If you're more of a visual learner in life, this insane simulation about the impact of fasting will certainly teach you a thing or two.
The creators behind the YouTube channel Health Way TV have crafted a video to help people understand how the practice that claims to provide various health benefits actually works.
As I'm sure we all know, fasting means abstaining from food for a certain amount of time.
Some people prefer doing 24-hour stints, whereas others stretch it further, and aim to get through three days to maximise the results it is said to offer.
Advert
Our bodies supposedly slip into 'deep repair' mode after just one day without eating our regular meals, as fat becomes our main fuel.
But what happens to your body when you make it through 36-hours of fasting?
Health Way TV took its subscribers through the timeline to explain what happens at each stage when fasting over a three-day period.
Accompanied by a vivid simulation to illustrate each point, the video explained that four hours into your fast, your body will have finished digesting all the food you had previously consumed.
This results in your insulin levels dropping, and your body then begins to 'tap into stored sugar for energy', triggering the first of several processes.
"By eight hours, blood sugar begins to fall," the simulation explains. "Your system now relies on glycogen stored in your liver and muscles to keep you going."
To try and maintain glucose levels, the body then starts to break down the energy source glycogen, but this supply starts to run low at the 12-hour mark.
Instead, your body will then start burning fat for fuel - and at the same time, your insulin levels 'continue to decrease and you slowly shift into a state called ketosis'.
Ketosis is a term used to describe a metabolic state that occurs when your body burns fat for energy instead of glucose, the Cleveland Clinic explains.
Anyway, after 16 hours of fasting, your body starts undergoing a 'deep cellular cleanse' as the autophagy process begins.
This is a 'self-preservation mechanism in which your body removes damaged or dysfunctional parts of cells in order to regenerate newer, healthier cells', according to Heathline.
The simulation describes autophagy as the body's 'natural detox mode', which causes 'damaged cells to be broken down and toxins cleared out'.
Following this, 'major cellular repairs are in full swing' by the time you have hit the 24-hour point.
"Inflammation drops, fat burning accelerates and your body becomes more sensitive to insulin," the YouTube channel - which shares educational health tips rather than medical advice - said.
"At 30 hours, growth hormone levels spike, preserving muscle mass and accelerating fat loss.
"Your body enters a deep healing state. By 36 hours, you reach maximum autophagy.
"Your cells are cleared out, tissues are regenerated and your metabolism gets a major boost. You've just given your body a full reset."
It goes without saying, but make sure you consult a healthcare professional before you make any major changes to your diet or lifestyle, as fasting is not for the faint-hearted.
Topics: Health, YouTube, Food And Drink
Olivia Burke