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You may be surprised to learn that here is a relationship between the four main body shapes and hormones. In a major discovery it was found that alterations or weaknesses in the functions of our glands or organs can contribute to different body shapes or distortions, which are largely designed by the accumulation of excess fluid and fat.
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When the glands aren't working properly, it is almost impossible to keep off excess body weight and inches. This means that body distortions can very well be an indication of underlying health problems, so improving the function of the appropriate glands or organs can help optimize the body’s performance and help you get a more normal body shape.
How Hormones Play a Role?
A hormone is a chemical messenger in the body that is produced by endocrine glands in small amounts, released into the bloodstream, then carried to other parts of the body, where they cause specific changes in body function. The endocrine system can get damaged by over consumption of excess sugar, low calorie diets and exposure to toxic chemicals, which can disrupt or block glandular function.
Various body shapes can develop from improperly functioning glands or organs, which I will talk about below, but keep in mind that many people may express a combination of these body types.
1- The Adrenal Shape
Adrenal exhaustion can contribute to the body shape shown here. There are two adrenal glands, one located on top of each kidney, and are critically important to the human body to protect itself from the destructive effects of chronic stresses.
Hormones produced by these glands help balance blood pressure and blood sugar and stimulate energy production at the cellular lever. When too much stress builds up, our fight-or-flight response kicks in, and triggers the hormone cortisol to stimulate excess fat storage around our vital organs in our midsection.
If the adrenal glands become exhausted, the body will no longer handle stress efficiently, and cause physical, mental and emotional symptoms. Constant stress leads to poor sleep patterns, causing worry, excessive thinking, brain fog, poor memory and weight gain. Most of our growth hormone is released at night, and regulates fat burning.
When this happens and we try to lose weight, it can actually cause weight gain because conventional diet programs call for drastically cutting calories and over-training with exhaustive workouts that only further stress the body. It's for this reason that doing thousands of crunches every day will never give someone with an "adrenal shape" a flat stomach. Overtime, as adrenal fatigue continues, these types of people tend to be edgy and irritable, and oftentimes, others get on their nerves easily.
Adrenal Body Type Symptoms:
- Difficulty Getting Out of Bed: Can’t Wake Up until 10 - 11:00 am/Tired Between 3 - 4:00 pm
- Feel Out of Breath When Walking Up Stairs
- Chronic Fatigue Not Relieved by Sleep
- Body Weight Accumulation Around Midsection
- Tired All the Time, Lack of Energy
- “Buffalo Hump” on Upper Back (Below Base of Neck)
- Need for Coffee or Stimulants to Wake Up
- Fluid Retention, Dehydrated (Thirsty)
- Craving Salty Foods
- Dizzy When Getting Up Too Quickly
- Inflammation or Arthritis in Different Parts of the Body
- Intestinal Irritation (Colitis)
- Allergies or Asthma
- Harder to Perform Daily Tasks
- Digestive Problems
- Decreased Sex Drive
- Increased Time Required to Recover from Illness, Injury or Mild Depression
- Less Enjoyment or Happiness with Life
- Increased PMS
- Symptoms Increased if Meals are Skipped or are Inadequate
- Feel Better after Evening Meal
- Memory Less Accurate
- Decreased Tolerance & Productivity
Other Causes of Adrenal Fatigue
You now know that an adrenal shape can be caused by excess stress that can come from multiple sources, but there are other things that can contribute to this issue. Physical sources include chemical toxins from the environment affecting our water, food and air. Nutritional deficiencies can also be created from the dietary intake of excess sugars, carbs and other stimulants, and synthetic hormones that come from animal products, drugs or even certain foods can influence the hormone control systems.
Nutrition for Adrenal Balance
Adrenal body types tend to crave fatty and salty foods because these foods provide the most stimulation to the adrenal glands. When too much of these types of foods are consumed, the adrenals can become overstimulated, which can lead to weight gain. To combat this, adrenal body types should consume foods that are low in salt and fat, such as fresh fruit, low fat dairy products and whole grain carbs.
Exercises for the Adrenal Body
Broad shoulders and strong legs are characteristics of an adrenal body type, but so is a heavy midsection. Unfortunately, the tummy can be one of the most difficult areas to lose inches, but by engaging in high intensity cardio, adrenal body types can burn calories that are stored in abdominal fat. Performing abdominal exercises, such as crunches and leg lifts, will also help to tone up a flabby midsection.
