On weekends, I often skip breakfast and instead drink a Bulletproof Coffee. This is a blended coffee drink, made with coffee, grass-fed unsalted butter, and MCT oil. The drink was popularized by one of my favorite podcasters Dave Asprey a few years ago. It trains your body to run off of ketones, which puts you in a clear-minded fat-burning mode. I love the boost in energy and brainpower this gives me. And by skipping breakfast, my body gets all the health benefits of intermittent fasting (e.g. reducing inflammation, reducing free radical damage, re-calibrating hormones).
I’ve noticed that coffee on an empty stomach sometimes gives me a sudden spike in energy, but leaves me feeling a bit jittery afterwards. So I’ve started experimenting with using matcha instead of coffee. I call this “Keto Matcha.” I’ve noticed that Keto Matcha provides a more constant, calm energy. Bulletproof Coffee provides a bigger spike in energy (you’re getting 4x the caffeine of matcha). For someone caffeine sensitive (like myself), towards the end of a 16-18 hour fast with Bulletproof Coffee, I found myself jittery. But towards the end of an intermittent fast using Keto Matcha, I feel great.
Ingredients
- 1/2 tsp organic matcha (See my favorite matchas here)
- 1 tsp MCT oil (I use Now Foods brand)
- 1 tbsp grass fed butter (I use Kerrygold, which is sold in most local grocers such as Trader Joes, Whole Foods)
- 2-3 oz. hot water
Directions
- In matcha bowl, add matcha and pour in a small amount of hot water.
- Whisk the matcha (I prefer using the Kukpo electric whisk)
- Add grass fed butter, continue whisking
- Add MCT oil, continue whisking
- Pour in remaining hot water while whisking. I use similar amount (or slightly more) than I use with plain matcha
Optional: To give me even more brainpower, I like to take a Krill Oil supplement along with Keto Matcha. I use this brand. The high level of DHA in Krill Oil is great for your brain. Research supports this.
The Keto Matcha should have a nice froth on the top and a delicious rich matcha flavor.
For those of you interested, here is some more research I’ve done on the science behind Keto Matcha:
On using matcha instead of coffee
- Matcha has a better, longer-lasting caffeine high than coffee. Instead of the sudden spike in energy and jitters, you get a calm awareness energy. It has a quarter of the caffeine in coffee, and that caffeine is slowed in absorption to the body due to the phytonutrients (esp. L-theanine) in it. The caffeine in matcha typically takes three to six hours to be absorbed by the body. You will feel energized in a better way and for a longer amount of time when using matcha.
- Matcha has more antioxidants: Coffee has a good amount of antioxidants, but matcha has much more. It is full of flavonoids, polyphenols and catechins (10 times the antioxidants of green tea). Due to the high levels of these antioxidants, matcha is even under study for prevention of cancer.
- Matcha is better for your teeth and mouth: It doesn’t stain your teeth and helps control dental plaque.
Matcha increases your metabolism: Coffee does this too. Unfortunately, I have yet to see a study which compares the two on this.
Grass Fed Butter: This is nutrient-dense and full of high-quality fats. It works great for curbing hunger when your are intermittent fasting. It tastes surprisingly good when mixed in with matcha.
MCT Oil: Medium-Chain Triglycerides (MCT’s) are fats which are easy for the body to break down and use (they bypass the liver). MCT’s can be found in Coconut Oil, Butter, Milk, Yogurt and Cheese. There are studies which show that MCT’s may have hormonal and metabolic benefits). For the purposes of Keto Matcha, MCT’s help provide your brain energy while burning fat and keeping muscle (by helping you get into a ketogenic state without being on a no-carb ketogenic diet).
I hope that my research has been useful to you. Remember that everyone is different. Some folks may prefer Bulletproof Coffee, while others will prefer Keto Matcha. I suspect that if you are already caffeine sensitive (like myself), you may have a better experience with Keto Matcha.