The Ideal Diet According to Your Body Type
The ideal diet is a concept that depends a lot on each person. Depending on your body type, morphological qualities, and even genetics, one food model may be more optimal than another. For this reason, we’re going to present the patterns that you must follow to prepare a successful menu regarding the characteristics of each type of body.
You should know that there are 3 fundamental morphotypes, which differ according to the distribution of bone, lean, and fat mass. In this regard, we can find endomorphs, ectomorphs, or mesomorphs. We’ll explain the characteristics of each body type and the ideal diet that they have to carry out.
The ideal diet for endomorphs
Endomorphs are characterized by their predisposition to gain fat weight. These are people who tend to accumulate fat around the waist and hips and who gain weight easily. For this reason, it’s important to be very meticulous with the control of calories and the amounts of food they consume. Otherwise, excess weight or obesity that’s harmful to health could occur.
These kinds of people don’t usually do well with carbohydrates. These nutrients can generate a progressive resistance to insulin and a reduction in metabolic flexibility, which translates into progressive weight gain and an increased risk of disease.
The ketogenic diet has been shown to be effective in reducing fatty tissue and, in these people, it may be an option to consider. However, it has certain limitations, as in the case of strength athletes or pregnant women, it should be avoided.
Another option is to introduce intermittent fasting. These protocols are capable of controlling the anxiety to eat. At the same time, they improve the feeling of satiety in the medium term from hormonal regulation and greater sensitivity to insulin. Furthermore, they’re capable of promoting weight loss, according to a study published in Clinical Nutrition ESPEN.
Other dietary recommendations regarding this body type
In addition to the proposed options, it’s also possible to introduce strategies that manage to reduce appetite and delay gastric emptying. Fiber intake is one of them. Therefore, it’s important to increase the intake of vegetables, as they’re capable of providing soluble and insoluble fiber as well as antioxidants necessary to combat the appearance of free radicals.
Along the same lines is increasing protein consumption. These nutrients are essential for building muscle tissue and are also able to help control the satiety mechanism. To do this, you simply need to ensure the presence in the diet of dairy products, fish, meat, and eggs.
The ideal diet for mesomorphs
Mesomorphs are characterized by their ability to increase muscle mass, although they’re also prone to gaining fat tissue simultaneously. However, the adipose component is well distributed. As a general rule, they’re people with a strong physique, and this quality can be exploited to improve body composition. They usually respond correctly to the stimuli provided by physical activity.
From a dietary point of view, mesomorphs respond very positively to the intake of proteins of high biological value. These are those from food of animal origin, which contain all the essential nutrients and have high digestibility values.
In addition, these types of people often also benefit from dietary lipids. They use both macronutrients to generate and build lean mass, while ensuring their health and functionality.
It’s also possible to include a certain portion of carbohydrates, especially in the case of athletes. In any case, we must try to ensure that these are always complex and have a low glycemic index, so as not to impact pancreatic health. At the same time, this contribution of carbohydrates will guarantee an intake of fiber, an essential nutrient in order to stimulate satiety. This substance is also capable of guaranteeing the survival of microbiota bacteria, according to a study published in The British Journal of Nutrition.
Other recommendations
Nor should we forget the importance of vegetables in the diet of mesomorphs, as the antioxidants and micronutrients found inside them can greatly improve the functioning of the body. An example of them is zinc, a nutrient capable of guaranteeing the synthesis of testosterone in men, which has an impact on muscle gain.
In addition, this type of person usually responds well to sports supplements, in the event that they practice physical activity. Both protein supplements and creatine-type ergogenic aids are capable of stimulating strength and lean mass gains in these people.
The ideal diet for ectomorphs
Ectomorphs are limited when it comes to gaining lean mass. They’re thin people with difficulties gaining weight, even from adipose tissue. For this reason, one of the main objectives of the diet for this type of person is to increase caloric intake in order to achieve good levels of lean mass.
