The Amazing Weekly (6-Day) Protocol to Invigorate Your Energy.
Research shows that as you age, your body has less cellular power Ref and loses control over its clearing and recycling abilities Ref , resulting in an accumulation of old, dysfunctional cells known as senescent cells as well a poorly functioning mitochondria Ref.
Boosting your mitochondria, and improving the clearing and recycling of these senescent cells are among the most effective strategies that I have seen clinically for combating aging and improving your general health. Fasting has been shown to have profound improvements in health, vitality and longevity.
I’ve outlined simple ways to introduce seemingly complex fasting concepts into anyone’s life here. Whether you are a healthy athlete or maybe you have some health challenges, this protocol could help you function better and more efficiantly. Clearing out the “bad” and making room for the “good” is a core challenge we all face and it gets harder with more stress and as we get older. You could say we all have more stress these days so the need for this cellular turnover is even more important. Besides this turnover we have a loss of a vital molecule called NAD+ which we will discuss more later. As we will discuss, NAD+ can be built up to a healthier and more youthful level.
The good news is these strategies can shorten a fast and make it as effective as a longer fast through a 3 Phase protocol. We will dig into a few technical subjects such as NAD+, Autophagy, Mitophagy, and Cellular Senescence, Microbiome Swarming and Stem Cell Survival to understand why this protocol can be maximized to achieve a much stronger healing effect. This might allow people to more regularly perform a fast. Also these strategies can be implemented at home outside of a clinical setting. Fasting in a new way using science through a 3 Phase protocol might be just what the doctor ordered. I will dive into how important building cellular energy, using senolytics and then maximizing the post fast. One of the biggest benefits is the boost your mito will enjoy giving your cells more energy to keep your body functioning at its peak potential. I will discuss these 3 Phases in this article as well as some optional upgrades if you are up for the advanced challenge.
First, let’s get some scientific terms under our belt, so all of the suggestions make sense.
Definitions:
Microbiome Swarming- Cycles of probiotic growth periods through natural circadian rhythm stimulus. Generally activated through gut melatonin which is 400 times more than brain melatonin.
Autophagy– the body’s way of cleaning out damaged cells, in order to regenerate newer, healthier cells. It can be activated through fasting & senolytic nutraceuticals.
Mitophagy- the selective degradation of old dysfunctional mitochondria through autophagy. It can be activated through fasting & senolytic nutraceuticals.
Senesent Cells-irreversible cell cycle arrest leading to inflammation and aging.
Senolytics– nutraceuticals that selectively induce death of senescent cells to improve health and longevity in humans.
NAD+- Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is a cofactor central to metabolism. NAD+ levels decline with age and supplementing them can support general health through improving cellular, mitochondrial energy.
Mitochondria– Because the Mitochondria or Mito are at the core of human health as well as our 3 phase protocol we will do a deeper dive to define and understand
Mitochondria (Mito), are intracellular powerhouses that produce ATP, which is the currency of energy in our body. The mito within your cells make up ⅓ of your body weight. These little structures sit inside each of your cells, where they convert glucose and oxygen to create all the energy needed to run every aspect of all your cellular functions.
Mitochondria have been increasingly recognized as essential players in the aging process. Most aging-related diseases, particularly neurodegenerative diseases, have mitochondrial involvement. [1]. They keep your brain running, your hormones secreting hormones, your heart beating, your lungs absorbing vital air, your immune system functioning to protect you from viruses, bacteria, and molds in our environment. They keep your gut absorbing nutrients and anything else you can imagine your body would need energy to do anything and everything.
You should appreciate your mitochondria and take care of them, but we don’t always get practical ways to do this. The phrase “Mito Phase” stands for our 3 phase protocol to invigorate and renew your mitochondria.
The Mito Phase™ protocol is founded on solid, current science to care for your mitochondria. Taking care of your mitochondria can potentially make positive changes in your health and longevity. Studies show mito function can impact the quality and length of your life in almost every way you can imagine Ref. Supporting your Mito with many of the suggestions in this article is a worthwhile effort to support health and vitality!
How does the body recycle old dysfunctional cells and weak dysfunctional mito?
