Try this morning tea cocktail instead of coffee. It’s rocket fuel for the brain.
I started experimenting with fat-plus-stimulant beverages in 1998 and 1999 while on the Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD). For the above tea blend, I now add turmeric and ginger to the aged pu-erh, usually Rishi brand.
The above video was shot while filming the parkour episode of The Tim Ferriss Experiment TV show. We filmed 13 episodes back-to-back and I needed a morning pick-me-up that could be prepared quickly but sustain me for hours.
The tea prep might seem reminiscent of Bulletproof Coffee, and it is. They serve similar purposes. For this reason, I jokingly referred to the cocktail as “Titanium Tea” with the production crew.
Alas, BP coffee looks like a delicious frappuccino, and my concoction looks like diabetic horse urine.
Here’s why I still drink TT Horse Urine nearly every day:
- I’m a caffeine “fast metabolizer” according to genetic test results from 23andMe, Navigenics (since acquired), and personal experience. If I drink a cup of black coffee, I feel like a superhero for 30 minutes, then need two cups to get back to baseline. But…
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When I use a blend of — say — green tea and fermented black tea, I’m combining slightly different pharmacokinetics and biological half-lives, so respective peak plasma (blood) concentrations of stimulants and other compounds are staggered. Instead of one single high point and then a rapid descent into fatigue, I have multiple high points. Rather than feeling amazing for 30 minutes and then fatigued, I can feel 20% more effective for 3-4 hours.
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This can be extended further if I include a tea like yerba mate (I like Cruz de Malta), which includes three xanthine alkaloids. For our purposes, you can think of these three xanthines as “stimulants”: good old caffeine (by weight, often <50% compared to coffee), theophylline (found in green tea), and theobromine (the primary alkaloid in cocoa and chocolate). Yerba mate isn’t the only tea to include these three, but the ratios in yerba mate appear optimal for my biochemistry and creative writing.
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NOTE: The most extended effect is only achieved if you sip the yerba using traditional technique. The gourd is my constant companion — plus one glass of Malbec — for 10pm-4am jam sessions when on book deadline. Just as coca-leaf teas don’t = cocaine, which doesn’t = crack, the form and speed of administration matters. For the nerds, this is why powdered “good” foods (e.g. bean flour) aren’t always compliant with the slow-carb diet.
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If I rely on theobromine and/or theophylline as my uppers, instead of primarily caffeine, I can quit stimulants cold turkey without caffeine-withdrawal headaches. This can be a massive competitive and health advantage, as you can cycle off of stimulants to minimize tolerance development.
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But — I’m not a doctor and don’t play one on the Internet! As always, the dose makes the poison. Excessive theophylline and theobromine have plenty of adverse effects, particularly when consumed with fat like coconut oil (i.e. “dose dumping“). So speak to your doc first if you have any medical conditions, m’kay? This is an N=1 article.
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I still drink coffee on occasion, especially if empty handed in the middle of nowhere. It’s a hell of a lot easier to find coffee and butter than pu-erh tea and coconut oil. Definitely 10x better than straight black coffee, and kudos to Dave Asprey for taking it mainstream. It’s now ubiquitous, and that’s no small feat. Many of the top performers I know drink BP coffee, including legendary producer Rick Rubin.
For more quick-tip videos like the above, click here.
For 13 full-length episodes shot by an Emmy award-winning team, click here or on the image below.
The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most popular podcasts in the world with more than one billion downloads. It has been selected for "Best of Apple Podcasts" three times, it is often the #1 interview podcast across all of Apple Podcasts, and it's been ranked #1 out of 400,000+ podcasts on many occasions. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out this page.
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Hey Tim – be careful with the Mate. I used to drink it daily in lieu of coffee until a registered dietician have me the heads up that Yerba Mate has been linked to mouth cancer! I looked it up and found it on multiple reputable sites.
Hi Ethan,
Yup… I also came across quite some studies indicating a risk of mouth/throat cancer when frequently using Yerba Mate. This is the reason I also stopped using it after having drunk this for years…
did you ditch the first steep?
Tim et al.: Any comment on the teaspoon or tablespoon amount of the ingredients? I bought the Rishi products and have started off with this: 1/4 of a pu-erh cake, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric ginger, 1/2 teaspoon supergreen. This has been working well for me so far, I think I’ve definitely switched over during the regular work week to this tea cocktail.
tim;
do you still suffer from lyme disease flashbacks? thought this might help you out if you did..
http://healthwyze.org/reports/593-naturally-curing-lyme-disease-and-chronic-lyme-disease
I read the 4 Hour Body and it’s an amazing book! I am allergic to green tea so unfortunately I can’t do PAGG. Can I substitute green tea with caffeine or any other product to get similar results? 🙂
What other supplements were on the table? I watched the Parkour episode (actually watched them all- freaking awesome show and I can’t wait for more!) and was wondering if some of those supplements were to compliment the training? Very curious as I am/was into parkour.
