Everything You’ve Wanted To Know About Bulletproof Coffee

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen me post about Bulletproof Coffee. It’s something I integrated into my diet about 6 months back, and since then, has become a regular part of my morning routine. Every time I post about it, I get a ton of questions from you guys, so I thought today I’d dedicate a post to it.

Bulletproof Coffee 101
‘Bulletproof Coffee’ is a concept founded by Dave Asprey, who is a highly-respected bio-hacker (I highly recommend his book). It was originally born when Dave Asprey went to the Himalayas, and was served coffee with yak butter by the locals. After having it, he was shocked by the amount of energy he had and how full he felt. After returning home, he conducted test upon test to recreate a concept that would garner results identical to what he experienced in The Himalayas.

So now that you have a bit of background, let’s get into the details. Here are some benefits of bulletproof coffee:

• helps your body enter a stage of ketosis, where it begins to burn stored fat
• results in more energy
• keeps you full
• when made with the right ingredients, combats brain fog

Let’s discuss the idea of adding fats to your coffee. There is a huge difference between fat and healthy fat. You can’t just dump a tablespoon of Crisco or bacon grease into your coffee and call it a day. It’s very specific. The original bulletproof coffee is made of the following:

• high-quality coffee
• 1-2 tsp grass-fed butter or ghee (it MUST be grass-fed – I use this one)
• 1-1.5 tbsp MCT oil

The result is a creamy, delicious, and super satisfying brew.

Ingredient Breakdown
If this is your first time getting into the nitty-gritty of bulletproof coffee, you probably have some questions about the ingredients. First, things first, let’s discuss the difference between grass-fed butter and conventional butter. There’s a massive difference. Conventionally raised cattle are given feed that contains anything from candy to bones to garbage (not joking). Grass-fed cattle are fed what they’re supposed to be fed: grass. When cows ingest garbage feed, they digest it, and therefore, when we eat an animal byproduct, we’re also exposing ourselves to the toxins in their feed. Therefore, grass-fed butter/ghee is crucial.

Now, let’s talk about MCT oil. MCT, otherwise known as medium-chain triglycerides, is a kind of fat found in coconut oil. It’s colourless, odorless, and stays liquid at all temperatures. MCTs are known to be quickly absorbed by the body and turned into energy. While 4 strains of MCTs are found in coconuts, only 3 go directly into your liver and are turned into ketones (which are full of energy). Long story short, in order to get the purest version of MCT, coconuts have to go through a process of fractation, through which 100% MCT oil is extracted. Now that you know what it is, here are some benefits of coconut oil:

• It is antibacterial and can help balance the gut
• Easier to digest than most fats
• Keeps you full
• Provides quick, clean energy to the brain
• Can improve insulin sensitivity

I personally like to add a sprinkle of organic cinnamon because it slows down the way caffeine enters our bloodstream, which means no jitters from coffee.

You can also add collagen powder to this recipe. Collagen is the protein that keeps our skin, hair and nails looking healthy. As we age, our body’s natural ability to produce collagen starts to diminish, which is why we need to add it to our diet and skincare routine. I like adding it into my bulletproof coffee because it masks the slight flavour while giving me all the benefits. Also, it makes my coffee extra creamy. The only thing to note is that the protein from collagen stops your body from going into ketosis. So if you’re having bulletproof coffee to go into ketosis, then skip the collagen.

Now for something super exciting. I’ve been using Nature’s Way MCT Oil, which is available on iherb.com. They’ve very kindly offered a 10% discount to Icing & Glitter readers. Follow the link to redeem your offer.

Hope you guys enjoyed this post! Let me know if you’re a fan of MCT oil!

PS – check out this post to see my favourite collagen-packed skincare products.