Since mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of metabolic decline (vitality) during aging, mito health is based on their average strength and efficiency as a whole [5]. Every second, our body turns over 15 million blood cells. Consider that you are constantly replacing your old, weak, dysfunctional mitochondria with new healthy fresh mito, just like you do with blood cells.
The population of all the mito of a given cell constitutes your Chondriome. Like your MicroBiome, we have a healthy pool of Chondriome or an unhealthy pool, which dictates how functional they are. The average cell in your body has between 1,000-2,000 mito. Again, they turn over as they get old. They are recycled, and it’s a process mediated through a gene expression controlled by mTOR.
The mTOR pathway is a central regulator of metabolism (vitality) and physiology (function). Without getting too deep into mTOR, for now, let’s just leave it at the fact that when mTOR is inhibited, we shift into a cleaning and recycling phase where we see Autophagy and Mitophagy.
Stress activates the mTOR pathways! Remember all the types of stress? These ALL have an impact on the demand for Mitophagy to be activated through mTOR [6].
mTOR regulates different cellular processes in response to environmental clues. mTOR controls the balance between anabolism and catabolism, most notably in this context autophagy and mitophagy. The mTOR pathway regulates transcription factors such as FOXO, FOXA, NRF, NF-κB, SREBPs, and TFEB, and induces ribosome biogenesis, protein synthesis, cellular growth and secretion of pro-inflammatory and mitogenic factors, and inhibits autophagy when food is plentiful Ref During fasting and or calorie restriction mTOR is inhibited, leading to the inhibition of protein synthesis and major savings of energy. Generally this excess energy can be directed at the breakdown and recycling of weak and dying cells and cellular material such as mitochondria but also cleansing your gut and microbiome, liver/gallbladder, kidneys and resetting your endocrine system.
MTOR AND AUTOPHAGY
As outlined above, mTOR promotes anabolic cellular processes leading to growth and repair. This is further facilitated by the suppression of protein catabolism, most notably autophagy. Autophagy is a basic catabolic process in the cell that degrades damaged organelles (mitochondria) or dysfunctional proteins to gain energy or free amino acids. Three different forms of autophagy have been discovered: microautophagy, something called chaperon-mediated autophagy and macroautophagy, with the macroautophagy being the most common form. The initial step in autophagy, the cytoplasmic components that are to be degraded are engulfed in an autophagosome which is where a membrane is wrapped around the structure to be recycled. Autophagosomes then fuse with lysosomes where it is exposing to an enzyme, hydrolases, which catalyze or degrades the contents (Levine and Klionsky, 2004; Mizushima and Komatsu, 2011). All cells need autophagy to maintain homeostasis and the process is strongly activated upon stress. Absence of nutrients and growth factors such as with calorie restriction which are the strongest inducers of autophagy. Stress induces autophagy and some that research has shown include DNA or protein damage (can be intense exercise), reactive oxygen species (ROS-Ozone, Intense exercise, physical stress), or pathogens causing infection. Autophagy is a tightly regulated process with mTOR being the key activator (Neufeld, 2010). Stress inhibited mTOR is and activates autophagy in yeast, C. elegans, Drosophila, and mammals (Noda and Ohsumi, 1998; Ravikumar et al., 2004; Hansen et al., 2008; Kenyon, 2010).
ROS or Reactive Oxygen Species have been reported as early inducers of autophagy upon nutrient deprivation and other circumstances, where the p62/Keap1/Nrf2 pathway is of major importance (Ristow and Schmeisser, 2014; Filomeni et al., 2015). ROS can regulate autophagy and mTOR. Now it might make sense to use ozone therapy such as with rectal insufflations, Ozonation of water, and if your in Sarasota Florida the RejuvenOX or 10 Pass Ozone IV might be a nice combination to do along with a fasting protocol such as outlined in the fasting phase in Mito Phase in Phase 2.
Figure 1. (A) Autophagy can be both too high or too low and these levels can be harmful for your mito, cells, your body and brain. (B) Autophagy changes as we age and early in our development low levels of autophagy support us best. In youth too much autophagy signaling, such as mTOR inhibition, can lead to dis-ease. As we become older high autophagy levels are better and we should use strategies that inhibit mTOR and stimulate autophagy for a healthier more robust body and brain.
