bulletproof vs Keto diet

Bulletproof Diet vs Keto Diet – Facts, Stats And All You Need To Know

Our world has been taken over by a ton of diseases and disorders. A couple of years ago, the number of diseases that plagued us was significantly lower than what it is today. Most of these diseases or disorders are caused by an unhealthy lifestyle.

We live in a world where an instant click on your smartphone is enough to get food to your doorstep from anywhere. A primary statistic: the U.S accounts for only 5% of the world’s population, but the obesity and overweight rate of U.S is 13% of the world obesity rate. The highest proportion of people suffering from obesity live in the United States. This is an alarming situation.

Since most of these diseases are lifestyle diseases, they can easily be remedied by adjusting your lifestyle and diet. Eating healthy and exercising regularly is beneficial to health and it gives you a feeling of awesome fulfillment.

In today’s article, we will talk about two diets that are known to result in weight loss and make you live a happy and healthy life. We will talk about the Bulletproof Diet and the Keto Diet.

First, we will look at the essential features of the two diets including how they work, what is allowed and what is not, as well as what a typical day looks like following this diet.

Let’s begin:bulletproof diet

Topic Contents

Bulletproof Diet

The Bulletproof Diet is another latest dieting trend quickly taking over the world. This diet is unique in its approach to losing weight. The Bulletproof dieting plan was developed by Dave Asprey.

Asprey used to be overweight, and according to him, at his heaviest, he was 300 pounds. He then spent 15 years talking to nutrition experts, reading weight loss books and the latest research papers. He spent 15 years trying to understand the biology of the human body before he came up with the Bulletproof Diet plan.

The most important distinguishing factor of the Bulletproof Diet is that it puts more stress on quality instead of quantity. According to this diet, it does not matter how much you eat, not as much as what you eat. The food consumed should be the “right” foods.

It also has numerous benefits other than losing weight. The Bulletproof Diet helps to boost your energy, making you feel energetic and more active. It also helps to increase willpower and self-discipline. Bulletproof Diet is useful for enhancing cognitive function. It also improves physical and mental performance. Those are just some of the benefits of the Bulletproof diet, we will discuss more soon.

Understanding The Bulletproof Diet

The philosophy of the Bulletproof Diet is that it recommends getting 50% to 60% of your daily calories from healthy fats such as coconut oil, avocados, and from pastured animals. You should acquire 20% of your calories from proteins, and the remaining 20% to 30% should be from vegetables.

The Bulletproof Diet discourages consumption of grains and legumes. Also pasteurized dairy, industrially raised meats, sodas and ready-made juices, farmed seafood, and dried fruits. Bulletproof Diet restricts consumption of anything fried or cooked using a microwave.

The Bulletproof Diet orients more towards the purity of the ingredients used to cook as well as the utilization of the right technique of cooking and its impact on various foods. This diet also places a heavy emphasis on eating meats that come from grass-fed animals.

The reason behind this is that industrially raised animals have omega six fats and a lot of toxins accumulated in their fat from the industrially prepared feed. The toxins in the fat reduce drastically when animals are farm raised. Also, the omega six is replaced with omega three which is great for your joints and cognitive health.

The main thing the Bulletproof Diet does in your system is it increase your daily productivity by reducing cravings. Unlike most diets crowding the health and wellness industry, Bulletproof Diet encourages eating of fats as long as they are healthy fats. And in the Bulletproof Diet, there is also the inclusion of protein fasting one day in a week. This means that once every week, you will abstain from eating protein in any form. This is another distinguishing feature of the Bulletproof Diet.

bulletproof coffee

Bulletproof Coffee

Another unique thing about the Bulletproof Diet that has made it so popular is Bulletproof Coffee. In this diet, you put healthy fat in your coffee. The idea does take some getting used to, but the coffee is delicious.

Basically here you brew your coffee using special beans which are lower in toxins and in it you add 1-2 tablespoons of unsalted butter which is acquired from grass-fed animals. There is also the addition of a special coconut MCT oil extract called Brain Octane. Mix all this in a blender until it is frothy and then enjoy it like your normal coffee. But this time you will not feel as guilty since now your coffee is healthy and will help you shed away those extra pounds.

Butter is allowed in this diet, in fact, encouraged to eat. Butter contains Butyrate which is supposed to be bad for you, but if consumed responsibly it is a good source of omega 3, beta-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and antioxidants. But remember, the butter must come from pasture-raised cows.

The Do’s and Don’ts

So let’s go more in depth here. We will talk about different things like cooking methods, proteins, fats, and oils, etc. as well as observing what to eat and what to avoid.

