The Diet That Works… Until It Doesn’t

There’s a pattern I’ve witnessed countless times in the wellness space. Someone discovers a restrictive diet—carnivore, keto, AIP, or another elimination protocol—and experiences what feels like a miracle. Weight drops, inflammation quiets, energy surges. They become evangelists for their newfound solution, convinced they’ve finally cracked the code to optimal health.

And then, somewhere between six months and two years later, the cracks begin to show.

I want to be clear: I’m not against these approaches. In fact, I believe they can be incredibly valuable tools during a specific therapeutic season. When the body is overwhelmed by inflammation, autoimmunity, or metabolic dysfunction, a period of strategic restriction can provide much-needed relief and reset. The problem isn’t the diet itself—it’s the belief that what works in a season of crisis should become a permanent way of living.

Here’s what most people don’t realize: your body is not static. It’s a dynamic, adaptive system designed to respond to the signals you send it. When you adopt an ultra-restrictive diet long-term, you’re essentially telling your biology that you’re living in a state of perpetual scarcity. Your body, in its God-given wisdom, responds by downregulating. It slows thyroid function, suppresses reproductive hormones, and shifts into a conservation mode that prioritizes survival over thriving.

This isn’t a flaw in your biology—it’s a feature. God designed our bodies to be remarkably adaptive, capable of surviving seasons of famine and scarcity. But survival mode was never meant to be permanent. We were created for abundance, for the rhythms of feasting and rest, for the diversity of a world that changes with the seasons.

Consider the design of creation itself. God didn’t create a single food or a single season. He created a rich tapestry of plants, animals, and cycles that work together in harmony. The foods that grow in summer are different from those that grow in winter, and each provides unique nutrients and signals to our cells. When we reduce our diet to a handful of “safe” foods year-round, we’re essentially ignoring the complexity and wisdom embedded in His design.

True healing—the kind that lasts—requires us to move beyond the quick fix and into a more holistic understanding of health. It means:

Restoring healthy biological rhythms. Our bodies are designed to sync with the cycles of light and dark, the changing of seasons, and the rhythms of hard work and rest. When we respect these patterns—watching the sunrise, eating during daylight hours, allowing darkness at night—we send powerful signals that support long-term vitality.

Embracing whole, diverse foods. I’m a strong advocate for organic, whole food nutrition—particularly foods that are indigenous to your region or locally sourced when possible. There’s something profoundly nourishing about eating foods that grow in the soil where you live, that reflect the season you’re in, and that haven’t been stripped of their vitality through processing. Ideally, we’d all shop our local farmer’s markets weekly, building relationships with the people who grow our food and supporting regenerative agriculture.

But I also live in the real world.

I understand that most of us are navigating tight budgets, limited access, and the practical constraints of modern life. Not everyone can afford exclusively organic produce or has a farmer’s market within driving distance. Not everyone can manage a diverse garden. And that’s okay. This is where I often share with clients the concept of Good, Better, Best—we do the best we can in the season we’re in. Maybe “best” is organic, local, and seasonal from your farmer’s market. Maybe “better” is choosing organic for the most important items and conventional for others. Maybe “good” is simply prioritizing whole foods over processed ones and adding variety where you can. All of these are valid and valuable steps toward nourishing your body well. A diverse diet of accessible whole foods will always serve you better than an expensive, ultra-restrictive protocol that you can’t maintain.

Addressing root causes, not just symptoms. Restrictive diets can mask underlying issues temporarily, but they don’t address the deeper imbalances—whether that’s circadian disruption, chronic stress, environmental toxins, or disconnection from nature. Lasting health requires us to look at the whole picture.

I’ve seen this transformation time and again. When someone moves from a place of restriction to a place of alignment—respecting their body’s need for rhythm, diversity, and connection—the results are profound. Sleep improves, energy stabilizes, hormones rebalance, and vitality returns. Not because they found a better diet, but because they learned to work with their God-given biology instead of against it.

So if you’re currently thriving on a restrictive protocol, I’m not suggesting you abandon it tomorrow. But I am inviting you to consider whether it’s a tool for this season or a prison you’re building for the long term. Your body was designed for more than survival. It was designed to flourish in the abundance of creation, to adapt and thrive through all of life’s seasons.

The question isn’t which diet is right. The question is: are you listening to what your body is telling you, and are you honoring the design of the One who created it?