QUICK TIPS
- The diet in a nutshell: Avoid sugars, get most of your calories from healthy fats, eliminate grains (with the exception of white rice) and grain-derived oils and gluten, switch to grass-fed meats and butter, eat organic fruits and vegetables (limiting fruit to 1–2 servings per day) and cook food gently, if at all. Shoot for 50–60% of your daily calories from healthy fats, 20% from protein, and the rest from vegetables.
- Drink Bulletproof Coffee as a replacement for breakfast. This will help you curb cravings until a late lunch. (Instructions for brewing your own Bulletproof coffee or tea are below).
- Buy the book. This diet is based on the upcoming book from Dave Asprey. You can get exclusive bonuses if you pre-order the book now.
- Track the diet on Coach.me. You’ll get help from the community of others working on the plan in the Q&A section on Coach.me.
- Hire an accountability coach. Invest in your success with 1-on-1 coaching through Coach.me. All these coaches are experienced with the diet and can help you optimize the diet for your life.
WHY IS THIS DIET HEALTHY?
The Bulletproof Diet is an anti-inflammatory program for hunger-free, rapid weight loss and peak performance. It was developed by biohacker Dave Asprey based on research findings that that challenge conventional dieting advice. You can get details about the research supporting the diet and download a detailed one page PDF of the Bulletproof Diet Roadmap for a complete explanation here (you need to give your email address, but it’s worth it).
WHAT CAN YOU EAT?
1. Eliminate sugar (including fruit juices and sports drinks that contain HFCS, honey, and agave). Any fruits or desserts (like raw honey) are best saved for late in the evening.
2. Replace the sugar calories with healthy fats from such as grass-fed butter, ghee, or organic coconut oil or unheated oils like Olive Oil. Bulletproof also sells their own specially optimized healthy fats: Brain Octane™ and Upgraded™ XCT oil. When cooking, use a small amount of oil at the beginning, and more at the end to avoid excess oxidation of the fats.
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.
6A. Focus on grass fed. Eliminating toxins in order to reduce inflammation and improve cognitive function is an important part of this diet.
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 beef, eggs and some pork, chickens, turkeys, and ducks.
10. Switch to organic fruits and vegetables. This is more important for some plants than others. Avocados and guacamole are awesome! 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.
Bulletproof Coffee
Many dieters include a Bulletproof Coffee to start their day. This is a coffee or tea (white or green) mixed with grass-fed unsalted butter and MCT oil.
This coffee gives you an immediate cognitive benefit, along with the option of fasting through the morning meal (here are instructions for combining the Bullet Proof diet with intermittent fasting).
To make the coffee or tea on your own, start with the highest quality coffee you can find, or a white or green tea. Then mix in at least two tablespoons of Kerrygold butter and two more tablespoons of MCT Oil.
Bulletproof Diet approved foods
Think of these in terms of Bad, Better, and Best. You’re not a failure if you don’t make perfect choices (source).
Protein
Diving in deep
- Grass-fed beef
- Grass-fed lamb
- Pastured Eggs
- Protein powders
- Hydrolyzed collagenColostrumBeef Plasma/Serum
- Whey protein concentrate
- Low mercury fish
- Anchovies, Haddock, Patrale, sole, sardines, sockeye salmon, summer flounder, TilapiaTrout
Wading
- Pastured pork
- Pastured chicken
- Pastured turkey
- Pastured duck
- Pastured goose
- Whey protein isolate
Getting your toes wet
- High mercury or farmed seafood
- Factory farmed eggs and meat
Don’t do it!
- Soy protein
- Wheat protein
- Beans
- Cheese
- Other pasteurized or cooked dairy(except butter)
Oils and Fats
Diving in deep
- Grass-fed butter
- Grass-fed Ghee
- Pastured egg yolks
- Grass-fed meat fat
- Fish oils
- Coconut oil
- MCT oil
- non-gmo soy lecithin
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Chocolate butter
- Cocoa butter
- Avacado oil
Wading
- Palm oil
- Pastured Bacon fat
- Grain-fed butter
- Grain-fed ghee
- unheated almond oil
- unheated hazelnut oil
- unheated walnut oil
Getting your toes wet
- Duck fat
- Goose fat
- Canola oil
- Corn oil
- Cottonseed oil
- Flax oil
- Peanut oil
- Soy and vegetable oil
- Chicken fat
- Safflower oil
- Sunflower oil
Don’t do it!
- Margarine
- Other artificial trans fats
- Oils made from GMO grains
- Commercial lard
Veggies
Diving in deep
- Avacados
- Cilantro
- Olives
- Parsley
- Bok choy
- Brussels Sprouts
- Collards
- Cooked spinach
- Kale
- Asparagus
- Brocolli
- Cabbages
- Cauliflower
- Carrots
- Celery
- Cucumber
- Dark Lettuces
- Fennel
- Radish
- Artichokes
- Green beans
- Summer Squashes
- Zucchini
Wading
- Eggplant
- Peppers
- Tomatoes
- Garlic
- Onion
Getting your toes wet
- Beets
- Corn(fresh on the cob)
- Peas
- Plantains
- Sweet Potatoes
- Winter Squashes
- Yams
Don’t do it!
- Potatoes
- Mushrooms
- Canned Vegetables
Fruits
Diving in deep
Low-sugar fruit like:
- Blackberry
- Cranberry
- Grapefruit
- Lemon
- Lime
- Passion Fruit
- Rasberry
- Strawberry
Wading
Average-sugar fruit:
- Apple
- Apricot
- Blueberry
- Cantaloupe
- Cherry
- Kiwi
- Nectarine
- Orange
- Papaya
- Peach
- Pear
- Pinapple
- Plum
Getting your toes wet
High-sugar fruit:
- Banana
- Dates
- Grapes
- Guava
- Fig
- Lychee
- Mango
- Melon
- Persimmon
- Pomegranate
- Tangerine
- Raisins
- Dried fruits
Don’t do it!