  • Proteins – Grass-fed beef and lamb, pastured eggs, cold-processed whey protein concentrate, protein powders, low mercury fish, haddock, anchovies, salmon, trout should be a part of your daily diet. You should avoid high mercury or farmed seafood, soy protein, beans, cheese and factory made eggs and meat.
  • Oils and fats – You should go for palm oil, grass-fed butter and ghee, grass-fed meat fat, coconut oil, Non-GMO soy lecithin, extra virgin olive oil, chocolate, and cocoa butter, avocado oil, unheated nut oils. However, avoid eating margarine and other artificial trans-fats, oils made from GMO grains, chicken fat, sunflower oil, peanut, soy, and vegetable oils.
  • Vegetables and fruits – Include fruits and veggies like avocados, olives, parsley, asparagus, broccoli, cabbages, cauliflowers, cilantro, bok choy, Brussel sprouts, collards, kale, low-sugar fruits like blueberry, cranberry, lemon, lime, grapefruit while avoid potatoes, mushrooms, canned vegetables, high-sugar fruits such as banana, dates, grape, guava, fig, mango and canned fruit.
  • Grains – Generally, grains are a big no-no in this diet, but occasionally you can indulge in brown, black or white rice, organic quinoa, and oats but avoid GMO grains and any non-organic, refined or whole grains.
  • Sugars and sweeteners – Choose xylitol, maltitol, and other sugar alcohols but indefinitely avoid white sugar, cooked honey, aspartame, sucralose, fruit juice concentrate.
  • Cooking – Eat more raw or uncooked foods, lightly heated or foods baked at 350 ° F and below, lightly grilled or boiled and poached foods but avoid deep fried or microwaved foods along with burnt, blackened or charred foods.

bulletproof diet

A typical day in a Bulletproof diet plan includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast includes Bulletproof Coffee accompanied by maybe poached eggs or fresh low-sugar fruits. However avoid bagel, baguettes or any other pieces of bread.

Lunch could be soup. Maybe take your favorite veggies, steam them and throw them in a blender with some herbs or nuts and enjoy a healthy, delicious and creamy soup. Or maybe steamed vegetables with a wild animal protein. While dinner includes ¾ veggies typically, ¼ healthy proteins and just a hint of carbs with of course a food rich in fat like unsalted, grass-fed butter or guacamole on all that.

These just reference meals. You can adjust the meals according to what you want as long as it fulfills all the conditions of the Bulletproof Diet.

keto diet

Keto Diet

Ketogenic Diet or shortly called Keto Diet is another diet that falls into the HFLC (High Fat Low Carb) spectrum. This diet was introduced in the 1920s by physicians for treatment of epilepsy. After some years it faded to obscurity and was picked back up in the late 1990s when a Hollywood producer Jim Abraham’s son’s epilepsy was controlled using the Keto Diet. It became widely popular not only for the treatment of epilepsy but also for weight loss.

Keto Diet mimics fasting in the body. The ultimate aim is for your body to be in the state of ketosis. Usually, your body takes in sugars from foods especially carbohydrates rich food and converts it to glucose, which is the main energy unit of the body. However, ketones is another source of energy used when glucose is unavailable.

That is essentially what this diet does. It deprives the system of carbohydrates and takes in more fats. Due to this the fat molecules are broken down and get converted to ketones, which is used as energy. This is called Ketosis.

At the stage of ketosis, your body is a ruthless fat burning machine. Because of low carbs, the fat becomes easily accessible to break down. The natural way of being into ketosis in through fasting. But it really is not possible to fast every day. Instead, you can use the Keto Diet. It mimics the action of fasting in the body and helps you lose weight.

Understanding The Keto Diet

Keto Diet is not only useful for weight loss. It is also used for the treatment and control of several neurological disorders like epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other disorders like polycystic ovary syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, and even cancer.

As it is a High Fat Low Carb Diet, it naturally includes high consumption of fats and relatively low consumption of Carbohydrates. The caloric breakdown of Ketogenic diet is 75% Health fats with about 20% of your calorie intake from proteins, nuts, and seeds while the remaining 5% comprises of low carb-rich foods like green leafy vegetables and non-starchy vegetables.

Here too the dairy products should be from green-fed animals. The astonishing thing about the Keto Diet is that it gives fast results. Usually, people who have been on a proper Keto Diet were able to start losing weight after just a week. Because ketosis usually kicks in a few after curbing your carb intake to about 20 grams per day. So it is a fast and therefore efficient process as long as you follow the diet carefully.

