Culinary yoU: Bulletproof (LCHF/Keto) Coffee On A Budget

If you have been looking for a way to get your fat intake up, but have not really been successful, then adding 'Bullet Proof Coffee' (BPC) to your dietary regimen may just be the thing you are looking for. So you may have read about BPC on some of the LCHF and Keto forums and many keto enthusiasts swear by it, but what exactly is BPC. Well technically, 'Bulletproof' (BP) is a company owned and operated by Dave Asprey that sells a brand of purified coconut oil labeled 'Brain Octane Oil'. This liquid is a form of refined coconut oil is said to have 10 times the caprylic acid (C8) per tablespoon (14 grams) than ordinary coconut oil (1.4 grams). This has not been verified by the FDA, but I have no reason to doubt this statement at this time. Having said all of that, the term 'BPC' has come to mean a variety of coffee based drinks that include either or both unsalted butter and coconut oil. The original BPC recipe listed in this article comes form the 'Bulletproof' website.

So what is so special about BPC that has made it the golden child of LCHF and Keto community? First, it is an easy way to get in a large amount of fat in a small amount of liquid (52 grams of fat) if you make it with 2 tablespoons each of butter and coconut oil. Second, many claim that the medium chain triglycerides (MCT) in coconut oil help provide mental and physical energy, giving your clarity of thought and supporting cognitive function keeping you full and focused for hours. The fact is, coconut oil is an excellent supply of MCT's, specifically C8, and C10. These MCT's are easily and rapidly broken down and absorbed into ketones providing instant energy for your brain. So obviously a concentrated liquid form of MCT like Brain Octane Oil would be better right? Maybe, maybe not. That is what we will be looking at in this article, and maybe, just maybe, I can convince you that there is a cheaper way to have your bulletproof coffee without breaking the bank.

The Original Bulletproof Coffee Recipe

Many people in the keto community use BPC as a liquid meal replacement for their breakfast. The idea is that it is a good source of energy and fat that your body can quickly convert into energy making you feel great, and curbing your morning hunger pangs. So the first recipe in this article is the one directly from the 'Bulletproof' blog.

8 ounces of black coffee (Bulletproof's certified clean Coffee beans)

1 – 2 tablespoons Brain Octane Oil (coconut oil)

1 – 2 tablespoons unsalted Kerrygold organic butter

Start by pouring 8 ounces of your favorite coffee into a blender. Then add 1 - 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, and 1 – 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Process for 20 – 30 seconds until is creamy and frothy.

Bullet Proof Coffee (1 Tbsp each butter and coconut oil)

Calories – 222, protein 0.1 grams. Fat 26 grams, carbohydrates 0 grams

Bullet Proof Coffee (2 Tbsps each butter and coconut oil)

Calories – 444, protein 0.2 grams. Fat 52 grams, carbohydrates 0 grams

The Costs Associated with BPC

First, I'm a coffee guy, and I understand the science behind BPC, but to be honest Brain Octane Oil and Kerrygold butter are just to damn expensive, not to mention their certified clean coffee. A 16 fluid ounce bottle of Brain Octane Oil sells about $24.00 ($1.50 per ounce), and it takes two tablespoons to make 1 ounce, so the cost of Brain Octane Oil is $1.50 per cup of coffee. Then there is the Kerrygold butter which $4.99 for 8 ounces ($0.31 per tablespoon). So far that puts us at $1.81 and we haven't even factored in the coffee that sells for $20.00 far a small 12 ounce bag ($1.66 per ounce) of ground coffee.

Don't get me wrong, if you are one of those people that spends $5.00 or more every morning at Starbucks for your morning cup of coffee, then making your own BPC would definitely be cheaper and faster than running through your local Starbucks drive-through. In addition, if you factor in the cost of the breakfast that you will not eat if you choose to make this your morning boost of fat and energy, then $1.50 is probably a good investment. Having said all of that, we have to go back and look at Mr. Asprey's original statement on his blog. “When I first tried Yak butter tea in Tibet I felt like a million bucks.” So by this statement alone, we know that the local farmers there used only butter in their morning tea, not refined coconut oil. So the question is do you need to purchase Brain Octane Oil to get the same energy boost as Mr. Asprey describes? I will leave that question up to you to answer for yourself, but my suspicion is that if you simply use butter in your coffee like the Tibetan mountain guides, then you will definitely benefit from the natural energy boost without the added cost.

