In July of this year, I got a very odd email. Someone working with Dave Asprey of the Bulletproof Exec requested permission to use my testimonial for his book.
Thank you for your recent testimonial of the wonderful things being Bulletproof has brought you! We’d like to know if we can utilize your testimonial in the upcoming Bulletproof Diet Book, published by Rodale, and due out later this year. If you’d like to grant us permission, please simply sign and return the attached release form as soon as possible!
Thank you again for your kind words and continued support of Bulletproof and we look forward to hearing from you!
I challenged the person who sent the email to point to me where I ever endorsed or said anything positive about the Bulletproof Diet. They couldn’t. To save face, they said that the email was sent to me by accident and was meant for someone else. Right!
I had no plans to post about this interaction, but now that the Bulletproof Diet Book is out a few people have asked me if I read it or plan to. The answer is no. I’ll admit when I first was exposed to Dave and his podcast I found it interesting. I was doing Quantified Self at the time and there was enough cross-over in dietary principles that I supported for me to listen. But over time my suspicions grew.
The Bulletproof Diet is not a diet of resiliency. It is a diet of fragility. Walling ourselves off from all threats, both real and imaginary, does not make us “bulletproof”. It makes us weaker. I could go into much greater detail, but my short testimonial is:
The Bulletproof Diet is yet another overly restrictive low carb diet with slick packaging.
Props to Antonio Valladares of Evil Sugar Sugar for referring to Dave Asprey as the Krusty the Clown of Paleo.
Becca
Dec 18, 2014 — 12:27 pm
The bulletproof diet inspired me to try adding coconut oil to my coffee in the mornings… and I like doing that when I’m not drinking high-quality coffee. But other than that, I agree – the diet seems too restrictive with the carbs! How weird that they e-mailed you by ‘accident.”
Jim
Dec 18, 2014 — 11:01 pm
In striking a balance between providing unbiased information and making money, BPE is heavily weighted toward making money. If you search Joe Rogan Dave Asprey, you’ll get a video with Joe’s honest take on the matter.
nicole
Dec 21, 2014 — 7:19 pm
I would like to start off by saying I have been reading this blog for about a year now and have found your insights and opinions helpful and refreshing.
I recently ordered the Bullet Proof Diet book (waiting for it to arrive) and have since read quite a few negative reviews of it. I can see some of the problems with the logic behind the diet but I also get the feeling Dave Asprey is very genuine and isn’t just some supplement slinger with low ethics. Also, what’s wrong with creating and selling products that aim to enhance wellbeing? The Crusty the Clown comparison seems childish to me. If you have ever listened to one of his podcasts you can tell the guy is genuine and very intelligent. Don’t know what the fuss is all about with this one book in the endless sea of health and diet related philosophies out there!
MAS
Dec 21, 2014 — 8:25 pm
@Nicole – I listened to all the episodes of the first year of his podcast. Dave even talked about me on one episode and has commented a few times here on this blog.
I just fundamentally disagree that excessive restriction leads to a greater health. He creates fear where none is warranted. I have a problem with that. I could go into much greater detail. but I won’t.
Jim
Dec 23, 2014 — 6:07 am
@Nicole. Re: Why all the fuss with BPD. My advice would be to continue doing what you are doing. Listen to the podcasts, read the book, read the blog, read what others have to say, and experiment with the recommendations. If you are like most people, you’ll end up using some parts of the advice, and not using other parts. The BPD and a healthy paleo/primal diet are about 99% the same. Some people feel that the 1% difference that distinguishes the BPD is not supported by science, and is more based on commercial concerns (e.g., eat lean meat, vegetables and fruit…..and this mysterious $100 supplement pill that is only sold on the site, the use of which is possibly sort of supported by the abstract of this one-week study performed on six college students ten years ago). Good luck!
Rob
Jan 6, 2015 — 6:43 am
I came across this article:
Skip Bulletproof Coffee And Just Take The Drugs:
http://deadspin.com/skip-bulletproof-coffee-and-just-take-the-drugs-1674389935
“As Steve Magness writes at Science of Running, it’s impossible to tell what the merits of the Bulletproof Diet are because Asprey was pumping himself full of drugs for years, among them Modafinil, testosterone, and thyroid meds.”
Vanessa Johansen
Apr 23, 2015 — 4:57 am
I love this quote “The Bulletproof Diet is not a diet of resiliency. It is a diet of fragility. Walling ourselves off from all threats, both real and imaginary, does not make us “bulletproof”. It makes us weaker.”
After trying to follow the bulletproof diet to hopefully get rid of some brain fog, I realized I was making myself absolutely crazy! Like trying to limit myself from things like tomatoes and onions because they are on the “suspect list”. I do wish you would elaborate a little more though. Thanks for this post!
MAS
Apr 23, 2015 — 5:46 pm
@Vanessa – Maybe someday I will do a follow-up to this post.
His “suspect list” is suspect. His BP Diet has been around for years. If avoiding tomatoes and onions really provided the edge then you would hear a lot more people talking about it. They aren’t. Good ideas spread. They spread beyond single spheres of influence. Silly ideas fade away. My prediction is another 5 years most of Dave’s ideas will have been forgotten and someone else will step forward to take the public’s money with promises of awesome health.