Diet variation is really simple, especially when you couple it with eating with the seasons.

At the most basic level, don’t eat the same thing all the time. If you eat the foods that are in season in your area, you will by default accomplish that! 

Just how often you need to vary a food will depend somewhat on your own personal physiology. There are certain basics that you may be able to eat quite regularly. For instance, in my family, we do eat meat year round (organic, pastured, grass fed, hormone and antibiotic free). But, that does not mean daily. We purposefully have days without any meat, because too much of anything is just not good – hence diet variation. 

What timeframes am I talking about specifically then? Most broadly I’d say use the seasons when it comes to vegetables and fruit.

Fruit for instance is full of sugar because nature wants to fatten you up so you can survive winter, so do go easy on the fruit (and as always, for your body, sugar is sugar is sugar).

When it comes to other foods, eggs/dairy/meat/nuts/flours (grain free is what I do, so flours like tapioca, psyllium husk, almond, green banana flour, etc) make sure you don’t have them daily, or vary it by week or even month.

It’s really key you listen to your body. Your body’s needs will vary based on time of year and time of month etc. 

When it comes to vegetables and fruits, I am very picky about things having been ripened on the plant. This also goes back to the whole lectin deal, which is the plants way of protecting itself.

If the vegetable/fruit finished ripening on the plant, the plant will have removed a lot of those lectins (some call them anti nutrients) which makes them healthier for you and less harmful.

Picking them and letting them ripen after does not have the same effect. 

The more you can vary your food, the better. The greater variety you have in your diet, the better!

It might be time to go check out some of those vegetables you always ignored in the grocery store. Fresh is my preference, but frozen can be an option because those are often allowed to finish ripening before being picked. 

So why is diet variation and eating with the seasons so important?

Diet variation helps ensure you get a wide range of nutrients, as well as decreasing your chances of becoming allergic to certain foods.

If you have inflammation in your body, it can be from eating the same foods all the time. As your body becomes inflamed, if you eat the same foods further, they can end up in your bloodstream and your body will identify it as foreign and attack (thusly becoming allergic). Giving your body a break from foods at intervals will let you heal again. The other part, and this is why diet variation came up with fasting, is that we don’t want your body to figure out what you’re doing.

The more your body keeps having to adapt, the healthier you are. So vary your foods, vary your fasting, don’t let your body get “lazy.” 

If you’re worried you may be inflamed and have been eating the same foods for quite a while, start making some changes the next time you grocery shop! And if you feel you need further help on that path, GCEL from Systemic Formulas can help you along the way as it supports healing, reduces inflammation, supports your nerves and your liver, and is protective for your entire body!