The Bulletproof (Paleo) Diet

After years of researching and experimenting with different ways of eating - a 'paleo' style diet wins. It got rid of my chronic heartburn, keeps me at a healthy weight when not exercising and turns up the muscle and performance gains when I am. 

The goal is basically to consume the highest nutrient density foods available and to eliminate the foods that have negative effects on the body. Avoiding things that might cause nutrient deficiencies(legumes), stomach irritation or inflammation (dairy, wheat), hormonal imbalance (soy) or lead to brain fog and cognitive issues (mycotoxins). Its best to eliminate these completely for a period of time and to see how you feel.  Another byproduct of this way of eating is a stabilization of hormone levels. 
 
Most people think fat loss is about calories in and calories out. In actuality fat storage is regulated by hormones, namely insulin. This is why you often run into a plateau regardless of how much you might exercise or limit consumption (which is unhealthy).

Ive done lots of experimenting with my diet over the years. In this blog post I outline my journey from 215 lbs to 150 lbs before adding 30 lbs of muscle and reaching peek physical condition at 180 lbs.

The paleo (bulletproof) diet played a big part in this. Its delicious. Energy levels and clarity skyrocket and it balances insulin levels so your body DOESN’T STORE FAT!

Here's the link to the Bulletproof diet with an illustrated guide along with reasoning and research:
http://www.bulletproofexec.com/the-complete-illustrated-one-page-bulletproof-diet/

Here is the summary:

14 Steps To Eating The Bulletproof Diet

1. Eliminate sugar (including fruit juices and sports drinks that contain HFCS, honey, and agave) .
2. Replace the sugar calories with healthy fats from the Bulletproof Diet such as grass-fed butter, ghee, and MCT or coconut oil.
3. Eliminate gluten in any shape or form.  This includes bread, cereal, and pasta.  Do not make the mistake of resorting to gluten free junk food, which can be almost as bad.
4. Remove grains, grain derived oils, and vegetable oils such as corn, soy, and canola.  Also remove unstable polyunsaturated oils such as walnut, flax, and peanut oil.
5. Eliminate all synthetic additives, colorings, and flavorings.  This includes aspartame, MSG, dyes, and artificial flavorings.
6. Eat significant amounts of pastured, grass-fed meat from big ruminant animals such as beef, lamb, and bison.  Pair this with fish, eggs, and shellfish.
7. Eliminate legumes such as peanuts, beans, and lentils.  If you must have your beans, soak, sprout (or ferment), and cook them.
8. Remove all processed, homogenized, and pasteurized dairy.  High fat items can be pasteurized, but they should be grass-fed.  Full fat, raw, whole dairy from grass-fed cows is okay for most people.
9. Switch to grass-fed meat and wild caught seafood.  Eat pastured eggs and some pork, chickens, turkeys, and ducks.
10. Switch to organic fruits and vegetables.  This is more important for some plants than others.  See this site for details.
11. Cook your food gently, if at all.  Incorporate water into your cooking whenever possible and use low temperatures.  Do not use a microwave or fry.
12. Limit fruit consumption to 1-2 servings per day.  Favor low fructose containing fruits like berries and lemons over watermelon and apples.
13. Add spices and other flavorings from the Bulletproof Diet.  Favor herb based spices such as thyme and rosemary over powders. Use high quality ones, recently opened.
14. Enjoy your food.  

Key Points

• If you have to have some form of cheat/junk/fake food, have it, and don’t act like you’re “off the wagon”.  The more you venture from the Bulletproof Diet, the less you’ll benefit.  The more you stick to the Bulletproof Diet, well, the more Bulletproof you’ll be.  Small variations are fine and do not constitute failure.
• If you experience allergies, acne, or other negative effects after consuming dairy, switch to ghee as your only dairy, and eat coconut oil and animal fat.
• Do not count calories in an attempt to lose weight.  Eat until satiety and then stop.
• Try not to snack.  Bulletproof intermittent fasting is encouraged, though not mandatory.
• Limit fruit consumption to 1-2 servings per day to avoid high triglycerides.  There are other reasons to limit fruit consumption, but it won’t kill you.
• High healthy fat intake is optimal.  General ranges are 50-80 percent fat, 5-30 percent carbohydrate, and 10-30 percent protein.
• Eat as little polyunsaturated fat as you can.  Supplement with fish oil or krill oil if you don’t consume fatty cold water fish like salmon on a weekly basis.
• If you can’t find grass-fed meat, choose the leanest cuts of grain-fed meat possible.  If you can find grass-fed meat – choose the fattiest cuts possible.
• “I don’t have time” is not an excuse.  Nourishing your mind and body is not optional. Anyone can make soft boiled eggs and Bulletproof Coffee.