Coffee matters

As anyone who's followed the other post in this blog will know, I'm starting every day with a cup of Bulletproof Coffee...well, not quite. BP Coffee maybe excellent but I'm too frugal to pay that much for a bag of it.

I originally tried this one :- http://www.grumpymule.co.uk/shop/coffees/central-american/guatemala-pocola-school-project It was a single estate coffee produced using the same methods and in similar conditions to BP Coffee...at a third of the price. It was a risk that it would contain the mycotoxins that Dave Asprey talks about in his blog but fortunately this hasn't been the case. It remains the finest cup of coffee I've ever drunk. When that ran out I tried the free bag of another coffee that was supplied with my order, now this isn't a bad coffee but it isn't anywhere near as good. I feel like there may be a mycotoxin issue with this one. I do get jittery and it tastes somewhat bitter in comparison. So I'll be ordering the original one again...and with the money saved purchasing that over BP Coffee it gives me cash to spend on supplements...or butter!

Another think I've found to improve the coffee is Coconut Oil. I've tried it with a Tbsp of MCT Oil instead but I find adding just a little Coconut oil gives it a great flavour....vanilla works well, too.

So for those of you trying this, keep it going...I'm seeing myself that it's worth it and if you are giving it a go, please leave a comment here and tell us all how you're finding it.

Butter - A superfood!

I've told you in several earlier posts about the importance of butter on this diet plan. I could understand that some of you may be skeptical..but here's an interesting webpage (hat-tip to Dave Asprey for tweeting it) on exactly why it's so good for you. Now throw that margarine in the bin once and for all!

http://www.draxe.com/top-8-health-benefits-of-butter/

Recipe: Steak w/Hollondaise sauce

One of the great things about eating a Paleo/Bulletproof diet is that you get to eat some utterly delicious food. This one's so good I'd recommend it even if you're not following these diet plans. I had it earlier and it was utterly sublime! It's really simple to make too. I like to serve it with asparagus (another favourite partner of hollondaise sauce.


Ingredients

1 8-12 Oz Grassfed Sirlion Steak (New York Strip for you US readers) The size depends on your appetite
2/3 pack of Grassfed  Butter
4 egg yolks (free range, pastured eggs)
1 Lemon
A bunch of Asparagus Spears
Salt
Cumin
Turmeric
(Note...with the spices if you haven't just bought them fresh make sure they're kept at all times in an airtight container kept in a cool, dry place otherwise they can develop mould surprisingly quickly)

Method

• First off, Put your oven on at Gas Mark 2 (300° F, 150°C)
• Place half a packet of butter in a pan and melt on a low heat. 
• Take off heat to cool when comlpetely melted.
• Chop the stalk ends off your asparagus spears
• Place the asparagus on a baking tray, sprinkle with salt and place into the oven for 15 minutes
• On a small plate mix 1 tsp each of cumin and turmeric with 2 tsp salt.
• Season your  Steak by rubbing it on both sides into this mixture.
• In a cast iron pan place your remaining butter and allow the pan to heat up.
• When the pan is hot enough place in your steak.
• Cook it on a moderate heat for around 2 minutes each side for rare, slightly longer for medium rare.
• Once steak is done place it on a warm plate and cover in foil to rest 

Now onto the Hollondaise! Don't worry, this is far simpler than the classic drip'pour' method and it's never gone wrong.

• On top of a pan of boiling water sit a glass bowl. The bottom should not be touching the water.
• Place 4 egg yolks, juice from 1 whole lemon in the bowl. Whisk.
• Sprinkle in some salt. I like to use Maldon sea salt.
• Pour in your clarified butter  (be careful tnot to pour in the milk solids, just the clear yellow butterfat).
• Keep whisking over the heat until cooked, it won't split!
• It's done once your whisk starts to leave a trail in the sauce.
• Take the bowl off the heat. Taste for seasoning, add more salt if necessary.
• If you're feeling fancy, chop up some fresh tarragon and whisk in the sauce to make Bearnaise.

Now it's time to check your asparagus. If it's al dente, it's done. Plate up time!

• Remove the foil from your steak, it should have retained most of it's juices. Place on your serving plate.
• Drain any juices that have left the steak into your sauce and stir. (It's more flavour!)
• Put your asparagus on the plate with the steak.
• Sauce Time! You can pour it over the steak and  asparagus or keep it in a little pot for dipping, the choice is yours!

Now all that's left is to eat and enjoy it. And in my case explain to my 6 year old niece that I wasn't putting custard on my steak!

Try it and see what you think...and once the party in your mouth has subsided leave a comment!

