Bulletproof Huel

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This is my first topic so hello everyone! I wanted to share a little about my huel experience and then share my bulletproof huel recipe.

I’ve been using Huel nearly four months. At first I had a few stomach issues but after a few weeks I was fine. My diet was pretty bad before so I probably just needed to adjust.

I phased myself in to using huel for about 2 weeks, then I did nothing but huel for about two weeks but now I’m having 2 huels (1 bulletproof huel and 1 with a heaped teaspoon of cacao) and a healthy lunch most days (usually a simple miso soup with added frozen veg) which is working really well for me.

So far after nearly 4 months I’ve lost just short of 2 stone and my sugar cravings have seriously reduced and I can feel full when I do eat a meal eating far less than I used to. I think huel is largely responsible for me feeling much better from eating more healthily and losing some weight I was pretty down about! I have 3 more stone to go and I’ll be at my ideal weight.

Anyway… I wanted to share something I have tried for the last month and like alot which is bulletproof huel!

I came across bulletproof coffee and gave it a try in place of my breakfast huel. You can find out info about bulletproof coffee by googling it… I don’t use the actual bulletproof brand products and it’s loads cheaper.

Bulletproof coffee is just the following blended…
Decent coffee
1 table spoon unsalted grass fed butter
1 table spoon MCT 10 oil (start with a tea spoon and slowly increase this)
You can add sweetener too which I preferred.
It tastes a bit like an extra creamy latte.

I’m nearly dairy free (pretty much vegan except if I want to get a pizza with friends, or curry and can’t be bothered to check if it uses ghee) so I exchange the butter with coconut oil.

I tried the normal recipe with coconut oil instead of butter several times and while I enjoyed it, I wanted to have it in place of breakfast. I loved how alert and positive it made made me feel, but I found I was way too hungry after a couple of hours not to have a breakfast as well. I was worried by having breakfast too was making me have more calories than I wanted while trying to lose weight.

So I decided to mix with huel…

My recipe is:
A double espresso then top up with water to make 400ml of liquid.
Half a table spoon of MCT 10 oil
Half a table spoon of coconut oil
1 heaped scoop vanilla huel

Stick it all together and blend with ice or let it go cold in the fridge and I think it’s quite tasty.

For me it makes me feel extra alert and able to get through to lunch without feeling hungry at all. Bulletproof coffee is supposed to help get your metabolism going strong and I certainly am feeling good having it each morning this way.

Anyway, I’m interested in any thoughts on it (especially from anyone who knows a bit about nutrition as I don’t) and hope if anyone tries it you like the recipe too.

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Bulletproof coffee is a horrible fad for those who use it to replace a meal. There is no nutritious value, and many people use bulletproof coffee to lose weight. Which is not good.

Bulletproof Huel is harmless/fine. It’s all the nutrition of Huel, plus caffeine and saturated fat. Glad you enjoy it!

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Are the theories on this “horrible fad” kickstarting your metabolism nonsense do you think?

It could of course be a placebo but I do feel like something about it helps my concentration and alertness. Obviously the caffeine of a strong coffee does that anyway, but with bulletproof coffee I don’t get the same crash after a couple of hours.

I’d be interesting in any more information or explanation anyone can provide.

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Verifying or debunking one of these “diets” is like searching for the lost city of Atlantis. The Bulletproof website itself is so loaded to the hilt with text to the point where the term bullshit overload came to my mind. Categorising foods into green, yellow and red and calling red foods “kryptonite” foods and selling “brain octane oil” are just gimmicks some of which pretend basic nutrition is much more complicated than it is. Weight Watchers does the same with their “sins”.

If you Google “is the Bulletproof diet rubbish” there are loads of links to articles questioning the studies it references or the foods it tells you to eat or avoid etc. Same as I’m sure you could find an equal number of articles saying it’s great. Hence my comparison to searching for the lost city.

The coffee is a drink with no nutritional value. It may have benefits elsewhere in the body but it is not providing the macro’s or micro’s you need to survive. This article here may be of interest to you.

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This sounds freaking amazing!!

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In relation to a strictly controlled keto diet, probably not.

But there are just too many carbs in Huel to be anywhere near keto; so even if we assume the bulletproof diet to be 100% legit - you simply can’t be getting the benefits it promises from your particular drink.

If you like it though, who cares?

