The Complete Illustrated One Page Bulletproof Diet (Upgraded Paleo)

Wow Dave, great stuff! Very comprehensive but accessible at the same time (good work with the graphs!). Couple of questions if i may:- This stuff seems to cross-over into the content of your book, how much more of the book will be relevant for non-baby producing purposes?- You and Tim Ferriss disagree about the suitability of beans. Given that you’ve spent some time talking to him, what is the basis of your difference of opinion?- Where do smoked foods fit on the spectrum? is there a difference between cold and hot smoked food?Brilliant work as always.CheersLeon

Nice distillation of a lot of information – like the graphs (though they leave me wanting to know why some foods that are ostensibly green (pastured chicken) aren’t.I’d like to also add that while insulin control is paramount for better health and repairing a broken metabolism, for weight loss the golden ticket is low insulin and a caloric deficit. Even in the absence of insulin fat can still be stored via de novo lipogenesis.

Thanks for this, now the next question is – do you have any recipes?! Seems the only “staple” we’re allowed to eat is brown rice. That must get a bit old pretty quickly. Do you have any sample meals that you regularly make? May try and slip some of these into our menu at home.

@leon About beans and Tim Ferriss in Four Hour Body, there is little science in Tim’s recommendation of beans. He says it’s for “caloric density” but I humbly submit that butter is much more calorically dense. Beans create GI distress with their excess fiber, and they contain lectins which are small proteins that stick to the sugars that coat your cells, wreaking biological havoc. That’s why you have to carefully soak most beans before you can eat them. For carbs (which aren’t necessary in the diet most of the time) sweet potato and yam are far better sources than beans. Smoked foods – excellent question, and I need to update the graphic to include those. Hot smoked is not good from a toxin formation perspective, unless you use biochemistry to block those toxins (what I do – another post coming…) Cold smoked is usually ok. Cold smoked sockeye salmon is a major food group for me.

Also, if you are an athlete interested in maintaining performance (and not just working out for health benefits) is it necessary to eat carbs to replenish glycogen? My understanding was that protein / fat do not replenish glycogen necessary for high intensity anaerobic exercise?

Hi Dave, I have a couple of questions. 1) Whats wrong with onions and garlic?2.) When you mentioned palm oil, are you referring to the red palm oil or the Refined, bleached, deodorized palm oil?

@Steve – Piracetam is available at http://ow.ly/4RpeU and widely across the web. @Amir – Onions and garlic both have an unstable nitrogen bond – chemically not that different from THC – that is proven to be neuroactive. It reduces alpha (relaxed, alert, learning, performing) brain waves and increases stress. Yes, they’re antifungal, but if you want to be high performing cognitively, they are a hinderance. Takes 4 days for garlic’s negative effects to wear off. A blog post on this coming soon. Palm oil is fine as red (tastes awful to me) or RBD and both are safe as long as the RBD was expeller pressed, not chemically refined with solvents.@Mike – I didn’t get food poisoning once in 3 months of travel in remote parts of Asia, including eating street food in Tibet that made everyone else in my party sick. The trick is to use grapefruit seed extract (also sold as “Traveler’s Friend” from Nutrabiotic http://www.nutriteam.com/index2.html) with every meal, and to take a probiotic regularly, either Culturelle or Primal Defense.

Actually, I think healthy fats are full of energy, if I understand things correctly. If you had a furnace inside of you, then burning a donut in a flame and burning a slab of fat or a nice juicy steak would be roughly equivalent.  I believe that the donut kick off a cascade of chemical processes that make you tend to store fat.  Sensible, since on the savanna, a gut full of berries means no damn meat, and that's always bad news. Fat and protein pretty well come together, so you don't need that cascade in the latter two cases. Belly full of fat and meat means the good times are here.

Ok, so…on your side there’s “shut up and just believe me ok…I really do eat 5000 calories a day, only exercise 10 mins a week…and have a six pack…” and on the other there’s mountains of metabolic ward studies and other RCTs showing that 5000 cals/day and a six pack are not gonna live in the same place without some serious energy expenditure…Hmm, who should the wise man believe? The empirical corpus of evidence or the author with a book to sell?P.S. No other body parts are relevant…you claimed the six pack…post the pic of the six pack. At least you can verify that this part of the spiel is on the up and up…we’ll just have to take the energy intake and expenditure on faith.

