Fad Diets: Are They Safe for the Body?

4 comments Aug 28, 2025by ERIN BIBERSTON

When it comes to fad diets, the best answer I can give is: it depends.

Take the keto diet for example. I first tried it back in 2013—before it was even popular—and I stuck with it for two years. At first, I loved it. I didn’t have much weight to lose, but I still dropped about 12 pounds, and I thought I was doing great. I followed it faithfully, adding butter and MCT oil to my bulletproof coffee every morning, and eating in a way that seemed “healthy” at the time.

But years later, I discovered that my experience wasn’t as positive as I thought. Keto had actually disrupted my liver function and hormone balance. Through deeper testing, I learned that my genetic makeup doesn’t allow me to metabolize caffeine well, and my body doesn’t thrive on saturated fats. For me, the only fats that work long-term are olive oil and avocado. Add to that the fact that I carry a variant of the MTHFR gene, which makes me a slow methylator, and suddenly it made sense why keto backfired for me over time.

That doesn’t mean keto is all bad. In fact, it was originally developed as a therapeutic diet to help people with epilepsy, and it can be life-changing for certain conditions. But here’s the point: not every diet is right for every body.

Why Some Diets “Work” at First

People often say, “I feel so much better since starting [insert diet here].” And they may! But in my professional opinion, the reason isn’t always because the diet itself is healing the body. More often, the new eating style is simply keeping underlying issues at bay—things like:

Parasites
Fungal infections
Bacterial or viral infections
Heavy metal toxicity
Mineral deficiencies

Those deeper issues don’t go away just because you cut out certain foods. They’re simply pushed aside for a while.

A Safer Approach: Seasonal & Balanced Eating

Instead of chasing the next diet trend, I recommend returning to the basics:

Eat seasonally. God created foods to appear in the seasons when our bodies need them most. For example, oranges are abundant in winter—the very time our immune systems need extra vitamin C.
Eat in moderation. No single food group should dominate your plate. Balance is key.
Listen to your body. If you’re craving real, nourishing foods like good fats or complex carbs, honor that. If you have to force yourself to eat something just because it’s “healthy,” your body may be signaling that it doesn’t need it.

From my testing work (including OligoScan mineral analysis), I’ve seen patterns in people who follow restrictive diets long-term, such as vegans or strict carnivores. They often show deficiencies in potassium, zinc, and magnesium—minerals that are crucial for energy, immunity, and overall health.

My Professional Take

The only time I recommend a very specific diet is when there’s a clear medical diagnosis and a trusted practitioner advises it. Even then, it’s essential to make sure the body is clear of parasites, fungal infections, and other hidden stressors before committing to such a restrictive way of eating. Otherwise, the diet itself can do more harm than good.

The bottom line: listen to your body. If you have histamine issues, digestive struggles, or other symptoms, don’t just keep layering on restrictive diets and hoping for the best. Find the root cause—whether it’s genetics, parasites, or something else—and address it from there.

Ready to Discover the Root Cause?

If you’d like to know whether you’re carrying hidden parasites or struggling with mineral imbalances, click the link below. I’d love to help you uncover what’s really going on and guide you toward lasting healing.

👉Contact | Restore Vitality

Article By:

Erin Biberston: Board-Certified Health Coach, mIntegrative Wellness Specialist | Practitioner of Hanna Kroeger & Dr. Hulda Clark’s Methods

With over a decade of experience in integrative wellness, Erin Biberston specializes in uncovering the root causes of chronic illness using the time-honored methods of Hanna Kroeger and Dr. Hulda Clark. Her work focuses on clearing parasites, fungi, bacteria, environmental toxins, and emotional blockages — all while restoring the body’s natural detox and repair systems through lifestyle, food, and targeted supplementation.

Erin blends scientific insight with spiritual discernment, using tools like saliva testing, mineral scans, and energy clearing to guide her clients toward full-body healing. She is especially passionate about helping those who have struggled for years with mystery symptoms, offering customized support that aligns with both physical and emotional needs.

4 comments

Erin Biberston Sep 02, 2025

@ Martha-Thank you for sharing your thoughtful response. I completely understand where you’re coming from, and I agree with much of what you’ve said. I want to clarify, though, that my article wasn’t meant to single out Keto—it was written to address all diets and how they can impact the body differently depending on what’s going on underneath the surface.

To your point about nightshades—it is a fact that single-celled parasites such as protozoa, amoeba, and giardia live off of nightshade vegetables and fruits. They not only thrive on them but also create cravings for these foods (as well as sugars), which allows them to grow stronger in the body. When parasites are present, the reactions people experience aren’t simply “plant toxins” being the issue—it’s that the parasites, fungi, or bacterial overgrowth are driving food intolerances and inflammation.

That’s why I always emphasize that it’s less about “which diet is best” and more about identifying and clearing the underlying imbalances. Once those hidden stressors are addressed, people are often surprised to find they can reintroduce a much wider variety of foods without the same problems.
Martha Ray Aug 30, 2025

Given the ancestral history of animal based eating, I’d hardly call Keto a Fad diet. I do like seasonal eating but eating in the winter at higher latitudes does not allow for many plant options. I loved plants but they did not love me back. Plant toxins of gluten, nightshades, lectins, high histamine, high oxalate, high salicylate and high nickle made my life too hard. Keto low carb especially carnivore is a great elimination diet and is giving my system a break to heal from plant toxins and pesticides and coatings like Apeel etc There is reason for the Vegan Carnivore wars choose one side or the other but make sure to eat clean unprocessed food for sure. Eat a clean Vegetarian/Vegan plant diet with as low toxins as you can find with very low fat or a clean animal diet with proteins and high fats but no GI or GL carb plants. The Randle cycle explains running on fats (animal) or glucose (plants). All carbs turn to sugar! Choose your fuel between the two choices (fat or sugar) but do not mix them as the truly sad Sad American Diet does. That equals blocking all nutrition from one too many fuels.
Erin Biberston Aug 29, 2025

@S-Hi [Name],

I completely understand where you’re coming from. I was also diagnosed back in 2013 as “almost celiac,” and for years I couldn’t tolerate grains at all. Eventually, I discovered I had been carrying Giardia in my body for many years. Once that was cleared, I was able to eat grains again without any issues.

Like I mentioned in the article, there’s usually a deeper reason why the body reacts to certain foods. In my experience, it often comes down to underlying factors such as parasites, fungal overgrowth, bacterial infections, or viruses — and this is exactly what I uncover through saliva testing with clients.

For each person, the journey looks different. For some, keto or a more animal-based plan with fruit and raw dairy can be a good fit. The important part is finding and addressing the root cause of why the body is reacting in the first place.
S Aug 28, 2025

For me, I am grain intolerant (as all grains have gluten in them) so getting rid of most carbs is necessary for me. Keto has been around for ages, and it is pretty healthy or a carnivore animal-based plan including fruit, raw dairy and honey, though I stay away from the honey.