Fasting, intense exercise and Oxidation are all big activators of autophagy; however, other activators called senolytics can also be used. There are several plant extracts that have been shown to activate autophagy through the mTOR pathway. One that many scientists have used is Rapamycin. mTOR actually stands for mammalian target for Rapamycin. Rapamycin was discovered in the soil on Easter Island or Rapa Nui. mTOR as we started earlier is best inhibited later in life. Autophagy through the mTOR-dependent pathways was tested in Harrison et al. (2009). Mice were given rapamycin to decrease mTOR signaling. This was given to them at an advanced age of 600 days, which in human resembles about 60 years, and they still showed enhanced lifespan! There where also no major side effects. They found the lifespan couldnt be further increased when they gave the rapamycin at a younger age of 270 days (Harrison et al., 2009). Thats good news for use that are over 40 years old as we have not missed this opportunity to get the maximum benefit from inhibiting mTOR in our later years.
Plant extracts which inhibit mTOR & activating Autophagy.
There are a few extracts worth mentioning that have been reported to inhibit mTOR signaling. Apigenin, a family member of flavonoids, is abundant in fruits (oranges, apples, cherries, grapes), vegetables (onions, parsley, broccoli, sweet green pepper, celery, barley, tomatoes), and beverages (tea, wine) [7]. Cryptotanshinone is one of the major tanshinones isolated from the roots of the plant Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Danshen. [8]. Curcumin (diferuloylmethane), a natural polyphenol product of the plant Curcuma longa [9]. Fisetin might be the more powerful of all polyphenols, a family member of flavonoids, occurs in fruits and vegetables, such as strawberries, apples, persimmons, and onions [10]. Indoles are natural compounds in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and brussels sprouts [11]. Isoflavones, a class of flavonoid phenolic compounds, are rich in soybean [12]. Quercetin, a polyphenolic compound, is mainly from tea consumption, onions, red grapes, and apples [13]. Pterostilbene from blueberries. [29] Resveratrol, a natural polyphenol rich in red grapes and red wine [14]. suppresses mTOR signaling Tocotrienols, members of vitamin E superfamily [15]. Finally, it is worth mentioning that many other natural products, such as caffeine, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG, in green tea), celastrol, butein, capsaicin, and β-elemene a class of terpenes such as Beta Pinene from the pine tree family can all inhibit mTOR and upregulate autophagy..
You can’t possibly get all this or even a fraction of the dosage of each of these plant extracts in a standard diet or even eating lots of the plants high in them. Research shows that for example curcumin can’t absorb well. You need to take piperine to aid in its absorption and even then it’s very little that you absorb compared to what you ingest. This is why delivery methods other than oral might be considered to get the most robust autophagy and mitophagy. Finding a quality product that has liposomal is good and suppository which bipasses the fist pass in the liver and all the enzymes through the stomach and intestines makes this the most superior delivery which might rival an IV infusion as per its absorption!
Without Autophagy, we have cells that do not get recycled into new healthy cells making room for zombie cells called Senescent cells.
What are senescent cells, and how do they have a detrimental effect on health and life span? Due to poor autophagy (which usually removes and recycles them), they accumulate into new, healthy cells and fresh, healthy mito.
Cellular senescence is an irreversible cell-cycle arrest mechanism that acts to protect against cancer [16].
Basically, cellular senescence is a permanent state of sleep a cell goes into. This state is associated with a release of inflammatory products and higher energy consumption, pulling it away from your healthy cells [17]. They are zombies in the literal sense!
Fig 1
Production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines is emerging as a common feature of senescent cells, irrespective of the senescence-inducing stressor or mechanism (Fig. 1). Cultured cells usually reach senescence within several weeks after exposure to senescence-inducing stressors, but remain viable for months after that [18]. This means these “zombies” will float around, spewing inflammation and sucking the life out of your body, by deferring vital energy that would normally be going to healthy cells. We will loop back into autophagy and mitophagy and how to activate these naturally, but first, let’s dive into the molecule NAD+.
What is NAD+, and why is it important for healthy Mitochondria?
