I use keto coffee and intermittent fasting myself as a Nutritionist, and with my patients for the past 2 years and they’re both great tools when used correctly. Weight loss increased muscle mass and increased energy are just some of the benefits. And dairy-free keto is the healthiest way to do it.

Keto and Intermittent fasting are popular trends that will increase in popularity as more people find out about the great results.

Keto coffee was made popular by Dave Asprey, The Bulletproof Coffee founder is famous for his biohacking ways & his Bulletproof website has plenty of information on why BP Coffee is beneficial for weight loss & performance. Keto coffee aka Bulletproof coffee is essentially coffee or fat infused coffee that causes ketosis and encourages your body to burn fat as fuel instead of relying on carbohydrates.

Dave Asprey believes that grass-fed butter like the one made by Kerrygold is a healthy addition to keto coffee and while I agree it’s much better than regular butter from grain-fed cows, I don’t think that any humans need to be consuming American made cow’s milk dairy products. There was a time when cows were cleaner and not such antibiotic, hormone, and grain stuffed milk machines. Mass market dairy cows are now forced to stay pregnant constantly and to churn out milk in spite of deplorable living conditions. My issues here are more with what dairy does to the human body than about the moral and ethical implications for animals, but I don’t agree with causing needless suffering to any of the world’s creatures. I am not currently a vegan by the way, but I was vegetarian/vegan for over 10 and 17 years respectively. It no longer suits my needs but that is another blog post. I am always going to choose the best food for my body based on labs and clinical data. I’m not choosing a diet based on propaganda or tribal ideas. I read the actual science and then see what feels right for me. I’ve encouraged the people I work with to do the same for almost 25 years. It’s not always healthy to tie your food choices to a political or otherwise non-scientific or health-related agenda. That can be a factor but not the deciding choice. I have seen too many harmed by this way of thinking.

Cow’s milk is not meant for humans to consume. We began consuming it in the dark ages when disease and famine were real threats and it served a purpose in keeping desperate humans alive due to its fat and calories, but it was not meant to be a long-term food or nutrition solution for humans.

Dairy causes acidity and mucous in the body and most people are not able to digest cows milk. Cows milk is specifically for cow babies and even those cow babies only drink milk for a matter of months and then they eat just grass. They put on up to 800 pounds drinking milk in less than a year, so consider that when thinking about dairy in your diet.

There is a huge difference in the milk from dairy cows in the US and Cows in other countries who live on a farm and eat grass. Cows in the US are kept in disgusting conditions and if you really look into it you will probably be hard-pressed to drink milk.

Add to all of these facts about dairy the fact that casein, the main protein in milk is an opiate-like peptide that is very addictive to humans. It causes a morphine-like reaction in the brain and attaches to the same receptors as heroin and other opiate medications. This explains why for decades I have had grown people in my office literally crying because I suggest they give up cheese. If milk is cocaine then cheese is crack. Cheese has seven times the amount of this protein by design than milk does. No wonder people cry. They are hooked. Many vegetarians report not going all the way vegan because they can’t imagine kicking the dairy habit. Like opiates, dairy is highly irritating to the gut. Dairy is the cause of at least 70% of the severe gut issues I see in practice each year.

The addictive biochemistry is thought to be to keep the baby cows nursing.  And human babies with human milk to some extent. Have you ever seen how a baby gets a dopey smile while nursing? Looks like it’s loopy right? It’s fine & healthy with a human mother’s milk. It’s the perfect food for human babies. But cow’s dairy becomes both irritating and addictive to human babies quickly. And the dairy industry & cheese makers probably work to increase the amount of casein in cheese, and for sure they work to leverage your addiction to their advantage. They target cheese addicts and  “trigger” their addictions by adding more cheese to foods. They really want you back on the rock (of cheese). And they are willing to play dirty. As this 2017 Forbes Article outlines. https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelpellmanrowland/2017/06/26/cheese-addiction/#3c0623703583   Even non-dairy cheese substitutes like Soya Kaas brand, nondairy margarine, and protein powders for muscle building are filled with casein.

As I said, I’m not a vegan anymore. I was for 17 years, I started as a teenager, and I have been eating first fish and then other animal protein (not dairy) since I had my daughter about 18 years ago. Veganism did not work for me biochemically after the first 7 years. I wasn’t sure that was what was limiting my health but now I am. Yet I kept at it out of habit, pride, ego (who knows) for 10 more years.  I started to feel less healthy after 7 years as a vegan, and I struggled with hair loss, brittle nails, low blood sugar, and my brain power and ability to concentrate rapidly diminished those last 10 years. I had dry skin, severe PMS, and was not putting on muscle as I easily had before.