Keto Diet

My best advice in following this diet will be to start slow. Remember, Rome was not built in a day. It will be hard to cut down your sugars, and you will get cravings. But don’t give in. Instead of binging on sugars, try to eat a sweet fruit like orange or grapes. While also eating good healthy fats. Slowly after a few days, you will be more used to low carb and will not crave sugar so much.

The Do’s and Don’ts

On a Keto Diet, there are certain foods you have to avoid while other foods that you need to take in copiously.

  • Proteins – This makes up about 20% of your total calorie. Good options for protein are pastures or omega three whole eggs, cheese, chicken, turkey, grass-fed beef, duck and pork and fatty fish such as salmon, trout, tuna, and mackerel while try to avoid non-pastured meat, seafood containing high mercury and processed eggs and meat.
  • Oils and fats – Consume a lot of good, healthy fat like extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, and green-fed butter but avoid unhealthy fats like processed vegetable oils, mayonnaise and so on.
  • Vegetables and fruits – Any low carb and low- sugar fruits and veggies would do. Try to include vegetables like bok choy, leafy veggies, lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, Brussel sprouts, avocados and fruits like Citrus fruits, blueberry, apples, and pears. Stay far away from vegetables like potato, sweet potato, carrots, canned veggies and fruits like pineapples, watermelon and so on.
  • Grains – Avoid grains altogether especially whole wheat grains that are present in pasta and bread as well as rice, cereal, etc.
  • Legumes – Another food group to completely avoid.
  • Sugars – Avoid natural sugars as well as sugar alcohols.

In Keto Diet, it is a smart option to swap legumes, beans, and grains for healthier options such as nuts and seeds. You can eat almonds, walnut, flax seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and many more such options. It is also necessary that you abstain from alcohol completely and while you follow Keto Diet. Because alcohol has high carb content, your body will not be able to maintain its state of ketosis. For that reason also sugar alcohols are completely cut from the diet. You can include condiments like salt, pepper, and herbs in your diet.

A Day In Life With Keto Diet

A typical day in a Keto Diet plan again includes breakfast consisting of green-fed bacon, eggs, tomatoes, goat cheese omelet, a high-fat low carb ketogenic milkshake or sugar-free yogurt peanut butter or ham.
The lunch typically involves foods rich in healthy fats like cheese, guacamole, ham, and cheese with nuts, grass-fed beef, green leafy vegetables or salads. The dinner consists of pork chops, chicken; Ketogenic Diet approved vegetables, bacon, fish or steak, and eggs.

You also have the option of eating a snack in between meals if you get hungry. The snacks should have low carb content so obviously avoid all junk foods like chips, fries, sugary snacks instead opt for fatty meat or fish, some nuts or seeds, raw vegetables, dark chocolate, etc.
No matter what you choose to eat, you must be careful that it meets the guidelines of the ketogenic diet.
Types of Keto Diets

There are typically four different types of Keto Diet. These are Standard Ketogenic Diet, Cyclic Ketogenic Diet, Targeted Ketogenic Diet and lastly High-protein Ketogenic Diet.

  • Standard Ketogenic Diet – This is your regular high fat, low carb, and moderate protein diet.
  • Cyclic Ketogenic Diet – This diet involves periods of high-fat diet interrupted by days of high carb diet.
  • Targeted Ketogenic diet – If you follow this type of diet then there is an addition of high carbs but only during a workout.
  • High-protein Ketogenic Diet – This is similar to the standard Keto Diet, but here the protein intake is high. The caloric ratio is 60% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carbs.

The Cyclic and Targeted Ketogenic Diets are especially used more often by athletes and bodybuilders. While people who want to lose weight generally stick with Standard Ketogenic Diet and High-protein Ketogenic Diet.

There are certain tell-tale signs that tell you that your body is in a state of ketosis. Some of these signs are parched throat or feeling very thirsty quickly, increased urine and something that is called ‘Keto’ breath.

You will have a really dry throat very frequently. This is because your system gets dehydrated pretty quickly. So don’t forget to drink a lot of water and stay hydrated. The increased urine correlates to increased water consumption. The more water you drink, the fuller your bladder becomes resulting in increased bathroom breaks.

When you are following a Keto Diet, you will experience a certain type of breath. Not bad but it will smell a little like nail polish remover or fruity smell. This is because of the production of ketones. Sometimes you will even get this smell from your sweat, this, of course, is temporary.

keto vs bulletproof

Battle of the Diets

So we discussed some of the basic features of the Bulletproof Diet and the Keto Diet. They both fall in the High Fat Low Carb spectrum, so in both the diet plans there is a high demand for good fats and low demand for carbs. They both require consumption of grass-fed dairy products and meat.

