Gone are the days when a healthy diet referred to a balanced food pyramid. Food scientists, nutritionists, and dietitians are now teaming up with healthcare experts and focusing on treating individual illnesses. This is leading to uniquely designed diets playing a critical role in the treatment and healing process. The ketogenic diet, or keto diet, in short, is a diet high in fat and protein. It is a low-carbohydrate model that was developed specifically as a therapeutic diet to treat epilepsy, especially in young children but was found to be favorable in other ways as well. It substantially helps meet weight loss goals, prevents the acceleration of certain types of cancer, and hinders the progress of neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s, autism, and Parkinson’s disease. The diet has also proven beneficial for some diabetes patients. When carbohydrate consumption is reduced, the body enters a metabolic state called ketosis and burns up fat to produce energy. This process converts fat into ketones that not only fuel brain functioning but also protect the brain cells from damage. This significantly reduces the frequency of epileptic seizures, for which this diet was originally conceived. Here are some key facts for following a keto diet: 1.

Fruits and vegetables are low in calories but contain varying amounts of sugar and carbohydrates. However, this doesn’t mean you should completely avoid them. If you want to have fruits and vegetables on a low-carb diet, you can prefer fruits and vegetables with higher water content. Studies show that if the water content is high, the carb content per standard serving is low. Here are low-carb choices of fruits and vegetables: 1. Watermelon Watermelon is a low-carb fruit with around 7.55 g of carbs per 100g of fruit. It is also rich in vitamin A and has enormous water content to curb your hunger. 2. Strawberries Strawberries are sweet and juicy fruits loved by everyone. These berries have an added benefit of containing only 7.68 g of carbohydrates per 100 g. They are also rich in potassium and vitamin C. 3. Peaches This is a juicy and sweet fruit that is suitable for a low-carb diet. For each 100 g of strawberries, you’ll get only 10 g of carbohydrates. You can have it as a low-carb snack with some cottage cheese, or you can make a peach blueberry smoothie. 4. Cantaloupe Cantaloupe is a popular orange melon suitable for a low-carb diet.

Eating plays a major role in your health and well-being, especially when you have been diagnosed with cancer. The last thing that would possibly be on your mind is food. But it is important to note that it is not just treatments that will help you get through cancer. You need to be eating the right foods and snacks for cancer patients so that you are able to conserve your energy and strength. Eating the right foods and snacks will ensure that you maintain a healthy weight, reduce the risk of other health complications, and your mental well-being is also taken care of. Not having the required nutrients supplied to your body or eating the wrong foods and snacks for cancer patients can end up causing complications in treatment or result in other diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc. Here are a few quick meals and snacks for cancer patients that can help you maintain your overall health with ease. You need to give the right nutrients to your body even if you are not able to have a proper meal because you are stuck somewhere or simply don’t feel like eating. Some of these snacks for cancer patients may not seem like the best foods, but they are the ones that your body will be able to process:

Snacking in between meals is common among diabetics if the glucose doesn’t reach the cells or the cells resist the insulin in the body, making them feel hungry and tired. Choosing the right snacks is necessary as they should not increase blood sugar levels. It is difficult to make a snack when you are hungry, working, or traveling. At such times, you can opt to choose from the various natural ready-to-eat snacks available. They are simple everyday foods available over the counter. They can be kept in your snack cupboard, in your travel bag, car, or on the bedside table. Here are some healthy snacks for diabetes: 1. Sunflower seeds They are packed with various nutrients and plant compounds that help fight type 2 diabetes. However, they are high in calories, so the intake should be limited. Eat them slowly so that they ease hunger pangs, and deshell the seeds before you eat them. These snacks are good for you if you have diabetes as they are rich in vitamin B-1, vitamin E, and copper. 2. Pumpkin seeds If you are diabetic and constantly feeling hungry, keep a pack of pumpkin seeds with you to avoid binging on unhealthy snacks.

Growing children get hungry often. Providing them packaged goodies off the grocer’s shelf is the easiest option for busy parents. But are they healthy? Does your child gain any nutrition from these processed foods? A host of synthetic coloring, additives, and preservatives presented in attractive packages only harm your child’s health. However, with the help of some easily available ingredients, one can make a healthy yet yummy snack for kids which they are bound to love: 1. Baked plantain chips Ingredients for these baked, naturally sweet snacks contain 6 unripe green plantains, 2 tablespoons olive/sesame oil, and salt to taste. Follow this cooking method: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Get a baking sheet ready and place parchment paper over it. Keep this aside. Use a vegetable peeler and peel away the skin of the plantains. Dunk the peeled plantains in a bowl of cold water to prevent oxidation of the vegetable. Take each plantain and thinly slice them using a slicer. Make them thinner if you like crispy chips. Arrange the plantain slices on a baking sheet. Smear them lightly with oil and sprinkle some salt over them. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the slices over and bake for an additional 10 minutes.