Book Review: The Bulletproof Diet by Dave Asprey

 The  Bulletproof Diet Book & Cookbook with Bulletproof Coffee

If you’ve read any of my book reviews, you know that I at least read about nearly every new health-related topic that comes along – especially those that have to do with nutrition and how food can help improve your life and health.

I don’t, personally, follow any one particular regime. Rather, I glean knowledge from various authors, experts, nutritionists, and physicians and apply what I learn to my life. For example, I have to eat gluten-free for health reasons, but (like some in the gluten free crowd) I don’t follow the Paleo diet. However, I DO read a lot about the Paleo diet and have applied a few things to my own diet.

Knowledge is power and the more you read, the more knowledge you attain.

I think everyone should read a wide variety of books dealing with nutrition and healthy eating and, maybe, even try out a few programs for themselves. Everyone’s body is different and what one body responds to, another may not. The thing is, no one can dictate what will work for you, simply because it works for them. That’s why it’s wisest to do your own research and, in the end, find what works for you and your body…. even if it winds up being a combination of 3 or 4 different programs.

I just finished reading Dave Asprey’s The Bulletproof Diet, as well as his cookbook Bulletproof: The Cookbook. I’ve been enjoying Bulletproof Coffee in the morning and have tried a few of the wonderful recipes in, both, the book and the cookbook. I am in love with the recipes, as well as the bulletproof coffee – but given the fact that butter is one of my favorite food groups, this isn’t surprising.

I want to say, right up front, that I do not adhere religiously to this program – so I cannot accurately give you any statistics, good or bad. I simply want to introduce you to the books and allow you to make up your own mind, whether or not they are right for you.

First off, why do I not follow this program religiously? Several reasons – as the proud owner of a hiatal hernia, I have to eat small meals throughout the day.  Furthermore, meat (especially red meat) is not something I handle particularly well. I digest other forms of protein better and actually prefer sticking to fish primarily.

Compounding the issue, I have low blood sugar and “fasting” for any period of time spells Trouble for me, with a capital T.

Even on a non-health-related plane, I enjoy cooking and, if we’re being honest, I enjoy eating a wide variety of foods. Parting ways with many are simply something I can’t see, personally, doing.  I guess you’d expect a food blogger to hold on pretty tightly to her essentials.

However,  you (along with countless others) may fall head over heels in love with this program. You may be able to follow it to the letter and it could, quite possibly, be just the thing you’ve been looking for to lose weight and feel better.  My own personal belief (for what it’s worth!) is this:  if you have a significant amount of weight to lose, you are presently living in a “high risk” condition. Extra weight carries with it an increased risk for just about every disease you can think of.

Drastic situations often call for drastic solutions. If you’ve tried to lose weight and simply can’t seem to, the Bulletproof Diet may be for you. At the very least, it’s worth trying.

What is the Bulletproof Diet?

The Bulletproof Diet’s cornerstone is to get 50 to 60% of your daily calories from healthy fats (such as coconut oil, avocado, and grass-fed and/or pastured animals), 20% from protein, and the remaining 20 to 30% from vegetables.

Grains, legumes, pasteurized dairy, industrially raised meats, sodas/juices/bottled tea, farmed seafood, dried fruit, and anything fried or cooked in a microwave are to be avoided.

If you click here, you can gain access to more information about what The Bulletproof Diet considers good, okay, and toxic. I could, of course, go into all of the ins and outs right here, but I feel that’s best left to the experts and we’ve already established that I’m not one.

{Review Continued Below…}

Who is Dave Asprey?

In his midtwenties, Dave Asprey was a successful Silicon Valley multimillionaire. He also weighed 300 pounds, despite the fact that he was doing what doctors recommended: eating 1,800 calories a day and working out 90 minutes a day, six times a week.
When his excess fat started causing brain fog and food cravings sapped his energy and willpower, Asprey turned to the same hacking techniques that made his fortune to “hack” his own biology, investing more than $300,000 and 15 years to uncover what was hindering his energy, performance, appearance, and happiness. From private brain EEG facilities to remote monasteries in Tibet, through radioactive brain scans, blood chemistry work, nervous system testing, and more, he explored traditional and alternative technologies to reach his physical and mental prime. The result? The Bulletproof Diet, an anti-inflammatory program for hunger-free, rapid weight loss and peak performance.
The Bulletproof Diet will challenge―and change―the way you think about weight loss and wellness. You will skip breakfast, stop counting calories, eat high levels of healthy saturated fat, work out and sleep less, and add smart supplements.
In doing so, you’ll gain energy, build lean muscle, and watch the pounds melt off. By ditching traditional “diet” thinking, Asprey went from being overweight and sick in his twenties to maintaining a 100-pound weight loss, increasing his IQ, and feeling better than ever in his forties. The Bulletproof Diet is your blueprint to a better life.

