Ketogenic coffee has a long history in the low carb community. But would you believe it goes much further than the ketogenic movement? Some Himalayans have been drinking a similar type of coffee for centuries. In Singapore and Vietnam, it’s not unusual to saute coffee beans in butter, salt, and/or sugar before roasting. Other populations in Ethiopia traditionally make their coffee with butter, salt, and honey.  In Tibet, the traditional tea is called po cha, and is made with thick, creamy (and salty) yak butter. Yak butter has about 2.5% CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), which has been shown to decrease body fat, reduce hunger, and even increase lean body mass in some.  The Tibetan tea is also thought to improve mental alertness and cognitive capacity.

But as you (hopefully) already know, yak milk in the Himalayas is completely different than milk from a dairy cow in a westernized country.  So it’s important to pay attention to context and evaluate every ingredient in your recipes to make sure it’s right for you, in your place, in your time.

CustomKeto coffee utilizes 4 basic ingredients: coffee, macadamia oil, grass-fed collagen peptides, and stevia glycerite.

I chose these ingredients because they offer benefits particular to my health issues.  I have high cholesterol. Not the 200s kind, I have the genetically caused 300s kind of high cholesterol. I’m not that person that the doctor randomly prescribes a statin. I’m the one that truly needs to be on a statin, unless I can manage it by other means. I could have chosen any healthy fat to put in my coffee, like grass-fed butter or organic coconut oil, or MCT oil. But I choose macadamia nut oil because it is rich in MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acids), which has shown in many studies to help lower bad cholesterol.

I also snack on macadamia nuts – they are very much a big part of my keto and cardiovascular health plan. Feel free to use whatever brand macadamia nut oil you like (it has a buttery taste profile), just make sure it’s a quality oil, from a source you trust. I use Olivado brand at the moment, mainly because it is delicious and I can buy it from my local grocery store. Depending on your location, you may have to find it at a health food store, but you can also order it online, if needed.

As for the grass-fed hydrolized collagen, I include it because it’s so good for so many things.  But what is it? Think of collagen as the glue that holds your whole body together. Technically a protein, collagen forms the connective tissue for many of the structures in your body, from your joints to your bones to your skin.  Collagen has also been shown to decrease joint pain, improve flexibility, and even help form new bones. Collagen’s anti-aging benefits are a pretty big deal, but that’s not even all! A study at Penn State University found that collagen supplements helped reduce joint pain in athletes as well.

Regular collagen molucules are big and fluffy and are therefore more difficult to digest. Hydrolized collagen (also known as collagen peptides) is collagen protein that has been broken down into smaller amino acid chains. These important amino acids are arginine, proline, glycine and hydroxyproline. The hydrolization process makes these amino acids easier and faster to digest, i.e. they are more bioavailable (meaning they are now able to be used by your body).

Since I’m in my 40s now, the wrinkles have crept in (seemingly overnight!) and are piling up like keto pancakes, and collagen is one of the best things you can do for your skin.  Also, since I’ve been blessed with menopause at 40, my body needs more attention and care to replace the things it used to do on its own.*

Stevia Glycerite

There’s no magical reason for using the glycerite version of stevia other than ease of use and practicality.  While erythritol is good for baking, I find stevia glycerite easier to use because it is a thick liquid that is easy to control.  It’s too easy to overdo it with powders and thin, watery liquids. Stevia glycerite has a syrupy quality and usually comes in a bottle that allows you to add it to your food in drops.  Most people that dislike stevia do so because they added too much.  It doesn’t take a lot to get the sweetness level you want.  I typically add about 8-9 drops to an 8oz cup of coffee – and I could do less.  Anytime I accidentally overdo it, I actually can’t drink the coffee.  So it’s important to me to get it right.  Remember that the powdered stevia is easy to overdo and usually contains other ingredients like maltodextrin, which is a huge keto no-no. Skip the “stevia-in-the-raw”.  Stick with a liquid form.  Currently I use NOW brand’s Better Stevia Glycerite. It is Non-GMO certified, is made with organic stevia leaf extract and vegetable glycerin, and comes in a big 8oz bottle with a dropper cap. I get mine on Amazon.

And that’s it! You can see why I use these particular ingredients for my health issues. As you page through some of the articles on this site, hopefully you can put together your own coffee concoction.

*Sidenote: estrogen is instrumental in regulating cholesterol levels in the blood. Without it, good cholesterol can go down and bad cholesterol can go up.