NAD+ or Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide is a sister to Niacin, a vitamin you cannot live without. NAD+ is a critical coenzyme found in every cell in your body, and it’s involved in hundreds of metabolic processes. Maintenance of an optimal NAD+/NADH ratio is essential for mitochondrial function. The maintenance of the mitochondrial NAD+ pool is of paramount importance.
From plants to metazoans, an increase in intracellular levels of NAD+ directs cells to make adjustments to ensure survival, including increasing energy production and utilization, boosting cellular repair, and coordinating circadian rhythms. By the time we are middle-aged, levels of NAD+ will have fallen to half of the youthful levels.
In recent years, several studies have shown that the treatment of old mice with precursors to NAD+ can significantly improve health. Observed effects include increased insulin sensitivity, a reversal of mitochondrial dysfunction, reduced stem cell senescence, and lifespan extension [19]. Euler-Chelpin, in his 1930 Nobel Prize speech, says, “NAD+ is one of the most widespread and biologically most important activators within the plant and animal world [20].”
NAD+ levels are related to the expression of NF-κB [21], and low-grade inflammation is a primary driving force of aging. A possibility is that addressing inflammation is the answer to slowing the aging process. Doctors in the know and scientists in the field all conclude that molecules that maintain NAD+ levels will allow people to celebrate many more anniversaries. Inflammation is not just linked to aging but is present and involved in almost all disease processes.
NAD+ levels naturally decline with age, and various stressors can deplete your NAD+ at a more rapid rate. Poor restorative sleep and alcohol use are the top two stressors that deplete NAD+; however, any stressor will drain away NAD+. Anytime you have a higher energy demand, immune activation due to infections stress, mental stress, emotional stress, physical stress, structural stress, electromagnetic (EMF’s) stress, and chemical stress are the main “Stress” categories. We cannot avoid these completely, and so, inevitably, our NAD+ levels will be taxed, creating a need to replace NAD+.
In this article titled “Why NAD+ Declines during Aging: It’s Destroyed,” the author states, “NAD+ is required not only for life but for a long life…the decline of NAD+ during aging, with implications for combating age-related diseases [22].”
I don’t advocate ignoring underlying stressors driving inflammation and only supplementing with NAD+, but approaching it from both sides. You might be looking at the future of medicine.
Warning: According to this study, boosting levels of NAD+ may make senescent cells more aggressively inflammatory [23].
Researchers show that increased NAD+ will likely make worse the inflammatory signaling of senescent cells, however[24][25]. Senescent cells accumulate with age and are an important cause of the chronic inflammation of aging that drives the progression of many age-related diseases [26][27]. For this reason, I don’t suggest NAD+ supplementation daily, and it may make sense to take something like fisetin or quercetin with NAD+ supplementation (such as NAD+Max or NeuroNAD+). Also consider a follow up to your NAD+ where you promote senescent clearing and recycling through autophagy. Taking NAD+ makes a lot of sense when looking at the research where we can support our primary and rate limiting source; our cells need to make energy through our mitochondria! We need to have a strategy to suppress and subsequently clear senescent cells after we go through an NAD+ loading phase.
So, what’s the answer? How do you clear these senescence cells from the body and boost NAD+ at the same time?
I developed Mito Phase in 2020, which I also call Fast Track Fasting, in an effort to support my distance patients who could not travel to my clinic due to the current pandemic. Looking at all the facts I began to come up with strategies to support the 3 Phase protocol called Mito Phase. I wanted to pulse a weekly NAD+loading, strongly activate autophagy using powerful senolytics and a follow up with a rejuvenation phase where stem cells are activated and preserved and finally more powerfully activate microbiome swarming . We have had a number of people we have coached through this process with great success.
This 6 day protocol called Mito Phase ™ starts with two days of NAD+ loading, followed by two days focused on activating senescent cell clearing and recycling through Autophagy followed by 2 days of stem cell support. A reason to pulse these efforts is that NAD+ may support senescent cells, so we need to systematically work NAD+, then a senescent clearing phase after for optimal effects. Fasting or fasting with Senolytics is the best answer to clean, clear, and recycle these “zombie” senescent cells. This is why we stack the most powerful senolytics on the planet with a 24-36 hour lunch to lunch fast that can be done each week or pulsed several times a year. After this senolytic/autophagy phase we need to stimulate mTOR so we can get a nice boost to grow and repair all the injuries and damaged cells. Phase 3 or the last 2 days of the program is the regeneration phase. This can be done by consuming a higher protein diet and supplementing some extra protein such as kion™ amino’s. The biggest influence to mTOR is the amino acid leucine. Other substances that can be helpful are rhodiola and HMB or β-Hydroxy β-methylbutyric acid. Leucine, rhodiola and HMB are available together in a product called StemTOR™. Other supplements to consider would be deer antler extract, astragalus, and Fo-Ti which you can find in a product called CytoStemSurge™.
