Metabolic Autophagy Read online

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  Text Copyright © Siim Land 2018

  All rights reserved. No part of this guide may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

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  The information contained in this book is not designed to replace or take the place of any form of medicine or professional medical advice. The information in this book has been provided for educational and entertainment purposes only.

  The information contained in this book has been compiled from sources deemed reliable, and it is accurate to the best of the Author's knowledge; however, the Author cannot guarantee its accuracy and validity and cannot be held liable for any errors or omissions. Changes are periodically made to this book. You must consult your doctor or get professional medical advice before using any of the suggested remedies, techniques, or information in this book.

  Upon using the information contained in this book, you agree to hold harmless the Author from and against any damages, costs, and expenses, including any legal fees potentially resulting from the application of any of the information provided by this guide. This disclaimer applies to any damages or injury caused by the use and application, whether directly or indirectly, of any advice or information presented, whether for breach of contract, tort, negligence, personal injury, criminal intent, or under any other cause of action.

  You agree to accept all risks of using the information presented inside this book. You need to consult a professional medical practitioner in order to ensure you are both able and healthy enough to participate in this program.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, contact the publisher, at the address below.

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  Cover design by Siim Land.

  Table of Contents

  Introduction

  Chapter One: The Code of Longevity

  Chapter Two: The Hedonic Treadmill

  Chapter Three: Why Intermittent Fasting

  Chapter Four: What We Know About Autophagy So Far

  Chapter Five: Squaring the Curve

  Chapter Six: HyperTORphyc Growth

  Chapter Seven: Starting With Strength

  Chapter Eight: Anabolic Autophagy

  Chapter Nine: Protein Absorption and Anabolism

  Chapter Ten: Food Fallacy

  Chapter Eleven: The Case Against Sugar (and Fat)

  Chapter Twelve: WTF Should I Eat

  Chapter Thirteen: The Keto-Adaptation Process

  Chapter Fourteen: The Anabolic/Catabolic Score of Food

  Chapter Fifteen: Metabolic Autophagy Foods

  Chapter Sixteen: Supplementation

  Chapter Seventeen: Metabolic Autophagy in Practice

  Chapter Eighteen: What Breaks a Fast

  Chapter Nineteen: How to Fast for Days and Days

  Chapter Twenty: When Not to Fast

  Chapter Twenty One: Circadian Rhythms and Autophagy

  Chapter Twenty Two: Sleep Optimization

  Bonus Chapter: How to Drink Coffee Like a Strategic MotherF#%a

  Conclusion

  Extras

  Introduction

  The Wisdom of the Body

  “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world:

  the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.

  Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”

  George Bernard Shaw

  Living organisms have developed complex systems of behavior and physiological processes to adapt to their environment.

  There are countless stimuli we get exposed to on a daily basis and all of them send a certain signal to the body. This, in turn, triggers a chain reaction of events that determine how your metabolism, nervous system, and psychology respond. In 1878, Claude Bernard wrote:

  The constancy of the ‘milieu interieur’ is the condition of a free and independent existence.[1]

  He used it to describe how the first organisms left the oceans by developing the ability to balance their internal liquids and “carry the ocean with them” in the form of kidneys. This internal milieu describes the phenomenon of homeostasis also called equilibrium, inner balance, and ‘wisdom of the body’[2]. The term itself was picked up in 1939 by behaviorist Walter Cannon[3]. It also describes the necessity for maintaining equanimity within oneself to truly experience freedom and independence in the world. Being stressed out and fatigued literally blindfolds you to the joys of life and prevents you from enjoying it fully.

  This sort of equilibrium is something all living things and systems strive for. We want to be able to control the world around us as to avoid discomfort, chaos, disorder, pain, and ultimately death.

  Entropy is the tendency of complex systems, including living organisms, to progressively move towards chaos, disorder, death, and deterioration. It’s based on the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which states that the total entropy of an isolated system cannot decrease with time. Ideally, it can remain in a constant equilibrium or undergo reversible processes.

  Aging is a phenomenon that describes a gradual process of entropy in the physical body. Birth or conception is the beginning point for a journey of growing and proliferation, which ultimately reaches deterioration and death. This is called senescence and it’s caused by the phenomenon of entropy.

  Basically, aging and death are the entropy of life – the slow waning away of the body that happens because of many things.

  Immortality and eternal youth have been ideas of great curiosity throughout the entire history of the human species. Thousands of texts and practices have been invented in attempts to fight off entropy or at least postpone it.

  Ancient aboriginal shamans, Ayurvedic yogis, Medieval alchemists, pharmacists, and contemporary biohackers all have many things in common. They seek to hone their bodies and sharpen their minds in some shape or form. The difference is only in degree – to what extent are they capable of altering the human physiology and how. With modern technology and science, we now have access to more resources and information that will not only make our lives better and more vigorous but can also lengthen it.

