Butter in my coffee? Seriously? Why would I want to do that?
This was my thinking when I was first introduced to the idea of Bulletproof Coffee. But once I got past the shock, I had to find out if all the hype was true. Would this coffee really boost my energy, increase my mental clarity and help me lean out - the short answer - yes it did.
Like many millions of people, I’m an avid Podcast listener and even produce a couple myself. I listen to them daily and love that this practice has introduced me to some novel ideas, incredible concepts and broadened my general knowledge in many areas. When I first stumbled onto Bulletproof Radio with Dave Asprey, I was immediately hooked. Here’s a guy that spent a better part of 15 years, and $250,000 of his own money to hack his way to answering the following question, “What are the simplest things you can do to be better at everything?”
The Bulletproof Coffee seed of inspiration was planted in Asprey when he found himself hiking at 18,000 feet near Mt. Kailash in Tibet. Depleted and sapped of energy in below freezing weather and high elevation, he was amazed when he was given a creamy cup of yak tea, which virtually supercharged him back to life. Being the bio-hacker that he is, he dove in head first and researched the science and honed the perfect combination of “butter-in-hot-drink” variations, until finally he came to the recipe which is now known and loved by millions around the world.
The recipe is carefully designed to aid in promoting brain function, stave off hunger and turn-off cravings, while boosting energy levels. It’s rather simple, only consisting of 3 ingredients. In a blender mix 1 to 2 cups of hot coffee from single origin beans with 1 to 2 tablespoons of Brain Octane oil (or MCT coconut oil), and 1 to 2 tablespoons of unsalted grass-fed butter or ghee. Blend until you have a frothy, thick latte-like consistency. On an empty stomach, first thing in the morning, drink up and be ready to for a super-charged state of awesomeness.
Get a copy of the recipe card for Bulletproof Coffee here.
The underlying reason why this recipe is so effective is that it helps put us in a state of ketosis. Ketosis is when your body literally switches to burning fat for energy instead of sugars (carbohydrates). This only happens if you eat very low amounts of carbohydrates, or as Asprey says, “hack it using certain types of oils”. Many report, including me, that we experience improved mental clarity and focus when we find ourselves in a state of ketosis.
Not convinced yet? Here’s a bit of science behind the ingredients.
Grass fed butter is nutrient dense, containing high quantities of omega-3 fatty acids, CLA, vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin E and antioxidants. Regular butter just won’t cut it as it as limited amounts of these powerful factors. It’s also extremely high in butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that has been shown to reduce and prevent inflammation.
MCT oil is a high-octane version of coconut oil, which is an essential healthy fat. Fats are typically categorized by how many carbons they have. Short-chain fats (like butyric acid like in the grass fed butter) have fewer than six carbons, medium-chain fats have between 6 to 12 carbons, and long-chain fats (like omega-3s found in fish) have between 13 and 21. The shorter the tail, the faster your body can absorb the MCT and convert it to ketones - these are the tiny molecules that can fuel your brain instead of sugar (glucose). Why MCTs are so effective as energy is that they are quickly and easily digested by the liver, where they have a thermogenic effect and a metabolism-boosting effect.
Asprey has formulated a product called Brain Octane which claims to bypass the liver entirely, making them rapidly available for energy. For my first 3 years of drinking Bulletproof Coffee I used a standard MCT oil I purchased from a local health food store, which worked great too, but if you read Asprey’s articles, he references Brain Octane as a premiere version of MCT. (you can read more for yourself at https://blog.bulletproof.com/)
Look into Ketosis - who knows it may be for you
Even if this butter coffee isn’t for you, do some research into ketosis, especially if you are trying to lean out. A positive effect of ketosis is it makes you feel satiated so you don’t tend to eat as many calories, which means you aren’t thinking about food all the time like a lot of other calorie restrictive diet plans. I can’t go into all the details this time, but be sure to check out a recent article I published, where I share a few of the key benefits of the Ketogenic Diet.
If you are looking for a new morning ritual to supercharge your day, one cup of Bulletproof Coffee in the morning (on an empty stomach remember) might be your ticket. Give it a try and let me know how it goes. I’m sure it will elevate your season too!
Welcome to the Bulletproof lifestyle!