I first heard of Bulletproof Coffee a few years ago. I was thumbing through a Men’s Health magazine (desperately trying to find some motivation to get my tired arse in shape), when I came across an article touting the next big diet craze. I didn’t know nearly as much about nutrition then as I know now, so when I read all of the glowing testimonials about the supposed benefits of adding coconut oil and butter to your daily coffee, my one and only thought was this is a freakin’ coronary explosion waiting to happen!
Fast forward to now. I’ve undergone a major physical change, with all the requisite nutritional research and knowledge necessary to maintain it. I’ve experimented with high carb diets, high protein diets, no-carb diets, and just about everything in between. I’m currently following a ketogenic (high protein, high fat, low carb) approach, and it’s worked wonders. So when I stumbled upon the Bulletproof coffee idea a second time, I wasn’t completely adverse to it. Even though I was seeing success incorporating healthy fats into my diet, the idea of scooping out a tablespoon or two of butter per day was still a little worrisome (research into the benefits of grass-fed butter has since eased my mind), so when I decided to try the recipe out for myself, it was with a healthy dose of skepticism. At the first sign of anything the least bit out of whack with my body I was immediately prepared to toss the stuff out. I had made too many positive health gains to throw it all away on some fad, gadget diet that wasn’t going to do anything but clog up my arteries.
So I bought myself a tub of Kerrygold unsalted butter and a bottle of MCT Oil (a coconut oil extract that I hadn’t previously heard of but now can’t live without), fired up the Kuerig (Starbucks House blend was the coffee of choice) and proceeded to make my first cup. After about thirty seconds in the blender, I was certainly left with the best looking cup of coffee I’d ever seen, but looks, as we all know, can be deceiving. After taking one sip, any doubts I had almost immediately disappeared.
I had recently trained my taste buds to handle black coffee and had been drinking it that way daily, so the smooth, creamy texture of the new blend was a pleasant change. I was sold based on the taste alone. But what ultimately sealed the deal was how I felt afterward. My energy level was through the roof, but I wasn’t the least bit jittery or on edge. Most noticeable though was the mental clarity I felt. There is ample research suggesting a positive link between healthy fat consumption and brain health, but I had never experienced as immediate an impact as I had after that first cup. Best of all, the effects lasted for a good part of the day, with no crash whatsoever.
I am certainly no expert in the science behind all of this, and will never claim to be. The only thing I can provide is my own anecdotal experience. But I can say (at least based on the two months that I’ve been drinking it) that everything positive you’ve heard about Bulletproof coffee is true. Of course I would encourage everyone to do their own thorough research before running out and blending up a cup. You definitely have to take your own health history into account. I didn’t have any pre-existing metabolic issues. But if you are dealing with any type of cardiovascular condition, I would be very hesitant to try this without consulting your doctor. I would also suggest tailoring the recipe itself to your particular preference. If you go to the Bulletproof Diet website [bulletproofexec.com] , the official recipe calls for one cup of coffee, one to two tablespoons of butter, and one to two tablespoons of MCT Oil (the creator of the diet touts his own products to use but I stick with my store-bought brands). You don’t have to jump in full-bore the first time around. I certainly didn’t. You can start out on the low end of butter and MCT amounts and see how your body reacts to it. If after a week or so you are feeling good with one teaspoon of butter and one teaspoon of MCT, you can slowly adjust the amounts to the recommended levels. Just ease your way in.
The necessary precautions aside, I cannot recommend this stuff enough! As my wife will attest, that one cup of coffee (and you truly do only need one) is definitely the highlight of my day. I have more energy, more brain power, and it has helped me lose a few pounds (as part of an overall healthy eating plan of course).
As you can tell from this rather lengthy post, I can write about Bulletproof coffee all day. But don’t take my word for it. Try it for yourself. Give it a few days and see how it makes you feel. I’m confident that you’ll never look at your morning cup of Joe quite the same way again.
In a world where hyperbole rules, very few things actually live up to the hype. In my humble opinion, this stuff does.