Tim … I randomly came upon your blog, it does not matter how or why, but that I Am ” discovered ” this amazing blog/ podcast/ etc … …
This was the first post I delved into … I made a similar cocktail … Coconut oil, grass-fed butter, Numi pu-erh tea, green tea, & turmeric/ ginger tea & Guayakí yerba mate … It has changed My perspective on pre-workout drinks, energy drinks, caffeine … A perfect cocktail of sustainable & focused energy … …
Thank you for sharing & I am thoroughly enjoying your words & wisdoms … … …
So all that pu ehr my mum makes me drink was not for nothing
Sweet
Might go down the cheapo Chinese place more often
Hey Tim, I saw on one of the episodes of the Random Show, you talked about a Tea Cup you used for your Titanium Tea (perhaps other tea too?). It may have been a while back but was wondering if you could point me to the episode/time in the episode or a link… I think you mentioned it was available on Amazon somewhere…?
Cheers,
Nick
Any thoughts on Crio Bru?
Is drinking Chaga tea ok with the keto diet?
good one thanks for the information
Very interesting post, Tim. I have found that green tea extract in some form or another is great for days when I need to really concentrate. I can most definitely relate to the sustained energy of green tea versus the high burst of coffee.
Green Tea for Fat Burner
Green tea has thermogenic properties and promotes fat oxidation. While caffeine has been shown to help burn fat and increase metabolism, it’s good to know the effect of [Moderator: Link removed] on metabolism is much more than that, because simply ramping up caffeine intake will definitely give you the jitters.
Hey Tim! Thanks for sharing your recipe! Any tips for getting over the initial aversion to liquid butter/oil? It’s really preventing me from embracing this.
Personally, I’d suggest giving the mix a few seconds in a blender, or shaking vigorously in a shaker or thermos if you haven’t got a blender on hand. This will emulsify the tea and oil, which to me gives it a mouthfeel that’s creamy and delicious, rather than oily and gag-inducing.
There is an over the counter blend available that contains all the titanium tea ingredients…do a search for TruGrit Tea and you will find it. It will be also among the first teas to contain purple tea, although it is still in customs.
Has anyone tried oolong/pu-erh/yerba mate?? I couldn’t find the sencha tea and read oolong is a good tea so thought I’d try that…hope it’s good 😀
I ONLY use Yerba Mate brewed in a coffee maker. Have for 15 years. The MCT and GF Butter are additions in last two years. Check out EcosTeas. They make a non smoked mate that is great. To brew in coffee maker, treat leaves with cold water. Drain cold water then brew as you would coffee. Same ratio of Mate to water, etc
Hey Tim, that looks like a pretty slick little tea strainer. Mind sharing who makes it or where you purchased it?
What brand of kabusecha do you use? Great stuff as always!
can you drink this tea while on the four hour body diet?
Hey Tim, I have been adding 1/2 teaspoon of Moringa to my tea/coffee and finding I get a little more energy. Have you tried Moringa and/or provide thoughts on it? Ie. why you don’t use it? Thanks for all you do!
I’m into the mug at the end… do you sell it? If not, where is it from?
Hi all,
I am late to the party here but have a question that the community might be able to answer?
I just bought some Pu Erh tea after spotting this in China Town (Manchester, UK) at the weekend since I remembered you mentioning this frequently as an alternative to coffee…
However reading through this post I am slightly confused about the effect fat has on the active ingredients (theophylline, theobromine). When you/Tim says that “fat extends the effects”… I assume you mean extends the duration of the effects, as in prolongs?
But, how does that reconcile with the Dose Dumping effect? Is the Dose Dumping effect in this case mainly an effect of increased intake in terms of “stimulate the body’s absorptive surfaces to increase the rate of drug uptake” and not so much as in “speeding up drug release”?
Just checking…
Many thanks in advance
All the best
TITANIUM TEA IMPROVEMENT!!!!!!
I just stumbled upon your blog while searching for why my morning cocktail works so much more effectively than coffee, which is also thanks to Dave Asprey.
