THE IMPORTANCE OF COCONUT & MCT's

Coconut oil --- SO MANY USES. SO MANY BENEFITS.

WEAR IT

DRINK IT

EAT IT

Coconut oil is one of the few foods that can be classified as a “superfood.” It is also the top food in the bulletproof roadmap for nuts and seeds. It's benefits and uses go beyond what most people realize. Besides being able to eat it, did you know you can use it as a moisturizer/lotion for you body and hair, a make up remover, oil pulling for your teeth, and finally in your daily cup of joe. Research has finally uncovered the secrets to this amazing fruit; namely healthy strains of fats called medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs).

These unique strains of MCFAs can be turned into fuel and used for sustainable energy, fat burn, weight loss, better brain function and so many other benefits! But there is ONE thing missing that most people don't know. Just about all the abundant oils in coconut oil are good for you, which is why coconut oil is high on the list of Bulletproof foods! The problem is that studies show you can’t get enough of the really useful MCTs, a type of MCFAs, from just eating coconut oil, which is diluted with a fat called lauric acid. This fat is a useful, but cheap, and hugely abundant part of coconut oil that is marketed as an MCT oil (scientifically, it's not).

Super science fact:"Lauric acid is a chemical MCT but it is not a true biological MCT because our bodies do not treat it as an MCT."

Lauric acid should be called a long chain fatty acid because it takes a pit stop in the liver for processing before converting to energy. MCTs take no pit stop, therefore can convert the fat into quick energy, fat loss and brain power! More to come....

When do I use coconut oil, then? If you love the taste or want ample lauric acid, eat it and enjoy it! Just know it is not the single strongest source of MCTs for fueling your brain and body.

A "lotta bit" about MCTs and Ketos

There are four kinds of MCT oils found in coconut oil: C6, C8, C10, and C12 (the numbers define the length of the carbon chains). The cheapest and most common MCT is know as C12 or lauric acid, which is coconut oil. It can also be argued that C12 is a pseudo MCT because it needs to be processed through the liver first, breaking down its ability to get fast ketone energy from which you can get from C8 or C10 instantly. SEE!

So what does this mean? Well in order to not get scientific on you, Dave Asprey has compiled some easy key notes to think about when getting the right MCTs.

Caprylic Acid (C8): ~6% of coconut oil

C8 has potent anti-microbial properties (way more potent than lauric acid) to help you maintain a healthy gut, and it is the fastest to metabolize in the brain. (This is Brain Octane Oil.) Your liver does not need to process this rare type of MCT, and it only takes 3 steps for your body to turn it into ATP, the cellular fuel you use. This is why Brain Octane is so good at suppressing cravings and is the most powerful oil to put in Bulletproof Coffee. You would need 18 tablespoons of coconut oil to get just one tablespoon of Brain Octane.

Capric Acid (C10): ~9% of coconut oil

This is the second shortest form of MCT, also rare. It is slower to turn into energy but more affordable than C8. XCT Oil is triple-distilled in a non-oxygen atmosphere with no solvents ever used, and it contains C10 and C8, because these are the only two MCT oils that turn into ATP quickly without the liver. You would need 6 tablespoons of coconut oil to get one tablespoon of XCT oil.

So that’s it – to have the most energy and the fewest cravings, you want the shortest chain possible, C8 or C10!

KETOSIS

Ketosis is a cornerstone of becoming Bulletproof and is also something that I have been doing for the past three months. I can tell you that putting my body through this wild experiment, it has changed my perception, yet again, on food.

When your body switches to burning fat instead of sugar for energy, the results are quit crazy! When I saw the mental clarity and focus that ketosis brought, the game totally changed for me. Ketosis short terms effects can help you lose weight but for me it's not about the short term. It simply erases my brain fog, gives me sustainable energy through consuming real food and healthy fats, suppresses appetite in a healthy way, and makes me an all around happier person!

When I wake up every morning after have eaten a bulletproof meal, I can tell that its going to be a good day! I make my bulletproof coffee and don't even think about lunch until 2:30pm. On a ketogenic diet, which is the state I put my body into after having bulletproof coffee, my entire body switches its fuel supply to run almost entirely on fat. My insulin levels become very low and fat burning increases dramatically. This is obviously a great hack to get a steady supply of energy while burning fat instead of muscle.

Like me and most people, I need breakfast . . . I need healthy fats in the morning with greens . . . Maybe I add a little salmon on my egg . . . That's OK. In my opinion, people should not live in ketosis ALL DAY EVERY DAY. That's why I do it 2-3 days a week with Intermitten Fasting.

IF YOU MUST SNACK...snack on these

An all coconut base energy bite. I usually use dates and cashews as my base and then add a little bit of coconut to the recipe. Now that I know the major benefits of the bulletproof diet, I went ahead and added a bulletproof energy bite recipe to the sweet sweet list. These are primarily made out of coconut flakes and brain octane oil with a hint of vanilla flavor and covered in cacao. These are great when 1:15pm rolls around and you just can't stop thinking about your lunch in 45 minutes. Pop 1 or 2 of these and you'll be set; you'll even stay in ketosis!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded unswettened coconut

• 4 tablespoons xylitol or munk fruitsweetener (these sweeteners keeps it bulletproof) maple syrup works if you dont have either

• 3 tablespoons coconut oil

• 2 tablespoons brain octane

• 1 teaspoon bulletproof vanilla powder

• combine bullet proof cacao butter with bulletproof chocolate powder for a smooth dark chocolate melt for covering the bites in

Instructions:

1. Pulse the coconut in a blender or food processor until the texture becomes like thick flour. Transfer to a bowl and add the honey or maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla. Stir until a thick paste forms.

2. Using your hands, squeeze the mixture into about 18 small balls. I found that rolling was difficult because they weren't sticky enough, but I was able to shape them into balls by first squeezing them in my palm a few times (you'll get some oil on your hands), and then gently shaping it from an oval into a round ball. Place the coconut balls in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes or until firm. I could tell that mine were ready because there was a small white ring of solidified coconut oil around the base of each ball.

3. Melt the chocolate slowly and gently until smooth and spreadable. We don't have a microwave, so I had the best results melting this in a stainless steel bowl placed in a hot oven for about 10 minutes.

4. Lay out a sheet of wax paper. Using two forks, roll each coconut ball in the chocolate until completely covered. Scoop the ball out with the fork and let the extra chocolate drip off the fork. Gently nudge the chocolate covered ball onto wax paper and chill until the chocolate has hardened. Store in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

xx,

gl