On a podcast with Dr. Jason Fung, he talks about fasting as being any period of time without any food. But the question remains, what actually happens when you fast, especially for over 24 hours?
One of the answers is something called autophagy. This is the process where your body eats itself - sounds kind of gross. However, it’s a very good thing. Again, why? During the fasting time, your body does not have much access to food, so it’s forced to break down “the junk”. For example, your body breaks down proteins that aren’t working well and burns them off for energy. When you are young, the body wants and needs to build things up (growth). But when you are older, growth is often a very bad thing. If you can reduce growth, you can possibly reduce some cancers, heart disease, etc. So if you have an opportunity to get rid of the trash that is not doing your body any good, that’s beneficial.
After fasting, you start eating again, and your body will start up correctly again building with good materials and what your body actually needs (if you’re eating correctly). This is rejuvenation. It’s like doing a renovation in your home, and the first thing you do is throw out all the old, inefficient parts.
So talk to your doctor about possibly trying a fast of some sort. Good luck!