“Mito Fast is a 6 day program where he first 2 days are focused on NAD+ loading and the next 2 days focused on activating Mitophagy, Autophagy and cleaning up scenescent cells. This cleaning / recycling of mitochondria and old, weak zombie cells is done using senolytics and a 24-36 hour fast, typically from lunch to lunch”
Example of how the Mito Phase™ protocol can be accomplished with MitoZen.com’s: NAD+Max™, Lucitol™ & StemTOR™
NAD+Max™ is a combination of both precursors to NAD+ (Nicotinamide Riboside / NR 250mg and Nicotinamide MonoNucleotide / NMN 250mg) as well as Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide / NAD+ 500mg. Available in suppository and liposomal delivery.
Lucitol™ is a blend of polyphenols: Fisetin, ECGC, Resveratrol, Quercetin, Apocynin, Ginkgo Baloba, Lutein and Curcumin. This stack is intended to support a senolytic (senescent cell clearing and recycling) effects through Autophagy as well as activate Mitophagy.
Available in suppository and liposomal delivery.
StemTOR™- Leucine, Rhodiola and HMB suppository.
You can either use suppositories or the liposomal version of these products. Liposomal delivery is a way to wrap the contents inside a liposome so that it is more easily absorbed. Suppositories are a rectal delivery method that can be very powerful. The substance bypasses the first pass in the liver and digestive enzymes so the nutrient stays in tack and is slowly released over 5-6 hours making it highly absorbable and gives the body a chance to pull the nutrients deeper into our cells where they are needed. Both have superior absorption, versus standard oral routes of administration. The suppositories give an added benefit due to its slower release, allowing for a more prolonged peak plasma in your blood. Sometimes stacking both NAD+Max™ suppository and Liposomal for an even stronger NAD+ dosing.
Below is a suggested program I have used in my clinic.
PHASE 1- Monday & Tuesday
NAD+ Loading Phase.
After breakfast – take (1) NAD+Max™ Suppository or 10 ml’s of NAD+Max Ultra Liposomal
After lunch – take (1) NAD+Max™ Suppository or 10 ml’s of NAD+Max Ultra™ Liposomal
**you can take two suppositories at once, which will get even more NAD+ in your loading phase.
PHASE 2- Wed & Thursday–
Cleaning / Autophagy / Senolytic Phase (This can be done with or without a fast) .
I suggest a 24-36 hour fast such as a lunch to lunch fast (A full 3 day fast can be done here also)..
Take (1) Lucitol™ suppository, or 10ml’s of Lucitol Ultra™ Liposomal, twice a day.
Consider ozone therapy such as a rectal insufflation or drinking ozonated water.
PHASE 3- Friday & Saturday–
Regeneration, Stem Cell Production, Cellular Growth Phase.
Take (1) StemTOR™ suppository twice a day. mTOR signaling taken in post fast phase.
Take (2) CytoStemSurge™ three times a day.
Up your dietary protein intake and also supplementation with Kion™ amino’s at 15-20 grams a day.
*Dosing schedule example using senolytics during a 24-36 hour fast:
Wed: Mid-Day and Evening – Take (1) Lucitol™ suppository or 10mls of Lucitol Ultra Liposomal.
Thurs: Morning and Mid-Day – Take (1) Lucitol™ suppository or 10mls of Lucitol Ultra Liposomal.
PHASE 3 OPTIONAL UPGRADE #1: STEM CELL SUPPORT.