A few days in...initial impressions

Ok, it's been a couple of days of BP coffee in the morning followed by this optimised Paleo/Intermittant fasting eating plan, how's it been going?

Well to be honest, I don't know how long my body will take take to adapt to the changes fully but it's been ridiculously easy so far. The Bulletproof Coffee is a stroke of genius. I'd never been a big coffee drinker before...mainly because Nescafe tastes horrible. But I'm actually enjoying that coffee. The butter and coconut oil gives it a richness that's hard to be described but one cup leaves me full throughout the day. And the food I'm actually enjoying. Lamb chops are always delicious, The Sweet Potato Pie (see my recipe on a previous post) will make a nice treat now and again and I'm enjoying the vegetables (I must share my Bulletproof Guacamole recipe with you at some time, it's delicious.).

My supplements have arrived in the post this morning so I'll be taking them from today as well. I'll try and log any improvements I feel from them as well.

Quite frankly, this feels like the easiest dietary plan I've ever been on, everything tastes great (it helps that I'm a decent cook), the food going in is nutritious, I'm not feeling hungry throughout the day and I feel a bit more energetic, so all in all it's a decent start. I've no doubt there'll soon come a time where I miss something daft like toast but for now all systems are go!

Intermittent Fasting - What is it and how will it change my life?

One of the key components of the Bulletproof diet plan I'm eating is intermittent fasting. I'm no scientist so I'll try and explain it in layman's terms.

This is not a starvation plan, while ultimately losing weight by starving yourself would work eventually, it would also wreck your health. On this plan I will not consume carbohydrates or protein from 8 in the evning until 3 the next afternoon (If that particular schedule doesn't suit you then choose a 5 hour window to fit your own schedule). What this will do is put your body into what is called Ketosis. Ketosis is a function of the human body that converts the body's own fat stores into energy to ensure the body will keep ticking over (You can see why this might appeal to people seeking to lose weight). You may have heard of Ketosis if you've read anything about the Atkins diet which was the first major eating plan to really focus on putting the body in a Ketogenic state. If you want to know if you're in ketosis you can pick up ketostix on places like Amazon or ebay and pee on them to indicate the levels of ketones in your urine. One advantage that you may discover if you regularly go into ketosis is that you have more energy. Fat may be difficult to burn than carbs but it is a much greater energy source...do any of you remember doing the experiment with the bunsen burner and the peanut in Science class? Don't eat peanuts though (prone to mouldy mycotoxins and full of omega 6 fats).

So how does this intermittent fasting plan work you ask? Well, by eating in that 5 hour window and with a low carb diet (don't bother counting grams of carbs, just stick to the green side of the chart on this page.) You're body's glycogen stores should have depleted enough to send you into ketosis. You probably won't notice much difference and best off all it will continue to do it's stuff as you sleep, converting your fat stores for energy as your body repairs itself overnight (And good quality sleep is vital, important as anything you may eat on this plan). The next morning you wake up and would typically now have breakfast (the name gives you a clue...break fast) and for 30 years I've been consuming Weetabix or Bran Flakes (Heart Healthy it says on the box, a more informed me now knows this is bullshit...die wheatbelly, die!) but not on this plan. You're going to do something that sounds ridiculous but will actually help you prolong that ketogenic state (and even make it easier later on for you to become ketogenic in the next fasting cycle) and will also satisfy any hunger cravings you may have.

Welcome to Bulletproof Coffee

My bulletproof coffee arrived this morning (see my previous blogpost for a link). You're probably wondering what the deal is with this coffee. As mentioned in my other post this is a low mycotoxin (free of harmful mould toxins that give you the jitters, make you feel crappy, etc) coffee which essentially serves as a fat delivery system. Brew your black coffee up, I'm using a cafetiere, but something like an Aeropress would work equally well (I'm sorry but Nescafe instant or Kenco Instant aren't really going to cut it...and forget caffeine free, caffeine is an outstanding performance enhancer). Now with your fesh coffee pressed and poured in your favourite mug (For me it's a 'Nerd Herd' mug from the TV show 'Chuck') you add your fat. Not cream or milk...this is going to get a little weird but trust me!!! Place about a tablespoon of that grassfed butter (preferrably unsalted) I was talking about in a previous post in the coffee, add a  tablespoon of coconut oil/MCT oil (For MCT oil try and get a pharmaceutical grade product). Blend it all together until the butter has completely melted and try it. Isn't that the richest, tasties cup of coffee you've ever had? For those who are not massive coffee fans you can add some things to flavour it, vanilla or dark chocolate are recommended (Try Lindt 90% dark chocolate, this can also be used as a snack on this diet which is good news for the chocoholics out there), not only will these taste great in BP coffee they also provide health benefits of their own.

