Weekday mornings most always begin with me being startled from sleep by an alarm and then wishing I could get just five more minutes of rest.  No, make that five more hours.  Couple that with a sometimes sluggish system (thank you dysautonomia), which feels like walking through a cloudy haze of sandy water, and you can imagine why I enjoy a morning cup of joe.  However due to caffeine sensitivity I've been a mostly decaf girl since high school.  I've periodically tried to use regular coffee to help me through fatigued periods of my health journey and it only seemed to make things worse.  Then, a year or so ago I got this crazy idea to gradually increase my tolerance so I could reap the health benefits of caffeinated coffee.  I could really use a boost in blood pressure and energy and this seemed like a great way to get it.  Plus, who doesn't like the buzz? So, I started playing with how much caffeine I could drink and still feel grounded.   It's taken some time, but I finally got it right (more on that below).  

Then phase two, the Ayurvedic concept that foods contribute to our way of being in the world.  While I knew this from experience (sugar sends me through the roof, too many carbs put me in a heart racing coma), I had never really thought of it in the realm of coffee.  I like my coffee black and drinking decaf that was never really a problem.  When I started adding caffeine though I could tell it may help to add something a bit grounding.  My instinctive way of doing this was by making sure to eat a grounding food before drinking or with my coffee.  Then, in passing, one of my friends, who happens to be certified in Ayurveda, mentioned to me that adding a little milk to my coffee would probably be good for my constitution (I'm light and airy by nature and grounding foods help settle me).  Since I don't generally like milk in my coffee I tucked that idea in my back pocket and wondered if there were other ways I could create that same feeling without actual milk (even non-dairy).  And, as it usually does, the universe brought me a great idea just a few days later.. Bulletproof Coffee.  

I don't know if you're familiar with Dave Asprey, but I've followed him for a couple of years now.  He does a lot of biohacking and has some really cool ideas on how to achieve peak performance.  I had seen his posts on Bulletproof Coffee before, but they never really caught my eye until now, probably because this coffee thing was now in my conscious realm.  Curiosity peaked! While this idea was born from Bulletproof Coffee, let me be clear, my version is not the true Bulletproof variety.  I played off the ideas of Dave Asprey's invention and made something that worked for me with what I had on hand.  I'm sure in the future I'll purchase his products and make the real thing.  I'm actually very curious about how his beans and Brain Octane Oil will affect me, so it's definitely on my list.  Until then, I've got this lovely creation to keep me company.  Now, on to how I actually decided to give it a try.

For years I was on the "saturated fats are unhealthy" bandwagon.  I had already altered my thought process on vegan sources of saturated fats based on my coconut oil research from years past.  Still, I was a bit leery of how animal fats could actually be healthy.  Despite my skepticism, I was getting all this information on how pasture raised/grass fed sources of saturated fats were actually healthy for us.  Since I seriously love information and am always switching up my views and belief systems I found this quite intriguing.  I mean, could I have been following incomplete information for all those years? Hmmmm....  So, the investigation began.  

I started reading up on the health benefits of grass-fed saturated fats versus grain fed.  From what I could tell, pasture raised saturated fats are believed to support healthy brain function, have anti-inflammatory benefits, may help lower cancer risk, have heart health benefits, support the immune and endocrine systems, and boost metabolism.  Wow! That's a lot of information that, if true, could really change a person's overall health for the better.  Now, I'm no doctor and would never venture to give medical advice or say what is best for you.  I did however, choose to experiment with this concept in my own life.  Because I have EDS, inflammation is an issue for me.  So, I'm up for trying just about anything that is thought to help that alone.  Throw in all the other possible benefits and I was on board.  Besides that, since I'm mostly vegan I don't eat many other sources of animal fats.  Therefore, I figured a tablespoon or two a day was pretty low risk, all things considered.

Since I'm a bit sensitive to dairy I chose to go with grass fed ghee instead of unsalted grass fed butter, although technically either will work for this recipe.  Ghee is simply clarified butter which means it doesn't contain milk fats and casein, which can aggravate sensitive stomachs or allergies.  This makes it a great option for people who are lactose intolerant or have dairy sensitivities.

Now, back to that caffeine thing.  As I mentioned earlier, I make my coffee mostly decaf, with just enough beans to give me a boost without the negative side effects.  When I first started trying to drink caffeine I added three (YES 3) caffeinated beans to my usual two small scoops of decaf before grinding.  I've now worked my way up to around fifteen caffeinated beans in three scoops of total coffee (this makes one serving in this recipe).  Woohoo!!! This seems to be my max though.  When I add any more than that I break out in a horrible full body sweat followed by a hard crash.  No fun! If caffeine works for you feel free to go full throttle.  Even if you go full decaf I think you'll fall in love with this recipe.  It truly is a creamy decadent cup of sunshine.  

Because of the saturated fats you can drink this as your breakfast or have it as a mid-morning snack.  I tend to eat a small breakfast with my son first thing in the morning as it gets my stomach working before adding the more difficult to digest fats.  Plus, it gives us some bonding time.   Then, I have a cup of this deliciousness once he's off to school and I'm ready to start my day.  The caffeine gives my morning workout a boost and the fats usually hold me over for three hours or so, until I'm ready for lunch.  It truly is the perfect mid-morning snack to get my day going and keep me focused through lunch.. and tasty too! So brew a cup and bliss out!  

Heaven in a Mug

Ingredients:

2 1/2 - 3 Tbsp Organic Fair Trade Coffee Beans (Measured after grinding)

1 Tbsp Grass Fed Ghee

1 Tbsp Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil

1 - 1 1/2 Cups Filtered or Distilled Water

Method:

Place coffee beans in coffee grinder and grind until fine.  Measure approximately 2.5 Tbsp of ground coffee beans and place in french press.  Place 1 - 1.5 cups of filtered or distilled water in tea kettle over medium high heat until boiling.  Carefully pour water over ground beans.  Cover with french press lid to keep warm (do not press).  Allow to sit for 7 minutes ensuring coffee gets strong.  Once time is up press the coffee.  Meanwhile measure ghee and coconut oil and place in blender.  Pour coffee over the ghee and coconut oil in blender.  Blend a few minutes until frothy.  Pour and enjoy!

Notes

This coffee can be made by means other than french press.  Just ensure the coffee is strong as the ghee and coconut oil will overpower a watered down version.  You can also use a battery powered frother if you prefer that to the blender.  Simply put the ghee and coconut oil directly into your mug and pour the coffee over that rather than in the blender.  Just make sure you have ample room in your cup for frothing or there will be a big mess! I find the frother much easier and it's way less clean-up.  Mine is just currently broken so I'm doing things the old fashioned way.  I also think this would be great with matcha instead of coffee, although I haven't tried it yet.