2- The Thyroid Shape
Your thyroid resides in the front of your lower neck and is about 2 and a half inches wide, and makes hormones that control the metabolism in all your cells.
Thyroid hormones help speed up the body’s metabolism for energy production, fat burning, weight loss, mental activity, intestinal function, growth, repair of tissues, absorption of nutrients (including vitamins) and the elimination of wastes in the body.
Because of this, thyroid types tend to get big all over, not in just one place. Also, many thyroid body types are triggered by the hormone estrogen, as when estrogen becomes dominant, the thyroid slows down and over time, becoming sluggish. Often times, stubborn baby weight that won't go away after giving birth, is often due to a spike in estrogen, along with poor thyroid function.
Besides weight struggles, those with a thyroid body type also often suffer hair loss, saggy skin under the arms, ridged nails, and loss of the outer eyebrows. They also tend to crave more simple carbs like bread, for quick energy to rev their sluggish metabolism. You can get tested for thyroid disorders, but problems don’t always show up on blood tests until the person is already in an advanced state.
Symptoms of a Sluggish Thyroid:
- Gradual Steady Increase in Body Weight
- Fatigue, Sleepiness or Lethargy during the day
- Insomnia or Difficulty Sleeping Through the Night
- Poor Mental Focus
- Constipation or Sluggish Elimination
- Cold Intolerance or Can’t Stand Sudden Temperature Changes
- Hair Loss or Coarse Hair
- Dry Skin
- Lack of Interest
- Low Body Temperature
- Fluid Retention
- High Cholesterol
- Chronic Joint and Muscle Pain and Inflammation
Nutrition For A Thyroid Body Type
Dr. Abravanel says that thyroid body types should cut down on what he calls "thyroid stimulating foods," like sugar, white flour, white bread & pasta and white rice. He recommends eating eggs, as well as vegetables, chicken, fish and moderate portions of red meat. In the beginning, some people may want to eliminate fruit, as it may contain too much thyroid stimulating sugar. Limit carb intake to whole grains, and completely eliminate caffeine.
Exercises for A Thyroid Body
Dr. Abravenal finds that people with a thyroid body type tend to do well with weight loss well when they emphasize aerobic exercise, and perform adequate resistance training. Three weekly weight training workouts will add muscle to rev up your metabolic rate and assist with weight loss.
3- The Ovary/Gonad Shape
Improperly functioning sex glands like the ovaries or gonads for men, can lead to the body type featuring narrow shoulders and broader hips, which for a woman can prove to be very frustrating if she is overweight.
The ovaries are the female reproductive glands that are about the size of a large almond. One ovary is located on each side of the uterus and they produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which control the development of sexual organs and secondary sex characteristics, including the placement of the fat layer around the body.
Ovarian hormones also interact with other hormones (pituitary gland hormones) to control the menstrual cycle. When the ovaries become dysfunctional they can produce an excess of estrogen, which can cause more fat production or storage. Because of this, there may be an association with the ovary body distortion, exhibited by an enlargement of the lower abdominal region located below the belly button, hips and buttocks.
For women in their childbearing years trying to conceive, having over-productive ovaries isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But for other women, it can cause saddlebags and that dreaded lower belly pooch. Like the thyroid shape, too much estrogen triggers the ovary shape, which can cause certain people to be both shapes in their lifetime. Many ovary body types turn into thyroid types after pregnancy due to the spike in estrogen, especially if the woman develops a thyroid problem during or shortly after having a baby. Sugar is another big trigger for the Ovary Body Type. Unfortunately, the added sugar leads to more cellulite and the breakdown of muscle proteins. Sugar has a toxic effect on our bodies, but especially this body type.
Ovary types can also suffer heavy periods and develop facial hair and acne, especially during that time of the month. Anything that is "cyclic", such as headaches, PMS, bloating, and depression, can occur frequently with the ovary type, oftentimes during ovulation or about one week before a menstruation.
For men or Gonad Types, because male sex glands work closely with the adrenals, they can carry weight in his hips and thighs, and the shoulders will be smaller than the hips. He may have a "Pot belly" if overweight.
Symptoms of Improperly Working Ovaries:
- History of PMS
- Premenstrual Weight Gain
- Ovarian Cysts
- Cyclic Acne
- Cyclic Mood Swings
- Cyclic Fatigue and Brain Fog
- Cyclic Pain in the Back, Hips or Knees
- Cyclic Lack of Libido
- Cyclic Constipation
- Infertility
- Hot Flashes
- Night Sweats
- Vaginal Dryness
- Excessive Menstrual Bleeding
Nutrition for Ovary/Gonad Types
Keep in mind that the sex glands are more active at night, so that is when their largest protein meal should be consumed. This body type should not eat a large meal or snack right before going to bed or they will not sleep well.
