My experiment with the Bulletproof® protein fasting

A while ago I listened to a lecture by Dave Asprey in the Living La Vida Low Carb podcast. While I don’t agree with everything Asprey says, when he mentioned his protein fasting protocol I remembered hearing solid stuff related to this concept from Mat Lalonde. It made sense, so I decided to give it a go. According to the Bulletproof® Diet‘s infographic, the Bulletproof® protein fasting is “a biohack used occasionally to get a greater reduction in inflammation. About 1-2 times a week, limit your protein intake to 15-25g to help cleanse your inner-cells without muscle loss. To keep you full and energized, consume a cup of Bulletproof® Coffee in the morning and have high fats and moderate carbs throughout the day. For optimal results, follow the green portion of the diet [non starchy veggies] and limit carbohydrates to the afternoon and evening.”

That inner-cell cleansing process is call autophagy and is triggered when fasting and when consuming very little protein. Asprey says that when he started tinkering with this approach he was consuming about 25g of protein found that below 15g gave him better results. I didn’t measure my intake (mostly because I know there’s a lot of variability in the nutrient content of foods) but I tried to stay away from everything that has some protein in it, such as dairy (other than butter), eggs and nuts.

My experiment ran for 5 weeks and I felt it helped reset my body, particularly around the Xmas holidays. I’m travelling at the moment, but I see no reason to not resume this approach once I’m “back to normal”. Below is my food/activity log.

16/12/2013

• Breakfast: Mountain coffee (Thr1ve)
• Lunch: large salad with baby spinach, pumpkin, slivered almonds, walnuts, olives, carrots, double extra avocado, olive oil (Sumo Salad)
• Snack: 50 g Spiral Foods coconut paste
• Exercise: pilates
• Dinner: 1 bowl gingered zucchini soup (Well Fed 2), ~6 plantain chips
• Before bed: 3/4 cup water with ~1 rounded tbsp potato starch, 3/4 cup water with ~1 rounded tsp Natural Calm (magnesium powder)
• Notes: felt clear and alert, especially in the a.m. Not hungrier than usual. A little bit cold. Woke up the next day starving but hunger went away during exercise (normal).

26/12/2013

• Breakfast: Bulletproof coffee, Clipper detox tea
• Early lunch: salad with baby spinach, radishes, cucumbers, avocado, olives, mug of gingered zucchini soup (Well Fed 2)
• Snack: piece of cacao butter
• Snack: 1/5 banana, square of 100% chocolate
• Dinner: bowl of gingered zucchini soup (Well Fed 2), big coleslaw (savoy cabbage, carrots, olive oil mayo), 1/3 banana with coconut milk, teaspoon of coconut ice cream
• Before bed: tablespoon of creamed coconut, 3/4 cup water with ~1 rounded tsp Natural Calm (magnesium powder) and 1 teaspoon of Melrose Organics Essential Greens
• Exercise: none
• Notes: a bit tired after a day of drinking and eating, but not too much. Not cold, a bit hungry. Normal thirst. Normal hunger the next day, normal strength and energy in workout (strength & met con).

02/01/2013

• Breakfast: Bulletproof coffee, Clipper detox tea
• Lunch: salad with mixed greens, grilled balsamic pumpkin (Well Fed 2), big avocado, big handful of olives, few gherkins, lemon juice
• Exercise: walk to and from work (approx. 2:10 hours in total)
• Dinner: raw carrot, bowl of gingered zucchini soup (Well Fed 2) with 1 tablespoon Pepe Saya butter
• Snack: 2 stuffed green olives
• Before bed: 3/4 cup water with ~1 rounded tsp Natural Calm (magnesium powder), 2 cod liver oil capsules
• Notes: got cold and a bit hungry around noon and around 4 pm. Normal hunger and energy the next day (rode bike to Sydney Park, did hill sprints, rode bike back home and walked to work)

06/01/2014

• Breakfast: Bulletproof coffee, Clipper detox tea
• Lunch: mug of chicken broth, pizza vegetables (Well Fed 2, sans meat – note: it’s WAY better with meat), white tea
• Snack: large avocado, salt
• Exercise: pilates
• Dinner: bowl of sweet potato & garlic soup, 2 tablespoons of creamed coconut
• Before bed: 3/4 cup water with ~1 rounded tsp Natural Calm (magnesium powder)
• Notes: felt a bit cold mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Normal hunger. Bad sleep and low motility due to stress. Woke up hungry the next day.

13/01/2014

• Exercise: weights (push press, front squats, clean pulls, 3 sets of 1-arm standing row + box jumps, front + side planks)
• Breakfast: 300 ml carrot and orange juice
• Lunch: salad with baby spinach, avocado, olives, roasted eggplant, roasted capsicum, roasted pumpkin, mushrooms, lemon juice and olive oil, long black (Mero Mero), Clipper detox tea
• Snack: ~2 Tbsp frozen Spiral Organics coconut paste
• Dinner: salad with cucumber, grated carrot, steamed broccoli, olives, gherkins, olive oil, ~6 dry-roasted cashews
• Snack: square of Lindt dark chocolate with sea salt, small square of 100% dark chocolate
• Before bed: ~1 tablespoon Pepe Saya butter, 3/4 cup water with ~1 rounded tsp Natural Calm (magnesium powder)
• Notes: felt a bit cold mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Normal hunger. Didn’t wake up hungry the next day. Normal energy and strength on the day and the next day.

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