The above food pyramid was created by me in order to help get a visual of the Ketogenic diet with some basic guidance.
There are many ways to follow the Ketogenic diet. Though after years of experience and experimenting, lots of reading, and may I say, common sense, this pyramid (and its guidelines), would be the best way to follow it in my humble opinion.
As long as you stick to the basic guidelines, the diet will provide all of the essential nutrients in the highest bio-available form and will maximize your ability to burn fat.
Most importantly, it could help you fight most medical conditions associated with the Metabolic Syndrome (also known as, or highly associate with, Insulin Resistance) like Obesity, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases, Alzheimer, Dementia, Epilepsy, some Cancers, Depression, Hypertension, Autoimmune Diseases, Attention Disorders like ADHD, and more [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 - just to name a few].
Allow few weeks for "keto-adaptation" (the time it takes to get fat adapted and go through carbohydrate and sugar withdrawal). During that time, which usually takes about 2 weeks but could last longer than that, you might feel weak, dizzy, nauseous, experience muscle cramps and changes in bowel movement, have increased cravings, "keto-breath", and your physical performance may be limited in the interim.
Don't forget to add salt to the diet during that time. Be patient and consistent, this is only temporary and will subside soon after you become fat adapted.
For lack of space on the pyramid itself, I did not mention the most obvious rule to the diet - avoidance of all starches and sugars.
No breads, pastas, rice, potatoes, pretzels, chips, cakes, bagels, candies, sugary sodas, corn, yams, sugars in all its forms, cereals, grains, sugary fruits and the like.
Keep scrolling down for the basic guidelines, some pictures of various meals to help you visualize the diet even better, and some recommended videos that will help you understand the rational behind the diet.
