The
Daily
Fix
15-minute AMRAP
Tahini Chicken Skillet
Low-Carbohydrate Diet: Superior to Antipsychotic Medications?
Complete as many reps as possible in 15 minutes of:
15-cal. bike
Max strict toes-to-bars
Chicken thighs seared in butter and simmered in a creamy tahini garlic sauce, brightened with lemon and finished with fresh herbs.
How ketogenic diets may offer a new approach to treating severe mental illness
The goal is to accumulate as many strict toes-to-bar reps that you can in 15 minutes, returning to the bike each time you drop off the bar. No resting in the hang. If you can’t get right back to another rep, drop off and go back to the bike.
Post total number of TTBs completed, and how many rounds it took you to get there.
Ingredients
1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 Tbsp butter (for searing)
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 tsp paprika
1 garlic clove, minced
½ cup chicken broth (no sugar or additives)
¼ cup tahini (pure sesame paste)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
¼ tsp cumin
2 Tbsp fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
1 tsp olive oil (for finishing only – optional)
Macronutrients
(per serving, makes 4)
Protein: 32g
Fat: 28g
Carbs: 4g
Preparation
Pat chicken thighs dry and season both sides with salt, pepper, and paprika. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Sear chicken 4–5 minutes per side until golden. Remove and set aside.
Lower heat to medium. In the same pan, add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in chicken broth and stir to deglaze the pan. Whisk in tahini, lemon juice, zest, and cumin until smooth and creamy.
Return chicken thighs to the skillet. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 8–10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
Remove from heat. Spoon sauce over the chicken and top with chopped fresh herbs. Drizzle with olive oil if desired for a bright finish.
Serve hot with a side of sautéed greens, cauliflower rice, or roasted broccoli.
In this 2017 article Psychiatrist Dr. Georgia Ede highlights two published case reports presented by Dr. Chris Palmer in which patients with treatment-resistant schizoaffective disorder experienced dramatic improvements after adopting a ketogenic diet. Both individuals had failed numerous medications—including clozapine—and one had undergone extensive electroconvulsive therapy. Within weeks of achieving ketosis, they reported marked reductions in hallucinations and delusions, substantial weight loss, and significant improvements in daily functioning. Their symptoms consistently returned when they stopped the diet and improved again when they resumed it.
Ede argues that these cases suggest ketogenic diets may address underlying metabolic dysfunction in the brain while avoiding many of the metabolic side effects associated with antipsychotic medications, such as weight gain and insulin resistance. Georgia presents nutritional psychiatry as a promising field that could complement or, in some cases, reduce the need for medication in people with serious psychiatric disorders.
46 total reps in 7 rounds legs blown up.