The Bulletproof Diet Roadmap: A Path to Longevity
“How you do anything is how you do everything ”
I get asked via social media and in person all the time: “Josh, what do you eat on a regular basis?”
The truth is, in order to lose and maintain weight-loss, you have to be consistent.
Before i begin this post, as a caveat:
- I'm not normal. I have many food intolerance's which many of you may, or may not have -- It's all personal.
- If I go off-track with my diet, it will almost always show immediately. Thus, the reason for my passion about wellness and understanding what works and what doesn't.
Phew! Now that's out the way...
If you struggle to lose weight or are intolerant to most food (like me), you have to follow a protocol. I find that by eating the same variation of regular meals throughout the week is a guarantee that I will keep my body fat % in check.
The Bulletproof Diet Roadmap shows you exactly where you are eating on a spectrum that ranges from Red (bad) to Green (good).
Here is the PDF download for you people: https://blog.bulletproof.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/BulletproofRoadmap_Rebrand_outlined.pdf
If you are in the “red zone," you are exposing yourself to toxic food that can be kryptonite for 99% of the worlds population. It's highly advisable to stay away from the "red zone" at all times if you want to live a Bulletproof life.
If you are eating in the “yellow zone," you are exposing yourself to foods that, while may not be the most toxic, for some people they can cause issues.
The “green zone” is where you will find my diet most of the time. The “green zone” is where you are guaranteeing yourself a positive ROI in terms of your diet and health.
The reason I identify myself as following a Bulletproof Diet compared to a Ketogenic, Banting or even Paleo diet at times, is that the Bulletproof Diet gets specific -- Bulletproof outlines the recommended cooking method and stresses high quality, local, grass-fed and pasture raised produce.
This detailed approach to eating appeals to me, but I do understand for some it may seem complicated. However, once you understand the fundamentals, chances are you will never need a nutritionist in your life.
For some, this can be seen as a limitation because you may not have time to follow the Bulletproof Diet Roadmap entirely, but then I would say rather compromise on quality by cooking your food correctly.
In a perfect world, when I think of being “Bulletproof,” I picture living in a small Alaskan fishing village in a wooden house, eating freshly caught wild salmon and slow-cooking it in a wood fire oven -- ah, a man can only dream.
Below I have outlined what I consume on a regular basis within the Bulletproof Diet Roadmap.
Beverages
This is where the majority will fail when it comes to dieting. Liquid calories from drinks filled with sugar is everyone's kryptonite.
Unless it’s cheat day and I feel like a dirty, sugar-laden milkshake from Craft, I tend to consume 2 beverages during the week; mainly, water and coffee.
I try and drink plenty of water -- at least 2 liters daily. Famous YouTuber, Shay Carl, said “The secret of life is hidden behind the word cliché.” I couldn’t agree more, as cliche as it sounds, drinking water is an incremental step in the right direction that could be the lead domino for most of the "healthy" choices you may face.
Due to the fact that I follow a low-carb diet, my body will lose vast amounts of water.
This is a common mistake when people switch from a glucose-based diet to low-carb. The body will not “hold” water when you are in ketosis or simply fat-adapted. It’s also a reason you can lose up to, or gain for that matter, 3-4 kg in one day.
I usually start my day with Bulletproof Coffee and drink black coffee throughout the day after that. Bulletproof Coffee keeps me satiated for long periods of time that demand both physical and mental energy.
Veggies
My two go-to veggies straight out the block are cauliflower and broccoli. It can get super boring sometimes but I try and use different methods of cooking and spices to change up the taste.
Naturally, my carbs will come from my veggies — unless I’m re-feeding, in which case, I prefer sweet potato.
Oils and Fats
I cook with coconut oil almost daily and use Brain Octane or MCT oil in my Bulletproof Coffeee.
Nuts and Legumes
I’m not a huge fan of legumes or nuts -- however, I will often have a teaspoon of nutbutter before a hard workout.
Dairy
Mainly grass-fed butter, ghee and occasionally full-fat unsweetened yogurt or raw cream from grass-fed cows -- treat yo' self.
Protein
I try and limit my protein intake to the bare minimum I think my body needs. Having said that, I couldn't think of a more beneficial macro nutrient for fat loss and muscle growth than a juicy steak or grilled lamb chops from grass-fed animals.
I also enjoy salmon, although, we can't get wild-caught salmon here in South Africa (that I know of). Farmed salmon tend to have many toxins present within the intramuscular-fat, so choosing salmon with thin fat layers is a wise choice.
Another awesome nutrient dense fat/protein bomb are eggs. I try and purchase pasture-rasied eggs and I will have roughly 3 every day.
Starch
I usually don't eat much starch, this is a personal preference, however.
Butternut on the odd occasion does find it's way into my food. I also enjoy sweet potato at least once a week and white rice on the rare occasion.
Fruit
I’m not sure where fruit actually fits into a "healthy diet," but that's an argument for another day.
Put simply, as Tim Ferriss explains in The 4-Hour Body: Fruit gets converted to Glycerol phosphate quicker than any other carbohydrate, which turns to Triglycerides by the liver, which then leads to...wait for it....Fat Storage. YAY!
If I am craving nectar of the Gods, I usually indulge in some blueberries and coconut cream.
Spices and Flavourings
Sea salt, apple cider vinegar, turmeric, rosemary and black pepper are my favourites.
Sweeteners
I don’t trust sweeteners, but currently I am experimenting with stevia. Stevia is known to not "kick" you out of ketosis which can be a game changer considering most sweeteners will even though they have little to no energy value.
Sweeteners are also known to affect your gut bacteria, which explains why consuming diet coke can cause weight gain despite having little caloric content.
Cooking
Ideally, you would want to eat your food raw to avoid damaging dense nutrients — but, even my crazy ass can’t handle certain food raw, so the next best thing is cooking slow and for a longer period of time.
I cook at 180 degrees Celsius (350F). I will also frequently steam my veggies and poach my eggs to avoid damaging the proteins inside the yolk.
If you have a look at the top right of the map, you can see three strategies to navigating the Bulletproof Diet Roadmap. Most of the time I follow the Bulletproof Intermittent Fasting protocol. This is where I will typically consume my last meal around 8pm the night before, and only have my next meal around 2pm the following day. This may seem extreme, but you are allowed Bulletproof Coffee first thing in the morning for “breakfast.”
The high fat content of the Bulletproof Coffee should keep you going a couple of hours. If you still find you can’t intermittent fast just yet, pair the Bulletproof Coffee with a high protein breakfast like an omelette with bacon and avocado.
There is also a day of no protein. Protein fasting gives your liver a break and also flushes toxins out your body. I usually do a protein fast on a Sunday or Monday.
Once again I would just like to say thank you for the support, it means the world to me.
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If you are interested to be coached complimentary for around 15 minutes, please contact me.
Proost! Have an awesome week.
“BE YOURSELF. BE PRESENT. BE BOUNDLESS.”