So recently I decided to dive back into Keto, the high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet[note]https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq[/note]. As someone who enjoys bread more than possibly anyone on earth, it’s been very tough but I’ve been serious about keeping to it so far. And I’ve lost over 20 pounds since February.

One interesting aspect of keto is the idea of generating and using suggested guidelines called macros. These are generated monthly by myself with the help of some smarypants websites[note]http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/[/note] and are intended to guide keto dieters towards the amount of macronutrients needed to maintain weight loss. The typical numbers for keto are fat, protein, and net carbohydrates. A fairly typical part of reading about this stuff online is disagreement over how seriously one should stick to their macros, ranging from barely to religiously. Whether or not I agree/disagree, I appreciate it as a framework and have been using it as a guide for this process. (especially in terms of how many carbs to stick to per day)

I have read with great trepidation tales of people mixing butter and oil and coffee during my previous encounters with keto. This practice is supposed to have great benefits, and serves as a source of good fats for keto followers looking to follow their macros. So what’s the big deal about this stuff?

“Bulletproof Coffee, which is basically just a cup of black coffee with grass-fed butter and medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) oil mixed in, was designed by Dave Asprey, owner of Bulletproof Executive, to supercharge your brain function and create effortless fat loss with no cravings.” [note]http://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/bulletproof-coffee[/note]

Sounds a little hokey when you put it that way. But I figured, why not give it a try? I researched on…

The company—which has grown to 20 employees—now offers a variety of Bulletproof-branded products in its “Upgraded Self” online shop, including low-toxin coffee (Asprey claims mycotoxins, or mold toxins, play a role in obesity), MCT oil (Asprey calls his “Brain Octane Oil”), sleep induction mats, heart-rate variability sensors, and an $895 “Focus Brain Trainer” sensor headband. [note]http://www.fastcompany.com/3032635/most-creative-people/bulletproof-coffee-the-new-power-drink-of-silicon-valley[/note]

HUH? Sure seems like nonsense internet diet mumbo jumbo to me. I’m just here for the butter coffee. I read all about Reddit’s experiences with bulletproof style coffee, and the feedback was decidedly…. supercharged. People were raving and couldn’t stop talking about the deliciousness and miracle effects. [note]https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/search?q=bulletproof+coffee&sort=relevance&t=all[/note]

(this is how you’re supposed to react to this stuff)

Well, guess I better join the party, since going with what people say on the internet always leads to excellence. So, we made the stuff, dropped one square into a pourover coffee, and entered it into my MyFitnessPal account for tracking person. Yes I am a data nerd and yes, I also keep a separate custom Google Drive spreadsheet to track things too. The anticipation rose as we drove to work. And then I drank it at my desk this morning. The result?

(more accurate reaction)

I guess I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Did it taste good? Yeah I guess. It just tasted like cream in coffee. Getting towards the bottom of the cup revealed a slight butter flavor as well as a touch of salt. It wasn’t a miracle by any means. I didn’t feel like my IQ raised “by more than 12 points. [note]https://www.bulletproofexec.com/[/note]  I feel more awake. But then again, I just drank a cup of coffee. Overall, things went ok- at least I didn’t have to throw it out. And that’s good. But it’s just not what I expected. Maybe I’m doing it wrong. I’ll revisit this idea again soon, especially because this should help me with my macros. But for now, I’ll leave you with the recipe we used. And hope for a brighter butter coffee future.

[recipe]
[recipename]Bulletproof Coffee Cubes[/recipename]
Duration: [duration]1 hour, 30 minutes (apprx)[/duration]
Yield: [yield]12 servings, 1 cube each.[/yield]

[ingredient]1 cup, Organic Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Coconut Oil[/ingredient]
[ingredient]8 Tbsp, Kerrygold Grassfed Irish Butter Unsalted[/ingredient]
[ingredient]1 tsp, Salt – Coarse Kosher[/ingredient]
[ingredient]1 tsp, Ground Cinnamon[/ingredient]

Nutrition facts:
[nutrition]calories: 227[/nutrition]
[nutrition]total fat: 28g[/nutrition]
[nutrition]protein: 0 [/nutrition]
[nutrition]net carbs: 0[/nutrition]
[nutrition]fiber: 0[/nutrition]
[nutrition]potassium: 117[/nutrition]
[/recipe]