Whether you’re following a fitness blogger on Instagram or haunting your favorite local cafe, the phrase “Bulletproof Coffee” may have appeared on your radar recently. The coffee is the trendiest of trends among the fit and fabulous and touts itself as “high performance” drink that sharpens your focus and keeps you fuller, longer.
So what is this seemingly magical breakfast beverage? Why should (or shouldn’t) you drink it, and how can you make it yourself at home?
What is Bulletproof Coffee?
At its most basic, Bulletproof Coffee is coffee blended with fats to make a frothy, satisfying drink. Because you’re whipping the ingredients together in a blender, rather than just stirring with a spoon, the drink gets foamy and the fats incorporate with the coffee to cut the acidity and bitterness for a richer taste.
Bulletproof Coffee has their own brand of coffee beans, which they call “high performance, upgraded” beans. To make Bulletproof Coffee, you’re supposed to brew the beans and then blend with grass-fed butter and their Brain Octane oil until the drink froths.
Bulletproof’s Brain Octane Oil is a form of MCT (medium-chain triglycerides) oil — AKA a concentrated form of 100% pure coconut oil. Other MCT oils you might find elsewhere could be derived from a mix of distilled coconut, palm, and other oils, so Bulletproof prides itself on the purity of their product.
All that said, using regular coconut oil (organic, virgin coconut oil specifically) is much cheaper and likely to deliver similar results, though the guys at Bulletproof might tell you otherwise.
Source: Alexandra Gorn
What are the benefits of Bulletproof Coffee?
The Bulletproof brand claims a whole host of benefits for those who drink their coffee, including: Sharp focus, increased brain function, non-jittery energy, higher productivity, weight loss through ketosis (more on that later), and lack of hunger.
Adding a calorie-dense fat like coconut oil or butter to your coffee can combat coffee’s natural acidity, making it easier on your stomach and keeping you fuller, longer. However, I tend to be skeptical of any brand touting a miracle diet or drug, and would encourage you to take your own diet and lifestyle into consideration before jumping wholly on the bulletproof train.
Are there drawbacks to Bulletproof Coffee?
Bulletproof coffee isn’t for everyone. Two tablespoons of butter and up to two tablespoons of MCT oil is extremely calorie dense and (obviously) high in fat. It supports the “Keto diet,” which burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates, but you’ll need to cut carbs almost completely from your diet to see those fat loss results — a dieting extreme that is often unsustainable and unhealthy.
Personally, I like how rich my coffee tastes when I add fats, and I do feel less famished by lunch when I drink it. However, I find that half a tablespoon of butter and half a tablespoon of coconut oil is more than enough (sometimes I just do one or the other) to froth up my coffee and give me a kick of energy. Since I eat carbs and will continue to eat carbs until the day I die, I like to be more moderate with the fats I consume.
Source: @jordiepieface
How to make Bulletproof Coffee at home
If you want to whip up some BPC on your own in the morning, you’ll need:
- The coffee grounds and coffee maker of your choice
- 2 Tbsp Grass-fed butter or ghee
- 1-2 Tbsp Brain Octane (Coconut Oil also works)
Brew your coffee as you normally do, whether that be in a regular coffee maker, Chemex, or french press. Then, pour the coffee into a blender (and they’re serious about this — you need a blender) and add the butter and oil. Blend on high for about 30 seconds or until the coffee looks frothy like a latte.
Bam. Presto. That’s it.
Like I mentioned earlier, you’re not required to stick to the full amount of butter and oil if the Keto diet isn’t your thing. Using a half or quarter amount still tastes delicious.
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