Ever heard of blending butter & MCT oil with your coffee? Of course, at this point just about everyone and their Mom has. More importantly… have you tried it? Adding butter to your coffee could once be called a trend, but has certainly proven itself with the test of time.

Keep reading if you’re curious about upgrading your morning coffee ritual, or if you simply have yet to try this super satisfying high-fat breakfast option…

➕ “Bulletproof” style drinks are far from a new idea

Ancient Ethiopians would consume a concoction of ghee and coffee before battle; Tibetans have long consumed strong pu’erh tea mixed with fermented yak butter to sustain the exertion of living and farming at such high altitudes. In India some farmer’s opt for a delicious brewed tea mixed with ghee and Ayurvedic herbs to start their long days of working outdoors.

➕ Find beans worth fasting for!

Freshness is paramount in my mind when your mission is to create the perfect cuppa. To source the best beans, find a boutique roaster in your region that roasts small batches of coffee very frequently. Secondly, talk to the barista about their sourcing practices. Single origin or single estate beans are less likely to contain mycotoxins, as the coffee is sourced from one location. Next, check what elevation the beans were grown at. Higher than 1000 miles above sea level can also reduce the risk of these contaminants. High mycotoxin content has been associated with the increased anxiety and jitters that some report from consuming coffee.

➕ Cover Your Bases

A few equally delicious alternative liquids to base your drink around include:

• Organic Black or Green tea: Try to source these from a reputable grower that will be less likely to contain mycotoxins.

• Chaga tea: Has a rich, dark flavour that imitates coffee beautifully. Chaga is packed with antioxidant content, is an immune modulator and naturally caffeine-free.

• Raw Cacao: While not a tea per se, cacao has easily enough flavour to keep things interesting not to mention a nice little boost of energy from theobromine. For the best flavour and mouth feel, use a combination of cacao paste and powder. You could also get real fancy and try using Cacao shell tea.

➕ All About Healthy Fats

MCT oil is wonderful, yet it is a pricey and niche ingredient. Feel free to substitute with regular coconut oil.

Grass fed butter is delicious and will make for the most filling option. Ghee has a wonderful flavour for Bulletproof style drinks and can be used as a butter substiture if lactose sensitivity exists.

Cacao butter, coconut butter or a scoop of hemp seeds can be another excellent complement to the other fats being used. Have fun! Play around with the ratio of different fat sources that keeps you feeling satisfied.

➕ A Little Extra Something

Does your medicine cabinet sit full of unused supplements, purchased in a moment of temporary enthusiasm and then, despite the best intentions, forgotten? Enter your fat coffee elixir. Provided the supplement or herb in questions doesn’t have too strong a taste, pop a few of these into your next hot drink to find your own combinations.

Some of my favorite additions to get you started:

• Calcium powder – To support bone health

• Magnesium – To support muscles and the function of the nervous system

• Vitamin D3 – To support bone density, mood and hormone balance

• Vitamin K2 – To help allocate minerals, including Calcium and Magnesium, properly into the bones and teeth

• L-Theanine – Can assist with the regulation of energy from caffeine to avoid jitters or overstimulation

• Aswaghanda – Hormone balance, adrenal support and healthy energy levels

• Rhodiola – Blood oxygenation, adrenal support and healthy energy levels

• Probiotics – Sneaking in some probiotics can be great if swallowing capsules is an issue

• Inulin powder – A prebiotic fibre source which serves as a food to beneficial gut bacteria and doubles as a mild sweetener

• Medicinal mushrooms – Immune support and adrenal health

• Collagen peptides – To support skin, joint, hair and nail health

➕ A Spoonful of “Sugar”

Another common myth about fat coffee I hear is that you can’t add sugar. While this is technically true, as the idea is not to spike blood sugar levels, there are a few choice sugar-free options:

1) Xylitol: Xylitol is a sugar alcohol from birch trees and provides an excellent option if you’re looking for a little sweetness. Xylitol is not be over-consumed, as this can lead to digestive distress, but a few teaspoons goes a long way. Added bonus of dopeness: xylitol naturally inhibits the growth of cavity causing bacteria.