Now it is time to see which one is better. We will compare both the diets and try to find certain distinguishing factors and determine whether one diet is better than another.

Caloric ratio

Let us kick-off with the most obvious factor to consider: the caloric ratio. In the case of the Bulletproof Diet, the caloric ratio is 50% to 60% of healthy fats, 20% of proteins and the remaining 20% to 30% should be from vegetables.

While in case of Standard Keto Diet, 75% of your total calories should be acquired from good and healthy fats, 20% of the total calories should contain proteins, and the remaining 5% should be composed of carbs. In the case of High-protein Keto Diet, the caloric ratio includes 60% good fats, 35% of proteins and the remaining 5% with carbohydrates.

Mechanism

At this point, you are aware that both these diets do have certain similarities as they are both High Fat Low Carb diets. But the way they work on the body is different.

Keto Diet makes the body maintain a state of ketosis which allows the body to burn adipose, fat tissues fast. While Bulletproof Diet can be used as a sort of Keto Diet, but it does not work on the same principle.

Bulletproof Diet works by reducing craving and eating high-quality foods that can easily be burned off. There is not necessarily a state of ketosis in the body.

Sugars

You are allowed to consume sugars in case of Bulletproof diet but a limited amount and only certain types of sugar. Sugar alcohol, xylitol, etc. are allowed. But in a strict Keto Diet sugar is generally not consumed. And sugar alcohols are especially not allowed.

Cheese

This is another distinguishing factor in both the diets. Cheese is entirely off the table when it comes to Bulletproof Diet. While in Keto Diet cheese is given the green light. You can consume all types of cheese when following a Keto Diet.

Coffee

While Keto Diet encourages consumption of coffee, it is purely due to the caffeine present in coffee that can help boost your energy levels, but it is not a strict requirement. Even if you do choose to drink coffee, you most certainly do not need to add fats to it.

However, Bulletproof Diet became more popular because of the Bulletproof Coffee. It is highly recommended for increased weight loss. Bulletproof Coffee requires brewing your coffee with unsalted, grass-fed butter and special coconut extract.

Affordable

When you are loaded with money, affording anything seems easy enough, and you can be as picky as you want to be. But when you are on a budget, you cannot afford to be picky.

For people on a budget, opting for a Keto Diet is more beneficial for their pocket than being on the Bulletproof Diet. Keto Diet usually does not have that much eating restrictions. As long as what you are eating is high in fats and low in carbs as well as from a grass-fed animal, you are good to go. You do not need as many supplements.

However, this is not the case in the Bulletproof Diet. Especially for Bulletproof Coffee, you need special coconut extract called Brain Octane, and this stuff is seriously expensive.

Fast

If your aim is a quick weight loss then you should definitely adopt a Keto Diet. People usually begin to notice a difference within a week, given that they have really stuck to the Keto Diet, including all its rules. Bulletproof Diet generally gives relatively slower results.

Side effects

Everything in this world has side effects, especially your diet. Keto Diet may not be a good option for everyone as it results in a number of factors such as thyroid, dry eyes, hormone imbalance, fatigue, and poor sleep. Bulletproof Diet has relatively lesser side effects. At most, it can initially give you diarrhea.

Honest Opinion

So we talked about both the diets in general as well as some of their distinguishing features and how they differ from one another. Both diets benefits depend on how well you follow them, but personally, I think Keto Diet is a better option out of the two.

But no matter what diet you choose to follow, make sure you do it right and accompany your diet with muscle building exercise. Because no matter how much you control your diet if you do not follow it with the appropriate workout, then you will not be able to see the results very quickly.

Also if you are pregnant, have allergies or other diseases or disorders, then always run your diet plan with your physician first and only follow it if you get the green light. Otherwise, follow a simple whole food balanced diet.

Make sure that you do not overdo it. The Keto Diet does have a few symptoms and side effects like Gouts, thyroid or other hormonal disorders as well as fever. So, if you do suffer from any of the side effects, then, stop it. Consult with a nutritionist and do plenty of research on your own.

Sure, it feels nice to look good. But that is not the only reason why you should follow one of these diets. It is important to be healthy. Obesity has been linked as a precursor or a host of several diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, lung failures, thyroid and many, many more. This makes it essential to adopt a healthy diet and exercise.

Final Thoughts

I hope that this in-depth comparison and discussion of the Bulletproof Diet and Keto Diet has helped you gain some insight and gave you some pointers that you can follow. If you have tried any of these diets or both of them, then we would love to hear about your experience.

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