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There doesn’t seem to be evidence for any of the diet related suggestions kickstarting metabolism. Interesting article here about some of the popular fads: https://foodinsight.org/5-myths-about-your-metabolism/
I think the key thing is most of your daily calorie burn is from your BMR. Thermic effect of food only accounts for approximately 10% of your daily calorie expenditure so any food with a slightly higher thermic effect will have a negligible impact at best.
Potentially if your food choices keep you feeling fuller for longer (protein and fats are good for satiety) then your overall calorie intake over the course of a day would be lower.
So the short version, as @Tristan says, if you like it, have it. But I’d seriously doubt its having any noticeable effect on your metabolism.

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I add cacao butter instead of grass fed butter. Although I am sceptical about losing weight, or if it’s healthy to replace a meal with a Butter Coffee. I only drink it sometimes during my fasting period, when I’m hungry or have a really busy day ahead and need something in the morning. So I don’t break the fast. Even though I’m sceptical about that too. You only know when you try.

But I will definitely try this recipe. Well, during my eating window that is.:wink:

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I’d have thought having a butter coffee counts as breaking the fast. My understanding of intermittent fasting is that fasting means only calorie free liquids, so water, black coffee, etc. As soon as you add butter to the coffee, whether it’s cacao butter or grass fed dairy butter you are adding fats and therefore calories.

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I thought it would be. I am just new to the material and figuring things out. I only drink it when I have two 13hrs shift in a row. I read a lot about this and everyone saying different things. Last I read a blog that said only black coffee, thee, water and milk during fast.

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Black coffee/tea, green tea or water.

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Definitely no milk if you’re fasting.

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@Corina
Yes any calories even liquid calories eg milk would mean you aren’t fasting.
Maybe take a break from fasting at times when you have to do two 13hr shifts in a row?
Whatever your diet / nutrition plan choice, it needs to fit in with your lifestyle and your own personal constitution.
I used to be really against fasting as it can weaken your system. Back then I was less than 8 stone (47kg) and had a very active job and lifestyle. I tried fasting a couple of times and it just made me really ill.
Now however, I’m 10stone, am mostly sedentary (although some days active all day) apart from set gym or cycling sessions, and I find fasting fantastic: it boosts my energy levels, calms my digestive system (which can be overly sensitive at times) and overall just seems to make me feel better.
I don’t follow any strict pattern, I simply choose to fast once a week or once a fortnight for 24-36 hours, on a day that won’t affect what I need to do.
I wouldn’t fast for example if I needed to drive a long distance or cycle for miles, or need to give a presentation or something that day.

If what you’re doing works for you, and you need some energy prior to a 13hr shift then do what you need to do.

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I know. It’s a good thing I don’t drink milk anyway (lactose intolerance) My favourite drink is still Espresso. Or really strong black coffee. Next to that I drink just water. When I am really sick I will drink sometimes green chai tea.

I just getting into this stuff so I read a lot of blogs and everyone has different take on fasting I think. Some do it for weight loss I just want the pain to stop.

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Thanks for your reply. I try for now the 16/8 to get into it, because I don’t do breakfast anyway only coffee and lukewarm water on a empty stomach. Only the evenings especially at work would be hard, everyone have some kind of food with them. The plan is going to fasting once a week. But next to my health issues I need to lose some weight too, even if it’s not the main goal of this Huel and IF. With some solid food I get esophagus cramps/spasms. Which hurts a lot and then I can go for days living on just coffee and water, that’s why I’m starting Huel now.

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I often skipped breakfast pre Huel. Not any more. I always have Huel Granola for breakfast, without exception. Huel shakes for other meals with an occasional veggie meal as and when I choose. I don’t eat after 6 or 7pm so am ravenous by morning.

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I never could eat solid food in the morning, even as a kid. The first I did was when I was in a B&B in England that I ate an English breakfast. So I only eat in the morning on vacation as long they’ve English breakfast (without the beans, don’t like the beans). For me at home it’s too much work, when I’m done with 16/8 IF then I’ll take a Huel in the morning and after 100% Huel as breakfast and lunch.

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I’ve always skipped breakfast. I thought having huel would stop that but I find myself skipping that as well. What’s the granola like?

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If you like granola it’s like granola. I like it. I don’t like Huel shakes that haven’t had a few hours in the fridge, so if I’m in a hurry to make something I have granola.

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Do I dare ask…

Original or Berry?