One of the videos that is in one of your earlier posts on day 2 states that fasting increases the basal metabolic rate of the body but you are saying that it slows it down. Which one is it?
I didn't say BMR goes down, rather what I am saying is that energy utilized for the digestion of food is now not being used, hence, lowering energy usage in that particular area.
Let's also realize that, when on a regualar 3 meal a day diet which includes a healthy amount of carbohydrates, the body utilizes energy from glycogen stores. Of which, when we overconsume, and the body's glycogen stores are filled, will then be turned into fat.
Yet, when glycogen stores start be to tapped a few hours later, the same excess energy is not turned around and reused as energy it remains as fat. Instead, more food is consumed to restore glycogen stores.
As such, it gives us the illusion that more food is needed than is actually required.
Hence my point, that the truth of the matter is that we are chronically over consuming and require far less calories than we believe we do. It is rather matter of the foods we are consuming to begin with.
It also says that Leucine is increased in fasting which allows muscles to bulk but where is that Leucine coming from since it is classified as a essential amino acid meaning that mammals can't produce it. Is it the person's microbiome stepping up production in response to the lack of food? If so what are they using as fuel?
That I cannot answer, maybe the science is still out on how the BCAA leucine is being produced or is generated during a fast. However, he is not inacurrate in his statement that leucine levels are increased during a fast :
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2010401
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC535724/
What are these other sources that you mention? If it is your internal organs you could quickly have a problem.
I don't doubt that autogaphy may eventually reach the point of cannibalizing my organs, however it does have much to work with, taking priority of first cannibalizing cells that are actually detrimental to my well-being over the cells which are crucial to my well-being. The intelligence of our bodies is something we truly underestimate.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2990190/
Autophagy also plays a housekeeping role in removing misfolded or aggregated proteins, clearing damaged organelles, such as mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum and peroxisomes, as well as eliminating intracellular pathogens. Thus, autophagy is generally thought of as a survival mechanism, although its deregulation has been linked to non-apoptotic cell death. Autophagy can be either non-selective or selective in the removal of specific organelles, ribosomes and protein aggregates, although the mechanisms regulating aspects of selective autophagy are not fully worked out.
Short of the science, I am now on day 15 and have consumed 0 calories in the last 12. I have begun ramping up the amount of physical activity I partake in as I gain strength, and definitely feel nowhere near in pain, nor close to death.
As a naturopathic doctor, I am sure that extended fasting may initially seem like a practice counter-intuitive practice to health and well-being, however I would definitely urge you to dig just a little bit deeper and see that fasting is an ancient practice which is forgotten and is in resurgence.
It is in it's very nature, the essence of natural healing.
RE: I Quit Eating for 28 Days [Water Fast] : Day 8 (Focus)