Keto Bulletproof Coffee

Do you struggle to get up and go in the morning? Has your regular caffeine boost lost its appeal, or were you never a coffee person in the first place? Bulletproof coffee could be your new favorite addition to your AM routine.

If you’ve ever heard of “butter” coffee then you might be familiar with our take on it, but if not, you are probably wondering what on earth it is, and why it’s considered bulletproof. Forget a cold shower - you’ll never have to resort to that again!

Proven to be a particularly effective way of getting started in the morning is a winning combination of caffeine and fat - namely, coffee and butter. The Bulletproof name can be attributed to writer Dave Asprey, whose blog under the same title documents his journey to revive this sixth-century combination. 

His personal intentions were to improve his own health through weight loss, but he actually ended up creating an entire brand from his desire to help others do the same.

The practice of adding fat to our morning caffeine fix altogether is believed to have originated in Ethiopia, however.

Dave can’t take all the credit for this delicious drink! As well as being the birthplace of grinding beans and brewing them up with hot water, the early coffee-heads were also prone to mixing their take on an Americano with ghee, a type of early clarified butter, for a quick and tasty energy hit on the go.

This particular variant of the indulgent treat only contains a miniscule one gram of net carbs. This is perfect for anyone following the ketogenic diet, which requires seventy-five percent of your calories to come from healthy fats, whilst taking care to avoid carbohydrates. 

MCT Oil

You will notice that our recipe calls for using either coconut or MCT oil, and if you aren’t familiar, you may not know what the latter option is. Don’t worry! You won’t be alone.Hugely popular in a lot of keto communities, MCT, or Medium Chain Triglycerides, are a type of fat that help your body reach the stage of ketosis.

This means the fats are absorbed more quickly, making it easier for your liver to digest and produce those energy-fuelling ketones. MCT oil is produced by carefully filtering the LCT (long-chain triglycerides) contained in coconut oil to harvest the fifty-four percent of MCT present.It’s a staple in many keto diets, but it can also be pricy, which is why some prefer to use coconut oil instead, which offers a similar but less-impactful energy hit.

When added to a cup of coffee, the combined energy boost puts a real pep in your step, which explains why so many people are talking about this amazing way to start your day.

Ingredients

• One cup of piping hot, freshly brewed coffee, made the way you like it
• One tablespoon of unsalted grass-fed butter
• One tablespoon of MCT or coconut oil
• Half a tablespoon heavy whipping cream (optional)
• Half a teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional)

Recipe

1. Wake up and start your day! This drink is best enjoyed first thing in the morning for a powerful breakfast boost.
2. Whip up a pot of coffee of your choice, to a strength that suits your tastes.
3. Whilst you wait for the beans to brew, add the tablespoon of butter and MCT or coconut oil to your favorite mug.
4. Once the coffee is ready, gently pour over the top of your mug with the butter and oil, stirring carefully to help mix everything together without curdling the dairy.
5. If you like, add vanilla extract and heavy whipping cream to your taste, and give it another stir. Then you’re ready to enjoy your drink and the boost that comes with it.

Estimated Nutritional Values

• Calories: 249 kcal*
• Carbohydrates: 1g
• Protein: 1g
• Fat: 28g
• Sodium: 108mg
• Net carbs: 1g
• Fat Ratio Per Serving: 101.2%
• Protein Ratio Per Serving: 1.61%
• Carb Ratio Per Serving: 1.61%

* The 249 calorie value includes 26 calories for heavy cream and vanilla, should you choose to include them

Top Tips For Making The Best Possible Keto Coffee

• If you aren’t a fan of the oil that rises to the top of this drink when you combine the ingredients, using a milk frother or giving it a run through the blender will help. It isn’t a permanent solution, though, and the oil will come back if you leave your drink sitting for long enough!
• Adding a sprinkle of cinnamon or cocoa powder and tossing in a splash of coconut milk or cream can also add some flavor if you’d rather a less buttery taste overall.
• If you have access to MCT oil, use that in place of coconut - though this isn’t imperative, it’s better for you overall.
• Don’t worry if you use coconut oil and it’s still in a solid state when you add it to your mug - the hot coffee will soon melt it down.
• We recommend that the butter you use should ideally come from grass-fed cows. It’s not a big problem if it doesn’t, and it won’t affect the flavor, but it is better for you in general.

Benefits Of A Keto Diet

If you’re reading our article and thinking, “Why don’t they just make a normal coffee? What’s the point?” then this section is for you. Having collated a couple of the main reasons people decide to embark upon a keto diet - and stick to it! - we hope to demonstrate its benefits to a healthy lifestyle.

Always, always seek medical advice from a nutritionist or your family doctor before making any changes to your diet. The information offered in this article is generalised and may not be suited to your specific needs.

What Is Keto Anyway?

Similar to the widely popular Atkins plan, the ketogenic diet, more commonly referred to as ‘keto’, is a nutritional theory that prioritizes healthy fats and protein and is as low as possible in carbohydrates.

It serves to deplete the body’s reserves of sugar, breaking down the fats we store from the foods we eat to produce ketones, which can then be used as fuel to sustain and energize our functions.

You’ve heard the scientific explanation, but what does that actually mean in terms of health benefits?

Could encourage weight loss

A common reason for undertaking a keto plan is the belief that it promotes weight loss. According to experts, eating a high-fat, low-carb diet will heighten your metabolism, thus reducing your appetite, because the foods chosen are particularly filling.

The hope is that by discouraging your body from producing the hormones that make you feel hungry, you will eat less whilst still feeling gratified. 

Do you find yourself having tried multiple diets to no avail? If so, you have absolutely nothing to lose from having a go with keto, provided your doctor agrees it will be sufficient for your circumstances.

Remember that whilst maintaining good eating habits is important, they are only one factor in your wellbeing. Regular exercise and mental health care are equally as necessary to achieve for a happy, healthy life.

May support treatment of acne

At your wits end with suffering from breakouts and caring for your angry skin? Why not try implementing a keto diet for a little while as part of your trial and error. If you eat a lot of carbohydrates, it may well be destabilising your blood sugar.

Consuming lots of processed carbs in particular has the potential to incur a rise or fall in levels, thus playing havoc with our carefully balanced digestive system. A disrupted gut can negatively affect your skin’s condition, so switching your meals around may result in an improvement.

Promotes a healthier heart

The ketogenic method of replacing carbs with healthful fats has the added benefit of ultimately reducing your cholesterol levels if done correctly. So long as you stick to heart-healthy fats from foods like avocados, nut butters and coconut oil, you should see an improvement in your overall health.

A high level of cholesterol from a diet rich in saturated fats can dramatically increase your risk of cardiovascular diseases that put a strain on the heart. Eating keto encourages doing the opposite, reducing that risk overall.

You should avoid keto if...

For certain people, a keto diet can be more of a hindrance than a help, and actually serve to make them more unhealthy in some cases. Not every diet is suitable for all of us, but embarking on one is more serious than you might think and precautions must be taken.

If you’re pregnant, an insulin-dependent diabetic, suffer from a kidney disease or have a family history of them, the ketogenic process will not be beneficial to you and should be avoided.

Moreover, you should also steer clear of keto if you are recovered from an eating disorder or still consider yourself to be in recovery. The restrictions put in place by following a diet plan could contribute to negative eating habits and worsen your symptoms.