We got this question from a few different clients over the last month or so.
Bulletproof Coffee.
It’s all the rage in the Paleo and Primal communities, boasting huge energy boosts without the crashes, incredible mental clarity for hours on end and even improve fat loss results.
Sounds amazing, right?
This idea was spawned from Dave Asprey, also known as the Bulletproof Exec.
If you haven’t heard of Bulletproof Coffee or you have heard about it but you aren’t sure what it entails, here are the basics.
- Organic, toxin free coffee
- Kerrygold Grass Fed Butter
- MCT Oil
You are brewing the coffee as usual and then adding the grass fed butter (Asprey recommends at least 2 tablespoons) and then also adding the MCT Oil (1-2 tablespoons).
The premise of this recipe is that the healthy fats from the butter will give you a ketonic energy effect, meaning your body will burn fats for energy and avoid any insulin spikes. The fats also keep you more full throughout the morning.
MCT (medium chain triglyceride), in this case found in an oil, has been shown to promote fat oxidation and weight loss because they passively diffuse from the GI tract and do not require any energy for storage or absorption.
The premise of Bulletproof Coffee is that you would drink a cup of this in the morning as your breakfast. The high fat intake will keep you full, help push your body to use fats as energy.
It does taste pretty good. When I tried this for about a month, I didn’t notice a huge change in my energy or focus. It didn’t hurt me, but it didn’t change my life either.
The other issue that comes up is when people do Bulletproof Coffee AND eat throughout the early part of the day. That just leads to an excess of calories and usually way too much fat.
If you like to drink your calories, then give it a try. I much prefer eating and focusing on quality foods instead of a hyped up coffee.
The one positive aspect I will take from this is that if you want to sweeten your coffee with something more natural and healthy, use a tablespoon of coconut oil. It has a similar premise to the MCT oil (which is flavorless) and tastes great.
Otherwise, skip the 400-500 calorie coffee and eat some real food.