@Kent – Thank you. That is really important and needs to be said. I weigh about 210 lbs and I burn more calories because I sleep less (on purpose), travel a lot, and I hacked my body temperature to be slightly higher than it used to be so I could have higher efficiency and performance (yes, I’ll blog on that too – it’s thyroid related). But most people aren’t as muscular or as tall as me, and they don’t need 4,000 calories. I eat this way because after careful measurement of how I feel – and my blood chemistry and overall health – this is what works best. I’d eat 1500 calories if that worked better, or I’d eat all insects for that matter – my goal is massive mental performance, immune function, muscle mass maintenance, health, and anti-aging, etc. As Henry Miller puts it, “”The goal of life is not to possess power, but to radiate it.” To radiate power, you need to eat. What is CRITICAL in the Bulletproof Diet is that you keep your percentage of calories from fat above 50%, and you make sure that at least half of your fat calories are from the Four Horsemen of Fats – coconut, grass-fed butter, grass-fed beef & lamb, and palm oil. You get an extra boost from the MCT oil I use (www.upgradedself.com), which is unique in that it contains only the most important two out of the 4 medium-chain oils. By boosting the percentage of those 2 – capric and caprylic triglycerides – in your fat intake, you get a large fat-burning and energy-building benefit. You are not on the Bulletproof Diet if you are eating lots of omega-6 inflammatory oils, as the inflammation will screw you up. The same thing will happen if you deep-fry your vegetables because even the healthy oils can get heat damage. So eat until you’re full, and as often as you want. Do not limit calories, but there’s no need to stuff yourself unless you’re on a muscle-building heavy exercise program. (unless you just like the full feeling…you will not get fat from eating a lot of calories, as long as they’re the right calories.) The fact that I am alive and thriving in my Bulletproof life on 4,000 calories a day, and have been for years, should be a wake-up call to people on low-calorie diets: The calorie is dead. Scientists focused on them because it’s easy to measure their intake (but not their use). Now we know more. Sorry about all those horrible low-calorie meals. They weren’t good for you.

@Kent – I had white rice, but tossed half of it from under the nigiri. The food lacking in sushi is fat, so I dip it in MCT oil, which does fantastic things for sushi’s flavor. The MCT I use has no flavor, so it brings out the taste of the sushi in an amazing way. Balancing the carbs from rice with MCT is more important than balancing it with extra fish, but I do both. J I also block the mercury from the fish…but that’s another post. <o:p></o:p>

Dave, I have a few questions (my posts were somehow erased when the website was reformatted):

1. What do you do when you are traveling to follow the diet?? How do you go out to a restaurant to eat?

2. You list Chocolate as something that we can eat. Could you please elaborate on what type of chocolate is good to eat?? Also, should the quantity of chocolate consumption be kept to a minimum?

3. Is Himalayan pink salt the equivalent of sea salt?

4. How do you “block the mercury from the fish” as you referenced in you May 25th, 2011 at 3:57 pm post?

Thanks,

Evan Granowitz

Dave: What question were you responding to in your June 28, 2011 response at 8:23 am, which stated: “Pretty good, especially for mental energy! Bad for daily use over long term. Use it like caffeine for performance”?

Dave: How do you “block the mercury from the fish” as you referenced in you May 25th, 2011 at 3:57 pm post? I love sushi, especially tuna. I also like swordfish and sea bass, but I am worried about the mercury…

Thanks,

Evan

Why pasteurized eggs as opposed to pastured organic fed free range eggs that I get from my local organic farm?

This is Awesome! This is pretty much the diet I follow except I feel better on no grains at all. Thanks for this, I’ll share this with my friends and family!

Whoops sorry about the dopey egg question. I thought the chart had pasteurized when in fact is says pastured. I better start this diet soon lol.

Dave, I must have missed it…but coult you re-post the link for buying grass fed meat? Thanks.

Hey everybody.
I just lost a lot of weight (too much) so I need to gain 20+ pounds to get to my normal weight. (1) Do I have to add some carbs to my diet so that muscles will be able to grow and develop? Or are healthy fats, animal proteins and vegetables all I need?
(2) How can I calculate caloric intake for gaining weight?
(3) Has anyone tried to get such weight with bulletproof diet?

Interesting guidelines, will be putting these to the test thoroughly! One question though, why would a whey protein concentrate be healther/’better’ than an isolate?