This coffee is so rich and tasty it will fill you up throughout the day. At time of writing I had my cup 4 hours ago and am about 3 hours away from breaking the fast, not even slightly hungry. If you do find you get hungry (and you may  find this happen in the first couple of weeks then have another cup of BP coffee...or just have a tablespoon of butter. When you break you fast at 3 (or the time of your choosing) eat a meal which is as green as you can make it from that chart I linked to but don't sweat it if some of the things come from the amber list...I'm not judging! Do not have any more of the coffee (remember we want good sleep tonight!) but instead drink plenty of water, try drinking a glass an hour. Have a 2nd meal towards the end of that 5 hour window and then eat nothing more until you have your next morning's BP coffee. Repeat ad infinitum. Keep drinking water after you begin your new fast cycle though.

So there in a nutshell is how this eating plan is going to work...try it, you have nothing to lose but weight. And if you are trying it, give me some feedback on how you're getting on, this is a new experience for me too...let's motivate each other!

By the power of the internet.....

Ok, after some googling I have found some of the stuff I'm going to need so I'll provide some links here in case any of you decide you want to try this plan as well (This post is probably more use to people in the UK, though if you're in other countries you can see what I'm getting and find suppliers local to you...this should be especially easy in the US)

Grassfed Meat

I've found a great site that's been specifically set up to sell grass fed meat products. They seem to be used by a lot of professional sports outfits...including some of the top professional rugby teams in the UK (and the Cardiff Blues as well!:p). I'll report back on the quality of the meat, and will tell you what Bison steak tastes like. Click Athleat. I've also emailed the company to check that their products other than beef are grassfed. I'll post the reply here.

Supplements

Vitamins D3, K2 and Sea Iodine.
I've found an excellent 3 in 1 high quality supplement made by Life Extensions that will supply me with daily doses of Vitamins D3 (5000 IU), K2 (1000 mg MK-4, 100mg MK-7) and Iodine (1000 mg). You could buy all 3 seperately but Life Extensions produce very high quality supplements an produce their vitamins and minerals in usually the most optimal form. Here's the link. If you can find this supplement cheaper elsewhere or a similar quality from another brand at a lower price then please leave a comment with the link or email it to me (address on the right hand side of the page) and I'll update this post.

Vitamin A
The best sources of Vitamin A are organ meats from Grassfed Cattle and Lamb but for those who are a bit squeamish about eating them (or don't eat them regularly enough) then an excellent source is fermented Cod Liver Oil. Regular Cod Liver Oil is chemically processed and loses it's major nutrients, these are re-added sometimes but almost never in a form that is easily absorbed by your body. Fermented Cod Liver Oil is not only rich in Vitamin A but also Vitamin D (More D3! Considering I need around 13-14,000  IU's at my current bodyweight this will help greatly), Vitamin E, Vitamin K, quinones and CoQ enzymes. Pretty well packed. Throw away those junk Cod Liver Oil capsules, get the best one here. 120 Capsules should last you a while.

Magnesium
A very important supplement and most people are very deficient in it. Aim for 400mg a day. Best taken as Magnesium Citrate for absorption. One of these a day should get your levels up towards the required daily amount. Don't take too many, your backside will thank me for that advice, trust me!

Vitamin C
Probably the most common Vitamin supplement on the planet, find this one yourself locally for best price.


Other supplements I'm looking to source
I'm trying to find some other good quality supplements so if you know of one, share the knowledge. Specifically looking for L-glutathione, Selenium, Copper Vitamin B12 and folate (NB...Not Folic Acid!!!!).

These supplements I've listed should reduce inflamation in your body, boost your immune system and thyroid function, strengthen your bones and teeth , improve sleep and generally improve your wellbeing. I will of course keep you updated here on their effects to see if it's worth it.

Butter

Grassfed butter to be precise. I'm going to be consuming a lot of this for the forseeable future. The two major brands widespread throughout the UK are Kerrygold and Anchor. You may also have Yeo Valley Organic or Rachel's Organic butter in a store near you. But the problem is finding unsalted versions (Generally I like salted butter but not in my morning cup of BP coffee!). To solve this I've looked into sourcing Milk from grassfed dairies and making batches of my own butter to freeze. I've found this dairy that delivers nationally. Now not only does this contain all the grass fed goodness but it's also raw unpasteurised milk which means it still contains lots of good probiotic bacteria (much better than those stupid sugary probiotic drinks) which improves your gut health and can also alleviate many modern health conditions. It's more expensive than your typical pint of mik but if I do a bulk buy it can be frozen until required. The butter also freezes well.