Said objective can be achieved, for example, by increasing the amount of carbohydrates provided. Again, it’s preferable that these be of a complex type, so as not to put the body’s health at risk. Whole grains, tubers, legumes, and rice are elements that shouldn’t be lacking in an ectomorph’s diet, although pasta and bread should be limited.
Likewise, it’s important to increase the presence of lipids in the diet. Most of them must be of the unsaturated type, although saturated fats must also appear on a daily basis. Gone are the myths that linked these nutrients with an increased risk of becoming ill. The only ones that should be restricted are those of trans type, those that are generated by frying with oils at high temperatures. They’re also present in ultra-processed products.
Other recommendations
In addition to what has been discussed, ectomorphs are usually characterized by having a limited appetite. In this regard, it may be advisable to include enteral nutrition supplements in the dietary regimen that help increase muscle gain, especially in the case of those who do sports.
When choosing the ideal supplement, it’s important to look at the labeling. Ideally, it should contain at least 20 grams of protein per serving, in addition to a serving of low-glycemic carbohydrates that can even be around 30 grams per serving. It’s not a bad idea to include certain micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals.
At the same time, ectomorphs can benefit from high doses of vitamin D, thus helping them increase muscle strength. This can be achieved in two ways: Through exposure to sunlight and through diet. To provide this nutrient through food, it’s important to guarantee the consumption of eggs, dairy products, and oily fish. You could also resort to supplementation, especially in the case of suspecting a deficit.
The importance of the microbiota
Regardless of a person’s body type, it’s important to propose an ideal diet that’s capable of guaranteeing the existence of a functional microbiota. In this regard, fermented foods with a high content of probiotics must abound. These bacteria are capable of colonizing areas of the digestive tract, exerting a positive action on health.
But it doesn’t come simply with ingesting these microorganisms. It’s also crucial to consume certain substances that serve as an energetic substrate, thus allowing them to reproduce. This is the function of fiber. That which works best in this regard is soluble fiber, whose fermentation stimulates the formation of short-chain fatty acids of an anti-inflammatory nature. In this way, the risk of developing diseases associated with inflammation can be reduced.
The ideal diet is individualized
Despite the recommendations offered, it must be taken into account that the ideal diet also responds to individual factors, beyond a specific body type. It’s also necessary to review the life habits of the person, as this can modify the schedules or the nutrients that must be included in each meal.
At the same time, genetic conditions are also capable of varying the micronutrient requirements of the body. Some people are prone to metabolize carbohydrates more efficiently than others, simply because they have some small variation in a gene related to these physiological pathways. However, this is a vast and complex field in which much research remains to be done.
What’s clear is that the principles of a healthy diet tend to work well in a high percentage of the population. Therefore, it’s important to increase the consumption of fresh foods, thus reducing the presence of ultra-processed industrial products. Watching the intake of sugars and trans fats also has a positive impact on health, in the same way as limiting the intake of chemical additives.
Finally, don’t forget the need to maintain a healthy microbiota. The bacteria that inhabit the intestine are capable of modulating digestive and metabolic processes. In addition, the functioning of the nervous system is related, as it’s capable of influencing the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases. To ensure its diversity, it’s important to introduce fermented foods and soluble fiber into the diet. Dairy products and vegetables are foods that have elements capable of acting on the intestinal flora, improving its functions.
If you have further questions, consult a nutrition professional. They’ll be able to prepare an individual diet specific to your needs.
- Ting R., Dugré N., Allan GM., Lindbland AJ., Ketogenic diet for weight loss. Can Fam Physician, 2018. 64 (12): 906.
- Santos HO., Macedo RCO., Impact of intermittent fasting on the lipid profile: assessmetn associated with diet and weight loss. Clin Nutr ESPEN, 2018. 24: 14-21.
- Lin D., Peters BA., Friedlander C., Freiman HJ., et al., Association of dietary fibre intake and gut microbiota in adults. Br J Nutr, 2018. 120 (9): 1014-1022.