A summary of the nutritional essentials proposed by Dave Asprey in “The Bulletproof Diet” for living a long, healthy life at the highest level of performance.
This may seem like an exaggeration, but your diet is the foundation of not only your weight, but also your IQ, your stress level, your risk of disease, the rate at which you age, and even your willpower. How about improving in all of these areas simply by making better food choices? Well, when you start implementing the Bulletproof Diet, you'll see a difference in just weeks or days.
ABOUT DAVE ASPREY
Dave Asprey is a leading health visionary and a leader in the field of biohacking. As a bestselling author, international speaker, and successful entrepreneur, he has guided millions of people to improve their well-being, maximize their mental and physical performance, and achieve previously unimaginable levels of vitality.
Dave has been open about the health issues he experienced as a young man and how this is what led him to become an expert in the field of human optimization. In his mid-twenties he suffered from arthritis in his knees and chronic fatigue syndrome. He had a worrying hormonal imbalance with testosterone levels similar to those of a 60-year-old woman. He had begun to experience cognitive dysfunction and was diagnosed as being at high risk for a heart attack. He was pre-diabetic and felt terrible all the time.
Today, at almost 50 years old, he has demonstrated in various scientific studies that he has a biological age comparable to that of a teenager. This impressive feat challenges conventional notions about aging and highlights the importance of the practices he proposes.
INFLAMMATION, INFLAMMATION, INFLAMMATION
High levels of inflammation are the primary cause of most diseases. Cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes together account for nearly 70% of all deaths in the United States. The most common connection between all of these diseases is chronic inflammation. It is also linked to many autoimmune diseases and mental health issues.
According to David Perlmutter, a renowned American neurologist, if you ask someone on the street about depression, you’ll probably hear something like “it’s a chemical imbalance in the brain.” Well, I’m here to tell you that’s wrong. Two decades of scientific research highlight the role of chronic inflammation in mental illnesses, from depression to schizophrenia.
The worst part is that it tends to go unnoticed. For example, inflammation can affect mental acuity or mood long before it causes physical pain or any other kind of discomfort. Pay attention to things like brain fog, as they can be a sign of more serious, long-term problems.
Okay, so what is the main cause of this chronic inflammation?
Well, Dave has a “hit list” of foods that he claims are celiac-promoting. Gluten, for example, found in any food containing wheat, rye or barley, has been shown to not only affect individuals with celiac disease, but to cause intestinal inflammation in over 80% of people. So one of the simplest ways to combat inflammation is to eliminate, or at least reduce, wheat in your diet.
Wheat is no longer what it used to be, nor is it cooked after going through fermentation as our ancestors did.
Some common examples of foods that are derived from wheat are bread, cakes, cookies, and other baked goods. Pastas, such as noodles, spaghetti, and macaroni are another example. Even breakfast cereals can contain wheat as a main ingredient.
Other foods that fall on that “black list” are seed oils (corn, canola, sunflower, etc.). These oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids, which promote inflammation. If you add to this the refining process they undergo to be marketed, you will also be consuming an oil deficient in nutrients and high in trans fats and other harmful compounds. When it comes to oils, choose olive oil, coconut oil or avocado oil, always unprocessed… 100% virgin.
BLACK LIST OF FOODS
1. Ultra-processed foods (fast food, packaged foods, processed meats, jams).
2. Sugar (sweets, ice cream, fruit juices (natural or not), soft drinks, etc.).
3. Inflammatory fats (trans fats, hydrogenated oils, refined oils, seed oils).
4. Refined starches (bread, pasta, white rice, etc.).
5. Meat from industrially raised animals and vegetables that have been grown conventionally, where they are treated with pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Always opt for ORGANIC foods.
Disclaimer: In our modern society, the meat (chicken, pork, beef, etc.) that is part of most people’s diets comes from animals raised in industrial environments, where they have been fed grains and seeds (high levels of omega-6) and processed foods, instead of being fed grass (high levels of omega-3), without taking into account the administration of hormones and steroids that they receive as part of common practices used to promote their rapid growth. What does this mean? That these meats, as well as their fats, promote inflammation in our bodies. I repeat: always opt for ORGANIC meat.
DIET MYTHS
There are five fundamental elements that a diet should provide: energy for the brain, fuel for the body, nutrients for the cells, absence of unnecessary toxins, and, possibly most importantly, satiety. Yet, most low-calorie, low-fat diets fail to provide at least one of these aspects. In reality, many so-called “diet” foods contribute to the obesity epidemic in the Western world. Now, let’s explore the five most common myths in the diet industry and how the “Bulletproof Diet” addresses them.
1. A low-fat diet is healthy.
It is not, not at all. Your body requires fats to be able to perform at its best and live as long as possible. Let's pause here to clarify this:
We need fats for reproductive health, temperature regulation, brain function, and the absorption of vitamins A, E, D, and K. Fat helps build the outer lining of cells and makes up the bile acids needed to digest food. Additionally, several important hormones, including leptin, which promotes satiety, are made from saturated fats and cholesterol. Fat also forms the basis of the lining of nerves, allowing electricity to flow efficiently between them, and is essential for avoiding degenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
Saturated fat, in particular, is so important that your body turns carbohydrates into palmitate, a type of saturated fat, in order to survive. That's how crucial saturated fat is. Yet the myth that eating fat and cholesterol will make you fat and cause heart disease still persists. But research has shown that nothing could be further from the truth. The evidence is there, and the fats you eat that contain cholesterol are not the enemy, as we've been told.
