Autophagy is not a 16-hour prize

Autophagy is the cell’s recycling program. It ramps in a fasted, low-insulin state. It does not flip on like a light at hour sixteen, and it does not require a 72-hour water fast to “count.”

Daily 16:8 is a metabolic practice: insulin, appetite, and weight. Extended fasts are a different tool — useful for some people, unwise as a weekly stunt. Confusing the two is how people end up under-eating all week and calling it optimization.

If you do go past 24 hours, plan the landing. Break with broth, eggs, yogurt, or fish and vegetables. Not a large, celebratory meal. Re-feeding is part of the protocol.

Sleep, protein, and resistance training still do more for long-term health than collecting autophagy hours on a badge. Use Halo to see the pattern. Do not let the timer become the point.