The foods that this body type is drawn to are spicy, creamy foods which stimulate the sex glands. This type enjoys rich foods and a rich life style. They will find the pounds come on quite gradually so it is often difficult to notice until clothes no longer fit. Because their energy levels are fairly stable, they keep going and tend to push themselves.
These types should avoid chips, spices, heavy creams, butter, desserts, caffeine, fats, oils, pork, organ meats, sugar, ice cream and all fried foods. Snacks or small meals may include, a raw fruit, soy milk rather than regular milk, a protein choice, Red Clover or Red Raspberry teas. They should also not start their day only with coffee.
Exercises for The Ovary/Gonad Type
People with this type of body shape will find power walking, regular walking or jogging their best form of exercises. These exercises may be improved upon by carrying or wearing light arm weights. Other exercises that will help are dancing or gymnastics along with full body weight moves. The main idea is to bring balance to their upper and lower body at the same time.
4-The Liver Type
The liver is the largest organ of the body weighing in at 3-pounds, and located under your right rib cage. It is a major organ for filtration and detoxification. Some of its other hundreds of functions are digestion, sugar storage and regulation, immune system responses, and important components of the blood. However, if the liver becomes damaged or weak, it can cause a “pot belly”, due to an accumulation of fluid, not fat. There may be appearance of a roll of fat or bulging just below the rib cage.
A liver type will often crave the foods that will stress the liver even more, like fatty/fried foods, chocolate or alcohol. These body types typically have thin legs and a protruding belly (called ascites), which is basically the liver leaking a plasma-like fluid into a sac just above the intestines. Because a liver type has this belly pooch, people often equate them to having a fat stomach, but in reality, they actually have low body fat. Even if the person is 300 pounds, when most that weight in their belly, a lot of it could be fluid. People always incorrectly assume that all weight is equated to fat, when that isn’t necessarily so.
In healthy individuals, blood sugar naturally rises in the morning because of natural hormonal changes, but after fasting overnight, liver types inevitably wake up with low blood sugar and can be irritable. They also have digestive problems such as gas and heartburn after they eat because of their sluggish digestive juices, which means food is not breaking down thoroughly, and if bile isn’t released, the person will feel unsatisfied and crave carbs for energy.
Liver Body Type Triggers
If you have Liver Body Type, the triggers are junk foods, alcohol, fried foods and soft drinks, and these cravings just cause you to gain more and more weight. Consumption of vegetables & fruits is a must, along with detoxing the liver.
Symptoms of a Liver Type:
- Foggy Brain in the morning
- Pot Belly
- Lower Tolerance to Fatty Foods
- Burping or Bloating after Eating
- Constipation & Hemorrhoids
- Bad Breath
- Pain or Stiffness in the Right Shoulder Area
- Stiffness or Pain in the Upper Back/Shoulder Blade Area
- Roll of Fat or Bulging Just Below the Rib Cage
- Sensation of Fullness over the Rib Cage on the Right Side
- Irritability or Moodiness, Especially in the Morning
- Sensation of Overheated Body, Especially the Feet at Night
Exercises For The Liver Body Type
When you’re planning your exercise routine, make sure it incorporates plenty of cardio like jogging, using an elliptical machine, and walking fast are all examples of aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise activates your immune system, helps your heart pump blood more efficiently, and increases your stamina over time.
Research is showing that Interval Training (Anaerobic) is the best way to condition your heart and burn fat. So this means instead of jogging, walk steadily for an hour and alternate short bursts of high-intensity exercise with gentle recovery periods. This type of exercise, also known as burst training, can dramatically improve your cardiovascular fitness and fat-burning capabilities.
Rounding out your exercise program with a strength training routine will ensure that you're really optimizing the possible health benefits of a regular exercise program.
Core strengthening exercises are also a great idea. Your body has 29 core muscles located mostly in your back, abdomen and pelvis. This group of muscles provides the foundation for movement throughout your entire body, and strengthening them can help protect and support your back, make your spine and body less prone to injury and help you gain greater balance and stability. Exercise programs like Pilates and yoga are another good idea for strengthening core muscles.