When activate mTOR this means growth, repair and stem cells being produced as well as released into your circulation where they will be attracted to injuries, weak tissues, glands and organs in need of repair. Stem cells are also vulnerable to becoming senescent. This is a real problem in regenerative medicine today. We are one of the first clinic to begin using stem cells for our patients here in the US and for example if we would aspirate some bone marrow from your pelvic bone then place those stem cells into your knee joint only a certain percentage of those would survive and the others would become senescent essentially becoming useless. Stem cell survival is a real problem for doctors like us and using techniques to provide a better “home” or an environment that would provide the stem cells more support to proliferate and differentiate to repair and regenerate your body. There are a few substances that have been shown to be a great support to stem cells. CoQ 10 and Fucoidan are 2 of my favorite! CoQ 10 is a powerful anti oxidant and Fucoidan is a polysaccharide from brown seaweed. Evidence of both Fucoidan and CoQ-10 with the prevention of stem cell senescence is clear, which allows more stem cells to do the regenerative work on your body. CoQ10 has shown to protect stem cell aging and mechanisms of cell senescence inhibited by CoQ10. Ref Fucoidan Rescues Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Cellular Senescence and increases stem cell proliferation through the regulation of cell cycle-associated proteins. RefCoQ-10 has been shown to have poor absorption orally, so a suppository route can allow much higher bioavailability of CoQ-10. There is benefit to using these nutrients post fast so that when your new stem cells are released more of them will survive. See StemZen™ a CoQ 10 plus Fucoidan suppository.
Phase 3 Optional Upgrade #2: Microbiome Swarming Support.
The role of fasting and melatonin on microbiome health & swarming
Poor quality gut microbiota is highly associated with both acute or chronic diseases, in particular digestive disorders including inflammatory bowel disease, liver cirrhosis and colorectal cancer, and thus is responsible for the unrelenting increase in so-called diseases-of-affluence. Ref. Fasting can be a great way to reset your microbiome through a healthy stress called hormesis. Fasting has been shown to improve obesity and multiple sclerosis in experimental model through restoring gut microbiota Ref Ref
Microbiome swarming to stimulate more growth of the good bacteria. Using melatonin supplementation may be the answer. Your gut produces 400 times more melatonin than your brain. Ref Gut melatonin is the main activator of microbiome swarming which is the primary signaling for the good bacteria in your gut to grow in numbers. Ref
One research study ‘Human Gut Bacteria are Sensitive to Melatonin and Express Endogenous Circadian Rhythmicity’ published in the PLoS One in 2016 has stated that “Melatonin specifically increases the magnitude of swarming in cultures of E. aerogenes, but not in Escherichia coli or Klebsiella pneumoniae.” Ref This study was focused on assessing the impact of the body’s circadian rhythms on gut health. Circadian rhythm is the fundamental property of most eukaryotes including humans, animals, plants, and even fungi. In vertebrates like humans, the digestive system expresses a strong circadian pattern hard linked to melatonin. Recent studies suggest that the gut flora, which is composed of trillions of healthy bacteria is regulated primarily by the circadian clock of the body. And this circadian rhythm, in turn, is regulated by how much melatonin is secreted in your body and at what times. Melatonin has been shown to specifically increase the magnitude of swarming in the cultures of E. aerogenes, though not in other species like in Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli. The swarming appeared to occur on a daily basis by the body’s circadian rhythm synchronized perfectly in the presence of melatonin. Ref
I have used larger than typical melatonin dosages in the 100-200mg plus to activate microbiome swarming. Using melatonin in a suppository makes sense for this action as the microbiome primarily exists in your large intestines so placing the melatonin there may lead to more of a swarming effect. Sandman™ suppository is our go to product as an optional upgrade to the Mito Phase™ during the post fasting / re-feeding phase. This can be taken for 2 days up to a week or longer post fast as microbiome support.
Advanced Options for PHASE 3- Friday-Saturday
Microbiome Swarming Activation & Microbiome Probiotic Support, Nutrient Support for new Stem Cells to prevent senescence.
Take (1) Sandman™ suppository at bedtime. High dose 200mg melatonin.
Take (1) ButaMax™ suppository twice a day. Spore Based Probiotic & Butyrate.
Take (1) StemZen™ suppository twice a day. CoQ10 & Fucoidan
Optomize your Brain, Heart and all your cells.
