Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Santa Monica's Getting A Bulletproof Coffee Shop For Yuppie Health Nuts
Bulletproof coffee (Photo by thedabblist via the Creative Commons on Flickr)
()
The buttered coffee beverage trend—dubbed Bulletproof coffee—that's supposed to help with weight loss is spreading its wings in Los Angeles now. The guy who popularized the drink in the U.S. is planning on opening his very first standalone Bulletproof Coffee shop in Santa Monica in February.
A lot of folks have jumped on the Bulletproof coffee train. Crossfitters on paleo diets love it, actress Shailene Woodley swears by it, and a Seattle barista has even created a weed-laced Bulletproof Coffee version since marijuana's legal in Washington.
Bulletproof coffee, a drink that's trademarked by Bulletproof Executive founder Dave Asprey, is a mixture of coffee; unsalted, grass-fed butter (which is used over regular butter because it has higher Omega 3s and vitamins); and medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil (a type of saturated fat that's easier to digest and prohibits fat storage that many body builders and Crossfiters have implemented into their diets), according to the New York Times and Livestrong.
It's Asprey's version of a yak butter tea he tried while he was traveling in Tibet (which already sounds like the start of film where a man takes a journey into his own self-discovery). He tells the Times that when you drink Bulletproof coffee, the high-calorie drink curbs hunger, promotes weight loss, and helps you stay mentally alert.
Support for LAist comes from
This isn't the first place in Los Angeles to serve this drink; Erewhon has been selling it for years, according to Eater LA. At Asprey's soon-to-open coffee shop, he'll also be giving customers the option to add a collagen shot (another health craze in liquid form) to their Bulletproof coffee that supposedly helps make skin look more youthful, Well + Good reported.
But wait, there's more. According to Well + Good:
Besides the coffee, food and supplements, Asprey’s building some innovative “bio-hacking technology” into the shop that will be great for your overall health. He’s installing lighting compatible with your circadian rhythms, a Whole Body Vibration platform for muscle and bone stimulation (which you’ll actually be able to purchase), and there’s a small seating area where the furniture and flooring will be “connected to the earth.”
However, there are some skeptics. Though Christopher Ochner, Ph.D., research associate at The New York Obesity Nutrition Research Center at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospitals, told Women's Health that MCTs could help with mild weight loss over time and regulate cholesterol levels, having too much of it could add too much saturated fat in your diet. Basically, moderation is key. He says 1 tablespoon of grass-fed butter and 1 tablespoon of MCT oil makes up more than 100 percent of your daily recommended intake of saturated fats.
"It's an extra 200-300 calories, so it has to replace some food or another caloric beverage," he says. "Otherwise, you would gain an extra 20 to 30 pounds each year by having a cup per day."
For that reason alone, Asprey won't be serving any breakfast items at his shop, as Bulletproof coffee is supposed to serve as a meal replacement. He does plan on serving a lunch menu though. Bulletproof coffee won't be a cheap drink though—it's supposed to cost the same price as a fancy latte. The store's expected to open as early as late February, according to Eater LA.
Bulletproof Coffee is located at 3110 Main St. in Santa Monica
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars. -
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
-
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
Best of LAist