The Bulletproof Diet

It isn’t fair to judge a diet by its marketing. It is even more unfair to judge a diet by the graphics used on promotion web sites. But the Bulletproof Diet sets a new standard for both of these measures. The marketing and graphics have the delicacy of a sledge hammer. Is there anything behind the hype?

If you have heard about the Paleo or Caveman diet, much of the Bulletproof diet will sound familiar. In fact, Dave Asprey, the creator of the Bulletproof Diet, describes his diet as “upgraded paleo, or paleo + science.” He claims that science shows “conclusively” that the best diet tastes good. Wow, hope that research wasn’t expensive!

Dave Asprey spent 10 years reading over 150 nutrition books and hundreds of research papers. The result is a list of foods to eat and foods to avoid. He doesn’t suggest limiting calories at all. He suggests that you get 50-60% of your calories from healthy fats, 20% from proteins and 20-25% from veggies.

The Bulletproof Diet casts special attention on grass-fed livestock. You are encouraged to eat grass-fed beef and lamb, and choose butter and cheese from grass-fed cows. Dave even suggests putting butter in your morning coffee, as long as the butter is from grass-fed beef. He says that an ingredient in butter, butyrate, is an anti-inflammatory and can help prevent heart disease.

According to supporters, following the Bulletproof Diet will not only lead to better weight control, it will make you smarter, stronger and happier in general. Dave Asprey credits it with lowering his biological age (do you have to give the presents back?) and adding 20 I.Q. points. This increased intelligence has allowed him to create a broad range of products for sale that all feature the “upgraded” moniker: upgraded MCT oil, upgraded coffee, upgraded whey, even upgraded aging formula supplements. There’s even an Upgraded Chef book of recipes.

So, to follow the Bulletproof Diet, eat grass-fed beef and lamb, pastured eggs, avacados, coconuts, ginger and bok choy. Avoid margarine, canned vegetables, roasted nuts, non-organic grains (especially genetically modified grains), commercial salad dressings and anything with high fructose corn syrup. Cook food as little as possible, avoiding broiling, BBQing and microwaving.

This can be quite a challenge, selecting foods based on their primary sources. The lack of calorie limit can be appealing, though. Dave Espres says that he consumes more than 3,000 calories a day, yet stays in shape. Have you tried it? How did it go for you?