The supplement and bro-science shills at T-Nation have been busy little bees as of lately, as always mixing backward-thinking “science,” bad interpretations, and the complete lack of understanding of physiology, biology, and biochemistry — especially the simple biological and chemical differences between animals, such as human, and that of plants.
This time these deceiving bastards try to hijack the benefits of fasting by selling you them through a very toxic and potentially deadly supplement. So, let’s see how they try to do this and let’s dissect everything they once again got wrong.
“Calorie restriction and fasting definitely help extend our health spans. Here’s why, plus an easy way to get those benefits without going hungry.”
Not “calorie restriction,” as calories are heat units, a measurement of increasing water temperature by burning stuff in an isolated chamber. That is not how our bodies work. Simply avoid overeating and carrying unnatural amounts of muscle- and/or fat mass while keeping your body nourished with animal-based foods and your toxicity levels as low as possible, and you will outlive most people by tens-of-years.
“It might be the biggest fitness paradox: you need to eat a lot of protein, healthy carbs, and good fats to get jacked and be healthy. Yet at the same time, severely calorie-restricted diets are proven to extend life span and fight off diseases. So, do you want to be muscular, or do want to be thin and weak, but live a long time?”
It’s not a paradox as “fitness” has nothing to do with health or longevity, especially not in today’s twisted and backwards world filled with lies about just about everything that is “fitness,” such as nutrition, exercise, and supplements. All lies, all extremely unhealthy. And you proved my point by mentioning “healthy carbs,” as there is no such thing. Morons.
There is a middle road and I’ve been writing about it for almost 7 years now. Follow our species-appropriate, species-specific and natural human carnivore diet — which is void of toxins and the only way to get all nutrients in a bioavailable format that we need. Lift weights for 30 to 40 minutes, 3 to 4 times a week, and do some planned fasting every year. Prioritize sleep and living a life you enjoy.
“The popular solution to this dilemma? Fasting, in one form or another.
Religious fasting aside, the longevity and health effects require anywhere from 12 to 72 hours to kick in. You can fast for shorter periods frequently, or longer periods infrequently. There are one-day fasts, weekend fasts, three-day fasts, an every-other-day model, and a whole catalog of intermittent plans, each with its own guru willing to sell you a plan teaching you how to occasionally not eat.”
Again, this backward-thinking of the fitness half-wits. Fasting should not be a “solution” to your shitty diet and lifestyle. Fasting should be a compliment to your lifestyle — a way to get more out of it. Whether it’s increasing your ability to detox from environmental pollutants that you simply can’t avoid, and/or if it is to give your body a break from digestion and to rejuvenate some cells and expand your lifespan.
“Based on various studies, all those fasting schedules have health benefits. But why? And can we trigger these same life-extending, disease-fighting mechanisms without fasting?”
And here we go, the dumbed-down programming of always wanting a quick-fix, a solution in a bottle, a magic pill. Anything that does not actually have you to take responsibility for your way of life, for your diet and toxic exposure.
Just imagine having to actually take responsibility for your own life? Such a scary and unknown idea. And still, humans are the only animal that does not follow their natural species-appropriate diet and they still can’t figure out why they get health problems. Astounding.
A lot of doctors that actually consult with me, to try and do their best with what they can do within their controlled and inverted field, often tell me that they know what to do if a patient for example has diabetes, that they need to change their diet and remove all carbohydrates. However, almost no-one will do this as it’s too painful to change their habits, their lifestyle, their addictive foods, and they want medication instead, something that can keep them afloat for a few years so they can continue to put toxic crap in their pie holes — no matter that they actually continue to shorten their lives and eventually will die when they could have changed their diets and lived another 20 to 30 years. That is the mentality of today. And we see it in T-Nation’s article as well. Always chasing these shortcuts, the magic pill in the bottle. Something that does not exist. Something that will actually do the exact opposite.
How Does Calorie Restriction Extend Lives?
“It all comes down to the seven sirtuins, particularly sirtuin 1 or SIRT1. Sirtuins are proteins inside cells that regulate various processes, mostly those related to aging, metabolism, and stress resistance. Some researchers call them “longevity proteins.”
“SIRT1 kicks into action when calories are restricted. It’s a protective mechanism during times of energy/calorie shortage. Think of it as a “preservative” that keeps various bodily processes going during food emergencies. Sirtuins evolved to help organisms like humans survive periods of low food availability.”
“Since SIRT1 is expressed in nearly every cell in the human body (organ cells, muscle cells, brain cells, fat cells, immune cells, blood vessel cells, etc.) its actions and benefits are many.”