If you are looking to be better, think clearer, have more energy, and function at a higher level, you can’t ignore these two aspects of health that lead to better and stronger Mito. Restoring youthful NAD+ levels, using cellular cleaning and recycling such as Autophagy and Mitophagy, Promoting microbiome swarming and supporting your stem cells from becoming senescent can all be a great strategy. Because your heart and brain are the 2 most metabolically sensitive organs in your body they benefit the most from improved mito function.
The Mito Fast™ is easy to do and well tolerated by most. The Phases can be done once a week, once a month, or a few times a year if you desire a less aggressive approach. I generally suggest to start a once a week program and consider this initially for a few months and for some a full 3 day fast during phase 2 might be more effective than the 24-36 hr fast suggested in this article.. After an initial loading program, one might consider switching to doing Mito Phase™ a couple of times a year for a maintenance plan.
What are some lifestyle changes you can make to support Autophagy, Mitophagy, mTOR and healthy NAD+ levels?
There are certain foods you can consume to support autophagy some of which are ok to take during fasting periods. Foods, teas and spices that support autophagy include: ginger, coffee, green tea, elderberries, turmeric, ginseng tea, garlic, chaga, reishi, pomegranate and ceylon cinnamon.
As we have discussed, there are a number of plant extracts you can supplement with to support autophagy. I suggest you take these during a fasting state to support a strong mTOR inhibition. You can take supplements in a variety of ways that include: Suppositories, pills, liposomal formulations, by consuming food rich in certain polyphenols.
Fasting alone can be a great way to clear up senescent cells through autophagy. Keep in mind, intermittent fasting with a feeding window every 24 hours where you only eat within a 6-10 hour window, can get you into some autophagy every day. Extended fasts such as a 3-5 day water-only fast get much stronger autophagy levels and can be more helpful to clear senescent cells and activate mitophagy. For the strongest effects you can stack senolytics with fasting and even ozone therapy which would amplify the signaling through mTOR for an even deeper clearing of dysfunctional cellular organelles such as mitochondria and zombie, senescent cells.
The biggest NAD+ killers are poor sleep and alcohol use. I feel sleep is more important than nutrition or exercise. See this article on sleep for a deeper dive into ways to improve sleep [28].
Microbiome Swarming is an important aspect of quality sleep and high melatonin levels. Super high doses of melatonin can also be helpful such as 100-200mg for improved sleep, microbiome swarming and improved mitochondrial function. Melatonin is made by all your mitochondria to deal with stress and its benefits beyond sleep are well researched in the medical research. Ref
Bullet Points:
NAD+ Loading to Support Mitochondrial Health and Cellular Energy.
(Can be helpful leading into a fast or period of strong autophagy signaling phase).
Consume NAD+ precursors such as NR or NMN.
Receive expensive and time consuming IV NAD+ in a clinic like Advanced Rejuvenation.
Perform NAD+ SubQ injections such as we ship out to our patients from Advanced Rejuvenation.
Use a NAD+ patch. Best is the ones that use iontophoresis to push the NAD+ into the skin.
Sublingual NAD+ products could be beneficial.
Take NAD+ Suppositories with both NAD+ and or NR and NMN.
Use liposomal NAD+ products.
Take NAD+ nasal spray such as with NeuroNAD+™.
It’s important to suppress senescent cells and clear them post NAD+ loading.
Maximize Autophagy:
Fasting. Extended or intermittent fasting works at different signaling strengths.
Exercise can promote autophagy.
Consume senolytics like Fisetin, Quercetin and Resveratrol which can be taken as liposomal and suppository for better absorption.
Consume foods, spices and teas to promote autophagy like ginger, coffee, green tea, elderberries, turmeric, ginseng tea, garlic, chaga, reishi, pomegranate and ceylon cinnamon.
Use ozone to increase ROS to activate autophagy in the form of rectal insufflations. Consider buying a home ozone generator.
Maximize Stem Cell Production through mTOR signaling, Microbiome Swarming and Prevent Stem Cell Senesence Post Fast.
Consume more protein. Best with shakes post fasting versus steak might be too diff to break down just after fasting. Take essential amino acids such as Kion Amino’s.
Take supplements like Rhodiola, HMB, Deer Antler Extract, Astragalus, Fo-Ti.
Protect Stem Cells using Fucoidan, CoQ-10 and Rehmannia.