Puerh Tea (Numi Brand)
12oz hot water
1/2 tsp raw cacao powder (Navitas Brand)
2 tbl. Grass fed butter ( Kerry Gold unsalted)
2 tbl. C8 oil (KissMyKeto.com), cheaper than brain octane
Steep Tea for five minutes, while doing so add to a blender in this order
C8 oil, butter, puerh tea, cacao. This will prevent the cacao from sticking to the blender and not being used in your tea. Add the tea bag back into your final cup to continue brewing as you drink.
I have used many combinations such as matcha, green tea, and mate however this is the holy grail of Titanium Tea, lol
My Experince with this Tea is absolutely astounding. It tastes more amazing than any other combination and the effects last for 3-4 hours without a crash
( but a noticeable allleiviation of heightened awareness). PLEASE TRY THIS OUT TIM AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!
I cann shenanigans. No drink is better than coffee in the morning! For real though, I’ll totally look more into this and consider trying it out. [Moderator: Additional text and link removed.] “Titanium Tea” does sound pretty badass!
Try Digest Gold by ENzymedica for the GI issues you mentioned with the butter.
[Moderator: link removed.]
Its very nice post thanks for sharing this blog..
One observation I have had. I included bulletproof mct oil into my daily routine for the past year and, as of my last blood test, my LDL (bad) cholesterol had skyrocketed. This has been the only significant change to my otherwise rigorously healthy lifestyle. I did some cursory research and it seems this is a real risk.
Thoughts?
With the new version with turmeric and ginger does anyone know how much of each he blends into it?
Tim, you mention “The most extended effect is only achieved if you sip the yerba using traditional technique”. May I ask why?
Is it that this process uses more yerba maté within the gourd, or some other reason?
Hey Tim,
I think you should try Guayusa Tea. Its definitely worth it 😀
[Moderator: additional text and link removed.]
Let me know if You’r in Berlin again, so I will show some awesome place.
There seems to be articles online that discuss increased risk of some types of cancer, such as cancer of the mouth, esophagus and lungs when drinking Yerba Mate tea, such as this article on the Mayo Clinic website. Was curious what your thought are on this? https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/yerba-mate/faq-20058343
Hello Tim – a question for you. I have been doing the 16:8 intermittent fasting sort of whenever I can (can be difficult when traveling for business and such). I also have been doing 3-day fasts and have done 2 so far. I quite like for many of the reasons you have pointed out. But my question is that if you also do 16:8 diet (or schedule since its really not a diet) how do you drink a Bulletproof coffee in the morning? Unless that is the start of your 8-hour eating window. Thanks! C. O’Hare NYC
The above article is very informative and is helpful for health benefits. As I am also related to this business and its the platform to get many innovative ideas. Thanks for sharing!
Hi, have just purchased your book The 4 Hour Body’ and it’s great.
Have recommended to a friend. He said I look amazing ! have not aged. Huh !
Anyway the instructs are comprehensive and I am into my first week of it.
I hope it works although I’ve been the same weight for decades. Just want to streamline myself.
Thank you for your amazing book.
Regards Margaret NZ
Hi Tim, thanks!
Im afraid of body fat increase when doing BP coffee out of keto (aka glucose is in liver & muscles) – since the body will have enough of other stuff to generate energy from. Thoughts?
Hey Tim, are you still enjoying Yerba Mate? We’re a startup from Germany, bringing Premium Yerba to Europe, and see an increasing interest in Yerba Mate as a coffee alternative. We’re not pushing the super traditional way, but a simplified way to prepare it.
Just designed our own gourd, too (I’ve seen you have an impressive collection yourselves). It’s kind of a modern and high quality interpretation. Right now funding it on Kickstarter: [Moderator: link removed.]
Tim – love all your stuff. Just curious if you’ve seen this new (I think new) drink called mud/wtr – thoughts? I’d love to move off coffee if I can and recently saw this mentioned on another blog.
Empowering! Gracias!!!
I’m not into coffee anymore, but I love chickory and dandelion mix and i’ve just started having MCT oil with it. The first day I had noticably more energy, since then i’m not as sure. Sometimes it actually makes my head a little cloudy, but it tastes good and i’m going to try it for a while.
Hi Tim, what do you use to boil your water?
We would love to give you a gift of Yerba Mate Gummies. Healthy, delicious and amazing in so many ways.
Just let us know where to send to 🙂
Exploring alternative morning beverages to replace or complement coffee is a fascinating journey. Many people are discovering that there are other options that provide a caffeine kick and numerous health benefits. Whether it’s a blend of herbal tea, lemon water, or a nutrient-packed smoothie, these morning cocktails offer a refreshing start to the day while catering to individual preferences and health goals. While coffee remains a beloved morning ritual for many, these alternatives provide a spectrum of flavors and potential advantages, contributing to a more diverse and health-conscious morning routine.