The Bulletproof Diet is more than the popular Bulletproof Coffee many people have heard about.
The Bulletproof Diet’s big claim to fame is that it can help people lose up to a pound a day all while gaining high levels of focus and energy (1).
The diet has four areas of focus:
- Eat foods high in fat
- Eat a moderate amount of protein
- Eat low carbs
- Incorporate intermittent fasting
Background On The Bulletproof Diet
This diet was created by Dave Asprey in 2014. Asprey had a technology background and turned into a biohacking guru. Biohacking is a DIY biology approach where people modify their lifestyle in order for their body to function better and more efficiently. It’s a way of using your body as a laboratory to find out what works for you.
Asprey created a book to tell of his 15-year journey on losing weight, regaining healthy all while following traditional diets. He claims this diet is anti-inflammatory, you don’t have to starve on it and it allows rapid weight loss and peak performance.
How Do you Start A Bulletproof Diet?
The BulletProof Diet Plan is a roadmap that allows people to make changes that will add up over time. It isn’t always easy to start a diet plan and drastically change everything you ate. Here are some ways to get started.
Eliminate Sugar
Sugar can have some of the same addictive qualities as drugs and alcohol and can be one of the hardest things to give up. Giving up sugar early makes some of the other steps easier. Sugar messes with blood sugar and energy levels. There are Bulletproof-approved sweeteners that can be used.
Use The Right Fats
Replacing sugar with the right kinds of fats can help curb cravings while providing needed nutrients. Fats that can be used include:
- Grass-fed butter
- Grass-fed Ghee
- Brain Octane MCT oil
- Avocados
- Cocoa Butter
- Olive Oil
Avoid these ones because they can cause inflammation:
- Corn
- Soy
- Canola
Flax, walnut and peanut oil should also be avoided because they are unstable polyunsaturated fats.
Eat The Right Kinds Of Meat
Food quality matters so the Bulletproof Diet aims to keep toxins low. This is why pasture-raised, grass-fed meats like beef, lamb and bison are okay along with pasture-raised eggs, pork, chicken, turkey and duck.
Fish should be wild-caught, never farmed because farmed fish are higher in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids.
Remove Grains And Gluten
Wheat, corn, oats, barley and other cereal grains should be avoided because of the negative effects of gluten.
Eliminate Synthetic Ingredients
Food should be real food not full of additives, colorings or fake flavor. Even products touting “natural flavor” may not actually be natural. Avoid ingredients like aspartame, MSG and dyes.
Eliminate Legumes
Peanuts, beans and lentils can cause inflammation. For people who need to eat beans, they can be soaked or fermented. Make sure to cook them yourself.
Remove Some Kinds Of Dairy
A lot of dairy products contain casein and lactose, two compounds that cause digestive issues and inflammation in a lot of people. A lot of people will remove milk, cheese and other dairy products entirely.
Organic Fruits And Vegetables
Some plants have high residues of insecticides and herbicides so try going organic.
Cook Slowly
A lot of cooking methods can damage the proteins in the meat and produce carcinogens. Cooking foods under 320 degrees is best.
Limit Fruit Consumption
Fruits contain a sugar called fructose which can be just as bad as eating too much sugar. Choose low-fructose fruits like berries and lemons over watermelon and apples.
What Can You Eat On The Bulletproof Diet?
So now that we have the basics down, what can you eat on the Bulletproof Diet. Asprey has a list that goes from “toxic” to Bulletproof.” We break it down with a Bulletproof food list below.
- Green tea
- Coconut water
- Coffee (certain kinds)
- Cauliflower
- Asparagus
- Lettuce
- Zucchini
- Cooked broccoli
- Cooked spinach
- Cooked brussel sprouts
- Sweet potatoes
- Carrots
- White Rice
- Taro
- Blackberries
- Cranberries
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Avocado
- Pastured egg yolks
- Grass-fed butter
- Fish oil
- Palm oil
- Coconut
- Olives
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Grass-fed beef
- Grass-fed lamb
- Pastured eggs
- Pastured salmon
- Sea salt
- Turmeric
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Cilantro
- Xylitol
- Sorbitol
- Stevia
Does The Bulletproof Diet Really Work?
The Bulletproof Diet has set guidelines to follow for weight loss. There isn’t a single best diet for weight loss, but low-carb, high fat diets have been shown to result in quicker weight loss than other diets. Some of the weight loss does come back though. So the best predictor of weight loss is a person’s ability to follow reduced-calorie diets for a sustained period of time.
Is The Bulletproof Diet The Same As Keto?
The Bulletproof Diet is not the same as the Ketogenic Diet (known as “Keto” for short). Both diets praise fats and limit carbohydrates, but that’s where the similarities end.
The Bulletproof Diet doesn’t rely on the ketosis process. Plus some of the foods that are okay on the Bulletproof Diet would stop the ketosis process in a Keto Diet such as white rice and sweet potatoes.
Should I Drink Bulletproof Coffee?
Bulletproof Coffee is intended to replace breakfast because it is high in calories. But is that a good thing? First, let’s look at what Bulletproof Coffee is. It consists of:
- 2 cups of coffee
- 2 tablespoons of grass-fed unsalted butter
- 1-2 tablespoons of MCT oil
On occasion it may be harmless, but it isn’t advised to drink it routinely for a few reasons:
Low In Nutrients
It can reduce your appetite and provide you with energy, but by drinking just this, you are replacing a nutritious meal with a lackluster substitute.
High In Saturated Fat
Most dietary guidelines recommend limiting saturated fat because it is a major risk factor for diseases like heart disease.
May Increase Cholesterol
On average, low-carb, high-fat diets do not increase total and LDL (bad) cholesterol. However, butter is still known to raise LDL levels.
Supplements Can Help
Whether or not you choose to follow the Bulletproof Diet, supplements like spermidine can still help you on the path to a long and healthy life. Spermidine helps the body build healthier cells by supporting the autophagy process in which the body recycles old, damaged cell parts to aid in cellular health.
Healthier cells support the overall health of the body including the heart, immune system, brain, bones and even the body’s weight to increase longevity while being anti-aging. We can get spermidine through the foods we eat, but as we age, we often don’t consume enough to replenish what we lose causing damaged cells to linger. That’s why a spermidine supplement should be a part of an overall healthy lifestyle plan.
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