“Here are a handful:
- Repairs DNA and influences gene expression
- Regulates cellular energy metabolism
- Regulates inflammation
- Supports mitochondrial biogenesis (the production of new mitochondria)
- Preserves brain cells and reduces neurodegenerative damage
- Triggers autophagy (cellular cleaning) and reduces oxidative damage
- Protects the cardiovascular system (regulates endothelial function)
- Enhances insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism”
The thing about SIRT1 is that it works in symbiosis with a lot of other processes that are activated only in a fasted state, such as an increase in growth hormone, increased AMPK activity, increased production of glutathione (antioxidants,) activation of ATGs, inhibition of mTOR, and entering ketosis. Processes that actually protect the body and make sure that autophagy only targets damaged and weak cells, as SIRT1 is non-cell-specific.
Now, if you understand this simple concept, you have already figured out where this might be going, if you for instance would be so stupid to try and activate SIRT1 without being in a fasted state. You know, the so-called “shortcut,” the magic pill, the sh*t that T-Nation tries to sell you to make a quick buck…
How Long Do You Have to Fast?
- “Short-Term Fasting: 12 to 24 hours – SIRT1 is activated even with short-term fasts. It’s enough to begin improving metabolic efficiency, insulin sensitivity, and energy metabolism. The process of cellular cleanup starts during this time period, too.”
- “Moderate Fasting: (24-48 hours) – Greatly amplifies cellular cleanup and insulin sensitivity.”
- Prolonged Fasting: (48-72+ hours) – More profound benefits like autophagy, metabolic reset, and stem cell activation.”
“Can I fast for longer than 72 hours?” Outside of religious purposes, it’s not really necessary. Also, if you’re super excited about not eating, make sure that’s not a convenient rationalization for a disordered eating tendency.”
Why would it not be necessary to fast beyond 72 hours? Because autophagy peaks at around the 72-hour mark? So, what? Do you think you have cleared out all damage you have done in 20-, 30-, 40- or more years in only 72 hours?
Of course not. It will take years of correct nutrition and several prolonged fasts to detox and heal the most prominent damage. How long you can and/or should fast depends on your nutritional status and your need. If you really need to heal, 7 to 11 days is ideal, which is 168 to 264 hours. You can read more about real fasting and healing in my Dry Fasting articles.
The Mimetic Hack: Resveratrol (Never Take Plant Extracts! DANGEROUS!)
I fixed the shitty headline for you, you’re welcome
“All those benefits sound great. The only drawback is the not-eating part. While there’s nothing wrong with an occasional modest fast, we can also trigger the SIRT1 pathway with a “mimetic” – a compound that mimics the biological effects of another process without needing that process to occur. Resveratrol is a caloric restriction mimetic – it mimics the SIRT1 activation effects of fasting.”
The non-eating part is what protects your body, you idiot. At least you play the devil’s advocate by using the phrase, “mimics the SIRT1 activation effects.” Mimicking is not the same as actually going through the complete physiological and biological response.
“Resveratrol triggers SIRT1 by increasing the levels of NAD+ (a coenzyme required for SIRT1 activity) and directly interacting with SIRT1, enhancing its deacetylase activity, which then promotes cellular processes such as metabolism regulation, stress resistance, and longevity pathways like those activated during caloric restriction.”
NAD+ plays a crucial role in various physiological processes during a fasted state, especially as it activates SIRT1 and SIRT2. However, again, NAD+, SIRT1 and SIRT2 are only increased when you are in a fasted state, and they interact with other chemical reactions and compounds that are also released only in a fasted state. If you increase NAD+ in a fed state, it will increase SIRT1, but there will be no synergy, no protective mechanisms in place.
This is extremely dangerous and will lead to non-targeted cellular breakdown. In other words, any cell will be a potential target and can be destroyed. In contrast, during fasting, only damaged cells are targeted.
Recommending the extremely toxic and potentially deadly Resveratrol as a “fasting-mimicking” agent is the same as recommending chemotherapy. It’s vile, it’s evil, it’s maiming.
After this, T-Nation goes into dosages and where to buy their extremely toxic and harmful Resveratrol. As no-one should ever touch this stuff, we will not go into that.
Again, we see how they prey on desperate people who cannot take responsibility for their own actions, for their lifestyle and diet, and instead reach for that quick-fix, that magic pill that does not exist. And it also shows us how backward-thinking they are, desperately trying to put fake science together to sell you something.
Never forget that animals and plants are chemically different. Not one single nutrient found in a plant is chemically compatible with an animal, such as a human. While some do not exist at all in the plant kingdom, the remaining few need to be converted, which is a costly and very ineffective process. Also, all compounds in plants (antinutrients, defense chemicals, and pesticides) are extremely toxic and they can never have a positive effect on our physiology. That is biochemically impossible. Simply because you notice an effect, and it might seem like a good one, it’s always due to poisoning and toxicity. I’ve covered this hundreds of times.
Save your money and fix your diet!
If you need help with any kind of health problems or transitioning from your current way of eating to our natural species-appropriate, species-specific way of eating, I’m available for both coaching and consultation.
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