So if you read my post from two weeks ago, you will know that I had been reading and learning about the differences on Brain Octane Oil, MCT oil, and Bulletproof coffee – but I hadn't really tried it out yet. I decided to pursue testing Brain Octane Oil and Bulletproof Coffee.
I started drinking Brain Octane Oil in my coffee around 2 weeks ago but took a couple days off because I wasn't at home. I immediately became obsessed with the frothy goodness. I love the richness it added to my daily cup o' joe. I realize what almond milk (alone) was lacking was FAT! It isn't quite as satisfying as regular milk, but I had gotten so used to it, I didn't realize what I had been missing. The days that I had coffee out of the house, I seriously missed the oil!
After a few days with just the oil, and seeing how much I loved it, I decided to give Bulletproof coffee a try. (Reminder: Bulletproof coffee is some type of MCT oil, in this case, Brain Octane, plus 1-2 tbsp of grass-fed, unsalted butter.) Guys, it became even richer and frothier! I was in heaven. All of the froth and richness. With this change, my morning cuppa became a sheer delight (and if you haven't realized already, I'm pretty obsessed with my morning cup). That being said, I am not going to add butter every day, just because I know from past experience my body does better with less dairy.
I didn't immediately notice any cognitive benefits that you are supposed to see with the oil (with the exception of my morning meditation struggling because I couldn't tame the thoughts! Or was that the caffeine?... Tough to say). Then I realized that I had been not using the full dosage. I had started using 1 tsp, had worked my way up to 2. Well, I was supposed to be using 1 tsp, working my way up to 2 TBSP. So, makes sense I wasn't seeing the level of results I was anticipating.
With the adjustment (I landed at 1.5 tbsp) I did see vast improvement. I didn't notice any difference in results with Brain Octane Oil or proper Bulletproof Coffee, though. One of the benefits of adding butter is that it should supply steady, long-lasting energy, which may have happened, but I ate breakfast most days because I was hungry (the Bulletproof guys make it a meal replacement). So it's tricky to say if it was tied to the my morning drink. They say you won't get hungry, but I did. I kept it light: either a green smoothie or an egg with a slice of sprouted grain toast.
Without further ado, here are my observations:
- I felt less brain fog than usual. I felt sharper in whatever I was thinking, writing, or saying. It mayyyyy have increased my ability to focus - hard to say. I'm very ADD (with an actual diagnosis) so I think I saw an improvement, but not really sure.
- I drank my coffee faster than usual to avoid oil separation, which did lead to stomach aches a couple times. I like drinking my coffee slowly: I end up drinking less that way. So I would consider this a negative.
- Relating to stomach... adjusting to the oil initially made my poop a bit looser than usual. Not bad though. (Apologies if that's TMI, but thought you should know if you are experiencing that while taking the oil, it's normal! ;))
- One of the biggest surprises was when I added a tbsp to my lunch smoothie. Normally, I do my best work in the morning - no matter what. By drinking it in my afternoon smoothie it kept my brain sharp all afternoon, when I typically struggle the most!
- I also noticed that by the evenings I was absolutely famished, which is not common for me. It may have increased my metabolic rate! I have lost a little bit of weight, but I have also been following Shed guidelines this month to start the year on a good note. So could be a combination of the two.
- One other negative, I have noticed an increase in heartburn. As I've mentioned, I've been eating very clean, so I am wondering if the oil/butter are having an impact. It could be unrelated though. (If anyone knows anything about heartburn, help a sister out! #thisis30) You all now know way too much about me.
In sum, I will definitely keep Brain Octane Oil as a part of my routine. I may split up 2 tablespoons - 1 in the am, 1 at lunch. The cognitive benefits were really noticeable when I increased my intake. It really upped my morning coffee game. I clearly am obsessed with the frothy yumminess. Adding butter to my coffee has really been a treat, I will probably keep using it several days a week. Although, I may try removing it for awhile though to see if helps my heartburn situation (cue *tears of laughter and of sadness at the same time*). 😂 😭 🤦🏻♀️
Have you guys tried Brain Octane Oil or Bulletproof coffee? I would love to hear what you think of it! Leave a comment below or on insta. Bottoms up! -AHS