How To: A Coffee-Only Breakfast Can Make You Fatter, but It Doesn't Have To

Hey, coffee drinkers—your morning cup of joe is killing your metabolism.

If you count on coffee to jump-start your day and your diet, you might want to think twice. Swapping a hearty breakfast for a cup of coffee does your body more harm than good. Although caffeine suppresses appetite, skipping breakfast slows down your metabolism—which means your "healthy" habit is detrimental your well-being.

Instead, kick-start your day and your metabolism with a bit of fat, which also has an added benefit of prolonging your caffeine buzz.

The Solution? Just Add Butter...

Turn your morning energy boost into a small meal with an unusual twist: drop two tablespoons of melted, unsalted butter into your coffee. Officially named Bulletproof Coffee, this buttery addition combines coffee beans, butter, and a few teaspoons of optional coconut oil to combat hunger and help your body burn fat throughout the day.

How Butter Helps Prolong Your Caffeine Buzz

Typically, coffee drinkers feel a crash mid-morning. Shortly afterward, stomach-growling hunger kicks in. Turning your regular black coffee Bulletproof can counter both of these effects—all thanks to the fat people typically avoid in butter.

This beneficial fat is a key reason the drink has taken off among paleo dieters. Ingesting butter tricks your stomach into thinking you've eaten breakfast, and provides nutrients that frequent breakfast-skippers miss out on.

According to dietitian Tanya Zuckerbrot, butter's fat content is key to keeping your caffeine buzz. Because fat slows down the digestion process, it takes longer for your body to absorb coffee's caffeine. Rather than running through the energy boost quickly, butter helps prolong coffee's effects.

Why Butter Is Better Than Cream & Sugar

The traditional coffee additives of cream and sugar can't match butter's meal-like effects; their fat content is too nonexistent to make a difference. Real butter, whether it's store-bought or homemade, contains the best benefits. Spreads won't offer the same texture and are made of different ingredients.

How Does Butter Affect the Taste?

Of course, adding butter to your coffee also affects the taste. Many Bulletproof drinkers love the creamy, smooth feel of the drink, and it's often compared to the taste of a latte.

Those who can't stand coffee's bitter bite will love the smoothness created when butter is stirred in. Traditional black coffee drinkers, however, may not want to jump on the butter bandwagon just yet. Butter makes plain coffee considerably thicker, which makes you feel physically full.

If you can't stand breakfast, or just don't have the time, a bit of butter each morning might help you survive the day. It might even do wonders for your diet. And for maximum caffeine buzz, make sure to drink your morning coffee at the best time for your body.