What is Bulletproof Coffee?
Photo by Becomingness
Skip the cream and sugar; adding healthy fats first thing in the morning could be the key to getting the most out of our morning cup of coffee. Bulletproof coffee is phenomenon that has athletes and coffee connoisseur hooked on all of its benefits. The drink is a warm, blended mixture of coffee, butter, and oil. Follow along to see what all the buzz is about and learn how to make a cup of your own.
In order to understand the benefits of bulletproof coffee, let’s take a closer look at the ingredients. Finding the correct variety of coffee beans is key. Not all coffee is created equal. Choosing the wrong coffee can leave us drowsy, irritable, and lethargic—some people may avoid coffee because these are the only effects they have felt. However, it’s not the coffee they can’t tolerate, it’s the toxins that are found in the mold. When choosing beans look for single-origin and make sure they are sourced from a high elevation. Buying single origin beans means knowing exactly where they came from. Having the beans harvested at higher elevation is important because there is a less likely chance of the beans growing mold. Some of the best coffee beans come from central or South America, where the elevation is usually around 1,000 ft+ above sea level. Selecting a ‘clean’ coffee makes all the difference!
Another important component to bulletproof coffee is grass-fed butter. Grass-fed butter is full of high quality fats and nutrients because, believe it or not, cows are meant to eat grass not factory farm grains. Butter from grain-fed cows lacks fat soluble vitamins and has a different fat composition, making it more troublesome to blend into the coffee. The high quality fats found in grass-fed butter help keep us fuller, longer. When we drink bulletproof coffee we don’t find ourselves snacking or eating as frequently because the fat helps keep our body satisfied. The vitamins found within these high quality fats also boost cognitive function, balance hormones, and can provide extra energy. Grass-fed butter is a powerhouse in bulletproof coffee because of its nutrients and satiety benefits.
The last ingredient in bulletproof coffee is a medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil. The most commonly used MCT is coconut oil. Along with the coffee and grass-fed butter, coconut oil also provides energy but practically halts the post-caffeine jitters/crash. The caffeine from the coffee helps the fat enter our brain and the fat slows down the caffeine so that we don’t feel an intense spike of energy followed by a crash. The coconut oil also adds a little extra flavor and a super smooth texture to the drink. This combination is extremely satisfying and keeps our energy balanced for hours.
Altogether bulletproof coffee works by providing our bodies with sustained energy over a long period of time and releases antioxidants from coffee, vitamins from grass-fed butter, and nutrients from MCT oil. In today’s society most people believe that fat is bad when in fact it is an essential nutrient needed in our bodies. Why not give bulletproof coffee a try?
How to make Bulletproof Coffee:
Make Coffee: Brew 1 cup (8 oz) of coffee as you usually would (drip, french press, the style is not too important).
Preheat: Boil 1 cup of water and pour into blender while waiting for the coffee to brew.
Froth: Empty hot water from the blender. Then add the freshly brewed coffee, 2 tbs grass-fed butter, and 1 tbs coconut oil. Blend on high for at least 20 seconds. The drink should be creamy and no oil should be sitting on top.
Bon Appetit: Pour into a favorite mug and enjoy! We like to add a few sprinkles of cinnamon or cocoa powder on top.