We all are made differently. Our genes, environment, lifestyle determines how our body shapes. And what works for you might not work for me and vice-versa.
I am going to discuss both scientific and Ayurvedic approaches on body type diet & exercise. And here are the suggestions for diet and exercise as per your own body type.
So, basically there are 3 Types of Body Types & Their features listed below:
| BODY TYPES | AYURVEDIC DOSHAS | ELEMENTS | BODILY FEATURES |
| Ectomorph | Vata dosha | Air + Space (Ether) | 1. Slim limbs. 2. Thin & lanky bodies 3. Shoulders are slightly narrower than hips. 4. Smaller bone structure. 5. Faster Metabolism. 6. Goals: To Gain muscle. |
| Mesomorph | Pitta Dosha | Fire + Water | 1. Athletic body. 2. Efficient Metabolism. 3. Naturally strong. 4. Shoulder slightly broader than hips. 5. Medium bone structure. 6. Goal: To maintain lean muscle mass. |
| Endomorph | Kapha dosha | Earth + Water | 1. Soft & round body. 2. Heavy bone structure. 3. Large & round mid & hip section. 4. Slow metabolism. 5. Heavy bone structure. 6. Goal: Lose & maintain Weight, gain fitness |
So, by now you might have identified your body type by the above-mentioned bodily features of each person. Now let’s have a look at the traits each type possesses. And the specific diet and exercise suitable for that person.
Ectomorph or Vaat Body Type.
Ectomorph Personality Traits:
- Over-thinker.
- May get easily Depressed.
- Creative.
- Quick eater.
- Usually, they have smaller eyes.
- Prone to constipation.
- Very flexible.
Diet for Ectomorph or Vaat Body Type:
- For Ectomorphs, a high carb, moderate protein & moderate fat diet is advisable.
- They should eat their meal with portions including 55-60%Carbs, 25% Protein, and 15-20%Fat.
- They should eat and consume slightly extra calories over maintenance in order to fulfil their goals.
- And here are the set of things they can prefer or avoid for their consumption:
| WHAT TO EAT? | WHAT TO AVOID? |
| Consume slightly warm food. | Caffiene. |
| Eat slowly. | Cold or aerated drinks. |
| Consume more fatty food. | Don’t skip meals. |
| Consume foods which are soft and healthy liquids. | Don’t combine meals. |
| Consume cooked veggies. | Avoid raw veggies. |
| Grains like rice, wheat, barley, oats, and buckwheat. | Low calorie diets |
| Have full fat dairy, nuts and seeds | Low fat dairy products. |
| For protein: Consume whole eggs, chicken, meat, seafood. | Avoid sugar free/ artificial sweeteners. |
| Herbs like: Triphla, ashwagandha, and ginger. | |
| Sweet fruits like bananas, mango, and pears. |
Exercise:
- They should practice doing less cardio that lasts for short intervals.
- Heavy weight strength training should be preferred.
- Resistance training should be done.
- Hatha yoga can be practiced by this body type.
- Train large muscles more frequently.
Mesomorph or Pitta Body Type.
Personality Traits of Mesomorph Body Type:
- Ambitious.
- Short tempered.
- Have leadership quality.
- They love challenges.
- Prone to diarrhoea and acidity (they burp).
- They may have skin or hair problems, and are emotionally sensitive.
Diet for Mesomorph or Pitta Body Type:
For Mesomorphs, the diet should be composed of 45% of Carbs, 40% of protein, and 15% of Fat.
People of this body type only needs to consume their own Maintenance calories to stay fit.
Things to Eat or Avoid:
- Avoid foods in large quantity, make sure portion control is kept in mind.
- Avoid Foods that causes acidity.
- Include Carbs in diet such as: pseudo grains, whole grain in moderation.
- Include Protein including: lean protein, eggs whites, chicken breast, and avoid any fatty meats.
- Prefer Semi cooked veggies over Starchy veggies.
- Make sure to consume Herbs: turmeric, cardamom, coriander, fennel & black pepper.
Exercise:
- Combination of strength & cardio is advisable.
- More of endurance training to lean up is required.
- Strength Training should be practiced for toing of muscles.
- Some HIIT workout should also be introduced into the exercise regime.
Endomorph or Kapha Body Type.
Personality Traits of Kapha Body Type:
- They are mostly calm and kind.
- Good decision makers.
- Procrastinators.
- Slight lazy.
- Suffer from indigestion.
- Often thirsty and like sweet flavors.
Diet:
- For Endomorphs, a diet that is slightly low in carbs, high in protein & moderate in terms of fat is suitable.
- The meals should consider the ratios to be 40%carbs, 45%protein, and 15% fat.
- Try to consume food that is mostly warm in nature.
- Foods must be freshly cooked and consumed.
- Eat small meals at frequent intervals.
- Make sure to consume complex carbs only, and that too with portion control.
Exercise:
- Cardio with really short intervals to improve heart rate e.g.: HIIT is advisable.
- Endurance training should be done.
- Resistance training should be practiced.
If you feel you have mixed features then You can be a combination of two body types, with slight dominance of anyone, and then accordingly you can personalize your diet and exercise regime, as I have said earlier, no two people can have exactly same diet and exercise requirements. You have to look out and experiment, and learn everyday what works and suits best for you.