I started to gain weight eating the same amount of calories and exercising a lot like I always had. I also experienced insomnia, anxiety, and severe panic attacks that I now attribute to a lack of adequate amino acids, essential fatty acids, and healthy fats.

I got my nutritionist education in the mid-90s a time when fats were incorrectly demonized by so-called nutrition professionals. It wasn’t until people like Ann Louise Gittleman and Udo Erasmus started to come with some books and science on the importance of dietary fat that the tide started to turn. We now know that were operating on incorrect science back then but that was what was being taught and what I followed until I knew better.

I know now that not eating enough healthy fats was a huge part of my mood issues. I wonder if I would have felt nearly as bad as a vegan had I just been eating some healthy fat.  Perhaps one day I will try it again, but for now, I feel better with some animal protein. I do not eat dairy products from cows in the US or anywhere mass market. I try to stay away from dairy in general because I think it is more damaging to human health than animal meat.  I am grateful that I was able to stay open-minded enough to change my diet when what I was doing no longer served my body even though it went against what even my more progressive and alternative nutrition education was recommending at the time. My message to any vegans or vegetarians reading this is to think about at least eating in a more vegan keto or vegetarian keto way. Do your best to track macros and get your healthy fats and some protein and stop eating mainly carbohydrates unless they are all vegetables. Hardly any vegans/veggies I have seen in practice are eating many vegetables. Their diets are mainly vegan processed foods. This diet is almost as unhealthy with its effects, as for those who don’t care about their diets.

If more people could be open and flexible about their diet instead of becoming tribal about it and getting their identity mixed up in it we would be a healthier population in general. I do understand and respect that many people are vegan for religious, moral, and ethical reasons. I have no problem with that and in fact, I work with many to teach them how to optimize their diet and maintain good health and a healthy weight regardless of what diet they follow.

If you are going to be vegan you need to learn how to do it safely and correctly. I  started my vegetarian/vegan journey at 17 years old and I wish I had known then what I know now about doing veganism correctly.

I notice that many of my vegan and vegetarian patients in their 30s to 60s are experiencing an inability to lose weight, weight gain, low energy, dry skin, low thyroid, low metabolism, cold hands and feet, low blood sugar, increasing appetite, hunger between meals as well as anxiety and depression and I attribute it to a lack of healthy fats, way too many carbohydrates in relation to fats and protein, and primarily not enough protein to maintain muscle which is imperative to good health and longevity. I’ve seen the studies and the propaganda and neither beans nor rice nor both together have the same quality protein as a good quality animal meat.

This is another related topic that I have a blog in the works for but I have had great success with many of these patients using vegan keto diets. They are not easy but if you are willing to do the work you will reap the benefits.

Many vegans and vegetarians are simply eating junk food and really don’t eat many vegetables. My patients on paleo or healthy keto diets eat more veggies than the typical vegetarian or vegan that comes to see me. If you are going to be animal protein-free then you must eat a lot of a wide variety of vegetables. And you must supplement at least your amino acids and healthy fats.

I love keto coffee as a Nutritionist, but I use a dairy-free recipe. Using a keto drink is very helpful for curbing the appetite, getting rid of food cravings, balancing blood sugar and it helps me with focus, concentration, and even exercise while I’m intermittent fasting.

Intermittent fasting basically means having a smaller feeding window and longer time fasting daily. I typically eat between 3 pm and 8 or 9 pm and I fast from 9 pm to 3 pm. I have my keto coffee or tea when I wake up at around 7 to 9 am depending on the day and I am usually not hungry until 3 to 5 pm on most days. If I am doing a really hard workout like HIT I will either eat a meal before it with the correct macros or I will add more collagen and healthy fats to try and get me through. If I want to go to breakfast or lunch or just wake up hungry or I get hungry before 3 pm I just have a meal.

I am never trying to suffer or starve. My goal with IF is to give my body more time in a fasted state because it helps the body detox and replenish itself. It’s very good for autophagy which is anti-carcinogenic detoxification of our cells. It also helps with blood sugar and I love that I don’t have to eat so many meals each day if I don’t want to.

My body has become very metabolically flexible and fat-adapted which means that my body can now use fat to make energy instead of just sugar or carbohydrates as it did before. Most people are dependent on carbs for energy due to the high carb and processed food diet we have been encouraged to eat for many years. This carb dependence is a major cause of obesity and overweight as well as diabetes and other diseases of consumption as I call them.