  This book is not about trying to live forever or bestowing you with the water of eternal youth. It’s more like an attempt to optimize the human body for both longevity and performance. There’s not going to be a specific blueprint or a one-size-fits-all template for all to follow. Instead, I’m going to give you the tools and principles you can use to improve your healthspan, get more things done, and potentially increase life expectancy based on the research we currently have.

  This homeostatic equilibrium and entropy manifest themselves inside the physiological processes of our bodies as well.

  The word ‘metabolism’ comes from Greek, meaning ‘change’, and it describes the collection of all the life-sustaining chemical reactions inside the organism. These actions enable us to produce energy, maintain our physical framework, and eliminate the waste we get exposed to. It’s the biological circuitry of life.

  The metabolism has two sub-categories or sub-processes called anabolism and catabolism. They’re opposites of each other that undergo a constant dance that directs the body to conduct specific metabolic functions and lead it to a certain direction of development. See Figure 1.

  Anabolism, meaning ‘upward’ in Greek, describes the synthesis
of biological molecules to build up new physical matter in the body. These reactions require energy and nutrients. Being anabolic means you’re growing and building the framework that will decrease the accumulation of entropy.

  Catabolism, meaning ‘downward’ in Greek, describes the breaking down of biological molecules to release energy. This can apply to the breakdown of bodily tissue as well as the digestion of food that then gets assimilated into the body through anabolic processes. Being catabolic means you’re fragmenting larger structures into smaller ones and using it to produce new energy.

  Figure 1 The Cycles of Anabolism and Catabolism

  These oppositions can be seen everywhere around you. There are day and night, winter and summer, the sun and the moon, man and woman, black and white, wakefulness and sleep. It’s how the world balances itself out as to maintain homeostasis and prevent excess.

  This balance is critical for health. You’d think that for health and longevity it’s better to always stay anabolic as to prevent any loss of bodily tissue. However, being catabolic has many beneficial and even essential qualities that actually make you live longer.

  This book is a collection of guidelines about the principles of the anabolic-catabolic cycles in regards to nutrition and exercise. It’s definitely not a panacea – a solution or remedy for all conditions and circumstances. Instead, it’s a specific protocol that’s not supposed to apply for all situations. Truth be told that everyone could do it. It’s just that most won’t because of fear, lack of understanding, or simply because of poor decisions.

  The quote at the beginning of this chapter by George Bernard Shaw is perfect for describing this book: “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” It means that rather than subjecting yourself to the inevitable side of entropy, you take arms up against it. In so doing, you not only increase your healthspan but will also make the process more enjoyable.

  In addition to ’Metabolic’, you can also find another word in the title - ’Autophagy’, which translates from Ancient Greek into ’self-devouring’ or ’eating of self’. This is central to the main practice of this book. By maintaining a balance between anabolism and catabolism, you can effectively extend your lifespan.

  The process of autophagy entails your healthy cells devouring the old, worn-out, weak ones and converting them back into energy. It’s literally your body eating itself and using that to maintain homeostasis. There are many longevity-boosting benefits to this as illustrated in virtually all other species. What and how it all actually works will be covered in the upcoming chapters.

  Here’s How the Book Is Structured:

  In the first chapter, I’ll reveal the code of longevity by talking about what causes aging, how it happens in other species and what metabolic pathways are associated with increased lifespan in humans.

  Chapter Two looks into why humanity is standing on a slippery slope of disease and metabolic disorders. More importantly, what to do about it.

  Chapter Three is about the most well-documented and effective ways of improving your health and longevity, which is caloric restriction and intermittent fasting.

  In Chapter Four, we’ll delve into the topic of autophagy and what we know about it so far.

  Chapters Five-Nine give you arms to combat entropy with and prevent the deterioration of your body.

  Chapters Ten to Thirteen are about food and what you should eat. I’ll uncover some of the misconceptions and fallacies you might have heard about healthy eating and bring more context into the story.

  In Chapters Fourteen through Sixteen, I’m going to outline the main dietary components of Metabolic Autophagy. It’s something you don’t see any other nutritional book really talk about, namely, how do certain foods affect the anabolic-catabolic cycles of your body.

  Chapter Seventeen introduces the central practice of this protocol – targeted intermittent fasting. It’s a way of crossing the chasm between the positive and negative side effects of anabolism as well as catabolism. The following chapters Eighteen to Twenty will complement the entire concept and give additional guidelines.

  Chapters Twenty One and Two are about another critical component to equilibrium. In addition to nutrition, you have to take into consideration things like light, sleep, and circadian rhythms.