2) Stevia drops: Stevia is derived from a South American plant that is naturally far sweeter than sugar. It can have a grassy, bitter taste due to being an herb so look for a high quality extract as opposed to the green leaf stevia powder, at least for using in hot drinks. Now Foods makes a variety of great liquid options, which can be found in many health food shops.

3) Monk Fruit: Used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, also known as luo han guo, monk fruit is an amazing no-sugar sweetener. It does not have a bitter aftertaste that some people notice with Stevia drops. Sweet Monk drops are easily the best ones I’ve ever tried.

I hope that this guide has inspired you to try out your very own version of fat coffee. Remember there’s no wrong way, just keep experimenting until you create something worth fasting for!

Happy Sipping.

Let today be the day you give up who you’ve been for who you can become.

Hal Elrod

What does the ideal morning look like?

In a perfect world, we’re all waking up from a restful sleep with no alarm… luxuriating for an hour with an invigorating yoga practice, some journaling and more than enough time to make a delicious home-cooked breakfast.

Yet more often than not we find ourselves rushing out of the house, scrambling for enough time to grab a bagel and brew coffee.

Observing the morning rituals of ultra successful coaches, nutritionists and entrepreneurs is one of my greatest fascinations. Having looked so deeply into this topic, I noticed so many common themes among those from all walks of life and different professions. I compiled these strategies below as the most valuable and time tested additions to help improve your morning hours!

Do you ever wonder how certain people seem capable of simply doing more, when we all technically have the same number of hours in a day?

It’s a simple matter of getting clear on our priorities, which is intricately connected to how we choose to begin each day.

The beauty here is that every new day is a fresh chance to start cultivating the perfect morning routine.

Truthfully – it won’t come together overnight.

Real, sustained progress happens bit by bit. As much as we are conditioned to crave instant satisfaction, this is actually a good thing. Consistency is what changes our lives for real, long term.

My advice? Pick one or two items from this list and stick with ’em. You can always add to your routine later, but start by being realistic with yourself.

Let’s dive into the best ways to start off your day with a mindful morning…

Screen Free

Try to avoid email and social media for at least one hour. This gives our brain a chance to wake up and make sense of the world, without automatically shifting into the ultra-aware mindset of answering emails and planning what to post later that day.

Hydrate

Have a nice big dose of pure filtered water first thing upon waking!

Pretty obvious right? In all my years as a nutritionist this is one seemingly tiny thing that so many of us overlook.

The morning, especially if we have fully digested our food from the day before, is the best time to hydrate the system. Water is assimilated much slower after we’ve started eating so it’s key to take this time for a few big glasses.

Movement

This will likely mean something different for everyone. It could be a sweaty HIIT workout, a simple yoga flow or going for a walk in the fresh air.

There’s an interesting phenomenon often discussed by anatomy experts of a mysterious ‘fuzz’ substance that builds up on the muscles overnight when they’re not in use. The theory states that if we don’t stretch and move the body every morning to help disperse it, over time the fuzz can accumulate and getting rid of it can take much more than simple stretching.

That’s why even taking a few moments to stretch, roll around on the floor (or dancing around the living room to the Spice Girls) is way better than no movement at all!

Gratitude Practice

Gratitude is perhaps one of the most integral items on this list. The more we cultivate a state of gratitude for the blessings we’ve been given, the more readily we can receive what it is that we want to call in. The first step in this direction is making gratitude a part of your lifestyle.

The Ritual

Write down three new things every day that you’re grateful for. Return to these gratitudes at the end of the day, and think about them while going through your evening routine.

The Five Minute Journal is another amazing, and beautifully presented, option to help you cultivate this practice.

Meditation

Figuring out what meditation might mean for you is a uniquely individual journey. Think you have no time? Well, often what we resist is what we need most, and meditation is no exception.

Start out with an app such as Headspace if you are new to this practice. Also be realistic – you’re not likely to sit there for an hour if you’re brand new! The key is to start small and stay consistent. Try three to five minutes of silence and build up from there.

Links to learn more

Transcendental Meditation

Headspace app

Warming Brew

As enticing as that aromatic cup of coffee is first thing in the morning, stimulants are actually best consumed an hour or two after waking. Our bodies have an innate cycle of waking gradually, so by consuming caffeine right away we’re jolting the system into action.

