BLOG: THE WELLNESS DIET

Easy, Healthy DIY Fat-Burning Coffee That Actually Works

Anna Karanina C. Tan, RN  @AnnaTantrum
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September 21, 2016  | Last Updated: September 21, 2016
Young woman drinking tea --- Image by © Hannah Mentz/Corbis


I’m betting you clicked on this article because of one of the following reasons:

  1. You’re trying to lose weight.
  2. You’ve tried all sorts of strict diets or diet pills, and they were ineffective or had unwanted side effects.
  3. You’re interested in trying this intermittent fasting thing everyone seems to be raving about.
    You’re too busy and on the go to deal with proper meal-prepping and hunger pangs.
  4. You really, REALLY love coffee — probably to the point of it being a vice.

If you answered “All of the above”, read on. I’m about to equip you with one of the more effective weight loss hacks out there, and it requires minimal effort. Sounds too good to be true? I agree. So, before I teach you how to make your own fat-burning elixir, it’s better if you understand the science behind intermittent fasting, a ketogenic diet, and how “bulletproofing” your morning coffee can accelerate and enhance results.

 

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What is intermittent fasting? Basically, it’s restricting any calorie intake to take place only within a certain number of hours of the day, then fasting for the remaining 16 to 20 hours. While it is touted as a weight loss strategy, many take on intermittent fasting as a long-term lifestyle as opposed to a quick fix because of several heath benefits brought about by intermittent fasting essentially reprogramming your body to function differently when fasting and feasting.

Your body becomes better at absorbing nutrients from your food and at clearing out cellular waste, improving overall health and longevity. Post-fast, your sensitivity to insulin is heightened, so when you do break the fast — especially if you choose to have your first meal after a workout — your body gets really excited about the food and immediately uses those calories up to replenish your depleted glycogen stores, barely storing any of the calories as stubborn fat. One study observed benefits similar to those obtained from regular exercise. So, it’s not so much because you’re eating less that you lose weight while doing intermittent fasting, but more of you’re rewiring your body to utilize more and store less.

Now, what is a ketogenic diet? Basically, you eat more healthy fat than carbohydrates. Your body’s first choice for fuel are carbs simply because they’re the easiest to breakdown for instant energy, but when you reduce the amount of carbs in your diet, your body turns to your fat intake and stores. By-products of fat metabolism, called ketones, are produced and then used up as energy.

Bad news is, fatty acids take much longer to convert into ketones, and no one likes feeling sluggish and hungry at the start of their day. Good news is, bulletproof coffee is really easy to make and guarantees you instant energy that lasts for hours, while improving brain function, preserving muscle, and making intermittent fasting significantly more tolerable.

 

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You’ll only need the following:

  • Your choice of coffee. If you want to supercharge your morning, or if it’s just “one of those days,” try bulletproofing cold brew coffee. It has at least twice the amount of caffeine, but only a 10th of the acidity. (Note: Try to avoid using old or cheap coffee beans because they may contain mycotoxins from mold, which can alter your mood and energy.)
  • At least 1 to 2 tablespoons of unsalted, grass-fed butter. You can use a blender or tumbler to help melt and mix the butter in with your coffee. This particular type of butter is worth the extra $1 to $2 because it’s packed with fat-soluble vitamins, and blends and tastes better.
  • At least 1 to 2 tablespoons MCT (medium chain triglyceride) oil, which is distilled from coconut oil. This specific structure of fat is almost instantly converted into ketones, which is where that instant energy comes from and is actually the preferred energy source of the brain.

You might be wondering why there’s still a need for a tablespoon of butter, when you’re already drinking MCT oil. The reason behind this is, by the time the ketones from the MCTs are running low, you’re going to need a sort of “slow release” source of ketones to sustain energy and enhanced brain function without crashing.

Go try it for yourself! Notice how long it takes before you start to feel hungry or tired, and how much harder you’re able to exert yourself during your workout.

 

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