  Even if you think all of this seems overwhelming and confusing then fear not. As you start reading the book, you’ll begin to have several revelations about the main message and how everything falls into place. What’s more, you can choose to make your own adjustments based on your requirements and lifestyle factors.

  Another quote by Bernard Shaw: „Men are wise in proportion not to their experience but to their capacity for experience.“ Essentially, it means that wisdom results from not only practical experience but also from realizing how much there is yet to learn. So it is with this book – although you need to make it a part of your everyday life, you still have to honor the complexity and nuance to what goes on in the body. For full mastery, you have to always consider the context of the situation because it’s going to determine the final outcome.

  My hope is that the principles and guidelines contained in Metabolic Autophagy will become a permanent part of your daily routines because they require constant practice. If you want to be healthier and live longer, then you have to be working at it all the time, starting today. You can’t place your bets on some externalities like a miracle longevity supplement, genetic modifications, biohacking, or artificial intelligence – all the bets are on you and what you do throughout the entire day.

  But before embarking on this quest, let me introduce myself. My name is Siim Land and I’m an author, content creator, public speaker, entrepreneur, biohacker, and a high-performance coach. I like to think of myself as a self-actualizing Renaissance man who seeks to enhance human performance and life overall. In my previous books, I’ve talked about ketogenic dieting, intermittent fasting, exercise, mindset, and other biohacks. This one will be focused more on balancing the aspect of performing at your peak without sacrificing longevity or health. My interest into this topic was sparked by the desire to promote the thriving of humanity and optimize nutrition.

  Metabolic Autophagy is as much a book about nutrition as it is about personal transformation. In order to grow and take yourself to the next level, you have to leave behind the previous version of yourself. You literally have to die and be reborn from the ashes like the Phoenix – to bite your own tail and eat yourself like the mythological Ouroboros.

  Death and destruction are only the beginning and the anabolic-catabolic cycles of life will subsist despite what path you end up following. This book will shed some light into the inner-workings of your metabolism and can show in what direction you’re heading towards. Let’s begin.

  Chapter I

  The Code of Longevity

  “As for man, his days are numbered, whatever he might do, it is but wind.”

  Andrew George, The Epic of Gilgamesh

  In nature, you don’t see a lot of animals with exceptionally long lifespans. Part of it has to do with predation, high death rates, harsh living conditions, habitat destruction, and food scarcity. However, we know that some organisms have the capacity to live extremely long. When put under ideal conditions they could out-live us all. Here are a few examples:

  Greenland Shark – These sharks can live up to 200 with the oldest one found at 400 years of age.

  Bowhead Whale – The second largest mammal after the blue whale has an average lifespan of 200 years.

  Galapagos Giant Tortoise – The longest living turtles that live about 100-150 years.

  Ocean Quahog – Marine clams that are found to be more than 400-500 years old.

  Red Sea Urchin – Small spiny creatures that live in the Pacific Ocean and are known to live over 200 years.

  Antarctic Glass Sponges are estimated to live up to 15 000 ye
ars but it’s not sure how old they are right now because no one was there to check them 15 000 years ago.

  Glass Sponges in the East China Sea have been found to live up to 10 000 years.

  Pando the Trembling Giant – This colony of quaking aspen in Fishlake National Park Utah is considered the oldest single living thing on the planet. Its root system has been alive for over 80 000 years although single trees are at some 4000+ years of age.

  The Immortal Jellyfish – A jellyfish that can revert back to its premature state when exposed to stress or injury thus being almost immortal. In reality, most jellyfish still get eaten or die to too many injuries.

  Lifespan differs greatly between individuals of the same species as there are some people who die very young whereas there are others who stay youthful all the way up until elderhood.

  Average lifespans in humans range from 55 to 100 years. The oldest recorded human alive was Jeanne Calment from France who lived to the age of 122 years and 164 days (1875-1997). There may be some genetics and environmental conditions at play but by far the most important variable is lifestyle.

  If a species’ mortality rate doesn’t increase after maturity, then it won’t age and is considered biologically immortal. The word ’immortal’ describes cells that aren’t subject to the Hayflick Limit, which is the point where cells can’t divide anymore because of DNA damage or shortened telomeres.

  Hydra species seem to show no signs of aging when observed in laboratory conditions. They may have escaped senescence and are biologically immortal[4].

  Hydrozoan species Turritopsis dohrnii (The Immortal Jellyfish) can revert from an adult stage back into an immature polyp stage and back again several times, which suggests that there isn’t a natural limit to its lifespan.

  The larvae of skin beetles can also go back into an earlier stage of maturity if they’re starved. This cycle can be repeated many times[5].

  Figure 2 The Life Cycle of Turritopsis (The Immortal Jellyfish)