- Canned fruit
Nuts and legumes
Diving in deep
- Coconut Raw only:
- Almonds
- Brazil nuts
- Cashews
- Hazelnuts
- Macadamia nuts
- Pecans
- Pine nuts
- Pistachios
- Walnuts
Wading
- Raw Chestnuts
- Sprouted legumes
- Green beans
Getting your toes wet
- Garbanzo beans
- Peas
- Peanuts
- Dried beans
- Lentils
Don’t do it!
- Non-fermented soy
- Soy “nuts”
- Corn “nuts”
- Roasted nuts
- Roasted legumes
Grains
Diving in deep
- None
Wading
- Brown rice
- Black rice
- Wild rice
- White rice
- Organic quinoa
- Oats
Getting your toes wet
- Organic corn
- Organic wheat
Don’t do it!
- Any non-organic refined or whole grain except rice
- GMO grain
Dairy
Diving in deep
- Organic grass-fed butter
- Organic grass-fed ghee(clarified butter)
- Non-organic grass-fed butter
- Non-organic grass-fed ghee
- Grass-fed full-fat raw organic milk (not pasteurized and only if tolerated)
- Grass-fed full-fat raw organic cream (not pasteurized and only if tolerated)
- Grass-fed full-fat raw organic yogurt(not pasteurized and only if tolerated)
Wading
- Grain-fed non-organic raw milk (if tolerated)
- Grain-fed butter or ghee
- Organic pasteurized milk
- Non-organic pasteurized milk
- Any cheese (dairy or not)
Getting your toes wet
- Skim milk or Lowfat milk products
- Cheese with mold (bleu cheese)
Don’t do it!
- Any Dairy from factory farms
- Any Dairy from farms using rBGH
- Powdered milk
- Condensed milk
- Ice cream
Spices and flavorings
Diving in deep
- Apple cider vinegar
- Sea salt
- Ginger
- Cilantro
- Parsley
- Oregano
- Tumeric
- Rosemary
- Lavendar
- Thyme
- Cinnamon
- All-spice
- Cloves
Wading
- Organic-prepared mustard(with no additives)
- Garlic
- Onion
- Black pepper
Getting your toes wet
- Fermented soy
- Tamari
- Miso
- Nutmeg
- Table salt (pure sodium)
Don’t do it!
- Commercial salad dressings
- Yeast
- Spice extracts
- “Spices”
- “Flavoring”
- MSG
Sweetners and sugars
Diving in deep
- Xylitol
- Stevia
- Maltitol
- Other sugar alcohols
- Dextrose
Wading
- Raw honey
- Sorbitol
- Maple syrup
- Coconut sugar
- Brown sugar
Getting your toes wet
- Cooked honey
- White sugar
Don’t do it!
- Aspartame(nutrasweet)
- Sucralose(splenda)
- Acelsulfame
- Agave syrup
- High-fructose corn syrup
- Fruit juice concentrate
Cooking
Diving in deep
- Raw / Not cooked
- Lightly heated
- Steamed al dente
- Baked at 350• or below
Wading
- Boiled
- Poached
- Lightly grilled(not charred)
Getting your toes wet
- Broiled
- Barbequed
Don’t do it!
- Burnt
- Blackened
- Charred
- Deep Fried
- Microwaved
MORE TIPS
- In the morning, have Bulletproof Coffee and wait to eat later in the day.
- Wait until lunch to eat again, have a moderate amount of protein with vegetables and healthy fats. Save starches and other carbohydrates for dinner with some more protein.If you choose to have fruit, try having it late in the day, right before going to bed.
- The Bulletproof Diet is a spectrum. You’re not a failure if you don’t make perfect choices. Check in on your Coach.me Dashboard on any day you eat above the yellow section of the infographic.
- Soup is a great lunch option. Cook vegetables, add butter, Brain Octane Oil, spices, and blend! Put it in a Thermos if taking to the office.
- In addition to Bulletproof coffee, you can have teas, water, soda water. Some adherents like to add Himalayan salt to water in the morning for its effects on the adrenals.
- For eating out, try sushi with Brain Octane, or choose a good restaurant w/grass-fed beef (order a grass-fed burger without bun). You find more restaurant tips here.
- If traveling, you may want to bring grass-fed butter or ghee to add to veggies.
- For snacks, try eggs, sardines, high quality organic chocolate. You can mix Bulletproof collagen protein to Bulletproof coffee or other beverages.
- Save money: if you have freezer space, buy bulk meat from a local grass-fed beef rancher. Buy quality meat to cook at home rather than eating out. Use frozen veggies which you can buy in quantity.
- Don’t worry about calories. Follow the food guidelines on the infographic and you will be satisfied without being stuffed.
YOU’RE READY TO GO!
Good luck on your diet. Here are some final tips:
- Remember to track your progress on Coach.me. Download Lift on your iPhone, Android phone, or web browser.
- Fill out this quick survey to help us improve this guide. You can also leave specific comments/tips using Medium’s comment feature.
- Order The Bulletproof Diet book for in-depth details about the diet plan and follow the Bulletproof Blog for more high-performance tips.
- Get answers to specific questions in the Q&A area of the diet plan on Coach.me.
Many thanks to our content partner Bulletproof for helping us write this guide.
