How To Eat Right For Your Body Type

How To Eat Right For Your Body Type

What is somatotype?

The idea of different body types was introduced by William H. Sheldon, Ph.D., MD in the 1940s. He called the body types as somatotypes; the word he used to describe a body-type using his method of classifying the human physique.

He claimed that there are three types of somatotypes and everyone falls, though not entirely, under these three types.

What are the Body types?

People are born with an inherited body type. Most people fall under unique combinations of the three body types: ectomorph, endomorph, and mesomorph.

Knowing your body type helps you find the right diet and exercise plan suited for you to attain the goal that you are aiming for with the least effort and time.

Proper diet and exercise plans for each body type

• Ectomorphs

Ectomorphs are characterized with narrow shoulder and hips, narrow chest and abdomen, thin arms and legs, little muscle and fat and delicate build. They are long and lean, and they have a hard time gaining weight.

If you are planning to add some pounds, check with your doctor first before you start any diet. Try to eat five or six times a day. Make sure that 30% of your calories come from fat.

An example of a good meal for you will be squash soup, Alaska Salmon Bake with Pecan Crunch Coating, and upside down cake with poached dried fruits. Snack more on nutrient- and calorie-dense foods like nuts, dried fruits, sunflower seeds, and starchy vegetables.

• Endomorphs

Endomorphs are described as possessing a pear-shaped soft body, wide hips and shoulders, lots of fat on the body, upper arms and thighs, and on top of that, they gain weight easily.

If you’re an endomorph, crash dieting is not good for you. Just eat smaller meals that are at least 5 hours apart. Eat leisurely and enjoy gulping plenty of water. Eat lean proteins and high-fiber foods to keep you feeling full longer.

An example of a meal for you would be minestrone soup, Salisbury steak with an apple dessert, BUT in small servings. You can eat lean proteins and high-fiber foods, as long as you limit their quantities.

• Mesomorphs

Mesomorphs are athletic, solid, and strong. They usually have a block-shaped body, wide heavy shoulders, muscled arms and legs, slender hips, and they have a slight amount of fat.

They can eat anything; gaining or losing weight is not a problem to them.

As mesomorph, you may have an easier time staying slim and fit and you can eat what you want. But remember that you are not immune to osteoporosis, heart disease, and other diet- and lifestyle-related diseases like everyone. Always eat in moderation.

Your somatotype is the combination of your muscles and your bone structure, and these characteristics are genetically inherited and permanent. Being such, no amount of exercise or dieting can change what you are, but you can work with what you have.

Knowing your body type, you can enhance yourself by doing the right diet and exercise plan suited to your type to help you feel and look better.

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