Quick Takeaways

• Each recipe I’ve tried has been delicious – I don’t follow the plan religiously, as I said, but I will always use these recipes. Anyone who reads my food blog knows that I collect cookbooks and this cookbook has become an instant classic in my kitchen. I’ll actually be writing a cookbook review on the food blog for this cookbook because I think that highly of it. The compound butters are absolutely addictive – if all I actually got from buying both of these books were the compound butter recipes, it’d have been worth it! The Cilantro Lime Butter is everything that’s beautiful and delicious in this world.
• Reading The Bulletproof Diet has REALLY opened my eyes to the differences in grass fed beef and butter and the ones that I (admittedly) have always bought. Make that – the ones I used to buy. The information is invaluable and will change how you shop for groceries.
• There’s no getting around it – this is a costly diet. Anyone who reviews The Bulletproof Diet will tell you that your grocery bill will go up significantly. To which, I’m certain, you could counter with “You can’t put a price on health.” And, again, if you have a significant amount of weight to lose, I can see the truth in this. If you commit to buying better food and putting only the healthiest products into your body, your body will reward you with better health, more energy, and an improved overall quality of life. Some costs are worth it. Besides, if necessity dictates it, cut back in other areas – like eating out or Starbucks.
• If you have a significant amount of weight to lose, this is something you might want to look into.

Reviews of The Bulletproof Diet

After I read the book, myself, I read some online reviews of The Bulletproof Diet.  You can find scathing reviews and you can find glowing reviews. You can find reviews from individuals who tried it for days and those who stuck it out for weeks.

You can find reviews where the reviewer’s biggest concern is the cost of grass-fed beef  – they say that if they’re going to pay that much for food, they want to see a lot more weight loss than they’re seeing.

On the flip side, you can find reviews where people say they lost weight and feel better than they’ve ever felt in their life.

I would be the sort of person to argue with someone’s opinion – after all, it’s THEIR opinion! – however, if you see reviews where people say the taste of grass-fed beef is bad, trust me, they simply aren’t trying hard enough.  If you season the beef, use an iron skillet (not a necessity, but it’s how I roll), and give it a few stellar co-stars (guacamole, pico de gallo or a compound butter) – it’s positively delicious. If you’re accustomed to really fatty meat, you may just need to give your taste buds time to catch up with your good sense. They’ll come around.

Another “con” I see mentioned in negative reviews are that the program is not “sustainable.” that it is not something that could be sustained for long periods of time. Frankly, no one else can make that determination for you. You have to try it for yourself. You are not them and they are not you.

After all, if you try this diet and feel better than, say, you have in 10 years… my guess is it’ll be sustainable for you.

Again, I just want to say that my own personal health issues prevent me from following this diet “to a T.” However, I have taken many, many things from the book’s pages and am applying them with resounding success. As for the Bulletproof Coffee, I’d pity the individual that tried to take that away from me!

I believe a lot of people go into books or new experiences one of two ways:

• … with a closed mind. “I am not going to like this… let me find what I hate about it”
• … with an over-zealous mind. “This is the answer to every question I ever had! Even the ones I haven’t had yet! … let me find what I love bout it…”

While I’d rather hang out with someone from the latter camp (I think), neither one is on steady footing. Each type is too ready to jump in or jump out.

Sometimes you just have to stand still and use the brain God gave you.

Bottom line? You simply have to do the research for yourself – which is the number one thing I come away with after reading this book. Am I glad I read The Bulletproof Diet? Yes!

Am I thrilled with the cookbook? You bet!

Is this a reasonably sustainable program for me to follow? No…. because of my body, not my brain.

Is this a reasonably sustainable program for you to follow? Maybe. Maybe not. Only you can answer that.

I have learned a lot from the books and will apply what I’ve learned to future shopping and cooking. I recommend reading both of these books, and then deciding, for yourself, how to apply the wealth of information you’ll have at the end. They make absolutely fascinating reads and the recipes are knock outs.

You can find Dave Asprey’s The Bulletproof Diet, as well as his cookbook Bulletproof: The Cookbook, on Amazon.

You can also find more information on The Bullet Proof Diet’s Official Website.

P.S. Bulletproof Coffee is all kinds of AMAZING!

~ Joi (“Joy”)