Nothing is written in stone here, and of course the timing of everyone’s morning will always be slightly different. Taking the time for the rest of your morning ritual before having a morning beverage is a welcome change of pace, and has the added effect of giving us a little something to look forward to.

Nourish

There is no shortage of opinions out there about this meal;

Most important meal of the day!

Make sure you eat X grams of protein.

You’ll keel over if you don’t eat something!

I’ve developed a few key guidelines over the years, but the most important thing is to listen to your body;

• Keep it light: Save the big greasy breakfast for that weekend hangover! Eating a large meal too early in the day can rob us of necessary vital energy, which makes us more likely to reach for that extra cup of coffee.

• Focus on hydrating foods: melon, oranges, fresh fruit and vegetable juices/smoothies are all high in water content, plant fibre and enzymes which support your body in quelling inflammation and the proper digestion of nutrients.

• Include a source of bio-available protein: Not just a myth but the focus here is way more about quality than quantity. Having a source of easily absorbed amino acids is a great idea to start our day. A scoop of organic greens powder that includes Spirulina and Chlorella, raw nut butter, a farm raised egg or wild omega-3 rich fish like salmon are a great starting point!

I hope this guide has shed some light on a few new additions to your morning routine!

Having a solid foundation of self-care in the morning issues a powerful ripple effect over the rest of our lives. Ultimately, we are what we do most of the time – so by harnessing the power of daily ritual, the results will speak for themselves.

The World We Live In

The concept of resting to success can feel pretty foreign to most driven high achiever types. I might add however that it is a lifestyle widely embraced by many of the oldest cultures through the world. Here in North America, we are taught from such an early age to love the hustle, work hard, chase your goals that this approach is both consciously and unconsciously ingrained in most people.

It only gets more dramatic as we age into the workforce. The modern corporate culture actively rewards those who claim to be “too busy” to cook, practice their passions or even spend time with family or friends. The competition for who can brag about the most packed schedule is never ending! High rates of burnout, alcohol abuse, caffeine abuse, adrenal fatigue and many other highly preventable conditions are a direct reflection of this attitude.

The truth is… being ‘on’ all the time is simply not how to human body is wired. We can achieve far better results by working smarter, not harder.

Creative Thinking & Rest

An interesting note is that the clarity on what we actually deeply wish to achieve only comes from the practice of tuning into the body through rest, silence and contemplation. It is during restful times that deeper vision, inspiration and the best ideas make their presence known. For example, have you every struggled to solve a problem and stressed out about not having the answer? Then, after giving up and taking a nap, a walk or a hot shower – all of a sudden the answer just comes charging into your mind. We often wonder in these instances, why didn’t I just think of that sooner?

The answer lies in our nervous system. Regularly returning to our parasympathetic nervous system mode, also known as Rest and Digest, is the key to so many health supportive habits. From properly digesting our food, creative problem solving and muscle recovery, to detoxification and elimination – this often neglected phase is scientifically understood to support many long-term health outcomes, as well as better productivity and overall happiness.

The only issue is… our bodies are usually living in a state of constant sympathetic nervous system mode, also known as Fight or Flight. The reasons for this are many layered – including poor sleep quality, environmental toxins, internal toxic load, caffeine dependence, not slowing down to eat and ignoring innate bodily signals to increase rest.

Think about it for a second: you don’t go to the gym and expect to see the difference in your physique the minute you get home! We grow muscles only when we choose to rest, relax and nourish afterwards – and wait patiently for results while continually pursuing the work. In terms of goal setting and integrating healthy lifestyle practices, the process is the same.

Structured Relaxation

I like to call this Structured Relaxation because it’s also key to not let an empowered approach to rest turn into pure n’ simple laziness.

The body always has an innate agenda, which most of the time we are not even consciously aware of. Even when resting doesn’t always feel like it’s moving us closer to our goals, for many of us it’s the missing ingredient to achieving the results we seek.

The Practice

Set aside at least fifteen minutes per day of free white space. I like to recommend fifteen minutes as a realistic starting point for most clients, but feel free to make this longer or shorter in honor of your needs and lifestyle. Pencil it into your planner like an appointment if you have to! Your mind and body will thank you later.