On the other hand, when you consume enough of the right fats and little carbohydrate, your body learns to efficiently burn fat as fuel. Normally, your body converts carbohydrates into glucose, which your mitochondria then use to produce the energy you need. When you run out of carbs, you start converting fat into glycerol for that energy. The liver produces ketones as a byproduct of this fat metabolism, and your mitochondria burn those ketones instead of glucose in a much more efficient way of producing energy.
The balance of different types of fats you need to consume should look something like this: 50% saturated fats (coconut oil, butter, grass-fed animal fat, etc.), 30% monounsaturated fats (avocado, olive oil, nuts, etc.), 20% polyunsaturated fats (omega-6 and omega-3).
Disclaimer: Omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are essential for the human body. Both! Omega-6s tend to promote inflammation, which is beneficial in certain contexts such as in response to injury, infection, or tissue damage. On the other hand, omega-3s have anti-inflammatory properties. It just so happens that it is IMPOSSIBLE not to consume omega-6s, because they are present in a wide variety of common foods, which often leads to an imbalance between the two fatty acids. The usual imbalance in favor of omega-6s triggers a state of chronic inflammation. This is why there is so much emphasis on restricting omega-6 sources while simultaneously increasing omega-3 sources.
2. Eating fats will make you fat.
Fat is not responsible for weight gain. Insulin resistance and metabolic problems resulting mainly from carbohydrate (sugars and starches) consumption are.
3. Everything that is natural is good.
Definitely not. Not all “natural” foods are created equal.
How many times have you been told to eat more fruits and vegetables? It almost seems like fruits and vegetables are one word. However, from a nutritional standpoint, fruits and vegetables have about as little in common as fish and bicycles. The health benefits of fruits are often touted as “nature’s candy,” but the truth is that fruits share more similarities with candy than they do with vegetables.
Fruits contain a small amount of fiber and a lot of sugar, while vegetables are extremely low in sugar and extremely high in fiber. Therefore, they do not affect our body in the same way. Vegetables are BENEFICIAL! Fruits, not so much. The levels of glucose and fructose in fruits are high and constitute a health risk if not consumed in moderation.
4. Coffee is bad.
No, coffee is not bad. If consumed appropriately, it can be an important ally. The problem is when people use it to compensate for a lack of rest, as an “energy drink,” which can be harmful rather than beneficial. As a general rule, don’t consume it within 8 hours of going to bed, or as soon as you wake up. Ideally, you should have your first coffee about 60 to 90 minutes after waking up, to give your adenosine (sleep-regulating molecule) levels time to fully decrease. Otherwise, you may experience drowsiness later in the day.
Dave talks a lot about what he calls “bulletproof coffee.” This basically involves mixing one or two teaspoons of grass-fed butter and one or two teaspoons of coconut oil into your coffee. This will give you a sustained energy boost, increased mental clarity, and a long-lasting feeling of satiety due to the presence of healthy fats.
5. Salt is a dangerous substance.
Salt (sodium) plays an extremely important role in a number of vital functions of the body, including hydration. When you understand its importance and start supplying your body with sufficient amounts, you begin to feel much better: your muscles tone up, migraines and cramps go away, your cognitive ability improves and your energy soars.
For years, salt has been blamed for hypertension problems, when the real culprits are sugar, refined carbohydrates and bad lifestyle habits such as a sedentary lifestyle and lack of quality sleep. It is true that sodium can retain fluids, which does not favor high blood pressure. However, not consuming it is just putting a band-aid on hypertension, while further damaging your health due to its deficiency. Hypertension should not be controlled, but eradicated through a healthy lifestyle sustained over time.
Again, sodium deficiency is harmful. Salting your food to taste should not be a problem.
Note: Make sure you are consuming natural salts such as unrefined sea salt, instead of regular table salt (processed and with added chemicals). No need to explain why.
BULLETPROOF DIET
So how exactly should you eat? Ideally, you'll want to combine periods of low-carb consumption, where you focus on consuming plenty of vegetables, healthy fats (accounting for around 70% of total calories), and protein, with periods of moderate-carb consumption (constituting around 30% of total calories). You can organize your days of the week so that you have 4-5 days without carbs and 2-3 days with moderate carb consumption.
Unlike a ketogenic diet, which aims to maintain a constant state of ketosis (burning fat as the primary source of energy), the “bulletproof diet” proposes moderate carbohydrate intake every few days to obtain real benefits. During ketogenic days, the body adapts to burning fat, which promotes decreased body fat, appetite control, increased insulin sensitivity and improved metabolic health. On the other hand, the days when you add carbohydrates allow the glycogen to recharge in the muscles and liver, further optimizing your metabolism and overall performance.
SUPPLEMENTATION
Dave says, “After a decade leading a nonprofit health institute in Silicon Valley and working at Bulletproof, working with countless doctors who use supplements with their patients, and trying virtually every option available on the planet, I believe these are the 10 most important supplements most people should be taking to improve their diets and achieve optimal performance.”
TOP 10 supplements:
- Vitamin D3 & K2
- Magnesium (glycinate or citrate)
- Omega 3 (Krill oil)
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Iodine
- Selenium
- Copper
- Vitamin B12
- Folate
CONCLUDING
Ultimately, adopting a “bulletproof” mindset is like tuning a precious instrument: we optimize every string, every note, and every chord to achieve a perfect symphony. That symphony is our life experience. Become the composer of yours, combining science and common sense to live a long life full of vitality, efficiency, and success in every aspect.
Remember that every choice you make brings you one step closer or further away from your desired destination; it invites you to experience a painful future or pushes you to reach your full potential and live in a resilient, empowered and, without a doubt, bulletproof way.