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Experts agree that you need to eat a healthy diet to achieve your weight goals no matter what these goals are. But the kind of diet you must follow to get there can vary widely when you start considering individual differences such as your body type.

One diet you can try is the endomorph diet, a personalized approach to nutrition that recognizes that each body is built differently. Specifically, it’s designed for people with an endomorph body type, which is characterized by a bigger bone structure, higher percentage of body fat and little muscle definition. If you have an endomorph body type, you typically have a harder time losing weight and are more prone to metabolic diseases like Type 2 diabetes.

What is the endomorph diet?

An endomorph diet is not exactly new but it has seen increased interest in recent years. As a “body type diet,” it’s built upon the idea put forth by psychologist William Sheldon back in the 1940s. Sheldon says that people can be categorized into three body types, or somatotypes, based on their body composition and build. These body types are endomorphs, mesomorphs and ectomorphs.

Ectomorphs tend to be long and lean and usually have a hard time gaining fat or muscle. Meanwhile, mesomorphs tend to be athletic, muscular and gain or lose weight quite easily. Endomorphs, on the other hand, have a “round and soft” body with a higher body fat percentage relative to their muscle mass. They tend to carry their excess fat around their abdomen, thighs and upper arms and are thought to have a slower metabolism, which makes it hard for them to lose weight.

An endomorph diet caters to endomorphs. It delivers the most optimal amounts of nutrients given an endomorph body type to properly address the issues that typically come with being endomorphic.

For instance, endomorphs tend to have some degree of carbohydrate sensitivity, where the body does not metabolize carbs normally. Carb-sensitive people rapidly convert carbs into sugar, which then gets stored as fat. This, in turn, increases their body fat percentage along with their risk of conditions like Type 2 diabetes.

As such, an endomorph diet typically puts more emphasis on proteins and healthy fats and contains little to no processed refined carbs like cereal, bread and sweets. Instead, carbs come from fruits and fiber-rich vegetables, as well as unrefined grains like quinoa and brown rice.

Here’s the recommended distribution of the three macronutrients:

• 35 percent proteins
• 35 percent fats
• 30 percent carbohydrates

Some nutritionists also suggest ramping up proteins and fats to 40 percent each and bringing carbs down to 20 percent. As for the total calories you should eat, experts recommend consuming 1,300 to 1,500 calories per day for beginners.

Take note that there’s a slight degree of variability in these recommendations. Even among endomorphs (or any other body type, for that matter), there are some slight differences that set one person apart from another even if they share a similar body build. To find out what works best for you, talk to a nutritionist who can dole out the advice that best fits you.

Suggested foods for endomorphs

An endomorph diet is a bit similar to a Paleolithic diet, which is designed to resemble what ancient hunter-gatherer humans ate thousands of years ago. People on a Paleo diet typically eat more meat, eggs, fruits, veggies, seeds, nuts, herbs and healthy fats. At the same time, they avoid processed foods, sugars, grains, most dairy products and unhealthy fats like trans fats.

Here are some foods you should eat more of if you intend to follow an endomorph diet:

• Non-starchy vegetables like leafy greens, cabbage, beets, tomatoes and Brussels sprouts
• Certain starchy vegetables like squash, sweet potatoes and carrots
• Fruits like apples, pears, berries and citrus
• Healthy fats like those found in olive oil, nuts and seeds, nut butters and avocados
• Quality proteins like fatty fish, eggs and poultry
• Certain dairy products like yogurt and healthy cheeses
• Whole grains like quinoa, amaranth, brown rice and oats
• Beans and lentils like lima, kidney and dew gram beans

Benefits of an endomorph diet

As with all kinds of personalized diets, an endomorph diet helps endomorphs manage the conditions that they are most prone to develop given their body type. Check out some of the health benefits of an endomorph diet:

• Keeps your blood sugar levels in check. Being carb sensitive drives up your risk of insulin sensitivity and Type 2 diabetes. Thankfully, eating an endomorph diet can help you control your blood sugar since it derives its carbs from healthy sources.
• Promotes weight loss. An endomorph diet is low in calories, which means it can help you lose weight more easily.
• Boosts heart health. Adopting a healthy eating pattern can help you shed belly fat, which otherwise can increase your risk of heart disease.

An endomorph diet is a personalized approach to nutrition designed for endomorphs. Just like a Paleo diet, it emphasizes protein and healthy fats and trades in processed carbs for fiber-rich veggies, fruits and other nutritious sources. Try an endomorph diet if your body type falls under the category to stay healthy.

Sources:

MindBodyGreen.com

WexnerMedical.OSU.edu

Healthline.com