Different cultures have been doing it for centuries, whether for religious ceremonies, weight loss or medicinal purposes; fasting has always been a part of human life. Long believed to be vital to health and spirituality, in Greek civilisation, Hippocrates, known as the father of modern medicine, is said to have prescribed fasting to spur healing. But now it’s taking on a new intention. Lifespan. Or, as we like to call it here at Purus, Longevity.
Fasting shifts your body towards burning fat instead of glycogen, which keeps your cells metabolically healthy and flexible. These cells are resilient to stress, illness, and disease. Fasting keeps your cells in good health and on the path towards longevity by maintaining a healthy weight, reducing oxidative stress, fighting inflammation, protecting against age-related diseases and promoting Autophagy.
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When you fast, the body exhausts its sugar stores and starts burning fat, which experts call metabolic switching or ketosis. When your body runs out of glycogen, it uses your fat instead. Intermittent fasting works by prolonging the period when your body has burned through the calories consumed during your last meal (aka glycogen) and begins burning fat, which some experts tout as being the preferred energy source for human beings. Fasting is an excellent way to reduce oxidative stress on your DNA, which can accelerate aging. According to a recent study, daily intermittent fasting reduces oxidative stress markers by 25–31%; fasting has also been shown to reduce inflammation and boost natural anti-aging processes. That means less DNA damage and better overall metabolic health.
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Photo: Kate Trifo Pexels
Another aging culprit we are all too familiar with is Chronic inflammation. Inflammation in the body is accumulated over time and can be the root cause of many diseases and cancers. Intermittent fasting has been shown to reduce circulating inflammation and is an incredible tool for improving insulin sensitivity and gut microbiome health.
If you are interested in longevity, you may have heard of Autophagy before.
Autophagy is an important process in which your body clears old and worn-out cellular components that aren’t functioning efficiently so your cells can perform optimally.
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Think of it as a spring clean for your cells. One of the most effective longevity tools is keeping your body’s autophagy capabilities in incredible shape to help your body build and renew. There are many different ways to approach your fasting ritual, but the three most popular are as follows: · Periodic or prolonged fasting It’s best to choose one that fits easily into your lifestyle. Remember that most studies have been on a minimum of fasting 18 hours or more, but start slow. Fasting can enhance fat-burning, increase ketone production, and turn on autophagy genes — all exceptional longevity benefits that can help keep your body at its absolute best- ready for anything.
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Photo Julia M Cameron Pexels