Most people think fasting just burns fat.
But by 36 hours:
Your organs are in full cleanup mode.
Here’s what happens after 1.5 days without food👇
The reality is...
Fasting is something our ancestors were forced to do at times. Relative food abundance is only a recent phenomenon. 🍲❌
So your biology is built for fasting. ✅
Better yet:
Your biology gets enhanced when fasting. ⚡️⚡️
Here's what happens when organs go through survival and repair mode.
1⃣ The Metabolic Switch (12–36 hours):
Around 12–36 hours in, your body transitions from burning glucose to mobilizing fat.
This is what researchers call the "metabolic switch."
2⃣ Ketosis & Growth Hormone Spike
As your muscle and liver glycogen storage run outs, and your body shifts into ketosis (burning fat for fuel).
Around 30 hours, growth hormone also rises, helping preserve muscle and speed up fat loss. 🔥⚡️
3⃣ Autophagy: Cellular Cleanup
By the 36-hour mark, autophagy peaks.
Your cells start recycling damaged parts and rebuilding themselves.
4⃣ Liver’s Urea Cycle & Nitrogen Cleanup
As your muscles release nutrients... the liver converts them into glucose, and this process creating excess nitrogen.
The liver’s urea cycle activates to neutralize this and boost fat burning.
5⃣ Boost in Insulin Sensitivity & Brain Health
Fasting this long can improve insulin sensitivity and support brain function.
When practiced regularly, it can contribute to long-term metabolic resilience.
6⃣ Immune Reset & Possible Longevity Edge
Some suggest that fasting beyond 36 hours triggers a full immune “reset” and may slow chronic disease risk.
⭐️The bottom line:
Fasting can be a game changer for your metabolic health and overall longevity.
But proceed with caution...
Extended fasts aren’t universally safe‼️
Risks include headaches, fatigue, dizziness, blood pressure changes, muscle breakdown, overeating post‑fast, electrolyte imbalances, and gallstones.
If you're metabolically compromised, take it slow and build up.
➡️ Also, LADIES:
Females are better off avoiding longer fasts in during the week leading up to their cycle -- so be especially mindful of that.
24-48 hour fasts are more than just a practice for weight‑loss..... 🔥
They flip your body into full-blown fat-burning mode, and stimulate deep-repair and metabolic maintenance.
Just know your limits!
Oh... and I'd recommend breaking your fast with ~40 grams of complete protein.
Will help make sure you preserve lean muscle!
Any other fasting tips or tricks you'd recommend?
Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday in Tombstone was Oscar-worthy. Kilmer fully-committed in every way, down to his weight loss. I can’t picture anyone else as Doc Holliday.
I am beyond sad at the passing of my friend Steve Wright - one of the greatest broadcasters of all time. He had a fantastic sense of humour and was always very kind & encouraging to me. Rest in peace, my friend...
Notable deaths 2022: The UK’s longest-serving monarch; the singer catapulted to worldwide fame by the film Grease; the first black man to win an Oscar; and the Soviet Union’s last leader - some of the well-known faces no longer with us. https://t.co/wZ30EJYft6 via @bbcnews