Butter Up Your Coffee

First of all, this is definitely not vegan, but if you are vegan, you can still use half the recipe: just omit the butter! Now, here’s a trick I learned from a few of my health mentors. Being a professional athlete (snowboarder for 18 years) and pescatarian at that, I need to try all sorts of tricks to get enough calories and nutrition—in particular, healthy fats. Not being a doctor or nutritionist, I can only speak for the way it makes me feel and the suggestions and experiences of others. Healthy fats are crucial in muscle fuel, as important as protein, and in fact, some vitamins require fat to become bio-available and produce hormones as well as protect cells and joints from damage.

Enter coffee on another level.

Some people worry at first that this takes a bit of time. I assure you it takes about the same time as making toast and jam, but is much more beneficial. Also, the brands listed in the ingredients are merely suggestions; it’s the sources (grass fed, for instance) that are important.

Ingredients you need:

1. Decent brand coffee: I could get into all the different types, but let’s just start with your favorite reputable brand. Since this is going to be something like a supplement, let’s avoid discount brands. Look for single source coffee (Stumptown comes to mind)—anything not left to ferment in the sun for months at a time, which some brands do.
2. Grass-fed Butter: Butter from cows allowed to roam free and eat grass. My favorites are Kerrygold Irish butter or Lurpak as these contain healthy brown fats. I use two to four tablespoons but you can add according to your taste. *Brands are just suggestions.
3. Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil: Coconut contains the all-important medium chain fatty acids which help to maintain energy because monounsaturated fats benefit insulin levels and blood sugar control. You’ll want three tablespoons.

Directions:

Throw large chunks of butter and coconut oil in the brewed coffee and blend for a short period, using a spoon, blender, or Nutri Bullet, anything really.

Makes about 5 cups.

Bonus: you can add cinnamon or cacao if you want to customize the flavor, but I bet you'll dig it regardless.

I really enjoy turning my friends who have a hard time eating breakfast on to this. "I'm just not hungry when I wake up." Well after a few weeks, this will get your metabolic rate going and you'll wake up ready for that super coffee and a decent meal.

What you get is a latte type frothy mix. The reason for using these products and not milk or creamer is twofold: the added clean fats create a meal-like feeling, but most important to me is the energy you maintain. The fats trap the caffeine in your system for a slower burn off and resist the crash feeling you get. I no longer get shaky hands or the comedown headache.

Most people fear the word fat, but modern medicine and nutritionists are beginning to promote the need for these in your body. An easy way to understand is this: when a body is deprived of fat, it begins to store fat, fearing that you’re in a time of famine (a leftover protective device from early human society). When fats are introduced at a steady rate, the body allows it to be used in the proper manner. Also, without hormone-producing fats, your hormone levels decrease in turn, speeding up the aging process. Hydration works in a similar fashion.

I try to get all my friends and family to try this, so I'm very confident in the methodology. Try it once and you'll be hooked. Enjoy.