Page 64 - LionKing

HEALTH
and Total Body Water.
How can different body types manage their diets?
Your body type is more than just what you look like physically, it can provide infor- mation about how you respond to food intake and hormone metabolism. Some common ways people describe their body types are apple, pear, upside-down triangle, or pencil. In science and sports nutrition, the three dominant body types commonly referred to are Ectomorph, Mesomorph and Endomorph. Most peo- ple are a blend of two body types.
An Ectomorph has a narrow frame, thin- ner bones, smaller joints and may be flatter in the chest and butt. Although an Ectomorph may look slim, they may have a high body fat percentage. They tend to be long and lean with a fast metabolism, so gaining weight and muscle can be difficult. Ectomorphs may benefit from a diet higher in carbohydrates and calories if they are trying to put on weight, muscle, or change their body composition. They may benefit from a macronutrient distri- bution in their diet such as 50% carbohy- drates, 25% protein, 25% fat.
An Endomorph usually has more body
fat and muscle, smaller shoulders, shorter limbs and larger bone structure. They may gain weight easily, especially in the lower belly and hips, and find it harder to lose. Endomorphs may have some degree
of carbohydrate and insulin sensitivity; therefore, they should minimize high-car- bohydrate foods which are more likely to be stored as fat. Carbohydrates should come mostly from vegetables and unre- fined complex sources. They may benefit from a more balanced macronutrient dis- tribution in their diet such as 30% carbohy- drates, 35% protein, 35% fat.
A Mesomorph has an athletic, strong build with wide shoulders, narrow waist, and low body fat. Mesomorphs are the best for body-building as they are natu- rally strong and have the ability to gain weight or lose weight easily. This also means that they need to pay extra atten- tion to their diet. Their calorie needs may be slightly higher due to their higher ratio of muscle mass. They may benefit from
a macronutrient distribution in their diet such as 30% carbohydrates, 45% protein, 25% fat.
Pear Shape (Ecto-Endo) usually combines a smaller ectomorph upper body and an endomorph lower body. This body type is more common among women.
Apple Shape can also be referred to as a ‘beer belly’ and means that you have more fat stored around your stomach while your lower body is thin. This body shape is more common among men.
Belly fat, also known as visceral fat, is very dangerous because it is a sign that you have too much fat surrounding your inter- nal organs and is closely linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and cancer.
A lot of people, especially in the corpo- rate world, eat late night meals and skip breakfasts. Is this okay? How best can we manage our busy schedules with meal plans?
The reason why people say ‘don’t eat late night meals’ is because most people are likely to go to sleep right after that meal. This means that all the calories (energy) you just ingested will not be expended. When you eat meals early in the day, the chances of you expending the energy is greater since most of us are more active during the day. So for this reason, if possible, it is advisable to eat meals earlier in the day.
I understand that this may be very difficult for those who work late nights or with very busy schedules. If it is not possible, you can also try to eat heavier meals earlier in the day and have a light dinner.
Another method which may help is Time- Restricted Feeding (commonly referred
to as Intermittent Fasting). Time-Restricted Feeding (TRF) is a type of diet that focuses on the timing of eating. Instead of limiting the types of food or number of calories
that you consume, this diet restricts the amount of time you can spend eating
in a day. Studies have shown that Time- Restricted Feeding (TRF) helps to reduce obesity, metabolic diseases, visceral fat and is beneficial for managing Type 2 Diabetes. A feeding window as large
as 12 hours or as short as 6 hours can be beneficial for those with a busy schedule trying to control their diet.
Based on your experience with diseases of lifestyle such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, can- cers, kidney, liver and heart diseases how can people prevent these diseases?
As I said earlier, your diet is your first line of defence against these lifestyle diseases. The first step should be a preventative screening to identify risk factors which can lead to the diseases. Prevention and management of the diseases require a holistic approach. At GLOW Health, we apply the principles of Lifestyle Medicine. So to help prevent, treat and begin
to reverse these diseases, you have to adopt a more balanced diet, have reg- ular physical exercise, adequate sleep, manage your stress and avoid risky sub- stance use.
64 | The Lion King | April - June 2019