I drink a lot of coffee. And, I mean a lot. I love it. I’m sure I’m addicted to it but I certainly have no plans on changing my coffee intake. I simply love the act of drinking coffee. I love waking up at 4:30am (yes, that’s actually the time I wake up), pouring myself a hot cup of coffee and working my morning away while sipping that dark, steamy, delicious nectar. I love it.
Can coffee get better? I thought no. But, I was wrong. Enter Bulletproof coffee. I was asked to try Bulletproof coffee along with their MCT oil (they call it Brain Octane…Kaaaaa-POW!) and write about it. I thought, sure, I like coffee and how much can coffee change my day really? Coffee is coffee and I have awesome energy and am super focused, but I’ll give it a try. I like trying new stuff but I honestly doubt I’ll feel any different.
*Eats her words*.
I’m a researcher at heart, so I like experiments. I like conducting my own research. This is my personal experience with this product, but I figure I should share how my one-week experiment with Bulletproof coffee went because it was pretty interesting (fellow nerds unite!) .
My Experiment:
Here’s what I did. I mixed one cup of my own coffee with Bulletproof Instamix (grass-fed butter package) along with 1-2 tsp of Bulletproof’s Brain Octane (MCT oil, I will explain that in a bit) for four days. During those four days, I had an abundance of energy and outlined four new projects for my company, Hot Mama Health & Fitness. On day five I thought, “I wonder if I’m just having a good week? Certainly, it’s not just the coffee”. I had energy to spare, I was more focused. But no, coffee can’t do that. Psh.
So, on Day 5 and Day 6 I drank my usual coffee, no Instamix, no Brain Octane. And…I was sluggish and unfocused. I think I stared at my computer screen for an hour before I wrote a single word. Maybe my thyroid is off again? Maybe I didn’t eat properly? It certainly cannot be my coffee.
Day 7 I added the Instamix and MCT oil back into my coffee…and BAM! I was back, baby. Energy, focus, mental clarity.
*Nom, nom, nom. These words are delicious*.
Well…NOW I needed to find out WHY. Why was this coffee affecting me so much? So, I started researching MCT oil and the effects it has on the body.
*Nerd Alert!!*
Why Brain Octane & Instamix?
MCT Oil: medium-chain triglyceride (it’s a “good” saturated fat), named that for the length of their carbon chain. MCTs range between 6-12. For reference long-chain triglycerides range from 13-21. MCTs are easier for your body to break down because they have fewer carbon bonds to munch through. They’re also small enough they can move into cell membranes and they don’t require special enzymes to help break them down in order for our body to use them for energy.
Bulletproof’s Brain Octane is a purified form of medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil, in fact, it’s pure C-8 MCT, meaning it has 8 carbon bonds and has 18 times the C-8 of coconut oil! The interesting part, at least for me, is that it takes only three steps to convert Brain October to ATP (that’s the fuel your body and brain use!) compared to sugar, which takes 25 steps! What the what?!
Okaaaay…so what does that mean? Our brain is largely made up of fatty acids, so that means you need a rather steady supply from your diet to help you focus and stay on task. MCTs? Well, they’re thought to be one of the most easily digested fatty acids. When you readily available, easily digestible fatty acids readily available, perhaps they are more easily used for brain function. Now, I’m not certain about this, but that’s what I’m reading as I do my research and that’s certainly what I felt!
More and more research is coming out claiming that MCTs help with the following: increased metabolism, better mental focus/clarity, more efficient use of fat for energy, better digestion and it can help balance hormones and improve your mood. It’s magic! If you’d like to read more information, click HERE and go nerd out with me!
Now, I could write an entire article about MCT oils and why good saturated fats are important in your diet. I could write another full article on why concentrated amounts of MCT oils like you find in the Brain Octane I was putting in my coffee are better than say, coconut oil (which is still super good and yes, you should continue to use it), but this article is just about my own personal experience with these ingredients.
And for me, one cup of Bulletproof coffee changed my day. I often find it hard to write sentences like that because I’m a skeptic. But, when coffee can make you feel that good? I had better share the information.
So…my results?
My Personal Results:
Taste: Okay, I admit that I did have to get used to the taste. It is different. I put the Instamix and the Brain Octane (MCT oil) in my blender and blended up my coffee for about 30 seconds. I added cinnamon on day 3 and that made it yummier. It’s not awful in any way, shape or form, but it is different and you’ll need to get used to it.
Energy: Loads. The first day I drank Bulletproof coffee I drank it first thing in the morning. Now, I’m a morning worker-outer, and it did affect my workout negatively. This would be because energy was put to fat digestion at the time I needed the focus to be on my muscles. Lesson learned. From then on I drank my Bulletproof coffee around 10am, after my workout. My energy was high all day and I felt awesome.
Mental focus: I don’t think you realize how unfocused you are until you have days where you’re actually very focused. This was a big eye-opener for me on days 5 and 6 when I didn’t drink Bulletproof. I hadn’t realized how focused I could actually be. It was an incredibly interesting result for me.
Conclusion (I feel like I’m writing for my PhD again!):
Summary? I like it! I’m swallowing my skepticism on this one and I noticed big changes in myself during the week I tried Bulletproof coffee. Will I continue after my one-week experiment?
You bet your sweet buns I will. I have the world I need to dominate and I’ll take any and all help I can get! I’m used to the taste now and I find that on the days I don’t drink it, I miss it.
One cup a day, that’s all I need! #BulletproofCoffee
The great news? Squeee…even if you’re not a coffee drinker, you can use MCT oils and Bulletproof products in tea or hot chocolate! AND…and, and, and they also have amazing Starter Kits you can check out! YAY! I love me a good starter kit!