On a trip to Tibet, the American computer scientist Dave Asprey enjoyed a tea with typical yak butter and noticed that he felt much better physically and mentally. This experience was, in a sense, the starting signal for a new life for the current entrepreneur and author of several books. After his return, he developed a coffee version of Tibetan butter tea. It's black coffee with a few teaspoons of butter and coconut oil. He called his creation Bulletproof Coffee.
That wasn't enough, Asprey, who was overweight at the time, completely changed his diet and lost around 50 kilograms. His new eating routine also made him feel better mentally and emotionally than ever before. The Bulletproof Diet was born. “Bulletproof”, which means bulletproof, alludes to the guarantee of success of this diet. It is intended to support fat loss and muscle maintenance while at the same time keeping inflammation at bay. The Bulletproof Diet is also designed to balance blood sugar and hormones and increase energy levels and cognitive function.
3 important principles of the Bulletproof Diet
His “bulletproof” diet routine includes three key principles.
Firstly: The priority on the plate is products that come from organic production and have not been elaborately processed or processed. This includes unprocessed whey products, butter from pastured cows and milk that has not been homogenized or pasteurized. Products with a high proportion of dyes or additives are accordingly sidelined. It is also advantageous to heat certain foods very little. This means the important ingredients are preserved.
Secondly: Another important point in Dave Asprey's routine is a conscious diet. In the sense of strong body autonomy he pays very close attention to what goes into his body.
Thirdly the diet has a clear idea of essential ingredients such as fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Asprey views protein as the cause of many diseases in the body, which is why it should only be consumed in modest quantities. Furthermore, the Bulletproof Diet allows carbohydrates, but only in small amounts and preferably with dinner. The bacterial composition in the intestine (microbiome) is said to be particularly favorable at this point in time. Carbohydrates also increase the production of serotonin, which subsequently produces the sleep hormone melatonin . In total, 50-70% of the calories burned should come from healthy fats , about 20% from protein and the rest Carbohydrates.
Here's how you can get started with Dave Asprey's Bulletproof Diet
Similar to a ketogenic diet, the bulletproof diet is intended to produce the natural effects of ketosis - that is, to "reprogram" the metabolism so that fat is recognized as an energy source. Not surprisingly, the Bulletproof Diet sees sugar as a dangerous source of energy. Basically, our body can quickly convert sugar into energy. This process sets in motion a series of further actions. In particular, the pancreas releases insulin, which causes the blood sugar level to drop promptly and you become hungry again after a while. If you consume a lot of sugar, the excess quickly turns into fat in your body. Sweet foods also have a somewhat addictive effect.
In the morning, Asprey recommends, if at all, having a high-fat breakfast and avoiding carbohydrates, as you want to be full for a long time, especially in the morning. Bulletproof Coffee is said to be an effective and quick way to experience the energy and restorative effects of saturated fats. The high content of MCT fat (Medium Chain Triglycerides) in coconut oil is said to make it easier to digest than other fats and also significantly increase energy consumption and the body effectively help to dissolve fat deposits. It is important that only organic butter from pasture-raised cows is used instead of conventional butter. According to his theory, only this contains the optimal ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, lowers cholesterol levels and ultimately promotes fat burning. The fat in coffee ensures that caffeine enters the bloodstream in a delayed and lasting manner. In addition, unlike normal breakfast rolls, butter and oil fill you up without putting a strain on your digestion.
Make your own bulletproof coffee
You can easily prepare the mixture of high-quality coffee, grass-fed butter and MCT oil yourself, even if without the special “Bulletproof” coffee powder:
- First brew yourself a cup of coffee
- Put this in a blender
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of organic butter from pastured cows
- 1-2 tablespoons of MCT oil or C8 oil add
- And finally: mix
Bulletproof lunch and dinner
For the other meals of the day, the diet divides different foods into good, medium and bad according to a traffic light principle. High-quality foods such as meat from free-range animals, fresh fish, vegetables, butter from free-range animals, olive and coconut oil, avocados and nuts (not peanuts) are free to form the basis of your diet. Market-fresh organic products are particularly recommended. Sugar, grains, legumes, dairy products and sweet fruits are not very beneficial and are not recommended as snacks between meals. The perfect bulletproof dish is, for example, steak with spinach or avocado with smoked wild salmon.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are found in many vegetable oils, are usually considered healthy. However, the Bulletproof Diet is based on the theory that these fatty acids promote inflammatory processes in the body. Rapeseed oil, safflower oil, peanut oil and sunflower oil should be strictly avoided. Instead, the diet recommends coconut or olive oil.
Fasting & Supplements
The high-fat, low-carbohydrate and low-protein diet is just one of the many components of Dave Asprey's longevity routine. This ranges from intermittent fasting protocols, to the use of biohacking tricks to optimize regeneration, to dozens of supplements.
All of these are important components on the way to his goal of reaching the 180 year mark.
Dave Asprey is a big believer in intermittent fasting. In his books and the podcast he recommends the 16:8 model. This means fasting for 16 hours and eating within 8 hours. For practical reasons, he advises skipping breakfast and eating your first meal at lunch.
The best-selling author supplements his nutritional routine with a veritable flood of supplements. Polyphenols, selected amino acids, electrolytes, fat-soluble vitamins and special oils are on his daily menu. Its range includes, among others:
Asprey, a self-described biohacker and health enthusiast, says he has spent more than $1 million on his longevity routine to date. This enormous sum is based, among other things, on cost-intensive interventions such as stem cell treatments, NAD infusions and regular red light therapies. The future will show whether the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
