April 21, 2025

REST DAY (No class)

HAPPY EASTER!

“He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” — Matthew 28:6

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Keto Garlic Butter Herb Roasted Chicken with Asparagus

Ingredients (serves 4):

•  4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (or breasts)

•  1 lb asparagus, trimmed

•  3 tbsp butter, melted

•  3 cloves garlic, minced

•  1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)

•  1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)

•  Salt and pepper to taste

•  1 lemon, sliced (optional, for flavor)

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

2.  Pat chicken dry and season generously with salt and pepper.

3.  In a small bowl, mix melted butter, garlic, rosemary, and thyme.

4.  Place chicken and asparagus on a baking sheet. Brush chicken with half the garlic butter mixture and drizzle the rest over asparagus. Toss asparagus to coat.

5.  Add lemon slices around the chicken (optional).

6.  Roast for 25-30 minutes, until chicken reaches 165°F (75°C) internally and skin is crispy. Asparagus should be tender.

7.  Optionally, broil for 2-3 minutes for extra crispy skin.

8.  Serve hot, spooning pan juices over chicken and asparagus.

Nutrition (per serving):

~350 kcal

28g fat

4g net carbs

22g protein

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Study 1

Study 2

Study 1 Summary:

The KETO Trial studied whether a low-carb ketogenic diet, which can raise “bad” cholesterol (LDL-C), leads to more heart plaque (buildup in arteries) in healthy, lean people. They compared 80 people on a ketogenic diet with high LDL-C (average 272 mg/dL) to 80 similar people with lower LDL-C (average 123 mg/dL).

Here’s what they found:

•  Both groups had similar amounts of plaque in their heart arteries, checked by special heart scans.

•  Higher LDL-C in the ketogenic diet group didn’t mean more plaque.

•  Even after about 4.7 years on the diet, the ketogenic group didn’t show worse heart health than the group with lower LDL-C.

In short, the study suggests that high LDL-C from a ketogenic diet might not harm the hearts of healthy, lean people as much as expected.

Study 2 Summary:

The KETO-CTA Trial looked at whether a ketogenic diet, which can raise “bad” cholesterol (LDL-C) and a related protein called ApoB, causes more heart plaque (buildup in arteries) in lean, healthy people. They studied 100 people with high LDL-C (average 254 mg/dL) and ApoB who followed a ketogenic diet for about 5.7 years. These people were lean and had healthy levels of other blood fats (high HDL-C and low triglycerides). They used special heart scans to check plaque changes over one year.

Here’s what they found:

•  Neither high ApoB levels nor changes in ApoB were linked to more plaque growth in the arteries.

•  People who already had plaque at the start of the study were more likely to have more plaque growth, meaning “plaque leads to more plaque.”

•  Even with very high LDL-C and ApoB, the amount of plaque didn’t increase because of these levels.

•  The study suggests that in lean, healthy people on a ketogenic diet, high LDL-C and ApoB might not harm the heart as much as expected.

In simple terms, this study shows that for lean, healthy people on a ketogenic diet, high “bad” cholesterol doesn’t seem to cause more heart plaque, but having plaque already makes it more likely to grow.