Cheers

It is difficult to say whether or not microwave cooking
is unhealthy.

http://www.pyroenergen.com/articles/microwave-nutrients.htm

These lines from the weblink sound very convincing:-

”
When lightbulb was invented by Thomas Edison, many said that it is harmful to our eyes. When fluorescent lamp came out, a lot of people said that it is very harmful to our eyes and we can be blind soon. And now people said that microwave makes food poisonous and harmful to our health.”

Do you have a list of references you could share? The better of the studies I have read generally seem to support your diet, and I’ve heard it recommended by trustworthy people, but I can’t seem to find any links to the thousands of online research papers you mention using to develop it. Basically, it looks good, but I would be more confident in it if I could see firsthand some of the evidence behind it. (This applies particularly to the long term effects, as the short term effects I can just go and test).

Dave, just found your blog and read some of it. Interesting stuff.

What I don’t get is the following:
You write
“No calorie counting, no measuring. Just eat and feel your brain, body, and hormones re-awaken as your effortlessly lose weight and gain muscle on little or no exercise.
Target 50-60% of calories from healthy fats (this is easy and tastes good), 20% from protein, and the rest from vegetables.”

How can we get 60% fat, 20% protein and some veggies into us if we don’t count calories/macros/micros?
How do we know we have eaten 60% fat at the end of the day?

Maybe I am missing something

Thanks for clarifying
Jane

I have read the posts and was wondering if anybody knows if shrimp, lobster, crab, and other shellfish are safe to eat on the bulletproof diet?

Thanks,

Lecram

hey where did the full graph went? grains, fat… was still there yesterdday

While I’m grateful for the work you and the Paleo community are doing on nutrition, I just can’t understand why the experts can’t be fully honest about where we are with the research and what is ACTUALLY known. “Dietary fat does not cause cancer and heart disease”, “Refined grains and carbs do”…etc. Every bullet point you’ve included is an exaggeration and premature conclusion in respect to what science is telling us right now. None of those points have been determined.

So I’ve been ‘wheat-free’ since last Friday.

My weight has gone down from 223 to 215.

My pain from psoriatic arthritis has gone down considerably.

I no longer have ‘brain fog’. In fact, I didn’t even know it because I assumed that it was a normal state.

Hey Guy’s,

I was wondering if you had a post anywhere about cooking. I see what you have up there, but I never heard of Steamed al dente way to cook meats like Grass fed beef. Blog post maybe? Just a thought.

Thanks, for all the info. I just got done to a 30 paleo thing alla Robb Wolff Paleo Solution. Now I’m going to model my diet after your Bulletproof diet. I started yesterday with a IF and a Bulletproof Coffee. I ordered your coffee and MCT oil, and it was BOMB!! Thanks for the great product and info!!

I have been eating a lot of Kerrygold butter lately.
I found out a few days back that
while Kerrygold butter is grassfed, it is not organic.
http://www.kerrygold.co.uk/index.php?p=faqs,3
Will consuming non-organic butter make my diet
less bulletproof?
So the last time I went shopping, I decided to get
Organic Valley’s pastured butter.
While OV’s butter is guaranteed organic, I thought that Kerrygold’s
butter had a superior taste.
What brand of butter would you recommend?

Hi Dave,

I’ve been reading through all the posts and am finding it incredibly interesting. I’ve been on a paleo-style, low-carb and low calorie diet for almost three years now (with periods of being moderately higher carb or calorie), and have literally not lost any weight (I am 5′ 8″ and 150 lbs). I also exercise regularly. However, I am currently very low fat, and I eat a fair amount of paleo foods that are on the red list (peanuts, soy milk, etc).
I’m very excited by the ideas you’ve presented about fat consumption and toxin avoidance as building blocks for modifying a paleo diet to its best form. I have a few specific questions, though, which I hope someone can help me out with!

1 – What is your stance on tea? I’ve read a lot about it being naturally moldy, but I’ve also read people in the comments mentioning they drink tea / chai. Currently, I drink about a cup of black tea a day, as well as a cup of coffee. I’ve ordered my bulletproof coffee but would love to be able to have the occasional cup of tea as well.

2 – Is chicken something to avoid absolutely? I think largely from avoiding it for so long, I’ve actually stopped enjoying red meat. I will definitely bring beef and lamb into my diet, but is it okay to eat chicken in moderation as well?

