Soya Milk + Coconut Oil : Morning Power Drink to Hack My Brain and Boost Productivity

Getting energy in the morning for me used to be a battle.

I am not a morning person. I suffer from lethargy and coffee doesn’t work for me---or at least it doesn’t work as expected. If I drink coffee in the morning, the caffeine would only kick-in in the evenings which worsens my lethargy the next day because I didn’t get any sleep the night before.

If you are not interested in learning about the story on how I came up with this recipe, just scroll down. Otherwise, keep reading…

My issues

Lack of energy in the morning has been one of my major complains and my dietician (Mark Ong from Dietwise Cebu) advised me to eat in the morning foods that are high in unsaturated fat.

Virgin olive oil, avocado, and dark chocolate are some of foods that are high in unsaturated fats.

However, I don’t like eating early. I eat my first meal usually by 11AM. Sometimes, I eat breakfast as late as 2PM. I don’t skip meals, I just start my meals at a later time.

For the past 18 months, I was just forcing myself to eat breakfast.

Other problems I have is the inability to focus and I get hungry quickly. I’ve been eating plant-based meals and unlike meat, they seem to burn really quick in my tummy.

Based on the things I learned from Mark about nutrition as well as recommendations from others (Dr. Paredes of Wellnessland, friends on Keto and IF), I started to incorporate coconut oil on my diet.

My problems at a glance...

• Lack of energy in the morning
• Inability to focus
• Hunger pangs

Why Coconut Oil

Coconut oil contains MCTs (Medium Chain Triglycerides) that are metabolized differently. Unlike most fats, MCTs do not require bile to break down making them easily absorbed and transported throughout the body. MCTs travel straight from the gut to the liver.

Coconut oil is also rich in lauric acid, a type of fatty acid that can suppress hunger, plus there have been studies showing that MCTs help improve brain function.

Check out the links below from Healthline to learn more about the various health benefits of coconut oil and MCTs.

Top 10 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Coconut Oil
7 Science-Based Benefits of MCT Oil

How to incorporate Coconut Oil in our diet

Some people I know take VCO like cough syrup (taking a spoonful directly) but I found it disgusting. I don’t enjoy eating fried foods, what more with swallowing oil by itself.

I tried adding it to brewed coffee as some fitness bloggers recommended using coconut oil as a substitute for creamer, but it didn’t make the coffee creamy at all. You need to add unsalted butter to achieve the creamy texture, however that’s an additional expense I’m not willing to take. Additionally, dairy is also not good for cancer survivors.

The next thing I tried which I started doing just this week is to add it to soya milk (since I drink soya milk everyday) and lo and behold…. I might have found the perfect morning drink for me.

Unlike my second experiment, VCO made the soya milk richer in taste! I had loads of energy the entire day and was really focused with my tasks. Heck, I even managed to write a blog post!

I also noticed a significant decline in anxiety (my mind is more peaceful), my mood is better, and I don’t get hungry as much although it doesn’t last until evening.

I did some additional research and some suggested to spread coconut oil to your toast (if that’s your thing) instead of butter or mixing it to your pre-workout and/or post-workout drink.

Morning Power Drink Recipe

If you want to ditch caffeine and would like to try the soya milk and coconut oil combo, my preparation process is below, but I recommend you consult a physician or a nutritionist first if you have medical concerns.

1. Prepare a bottle or a glass of your favorite soya milk. I prefer the Banana flavored Vitamilk.
2. Prepare one or two tablespoons of Virgin Coconut oil or MCT oil. If it has solidified, soak the bottle is hot water or microwave it.
3. I also started adding a pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt to my mixture for added electrolytes as I am prone to dehydration. Here’s a message from my dietician about the benefits of Himalayan salt. 
4. Mix all ingredients in a blender bottle (or any container you have as long as it’s clean and is resealable) and shake thoroughly.
5. Enjoy!

Actual products I use

For those who don’t like soya milk, try adding it to hot cocoa, fruit juice, or whatever drink you like. Just make sure to shake the mixture thoroughly.

I hope you found this article useful. Please let me know if you’ve tried using coconut oil for energy and if you have tips to add. Feel free to share this post on Facebook or Twitter.