Bulletproof (or adding fat to) Coffee? Yay or Nay?
I did a Facebook LIVE last week on Bulletproof Coffee, so I thought I’d post a summary here so that you can see how I approach it and then you can experiment with what works best for you.
First off, what the heck is Bulletproof Coffee?
It’s basically adding fat to your hot beverage – usually butter, ghee, coconut oil or something called MCT oil (this is an acronym for medium chain triglycerides – usually derived from coconut or palm oil).
Technically, adding anything besides water or black coffee or tea is breaking your fast in some experts’ view, but others give ‘fat in the coffee or tea’ a thumbs up. Experiment!
Why add fat to your coffee (or tea)?
There are actually many benefits – especially with MCT Oil – including:
- Metabolic – adding fat to coffee – especially certain fractions of MCT Oil – balance blood sugar, improves insulin sensitivity and has been shown in some studies to increase EE – energy expenditure ….moreso in men (460 calories per day) than women (190 calories per day). < Note this research is based on very low calorie diet of only 800 calories!
- Lowered Appetite – Adding these saturated fats to hot beverages may increase satiety which may help you have a longer pseudo-intermittent fast. Although technically breaking the fast, adding just fat in your fasting window won’t raise insulin which is one of the main physiological benefits of Intermittent Fasting.
- Brain (and neurological) – lots of research supports the use of healthy saturated fats to support focus, memory, balance and to calm down brain activity in those susceptible to seizures, tremors, etc..
- Gut – Especially with MCT Oil, but even plain old coconut oil and grass-fed butter…which has antimicrobial properties – meaning that these beneficial fatty acids can help improve gut balance with overgrowth of bacteria, fungus, yeast, virus and even parasites!
What does this mean for the middle aged, hormonally challenged woman who has a hard time losing weight?
For me, I judiciously add a small amount of high quality – C8 MCT oil to my coffee – moreso for the brain focus benefits than the fat loss benefits.
When I say small amount, I’m talking about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon – about 25 calories worth.
Here’s why I go low:
MCT Oil still counts toward my overall daily energy intake. I’d MUCH rather EAT my dietary fat than drink it…
Even though the research shows that MCT oil can bump up your calorie burn, those research subjects were on a liquid diet AND in that particular study, the subjects actually didn’t lose more weight just because of MCT Oil – they just burned more calories when measured. (The researcher weren’t clear as to why, but my guess is that their metabolic rates lowered due to signals of food scarcity/starvation! The body is so smart!)
The same nutrition principles I preach still apply when it comes to Bulletproof Coffee (whether you’re Keto or not)….
Eat real food that’s:
- anti-inflammatory
- blood sugar balancing
- nutrient dense and nutrient diverse
- eat in balance to support your goals (i.e., don’t overeat or under-eat and find the right carb balance to your body mostly from non-starchy veggies)
- eat as infrequently as possible to balance insulin (i.e., intermittent fast, no snacking, no eating at night if possible, enjoy 1, 2 or 3 meals per day depending on what works best for YOU.)
AND, if you have body fat to lose, create a slight caloric deficit everyday that feels balanced AND that will encourage your body to USE IT’S STORED BODY FAT for energy….
This is why the Bulletproof Coffee’s as it was originally created are a NAY for me IF you’re not seeing the body composition results you want with it..
WHY? Because most recipes are upwards of 300-500+ added calories…
For most lightly active women, that’s a meal’s worth of calories with the only nutrition coming from the fat used!
Unless you create a food deficit to balance it calorically, you probably won’t lose fat drinking that extra fat AND eating the same AND if you do cut food intake. THEN you’re missing out on the nutrient diversity and density that you’d get from eating actual real food.
So my BulletProof Coffee recommendations IF you have fat to lose are:
- Keep the fat dose low (1/4-1/2 teaspoon per day) if you’re adding MCT Oil/butter to your coffee or tea while intermittent fasting..Track your results. If it’s fat loss…are you seeing results with this amount?
- How do you feel with or without it? Check in with your biofeedback…are you more satiated or hungrier? Does the low dose Bulletproof Coffee help with focus or no? Does the low dose feel good in your body/gut, etc..?
- Add the benefits of MCT oil or coconut oil to your actual food diet by replacing it with other fats – especially get rid of polyunsaturated fats like corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil and other vegetable oils that are inflammatory. MCT oil is neutral tasting and has a high heat capacity for cooking.
- Keep your fats in balance and nutrient diverse with a nice blend of pastured/grass fed animal fats, fish oil/fatty fish, plant based mono-unsaturated fats like olives/olive oil, avocado and a balanced amount of seeds and nuts.
- If you’re not seeing fat loss result, shave off a very gradual amount calories from your diet each day to encourage the body to use it’s own body fat for energy…This works best if you’re a ‘fat burner’ with either intermittent fasting, keto or a low/very moderate real food carbohydrate approach to eating.
Tell me you’re experience with Bulletproof Coffee? Have you tried it? Does it work well for you? Will you try it? How? Share below!