Bulletproof Coffee

One of the most fundemental parts of this whole diet plan. Bulletproof Coffee is low in mycotoxins from mould (Who wants to drink mouldy coffee?), from a single estate at high altitude. Now the only drawback is the cost. I could order some from Dave Asprey in North America and get it shipped over here but it would end up costing ridiculous amounts so instead I looked for my own and I think this one seems to fit the bill and at a reasonable price. Also with every bag purchased they donate 20p to a local school project too, so you get a healthy karma boost. I'll report back on this coffee in my upcoming Bulletproof Coffee thread.

I'm already making the dietary changes, I'll add the supplements as and when they arrive and can't wait to start on the Bulletproof Coffee with intermittent fasting (I'll explain IF in my next post). Any questions or feedback, please leave a comment.

Plan of Attack - Let's do this!

Right, now I’ve made the decision that this weight is coming off and coming off for good I need to organise.

First up: Eating Food.

Like in Gremlins, there are rules that need to be followed :-

• My long love affair with bread is over
• Pasta too.
• More vegetables. They’re good, they’re nutrtious and you can consume large amounts of them without worrying about weight gain
• Potatoes…you’re gone too…apart from occasional Sweet Potatoes (less GI (Glyceamic Index) impact.
• Milk. Needs to be a rare thing, suprisingly high in sugar.
• Butter. Is King. But not any old butter. It must be grass fed, which contains many essential nutrients. Grain fed cows do not get this benefit. Margarines and spreads are not to be trusted, they will keep you fat. Only natural goodness permitted.
• Meat. Grassfed Beef and Lamb are the optimum, it’s lucky I live in the country with the greatest lamb in the world. Sourcing grassfed beef might be trickier though. If not grassfed, go for lean cuts (and add plenty of butter). Dave Asprey at Bulletproof exec recommends organ meats in particular due to the very high vitamin content of them. I don’t mind the occasional piece of Lamb or Calves liver so I’ll manage.
• Eggs. Pastured eggs, specifically yolks. The yolks should be as uncooked as possible to prevent oxidisation of the healthy fats contained within.
• Fish. Fresh wild fish is encouraged, especially things like Wild Salmon, Trout, Haddock. Also Fermented Cod Liver Oil is recommended. Doesn’t sound appetising but I’ll give it a go.
• Oil. Avoid things Like Corn, Groundnut, Rapeseed andVegetable Oils. These are high in Omega-6, next to no Omega-3 oils and will do all manner of nastiness to your body. Olive Oil is good, providing it’s not cooked (this causes oxidisation of the Omega-3′s), Coconut Oil is a prime choice, it contains a lot of good nutritious qualities, also promotes a mild thermogenic effect (Though not like those pills that promise to melt your fat away…they don’t. I know because I tried them).
• Avoid sugary fruits. Bananas and Grapes are out, pity. Surprisingly Strawberrys aren’t so bad which is great…they’re my favourite fruit.
• No sugar, unsurpringly. Dodgy sweeteners that are bad for gut health are out too. Use Xylitol or Stevia as alternatives.
• Coffee, Low mycotoxin, high-elevation, wet processed mold-free coffee. I’ll post a link once I’ve found a good source.

Here’s a link to the Bulletproof Diet : http://www.bulletproofexec.com/the-complete-illustrated-one-page-bulletproof-diet/. Read it all, but if you scroll down you’ll see a simple chart of what you should and shouldn’t be eating. You can get ta PDF version and print it out so you'll always know what to buy. Green is good, red is to be avoided (Unless it’s grassfed redmeat!). Avocados are my new best friend.

Supplements

It’s also recommended to take Supplements. Again here’s a link to a Dave Asprey blogpost on supplements. It’s far more comprehensive than anything I could write. http://www.bulletproofexec.com/optimize-your-supplements/

Sleep

I need to make sure I get a good 7 hours of sleep, my body should be going through massive changes and sleep is the bodies major recuperation time. Deep REM sleep is good.

Exercise

Running on a treadmill, or an elliptical walker does not make you lose fat effectively. I’ll be devising a plan based on short, high intensity workouts. These will benefit me by processing muscle growth which in turn will help increase my Base Metabolic Rate and increase my fatburning potential.

Hydration.


It’s important to drink plenty of water. Carbonated soft drinks are out, as are fruit juices. This plan involves starting the day with ‘Bulletproof Coffee’ (Which I’ll delve into in a future blogpost) but the rest of the day I’ll be drinking water. It’s recommended that people drink 1-2 litres a day, I’ll be aiming to do double to triple that.

Right, to google. I need to track down grassfed meat, mycotoxin free coffee and high grade supplements. And then to the local shops to get some of those veggies in. Later peeps!