You may have heard people talk armor bulletproof coffee, but there is also something called a bulletproof diet and it is gaining fame pretty fast.
The bulletproof diet is one that comes with the claim of being able to help you lose as much as a pound which is 0.45 kg daily while giving you an incredible amount of energy and focus.
This new diet lays emphasis on foods that are high in fat, low in carbs, and moderate in protein while including intermittent fasting. The bulletproof diet is promoted and also marketed by a company identified as Bulletproof 360, Inc.
Some people who have tried the bulletproof diet claim that it had helped them become more healthy as well as shed unhealthy body weight. However, that has not prevented other people from being skeptical about the claims of this diet.
This article is designed to shed light on what the bulletproof diet really is, its advantages as well its drawbacks. You will also find out the truth about its claim to help with weight loss and whether or not it improves health.
What is the bulletproof diet?
This controversial diet began in 2014 with a technology executive turned biohacking guru who goes by the name Dave Asprey.
DIY biology, also called biohacking is a practice that entails modifying your lifestyle with the aim to make your body function more efficiently.
Even though he was a successful entrepreneur and executive, Dave Asprey weighted as much as 300 pounds by his mid 20’s and that made him feel very out of touch with his body and overall health.
In Dave’s New York Times bestseller titled “The Bulletproof Diet,” he talked about his 15 years journey to shed weight and reconnect with his health without having to stick to a traditional diet. Dave went further to claim that if you follow his steps you are sure to achieve the same result he got.
Dave Asprey described the bulletproof diet as a simple anti-inflammatory program for hunger-free, peak-performance, and rapid weight loss.
How does the bulletproof diet work?
If you are familiar with the keto diet, you will find it easy to understand the bulletproof diet because it is a cyclical keto diet (which means it is only a modified version of the keto diet).
The bulletproof diet requires you to eat strictly keto foods that are high in fat and low in carbs for about five to six days weekly then a day or two to re-feed on your regular carb-rich foods.
On your five to six keto days weekly, you must set a target to get 75% of your calories from fat, another 20% from protein, and a final 5% from carbs. Feeding like that puts your body in a state of ketosis which will make your body naturally burn fat for energy instead of carbs.
On the days you are to refeed on carbs, sweet potatoes, white rice, and squash is recommended so that you can increase your daily carb intake from around 500 grams or lower to 300.
According to Dave, the reason for a carb refeed is to avoid the negative side effects that had been associated to engaging in a long term ketogenic diet, including kidney stones and constipation.
The foundation of the bulletproof diet is nothing other than bulletproof coffee, or any coffee mixed with grass-fed, unsalted butter as well as medium-chain triglyceride oil. Dave claims that when you begin your day with this coffee, the resultant effect with be hunger suppression, an energy boost, and mental clarity.
Intermittent fasting is also a part of the bulletproof diet which is a practice of deliberating avoiding or abstaining from food for a specific period of time.
According to Asprey, intermittent fasting functions in tandem with the bulletproof diet because it provides your body with stay energy and prevents any slumps or crashes.
However, what Asprey would define intermittent fasting to mean remains unclear as he emphasised on the importance of taking the bullet proof coffee every morning regardless of what part of the diet you are on.
Can the bulletproof diet help with weight loss?
Honestly, there are presently no studies on the effect a bulletproof diet has on weight loss. However several types of research have made it clear that there is no single diet that can be described as the best for weight loss.
While low carb and high fat diets like the keto diet has proved to be great at helping with weight loss, it has been noticed that the results wear out over time.
The best way to achieve and measure weight loss is a person’s ability to maintain a reduced-calorie diet for a sustained period of time.
The above would mean that the effect the bulletproof diet will have on your weight largely depends on the number of calories you consume per day and how long you can sustain that amount of daily intake.
Because of their high fat content, keto foods are noticed to be filling and may cause you to eat less food and lose weight really fast.
Nevertheless, the bulletproof diet has no restrictions for calories, which suggests that you can reach a healthy weight by engaging strictly in bulletproof foods.
Weight loss is not one of the easiest things to achieve especially because your body weight is influenced by complex factors like physiology, genetics, and even behavior.
No matter how bullet proof your diet may be, it would be unwise to completely rely on your food intake because you may need to consciously reduce your intake of calories.
You may also find it challenging to follow the diet long term, but that is the only way you can get your desired result.
Basic bulletproof diet guidelines
Just like every other diet plan, the bulletproof diet has very strict rules that must be followed for the best results. This diet encourages the consumption of certain foods and condemns many others. It also has prescribed cooking methods.
Foods to eat and foods to avoid
Dave arranges food in the bulletproof diet on a spectrum from toxic foods to bulletproof foods.
To get the best from the diet you must replace all toxic foods with bullet proof foods.
The foods classified as toxic include;
- Vegetables: Canned vegetables, raw spinach and kale, mushrooms, and beets.
- Beverages: Packaged juice, pasteurized milk, sports drinks, soy milk, and, soda
- Fat and oil: Margarines and commercial lard, vegetable oils, and chicken fats.
- Nuts and legumes: Dried peas, beans, peanuts, legumes, and garbanzo.
- Diary: Non-organic milk or yogurt, skim or low-fat milk, ice-cream and cheese.
- Protein: High mercury fish like orange roughy and king mackerel, as well as factory-farmed meat.
- Starch: Corn and potato starch, oats, wheat, buckwheat, and quinoa.
- Fruits: Dried fruits, raisin, jam, jelly and canned fruit, and cantaloupe.
- Sweeteners: Agave, sugar, artificial sweeteners like aspartame, and fructose.
- Spices and flavoring: Broth, bouillon, and commercial dressings.
Bullet proof foods include;
- Beverages: Bulletproof coffee, coconut water, and green tea
- Vegetables: Cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cooked broccoli, zucchini, spinach, lettuce, and asparagus.
- Oils and fats: Palm oil, fish oil, grass-fed butter, and pasteurized egg yolks.
- Nuts and legumes: Olives, almonds, coconuts, and cashews.
- Protein: Pastured eggs and salmon, grass-fed beef and lamb.
- Starch: Cassava, white rice, taro, yams, carrots, and sweet potatoes.
- Fruits: Strawberries, avocados, blackberries, blueberries, and cranberries.
- Spices and flavoring: Chocolate powder, Bulletproof Upgraded Vanilla, sea salt, rosemary, cilantro, thyme, and turmeric.
- Sweeteners: Mannitol, stevia, erythritol, xylitol, and sorbitol.