3 – What’s the best way to pick vegetables? The shopping guide has notes to avoid even a speck of brown, and I currently get vegetables mostly from our farmer’s market or as fresh and organic as possible at the store. From the list of healthy vegetable choices, is it pretty much okay to just pick the greenest organic vegetables you can find and try to eat them briskly? Is there some kind of method here?

4 – I’m a little confused about spices. Are the spices listed above the only acceptable ones? Do leaf spices have to be purchased in fresh form? If dried spices are stored in the fridge / freezer, would that be acceptable?

Sorry for the random questions, I’m just trying to learn as much as I can! I’m very excited to start this eating plan and just want to make sure I stick to it as thoroughly as possible.

Thanks so much!

Is chili powder or cumin bulletproof?

What about olives or pickles? Our, I guess more generally speaking, if its not on the graphic, is it not BP?

Thanks!
Rob

I am curious about what the difference is between the Whey Protein and Casein. I am just starting the diet, and typically I drink a (casein) protein shake in the morning, just trying to decide if I should bail on that kind and get some Whey or wait until i need some more.

thanks

1) I read on the site that you can take butter with you when you travel on planes, etc. Isn’t that unsafe? I thought that keeping butter at room temperature for long periods of time would be dangerous?

2) I like to eat organic brown rice cakes with coconut oil or butter spread on top? Is that bulletproof?

Thanks a lot,

Lecram

Dave, love your site. I’m trying to follow the bulletproof diet, but running into a small problem. I’m having trouble coming up with meals that have some variety. Would you recommend a site or a book that I might be able to find some varied recipes that use the foods your recommend? Thanks so much for your site and thought.

Hi Dave, Thanks so much for all of this. What do you think of Saint Benoit organic milk and yogurt? Cooking is reduced to 145 degrees. Also, what about solar ovens? They slow cook without burning at about 200 degrees. I was wondering if poultry would be okay cooked solar. I’m hoping to gain weight on this diet, gain muscle and look younger. So far I have more energy and am sleeping less. I’m coming off of a macrobiotic healing diet.

Question: your protein strip says to eat grass-fed beef and lamb, but if you consult the NDB (nutrition database), these meats are quite high in Omega-6. What gives?

Grass-fed beef, lamb, rabbit, and any other animal that you’d think of as grass-fed turns out to be Omega-6 hogs (both domestic and wild). Is fish the only real answer to this animal dilemma?

Even olive oil, which is turning out to be one of the biggest food scams of the century, is loaded with Omega-6. Are we left with the sea AND NOTHING ELSE as the best sources of Omega-3–seaweed, algae, fish, seals, etc..possibly polar bears too?

I know leafy green contain it, but you’d have to eat a pickup truck bed full of them to reach daily Omega-3 needs.

Is it possible that we need to look at the quality of our grasses in pastureland, as well as the animals consuming it? Maybe the grasses themselves aren’t capable of being turned into Omega-3…I’m thinking a field full of rye grass, for example. Rye is a grain, and if cows and sheep munch on it all day, WE think they’re grass-fed, when actually, they’re being GRAIN-FED. It’s just immature grain, or “pre-harvested.”

What is this inquiring housewife to do, besides load up on kale, sprouts, lettuces, algae supplements for her fish oil-allergic husband, and continue trying to find an olive oil that actually solidifies in the fridge?

re: “Removing grains, legumes, and processed dairy produces greater insulin sensitivity in animals and humans. (6)(7)” – none of the links mentioned legumes. So, claim for removing legumes is not supported.

as a vegetarian who eats eggs milk cheese how should i approach this

How come chicken and turkey isn’t that good? What about if it’s organic and hormone-free?

I know calorie counting isn’t really the key issue here, but do you have any advice on approximately how many calories a moderately active 25-year-old 5’6″ 145lb woman should eat while doing the bulletproof diet? I’ve always had trouble losing weight and have lost a bit on low-calorie diets but I have a feeling that some of that was muscle loss too which isn’t what I want.

What about mackerel? It’s not on the list. If it’s Northern Atlantic mackerel, I’ve heard it’s much lower in mercury than king mackerel. Is it ok to eat?

How much of a specific antioxidant should be used on a piece of meat that will be cooked in a way that could produce nitrosamines? What antioxidant is best for this? Thanks

Really interesting stuff, thank you!

