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Now, I know that many of us -- including me -- love good coffee. Black coffee is almost non-caloric, non-carbohydrate, bristling with healthy antioxidants and just a few healthy fats. But some days, black just doesn't do it.

Today is one of these days. So I hit the Starbucks menu and came up with a teeny little addition to an existing menu item that takes it way up on the "decent low-carb treat" scale.

Many of us have discovered the benefits of medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil. 100% MCT oil is safe for people with coconut allergies, and because it's a medium-length chain, your liver isn't even involved in metabolizing this stuff into ketones. The enzymes in your small intestines are enough to do the trick! That's right, you could be eating a ridiculously high-carb diet and STILL turn those lousy Ketostix purple taking this stuff. That means almost instant ketosis -- with the attendant rise in mental focus, clarity, and reduction in appetite -- for the cost of one lousy tablespoon of fat.

So the next time you have a hankering for a cup of joe, hit your local Starbucks and ask for a Tall Cappuccino Breve with a shot of your favorite sugar-free syrup. 22g fat, 9g carbohydrate, and 6g protein in this puppy. Then spike it to make the fat-to-carbohydrate ratio even better with the addition of a tablespoon of 100% pure MCT oil with 15g of fat, and your satiety meter will go through the roof about 20 minutes later.

I came up with this idea today as I heard my stomach rumbling right after lunch. What was wrong? I looked at my Livestrong log, and there it was staring me in the face: my fats were way, way, way too low so far for the day, as were my carbs. This fatty delight almost instantly turned those hunger pangs off, brought my energy level up so that I could overcome the afternoon blahs, and was a wonderful after-lunch pick-me-up that got to work right away.

The caffeine helps, I'm sure, too. But I bet you a nickel you could order this drink in decaf, and the half-and-half plus MCT oil would hit you within 20-30 minutes to bring your energy levels right where they should be.

As your fat-loss challenges increase because your body fat is starting to stabilize at a new low level, MCT oil is a godsend. It's fat that can only be used for energy (not stored or used for cell construction), and it's almost-instant energy like a carbohydrate, but with no rise in insulin levels. I find myself wishing that Starbucks would start carrying MCT oil right there along with their syrups so that I didn't have to tote around my own little vial of the stuff!

Regards,
Matt B.

Red, I tried this today. I must say I felt really good.