting practices like 168 fat fasting bulletproof fasting bone broth fasting and their impact on autophagy and practical tips to make sure you're maximizing the benefits when you fast Hi I'm Kate a nutritionist who specializes in blood sugar control and insulin resistance I have helped hundreds of clients take control of their health and one of the tools I use with clients is intermittent fasting So let's get into it Let's start with the basics What is autophagy autophagy derived from the Greek word for self-eing is your body's way of cleaning out damaged cells and regenerating new ones Think of it as a cellular recycling process that removes debris and helps maintain optimal function And autophagy comes with so many benefits Of course there's cellular repair so it removes dysfunctional components promoting cell longevity It helps with disease prevention It's been shown to reduce the risk of neurodeenerative diseases and certain cancers And it gives you a metabolic boost enhancing energy efficiency and supporting weight management Fasting is a well-known trigger for autophagy When you abstain from food your body shifts from using glucose for energy to utilizing stored fats and initiating autophagy to optimize resource use So there isn't an at home test or way for you to measure autophagy but there are signs you can watch out for Number one is increased ketone levels So as your body burns fat during fasting ketone production rises Elevated ketones may signal that autophagy is underway And you can measure your ketone levels using a blood ketone meter Reduced appetite Fasting can lead to hormonal shifts such as increased glucagon and decreased insulin resulting in diminished hunger Number four bad breath Not ideal but it can sometimes cause a metallic or fruity breath odor that can occur due to increased acetone a byproduct of ketones linked to autophagy As you become more fat adapted and your body gets more used to burning fat this side effect tends to go down and improved brain function Some individuals report enhanced mental clarity and focus during fasting periods possibly due to autophagy's neuroprotective effects Different variations of fasting can affect autophagy in different ways So let's explore some of the most common because I'm asked about these all the time The first is water fasting This is when you consume only water during your fasting window So you're not getting any calories or energy or anything else except for water Now this is an effective way to initiate autophagy as it minimizes nutrient intake that could possibly disrupt the process The second one is fat fasting And this is where you consume some fat within your fasting window but only fat And the thinking is because you're only having fat your insulin is still staying low You're still staying in that fat burning state and you're not using glucose for energy So yes this is still considered a variation of fasting because for people who are trying to lose weight balance their blood sugar reverse insulin resistance consuming low to moderate fat during your fasting window isn't going to take away from those benefits and it might help you be able to stick to your fast for longer or be more consistent with it So the pros outweigh the cons Now when it comes to autophagy it may promote ketosis which is associated with autophagy However the caloric intake could reduce the depth of autophagy compared to water fasting Next is bulletproof fasting And this is kind of like fat fasting except for it's a specific version of it This is where during a fasting window you have coffee with either butter MCT oil coconut oil ghee some combination of those And the reason you have these types of fats specifically is because they are ketogenic Things like MCTs promote ketone production MCTs specifically are digested differently by the body So they do contain calories but they can't be stored as fat So again like fat fasting this can help to enhance some of the benefits of fasting But again when it comes to autophagy although the fats may not spike insulin levels significantly the caloric intake does provide energy which might lessen autophagy compared to strict water fasting And then we have bone broth fasting And this one's a little bit different because bone broth actually contains protein and not a lot of fat Now because it has protein and other nutrients these can stimulate insulin release potentially interrupting autophagy However it can be beneficial for those seeking a bit of an easier fasting experience So again you have to weigh the pros and cons here If autophagy is your main goal then yes you might want to stick to a water only fast water black coffee tea that's all okay But if you're trying to be consistent with your fast if you're just getting started then things like bone broth and bulletproof coffee can be beneficial But let's clarify a little bit further what it means to break a fast and what stops autophagy exactly because to maximize the benefits of autophagy you have to understand what can disrupt it And the first thing is caloric intake Consuming calories especially from carbohydrates and protein can raise insulin levels and inhibit autophagy The next is artificial sweeteners Some artificial sweeteners may provide an insulin response potentially halting autophagy and then amino acids Even small amounts of protein or amino acids can signal the body to exit the fasting state reducing autophagic activity So really the safe choices to have within your fasting window are water coffee and tea These contain zero calories and they actually stimulate autophagy by increasing AMPK activity Now electrolytes are another thing you can add to your drinks that in most cases won't break a fast And when I say electrolytes I'm talking about ones that don't have any sugar or artificial sweetener and very low or no calories Sod is a brand that I recommend all the time And electrolytes can actually enhance your fast because when you're fasting you retain less water And when you retain less water you retain fewer electrolytes And when your electrolytes are out of balance this can cause things like headache fatigue muscle cramps So if you replenish them it can make sticking to your fast easier But to be safe stick to a zerocalorie one without artificial sweeteners If you want to be really safe stick to one that has no added flavor as well So sod does have an unflavored version that just contains sodium potassium and magnesium But here's where a lot of people get tripped up They become so focused on perfect fasting and not breaking autophagy that they forget the bigger picture Results come from consistency not perfection Whether or not a little bit of MCT oil or bone broth reduces autophagy isn't the point If you're seeing results and you're progressing towards your goal if you're feeling better if the fasting strategy you're using is allowing you to build habits that you're going to be able to maintain long term autophagy is a tool and it is beneficial but it is always happening to some degree within the body Yes fasting is one way to activate it and you can get very high levels of autophagy from fasting but there are other ways to activate it as well Ketogenic diets have been shown to increase autophagy Exercise has been shown to increase autophagy And because you can't measure it at home it really is a little bit tricky to track At the end of the day what matters most is whether your fasting practice is helping you to lose weight reduce insulin resistance improve your energy and focus and feel more in control of your health Don't fall into the trap of thinking you need to be more or more strict Ultimately this is only going to leave you burnt out And we really want to be focused on building sustainable habits Results are going to eb and flow You're always going to see faster results at the beginning of your health journey You're always going to lose more weight at the start and then it will slow down plateau or cycle And that's completely normal In fact I talk about this a bit in a podcast episode I did a few weeks ago on the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to fasting So I'll link that above if you want to check it out afterwards If you haven't listened yet definitely check that out But to recap autophagy is one of the most powerful benefits of fasting It helps clean out damaged cells reduce inflammation and support longevity but you don't need to fast perfectly to get results Fasting is a tool for your health not something to hyper control or punish yourself with Now I want to hear from you guys What is your current fasting routine has it changed over the years is what you're doing now sustainable i want to hear from you guys So let me know down below And if you want to know more about how to fast the right way and common mistakes that I see with clients check out my podcast episode on the five biggest fasting mistakes next But anyways guys thank you so much for watching and I will see you in the next one Bye