What are your thoughts on yacon syrup which is 50% fructooligosacharides? Would this be on the green side?

Why are mushrooms as bad as potatoes?

Hasn’t calorie restriction been the only proven life and health extension diet regimen? Is this diet here for performance or longevity? I think there’s a tradeoff between the two

I don’t understand here how the things Dave’s researched and the recommendations here could be healthy in general and esp. for a person’s cardiovascular system. I recall reading Dean Ornish reversed heart disease in some patients using <10% total fat calorie diet.

Wouldn't the diet above wreak havok on a person's heart and arteries?
Is this even recommend or doable for a person with predisposition to heart disease?

This diet would be way cooler than CR, but seems like it doesn't have the same benefits as CR. Ironically, I'm on my way now to get some grass-fed butter, because the CR diet doesn't improve performance in any way for me, and I'm looking to upgrade my performance mentally and physically.

I'll report back my results in a week or so.

Thanks for the interesting website!

Hm, well, I don’t eat grains (except there’s some in my gluten free gravy powder, which I’m going to change once I finish the box), and I’m dairy intolerant. I’m sensitive to sugar – I get highs and hangovers from even small amounts of honey, and fructose doesn’t bear thinking about. I don’t eat much in the way of legumes or beans, since I find they interfere with my digestion, and soy in particular is right out (family history of thyroid disorders).

Potatoes are my main source of carbohydrate at present. I get organic, preferably locally grown potatoes, and peel them thoroughly before cooking (either boiling for mashing, or roasting, generally). I’m not sensitive to nightshades in general, which is nice, since tomatoes and bell peppers also make regular appearances in my diet.

Dropping potatoes, I end up eating perhaps 20g of carbohydrate a day. I’ve tried to eat more than 100g of protein a day, but my appetite shuts down utterly at about 80g a day (forcing myself to eat leads to throwing up or intense nausea). I get some carbohydrate from brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, radishes, cauliflower), alliums (onions, leeks, garlic) and nuts (macadamia nuts are the bomb, and raw almond butter is also awesome). Still, these are all relatively high-volume low-calories foods (except the nuts), which poses a distinct problem to a slack appetite.

I make liberal use of duck fat, macadamia and olive oils in cooking – although the EVOO doesn’t get pulled out if it’s likely to get exposed to high temperatures. Still, there’s only so much fat I can add in any given meal.

I will admit up front I’m a bit of a picky eater, and it gets worse as I get hungrier. This is currently a problem, because I am trying to eat above 1200 calories a day. I don’t advocate calorie restriction; I’m desperately trying to eat more (and failing miserably). Any suggestions?

I love pickles. I know they can be high in salt so I try not to eat too many.

I see cucumbers in the list of good veggies but what about pickled veggies?

Dave. I would love to find out the answer to question below, about mycotoxins and turmeric.

I am assuming we shouldn’t use the following foods (coconut sugar, coconut flour, almond flour, almond milk, chicken/beef broth) because they weren’t on the list, but I am wondering why they are harmful…any info on those?

my son & I started on our journey towards becoming bulletproof. Baby steps, but trying. Still feeling out how much of the food we make [using recipes from your book] are an adequate amount for lunch and dinner. We tend to make dinner & then use the leftovers for lunch. I’ve enjoyed a loaf w/a soup for dinner to get in the extra veggies… braised dishes are nice, but lighter and the lamb chili was more like a soup and needs thickening somehow] … YOUR THOUGHTS? thanks

What about pure 100 percent dark chocolate

I have b

Hey I’m having an issue finding what fasting or “fat days” I should be doing. I just want to know where everything information wise is coming from… is it a book or some thing I see comments about things I haven’t seen on the site… coffee is awesome, diet is great and tweaking a few things to suit my body now… been on the diet for 2 and a half weeks lost 15 pounds and plateaued now I’m losing inches and feeling great!

for any doubters…this diet 100% works

Dave, you totally missed the lipid hypothesis. I’m so sorry you spent that much money on this.

I like this whole blog. But think my body is so fucked up, it can be on this diet =[

I started losing weight rapidly, always hungry. I had to cut out MCT oil, since that gave me cramps, diharrea, naucea, and felt like vomitting.

My normal weight is 65kg, I went down to 57,9kg, and I’m a male.

Ive always struggled with being a thin ectomorph. And have extreme fructose malabsorption.