If you want to try keto drinks in the morning with or without intermittent fasting just check with your doctor to make sure your cholesterol is healthy and especially the LDL particle size is important to know. If you have a lot of small particles or a sluggish or missing gallbladder, or any other fat or cholesterol-related issues it’s a good idea to supplement with enzymes for fat digestion, gallbladder support or possibly some support for healthy cholesterol balance. Your Doctor or nutritionist can help you with that.

Here is my recipe for amazingly clean and delicious Keto coffee: Feel free to substitute tea if you prefer.

I use clean, organic coffee. Lately, I use Anthony’s Organic instant 1 tablespoon in a big mug of boiling pure water maybe 10 ounces. I just ordered some coarse organic, low acid coffee and a French press as well. I Will update once I try it.

If you don’t do well with caffeine or coffee, or your doctor has said to avoid it, you can use mushroom blends like Lairds or similar, caffeine-free coffee, matcha tea, black tea, or herbal teas I’ve seen many do this successfully. Just experiment and see what works for you. I have made caffeine-free keto drinks on days when I take caffeine breaks and I feel fine.

• 1 tablespoon of Brain Octane or similar MCT oil (processed coconut oil) Brain Octane is my favorite and I don’t get paid to name products.
• 1 teaspoon of Lairds Superfood creamer (unsweetened only)
• Or instead of the Lairds or you can add it for more taste and creaminess
• 1 tablespoon of full-fat organic coconut cream ( Trader Joes, Lazy Acres)
• Stevia to taste (I am using Enzo’s organic right now from Amazon). See my recommendation page for brands I use and recommend. Click this link for it.   https://www.julikeene.com/the-nutritionists-grocery-list/
• 1 to 3 tablespoons of clean grass-fed bovine Collagen Powder – I use a few brands Vital Peptides and Primal Kitchen Collagen are of great quality.  (They are obviously not vegan as it comes from cows but you can decide what type of protein powder works for you and substitute. Many of the vegans I work with decide to use collagen. Especially when they have been sick and overweight for years).
• You can substitute the collagen for a dairy and casein-free protein powder that works for you. Some use a combination of hemp and pea protein but you must watch the carbs, protein bioavailability and see how you feel drinking it.                                                                                                                           The amount varies with brands but about 6 to 16 grams of protein. Some say this pushes you out of ketosis but it works so I don’t worry about ketosis. I’m not convinced we need to be in actual “ketosis” to get the weight loss or performance results. In fact, I am pretty sure we do not need to be in ketosis. The key is your macros need to be balanced and you need to be in a calorie deficit. If you try to binge on any foods during your shorter feeding window (even keto foods) it will backfire. Americans are food addicts. We have been trained to use food to handle our moods and feelings. We can train ourselves to stop doing this and eat foods that serve our biochemistry and metabolism. You can track and see what works for your body. Or you can work with a professional. You will know when you are eating what your body needs. You look and feel your best.

I have lost 14 pounds and gained a lot of muscle with no other dietary changes this past 1.5 years except my usual diet and Intermittent fasting with morning keto coffee or tea. I do workout and have been doing more weight training but not enough more to make the difference. Losing weight with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and with autoimmune issues is hard enough but doing that in middle age is even harder. Maintaining a healthy weight, optimized muscle to fat ratio, and good health for the long term is the goal.

Play around with the amounts of each ingredient. I experimented and tweaked the ingredients based on my goals I found that I can drink about a third and save the rest to sip on later as I am working. Using this and IF saves me a lot of time during the work week when I would have been having to cook and prep meals, eat, and clean. I sometimes eat on a more regular meal schedule on the weekends if there are meals I want to have. Some people alternate keto/IF days and regular diet days. Make sure you are eating nutrient-dense foods during your feeding window and if either coffee or intermittent fasting or keto stops working for you then transition to a more regular meal schedule. Most of us still do not need to be eating 3 meals and then snacking all day long. This is called grazing and it doesn’t serve humans. We are never allowing our bodies to utilize stored fat and we are actually training it to store adipose fat more efficiently.

I have worked with professional athletes for years and they crush their competition when they are fat-adapted and able to access fatty acids (ketones) instead of carbohydrates (sugars) when their opponents are having a blood sugar crash. Also another article but worth mentioning.

If you are doing Keto coffee or interested  I hope this article helps you.  Most of my patients who were biochemically OK to do keto coffee love it.

For specific products you can go to my blog under Nutritionist recommendations blog article or Click here to see it https://www.julikeene.com/the-nutritionists-grocery-list/ 

All rights reserved. Juli Keene Nutritionist January 2019. Feel free to copy with giving credit and linking back to this article on my website. Thank you!