The Housekeeping Problem
Imagine if you never took the trash out of your kitchen. Eventually, the room would become toxic. Your cells face the same problem. Over time, proteins become misfolded, mitochondria (energy power plants) become dysfunctional, and waste accumulates. If this waste isn't removed, it leads to cellular aging and disease.
Fortunately, your body has a built-in cleaning crew. It’s called Autophagy.
The Nobel Science
In the 1960s, scientists observed that cells could destroy their own contents. But it wasn't until the 1990s that Yoshinori Ohsumi identified the genes essential for autophagy. His work was so groundbreaking that he was awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
How It Works: The cell creates a membrane (called an autophagosome) that hunts down junk protein and damaged organelles. It then fuses with a lysosome (an acid bath), which dissolves the junk and recycles it into raw materials for new cells.
The Switch: mTOR vs. AMPK
The catch? This cleaning crew doesn't work while you are eating. Your metabolism has two opposing states:
- mTOR (Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin): This is the "Growth" pathway. It is triggered by Insulin and Amino Acids (food). When mTOR is active, the body builds new tissue.
- AMPK (Adenosine Monophosphate-Activated Protein Kinase): This is the "Energy Sensor." It is active when nutrients are scarce (fasting).
The Rule: When mTOR is high (eating), Autophagy is turned OFF. To turn Autophagy ON, you must lower insulin and suppress mTOR. This requires the absence of food.
The Timeline
Eating a salad won't trigger autophagy. You need time.
- 0–4 Hours: Anabolic phase (Digesting).
- 4–12 Hours: Catabolic phase (Burning stored sugar/glycogen).
- 12–16 Hours: Fat burning accelerates.
- 16–24 Hours: Autophagy ramps up significantly.
This is why the "Standard American Diet" of eating 3 meals + snacks (from 7 AM to 10 PM) is detrimental to longevity. We never give our bodies the time required to enter the cleanup phase.
The WellFact Protocol
You don't need to starve yourself to reap the benefits.
- Time-Restricted Feeding (16:8): This is the most sustainable method. You simply fast for 16 hours (e.g., 8 PM to 12 PM the next day) and eat all your calories in an 8-hour window.
- The Clean Fast: During the fasting window, consume zero calories. Water, black coffee, and plain tea are allowed. Adding milk, sugar, or BCAAs will spike insulin and stop autophagy immediately.