Can’t seem to find any carbs in here, I know u keep talking about the fat. But I think my gut has big problems with that at the moment, trying to fix it. And i’ve tried to do best I can.

I buy the best butter I can find in Norway, unsalted, and I boil it gently, remove the white stuff. I use coconut oil, and I eat fresh meat. But I have to eat potatoes, nothing else to eat with it, or I lose weight like a crazy person. (Rice makes constipation worse for me lol).

And none of the pasta type shit is an option, also avcourse cut out all grains.

* Pulls hair, why is this so hard lol *

also any opinions on Berkey water filters

I’m seriously underweight and have been for my entire life of 56 years. How will this diet improve my life and help me GAIN WEIGHT and not lose it? I’m 56, 5-10, 140 pounds.

So all this leaves about 20% of daily calories from veggies? If I’m eating about 2,500 calories a day, this means I should get about 1,500 calories from fat (which would be 15(!?) tablespoons of MCT oil or grass fed butter), 500 calories from protein (easy enough), and 500(!?) calories from veggies (which means if 1 cup of spinach = 10 calories, I must consume 50 cups of spinach a day for veggies to account for 20% of my daily calories).

The part that sticks out to me is the 15 tablespoons of butter, and the 50 cups of spinach or other veggies per day. In light of actually doing the math…how in the WORLD is this diet possible?? The 500 calories from protein is feasible. The 1,500 calories from fat, and the 500 calories from veggies however seems humanly impossible. Please explain!

If a grass fed animal is fed antibiotics when sick does that effect the quality of meat?

Hi, I tried your coffee the other day, tasted nice but made me anxious and irritable . I hadn’t drank coffee since the summer, so maybe i’ve got an allergy to caffeine. What do you think Dave?

Stop the hating this blog doesnt exist for those types of purposes were here to help one another ive got alot of respect for dave and ppl like him that do the things they do out of love as i think all of us should do what you do out of love not out of hate

I like this article and i will definitely refer back to it. I could find things to pick-at but overall It seems pretty right on. I do have one major beef though. The article says 60% fat 20% protein and 20% from vegetables. Getting any significant amount of calories from vegetables is difficult if you refuse to eat the starchy/sugary ones which are not recommended by your charts. Anyways, you basically recommend getting very little carbohydrate. I could try to get all sciency and talk about your nervous system needing carbs to function properly (which I’m pretty sure is true) but id just be talking out my ass. So I will just relate that I was basically raised on meat, fish, a daily multivitamin, and a wee bit of vegetables. I was always perfectly healthy but over the past few years Ive started to consume more carbohydrates and it has been really beneficial to me. Ive always been a decent athlete but could never run long distances. Short spurts of strength and low intensity-over time were fine but sustained running just never worked right. I realized the problem was no carbohydrate intake. Its shocking what a difference it makes for high intensity endurance exercise. Also I’m much happier/livelier with some rice/bread in my diet. Most important for me personally, I’ve noticed my mind functions much better on carbs. Its not that I’m any smarter or anything but I’m able to concentrate more effectively and for longer periods of time. Don’t get me wrong I’m sympathetic to the whole fat and protein thing (and i agree bran is the devil) but there is a reason people consume carbohydrates. You don’t need a lot but if you want to feel and perform your best you need more than non-starchy vegetables will provide.————–You already cover this but ill repeat it cause its important if your gonna eat mostly meat/fat you better eat only grass-fed, a lot of fatty fish, or take an omega three supplement.

i am wondering what dave, and other posters feel about raw meal meal powder: http://www.gardenoflife.com/Products-for-Life/Foundational-Nutrition/RAW-Meal.aspx

—- it has some grains and carbs, yet it’s high quality ingredients, what do you think of having this in the morning or after working out? or throughout the day?

Why are sweet potatoes listed near the bottom at avoid? I’ve heard elsewhere on this site that rice and sweet potatoes are the two foods that are high in carbs and are recommended to be eating 1-2 times a week

Hi Dave. I heard you on “Not just Paleo” podcast. That was THE BEST episode I’ve heard. I think you spent 20 min on just salt….. boring right? NO! It was so interesting. I ate up every word, along with everything else that was discussed. You are my new hero, and I can’t wait to learn more from your website. Thanks and keep sticking it to the man.

Do you have any sample menus for the bulletproof diet?