My Morning Keto Coffee

That brings us to my version of BPC. There are two things you need to know about my keto coffee. First, I do not use it as a meal replacement, but as a delivery device for adding fat to my diet. I eat three scrambled eggs with two tablespoons of butter and three pieces of bacon after I get to work (yes, I make several batches the day before my work rotation starts, and heat them in the microwave at work). Second, I have an hour drive to work and I am lazy. What I mean by that is, when I am working I do not have time to pour coconut oil, butter, and coffee in a blender and make a frappé and then clean up the mess. Rather I pop a tablespoon of coconut oil in my mouth (14 grams of fat) and head to the treadmill to exercise while drinking my first cup of coffee. I grab my second cup for the hour long drive.

8 ounces of black coffee (Folger's, Maxwell House, whatever is on sale)

3 drops liquid sucralose

2 tablespoons home made heavy whipping cream flavored creamer

1 – 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Great Value Brand (optional)

Per Cup (2 Tablespoons Creamer)

Calories – 102, protein 0.62, fat 11 grams, carbohydrates 0.84

Per Cup (2 Tablespoons Creamer, 1 tablespoon butter)

Calories – 204, protein 0.63, fat 33 grams, carbohydrates 0.84

Per Cup (2 Tablespoons Creamer, 2 tablespoons butter)

Calories – 306, protein 0.64, fat 45 grams, carbohydrates 0.84

By the time I get to work, I have had two cups of coffee with just heavy cream (calories 204, protein 1.24 grams, fat 22 grams, carbohydrates 1.68 grams), plus one tablespoon coconut oil (calories – 120, protein 0 grams, fat 14 grams, carbohydrates 0 grams). For a grand total of 324 calories, 1.24 grams of protein, 36 grams of fat, and 1.68 grams of carbohydrates.

Conclusion

First, I am no hater of BPC, however I do not believe that BPC should be used as a meal replacement, rather it should be a dietary enhancement (a way to add fat to your keto meal plan), especially for those days in which you may choose to do intermittent fasting. As a morning meal I have my concerns that it will not meet all of your dietary needs on a daily basis. As for the many claims about mental clarity, I have not experienced that 'morning fog' or sluggishness that Mr. Asprey claims we all have in the morning. I attribute that to my keto diet (the removal of carbage), along with a good exercise and weight lifting program which allows me to get 6 to 8 hours of good restful sleep. All of which I experienced before starting to drink my own version of keto coffee. My point is I believe that many of the claims made by Mr. Asprey attributed to BPC are simply false, or at least exaggerated.

If you have read any of my articles, you know that IMHO, organic free range butter, and certified clean coffee does not help you lose any additional weight as opposed to using Folger's coffee and Great Value unsalted butter. No matter how much you like free range or organic products, there is simply no proof to suggest otherwise. Second, because our primary concern here at CulinaryYouLCHF is to show you how to stay keto strong on a budget, we try and help you to purchase the best possible ingredients at the lowest prices.

If you can afford to purchase the more expensive ingredients and wish to do so because you believe that they are healthier for you then so be it. The point is you do not have to spend a fortune to make your own delicious BPC style coffee. When I work, I cut corners slightly with my BPC as I get extra butter in my morning meal. On my off days, I go full BPC and throw everything in the blender, or get out my trusty old immersion blender and blend away. The best part is I can make own delicious and nutritious version of BPC for less than a quarter of the price of the ingredients that Mr. Asprey sells on his website and or on Amazon, and so can you! As always, I hope that you have found this article informative and beneficial for you and your family, if so please take the time to share it with your friends so that they can benefit as well. Don't forget to follow our blog, or check us out on our Facebook page 'CulinaryYouLCHF' or add us to your circle on 'Google+' to continue to receive our latest LCHF and Keto recipes.

Thursday, January 12, 2017

Bulletproof (LCHF/Keto) Coffee On A Budget

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