Bulletproof Coffee with Cinnamon & Turmeric

Bulletproof coffee (& other bulletproof beverages) are especially helpful in these times. I’ve changed up my ever-changing bulletproof coffee mix to add some healthful spices. Cinnamon is helpful to maintain good blood sugars. Since diabetics and prediabetics are at greater risk to get a severe case of Wuhan Coronavirus, controlled blood sugars is a good thing!

I use instant coffee— Folger’s on weekdays and Jacobs (from Germany) on the weekends. I also have Sanka decaf for afternoon & evening, but don’t usually use it as I think it doesn’t taste very good.

I mix my bulletproof beverages in a 16 oz ceramic cup. Since I often use MCT oil or coconut oil in my bulletproof beverages, which you cannot put in styrofoam cups due to a chemical reaction, it is worth having to wash out the cups.

BULLETPROOF COFFEE with CINNAMON & TURMERIC

2 teaspoons of instant coffee

pinch of Himalayan pink salt or sea salt (optional)

1 Tablespoon MCT oil

1 Tablespoon EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)

hot water to nearly fill cup

After the hot water is added, stir it a little, then add:

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

about 1/16^th teaspoon turmeric (half filled 1/8 teaspoon measure)

Stir well and drink. I do NOT add my usual heavy whipping cream to this bulletproof coffee as I have given up cream for Lent. At first I added coconut milk to my daily bulletproof coffees, but lately I don’t bother.

VARIATIONS

With Brewed Coffee: Replace the instant coffee crystals and the hot water with brewed coffee

Bulletproof Tea: make enough tea to fill the cup (in a different cup) and replace the hot water & instant coffee with the brewed tea.

Bulletproof Hot Chocolate: Replace the 2 teaspoons of instant coffee with 2 teaspoons Hershey’s (unsweetened) cocoa or cacao powder. You may use up to 8 drops of Sweetleaf liquid stevia, plain, vanilla, or English Toffee flavor. But I made some without any sweetener and it was quite good.

Bulletproof Chocolate Mocha: As above, but use 1 teaspoon instant coffee and 1 teaspoon cocoa/cacao.

Bulletproof Carob: As above, but use 2 teaspoons carob powder. Sweetener may be even less needed than it is in the chocolate version. 

NOTE: I don’t like the taste of EVOO in my bulletproof beverages. But mixing it half-and-half with MCT oil and adding the spices, especially the turmeric, kills that EVOO flavor I don’t care for in my drinks. Since EVOO is not only healthy, it is recognized as a healthy oil by doctors and family members who insist everyone should avoid fat sources like MCT oil in their diet, adding it to your bulletproof beverages may be an acceptable compromise.

OTHER FATS: Butter was the original fat in bulletproof beverages. When I was in a rehab center after my stroke last year, I saved the tiny pats of butter allowed for my coffee since the food it was meant for was too lukewarm to melt butter. It was delicious, even though I had to do without cream or sweetener. Coconut oil contains some MCT oil, and thus is a low-cost substitute. I have used Ghee in bulletproof beverages as well, and when I had a small jar of bacon fat recovered from cooking bacon I used that in my hot chocolate (weird but delicious.) DON’T use rapeseed oil (‘canola’ oil) or other inflammation-causing vegetable oils in your bulletproof beverages.

Wishing you health
during this Lenten/coronavirus season,
Nissa Annakindt