Take a high dose of melatonin to increase the microbiome swarming effect.
Before you start this protocol, consult your health care provider and use their guidance, as this article is not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any disease nor is it meant to be medical advice. You should consult your healthcare provider before you start this or fasting program.
Dr. John Lieurance, whom you may remember from my podcast episode “The Crazy Future Of Medical Biohacking: Skull Resets, Suppositories, Nasal Sprays, Nebulizers, Sound Therapy & More With Dr. John Lieurance.,” is a naturopathic physician, chiropractic neurologist, and all-around expert in medical biohacking who has been in private practice in Florida for 25 years.
He is the chief scientific advisor of MitoZen.com™ and heads up AdvancedRejuvenation.us, a multi-disciplinary clinic with a focus on treating chronic diseases, regenerative medicine, functional neurology, psychedelic therapies, functional medicine, and regenerative stem cell therapy.
He is an author of 2 books: “Melatonin:Miracle Molecule Beyond Sleep” and “Its All in Your Head”.
Dr. Lieurance has spent most of his career focused on finding solutions for hearing loss, balance disorders, tinnitus, degenerative neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, autoimmune disease, chronic Lyme, CIRS, and mold illness and has suffered from chronic Lyme and mold illness himself for many years. From his treatments, he has seen the same success and ability to recover and regain a normal life—free from the chronic inflammation and pain associated with those disorders—in himself as well as in his patients.
As a Naturopathic physician and Chiropractic Neurologist I have been interested in antiaging and reversing disease for 30 years. My focus has been on cellular energy as a means to allow the body to have “the force” it needs to do the work necessary. After suffering from severe Lyme and Mold illness for 14 years I have experienced first hand what it’s like to be at the lowest end of this spectrum with little help from modern medicine to get any relief from the chronic fatigue and intense inflammation. It’s a “pain to purpose” story and its made me a better healer in many ways. First off it pushed me to search hard for the deepest cause of most all diseases, we will dive into this a little in the article, and second it’s made me sensitive to others suffering as I have been there myself. My suffering has also driven me to develop a product line focused on some of the key challenges I faced and my patients face.
John Lieurance, ND, DC, DACNB (Board Eligible)
(941) 330-8553
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6627182/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2990190/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitophagy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTOR
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5748716/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3630798/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3775843/#R43
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3775843/#R44
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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3775843/#R46
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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3775843/#R48
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3775843/#R49
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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5088772/%2523R7
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@askdoctorjl@gmail.com I’ve linked to some of these compounds using products Ben’s recommended in the past, or search results on Amazon when I couldn’t find specific products. Problem is, although recommend liposomal or suppositories for most of these, I can’t find products with either of these delivery mechanisms for the majority of compounds mentioned.
I anticipate people asking about this in the comments, so maybe we could get ahead of it.
Do you recommend people take these supplements at all if they can’t find liposomal or suppository versions?
Is it possible to take something that’s not marketed as a suppository rectally?
Those are best delivery. Absorption is poor with many of these compounds. It ok to take them in pill form just more effective this way
who invented this, where did it come from and are there any published or proven results from this approach?
@askdoctorjl@gmail.com
@askdoctorjl@gmail.com I’ll send you a final copy after my edits. In that, you’ll see that I attributed this protocol to you. If this incorrect, please let me know.
Yes it is solely my creation based on studying the literature!
@askdoctorjl@gmail.com Are you saying they can double up to 4 doses per day for these first two days, or just take both doses at once, at breakfast, for example.
one dose 2 times a day
Oh yup if they want to take 1,000mg NAD they can sure double them up for those hard core Biohackers!
@askdoctorjl@gmail.com Can you be very specific here about the fasting portion? If phase 2 is only two days, when would a 3-day fast begin and end?
A full 3 day water fast is a optional upgrade for a more powerful Mito Fast. Not sure how to place that in here so it doesn’t confuse them…maybe you can help with that?
@askdoctorjl@gmail.com Not sure what you mean here?
This is a supplement that works to activate mTOR signaling best taken within the fasting phase
@askdoctorjl@gmail.com How much should they up their protein by?
15-20 grams Kion amino’s and up their dietary intake as well
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