let's talk bulletproof coffee

so, bulletproof coffee. i have posted a few pics of this concoction but haven't really talked much about what the heck it is.

we sure love coffee around here. coffee of all kinds. we mostly drink unadulterated, dark roast. straight up coffee. but we do love to add in the occasional full fat milk macchiato or an almond milk latte. and we are suckers for some cold brew too. i don't drink cup after cup to get me through the day. it isn't about necessity. it is really about the enjoyment of it. i love the taste of coffee. and it is such a treat to sip it the morning while i am doing my reading or checking emails or jumping into some work.

but what's all this bulletproof business? well, the bulletproof idea was started by silicon valley investor/entrepreneur dave asprey, who calls himself "the bulletproof executive". he is all about reaching a state of high performance in business and life and he claims that one of the key components to his own physical reinvention and higher functioning is drinking bulletproof coffee (which he was inspired to create after having some traditional yak-butter tea in tibet). the idea is that you begin your day by jumpstarting your brain with healthy fats. the coffee is meant to be used in conjunction with intermittent fasting, so this coffee is essentially breakfast.

there is an entire lifestyle built around bulletproof coffee and we don't really do all that - i guess we aren't hardcore or high performing enough - but i do like the coffee part. and since we usually enjoy a cup of coffee to start the day, and since we are all about consuming a lot of good fat in our diet, this just makes sense. plus, it is creamy and tasty! i meeeeeeaaaan, butter.

i also like the idea of intermittent fasting. there has been a lot researched and written on this topic and its benefits. some people choose to do a complete fast, once a week. others integrate it on a daily basis by constricting eating to a 5-8 hour period (essentially, skipping breakfast). ben and i have been on the IF bandwagon for the past 5 or so years. there was a time when we were doing daily IF (only eating during a 7 hour period) and there have been other times when we did a weekly fasting day. it shouldn't be done during pregnancy and it is next to impossible to do while breastfeeding (give me all the foooooood) but regardless of our IF practice, we always abide by the philosophy behind it.

it is about being mindful of when you eat and what you eat. you allow your body to feel hunger cues properly and often, re-teach your body how to trigger appropriate hormonal responses. am i really hungry or am i just thirsty? is that hunger or boredom? have i reached a level of satiety? which kinds of foods make me feel pleasantly full and which leave me feeling sluggish or ravenous an hour later? fasting acts as a reset for your mind and body. it sharpens your senses and observation and focus. and that is SO necessary, especially when it comes to nourishment. it is about intuitive eating. paying attention to cues and acting commensurately. sometimes, your body wants to veg out with veggies and sometimes, your body wants to veg out with popcorn and a glass of bubbly. there are times when all i want is raw, clean eats. there are other times when i really truly need a burger. there are seasons when i feel ravenous and my body wants to eat and eat and there are other seasons when i am not needing or wanting as much. times of burning and times of maintaining or storing. and i am all about paying attention to that and going with it. feast and famine, you know? finding balance in all that and looking at food and health holistically, not just as a fad or diet. but making adjustments as you go and feeding your cells what they need, when they need it. there is a reason why you crave watermelon in the summer. your body wants light things that are hydrating so you don't feel heavy and sluggish during the hot months. and then, when it gets cold, your body wants hearty dishes, foods that keep your body warm. and instead of fighting it, just go with it. learn to find the pleasures in each season. shift and adapt. change your exercise to fit the time of year and what your body is telling you. i mean, in the cold months, i want to get outside and run for miles and miles or play with the kids in the crisp air. but when it shifts to spring/summer, i find much more enjoyment in dance/barre classes and swimming and my yoga practice.

wow, i really went down the rabbit hole there...back to coffee.

so, a big chunk of our daily calories come from fat. lots of plant oils and nuts and seeds and such. we aren't necessarily plant-based at the moment but i feel like we are swinging back in that direction. with the exception of butter and some eggs and some cheese (and you know, a good burger), we eat a plant-based diet. i feel like 90-95% of my week is plants. and pretty much all of our meals at home are plants. but then, we eat dinner out or splurge or eat with family and enjoy a meat meal. again, it isn't straightforward, and i am not about the labels. there seems to be a "meatless monday" thing happening right now where carnivores are trying to lessen their consumption and incorporate more plants. we are kind of the flip side. we are almost all plants but strategically incorporate some animal-based foods. grass-fed butter is our go-to. we use it to finish meals, we give it to the kiddos in chunks, and we add it to our coffee.

again, i call it "bulletproof coffee" but we don't use the branded "bulletproof" stuff. we just find the best local roast (the darker, the better) and add in organic unrefined coconut oil and pasture butter or biodynamic ghee. that's it. a cup of the best quality coffee you can find + 1 tablespoon of coconut oil + 1-2 tablespoon(s) of butter/ghee. i use a teeny whisk and swirl it up until the butter and oil mix together to create a creamy coating on the coffee.

i usually start my day with a mug of this kind of coffee. it wakes my brain up so that i can get a bunch done in the three-ish hours before i wake the kids. those are my power hours. and then, i enjoy breakfast with them after i nurse ridley. (again, i am not fully engaging in IF.) my beverages the rest of the day are pretty boring. it is all about water and lemon water and green juices and some booch. of course, we do enjoy our occasional glass of wine to end the evening. and while i don't bulletproof it *every* day, i sure enjoy it when i do.

my favorite thing is to make my coffee with coconut oil and pasture butter and a spoonful of prash from sun potion. SO GOOD. the prash has superfoods and tonic herbs in a honey and ghee base so it makes the coffee extra rich and amazing. when we are out and about, i stop by kaleidoscope juice for their bulletproof coffee. it's magical. their blend is: coffee with grass-fed butter & coconut oil, non-GMO hemp protein powder, organic arriba criollo cacao powder, organic lucuma, organic ashwaganda, wild harvested shilajit, maca, mucuna, organic white kidney bean extract, amla, and himalayan sea salt. and you can get it with coconut cream whip which is UNREAL.

so, that's it, that's all. i would love for you to give it a try and let me know what you think. some folks are obsessed, right off the bat. for others, it's an acquired taste. and i'm sure some of you are just rolling your eyes. and hey, we're good with that. to each his/her own. i would love to hear your morning routine or go-to breakfast...or how you take your coffee...or your favorite strange food obsession. do tell.