I tried eating this low carb approach eating just meats and veggies and never lost weight. You say no need to count calories or amounts, but for me it doesn’t work. I LOVE meat and vegetables and can eat a lot. So, I think that you need to add something for AMOUNTS and PORTIONS.

Dave, I think I just fell in love with you, ha!

I’m just concerned that rice is contaminated with arsenic.

Im a 29 year old mom of 3 young boys. Im adopting to the bulletproof diet but I want to do more. I certainly do not have the money to purchase all the recommended products, hacking tools, or supplements. I scour your blog when I have time, but it leaves me terrified I am full of toxins, deficient in nutrients and slowly killing my body. Whats the best place to start!?

Dave, I’ve recently run across KerryGold brand grass fed cheese at a Costco near me. I nearly purchased a block at about $15, but I wanted to get your take on it first. From reading your blog and the info graphics that “grass fed” is in the green, but “cheese” is typically leaning towards the red.

I just wonder once you combine grass feed and cheese if the grass fed trumps the bad part of cheese or if the process of making cheese cancels the benefits of grass fed?

Bottom line should I eat the stuff or not?

Are you supporting Brown Rice over white then? I’m concerned about the phytic acid in brown rice. And are you supporting gluten free grains as opposed to NO grains?

Why is nutmeg closer to Avoid?

Dave, First time visitor but it seems like some interesting ideas. My only issue would be the raw milk suggestion. To me, based on my understanding of current FDA research it wouldn’t be advisable for the population as a whole to consume raw milk as any potential contaminants would not be rendered harmless.

Cheese actually boosts “insulin sensitivity” and anti-inflammatory effects by constituent palmitoleic acid’s interaction with GPCR 120, like EPA and DHA. It mediates the effects through B-arrestin 2 in shutting down inflammatory protein transcription/translation and amplifies anti-inflammatory gene transcription. In addition, palmitoleic acid’s interaction causes GPCR 120 to activate Gq/11 to recruit GLUT 4 to the surface of the cell membrane, aiding in glucose disposal. However, to say that these fats aid in sensitivity is a bit of a far fetched claim by any study or scientist since EPA/DHA/Palmitoleic acids don’t increase the expression of Insulin recognizing RTKs. The confounding factor is that GLUT 4 expression is much greater in adipocytes (and myocytes), and hence blood sugar levels remain lower, and so the pancreas isn’t influxing glucose via GLUT 3, and thus is not creating ATP which acts to inhibit K+ efflux channels of Langerhans cells, which in turn then allows calcium to influx into the cells through channels to stimulate insulin (hence, insulin is not expressed so much like in type ii diabetes).

http://www.cell.com/abstract/S0092-8674%2810%2900888-3?switch=standard

http://pubmedcentralcanada.ca/pmcc/articles/PMC3419590/

I don’t know if there are other chemicals such as hydrogenates in pasteurized cheese that would support the claim, but the effects of palmitoleic acid and how they make up a significant amount of cheese is overwhelming. Just get a good brand of cheese, or ice cream if you’re actually going to have some fun (grass fed is best). Don’t throw cheese out the window, like other dairy . I do agree with claims against homogenized milk and yogurt, since their fats are definitely the most tampered with, and they do carry a lot of phytic acid.

Also, fiber actually increases expression of insulin, if there are carbohydrates present after fiber ferments into SCFA’s, as SCFA’s stimulate incretin GLP-1 and GIP synthesis via the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas by interacting with GPCR 40. Interestingly, w-3′s and palmitoleic acid actually stimulate GLP-1 synthesis as well by binding to GPCR 120, specifically expressed in the islets of Langerhans, so they also induce insulin expression- although I think the pros definitely outweigh the cons, as SCFAs have been shown to increase expression of leptin (which is conditionally good, pending on leptin sensitivity). I just thought I’d mention it- don’t forget to consider all the info available.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21607156

After two weeks following the Bulletproof diet, I have lost 12 pounds! But even more amazing to me is that I am sleeping better and no longer have IBS! Finally, life away from the toilet!! I have suffered from IBS for nearly 40 years – must have been all of that cereal! Thanks so much! PS love the coffee too!

I followed this ratio for about a month and felt awesome, and am looking to get back to it again. This time around I want to cut my fruit intake way down and add bulletproof coffee. My question is, is the coffee meant to replace breakfast? If not, what does your typical breakfast look like?

Thanks!

How do you cook meat to make it bulletproof?