What Your Body Shape
Says About Your Health
There is a growing body of evidence to support the hypothesis
that your body shape is a risk factor for certain diseases. For example, people who accumulate fat in
their mid-section (aka Central
Adiposity) are more prone to metabolic diseases such as hypertension, atherosclerosis
and diabetes. It was thought that those
who stored fat below the waist were protected from these diseases but researchers
at UC Davis have dispelled this assumption.
Lead researcher, Ishwarlal Jialal, Ph.D, found that fat in the buttock
area increases the levels of chemerin and omentin-1, proteins that can lead to
inflammation and insulin resistance.
As a Healthcare practitioner I have made a similar
observation. My patients suffering from
metabolic disease cover the gamut of body shapes from apple to pear to
banana. However, when it comes to my
patients with seemingly healthy body weights, but trending towards a pear
shape, I have made a much more provocative observation.
The Perils of a
Pear-Shaped Body Type
Lately, I have noticed that my pear-shaped patients tend to
suffer from auto-immune diseases or simply present with a weaker immune system
than my classically obese patients.
These folks suffer from seasonal allergies that are incapacitating
whenever the seasons change. They also
have terrible gut health (diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome or
Inflammatory Bowel Disease) and a plethora of food intolerances. Constipation and diarrhea are a constant companion. Other trends that I have noticed are as
follows. These patients report having contracted
mononucleosis in their teens or twenties.
As
they get older they test positive for Lyme disease and also test positive for active
Epstein-Barr (the virus that causes infectious mononucleosis). These
patients may also suffer from hypothyroidism, fibromyalgia and in extreme
cases, have been diagnosed with Lupus or other autoimmune conditions such as
Rheumatoid Arthritis or Multiple Sclerosis.
What To Do
It is my belief that immune health is strictly tied to gut
health. The bacteria that live in the
gut (i.e. large intestine) turn the
immune system on and off. They also
assist with digestion and extraction of nutrients from the food we eat. Immunity is compromised when there are not
enough bacteria in the gut or when we harbor the wrong bacteria. These immune-compromised
patients may benefit from a gut restoration regimen that may consist of some or
all of the following steps.
Eating for a Health Gut
Step 1. The first step to take is to identify food intolerances. This means following a temporary elimination diet to remove sugar, wheat, soy, dairy, eggs, peanuts, spicy foods, and anything else that you might be sensitive to. Some of these foods may return to the diet once they have been ruled out as a food demon.
Step 2. To assist the digestion process you may
want to add aids such as enzymes or lipotropic factors (to assist the digestion
of fats). Those with very sensitive systems may need to eat foods that are easy
to digest such as cooked fruits and vegetables, bone broths and white rice.
Step 3. A poorly colonized gut may originate at
birth, or may be due to a nutrient-poor diet or to repeated courses of
antibiotics (that kill off both the bad and the good bacteria). To re-inoculate the gut you should enrich
your diet with fermented foods or you may need to take strain-specific
probiotics. Probiotic containing foods
include yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, tempeh, kimchi and even pickles. Effective probiotic supplements are those that
deliver 20-50 billion live organisms per dose and contain a combination of
different strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. If you are suffering from a systemic yeast infection,
often caused by diets high in sugar and low in nutrients, then you may want to
take Berberine or an essential oil supplement made from thyme, oregano and
mint.
Step 4. In order for your gut to function
properly it needs to be completely healed in the same way that you would heal a
wound on open skin. Highly effective,
holistic remedies include aloe, licorice root and glutamine, which supports new
growth of the intestinal lining. Omega-3
fatty acids are both restorative and anti-inflammatory as are herbs including
turmeric, rosemary, quercetin and ginger.
Step 5. To maintain your healthy gut you need to
feed the good bacteria food they love.
These foods are referred to as prebiotics, which are non-digestible carbohydrates
that help your bacteria flourish.
Prebiotics can be found in artichokes, garlic, beans, oats, onions,
asparagus or any green leafy vegetable. To
maintain optimal colon health you should consume between 20 to 30 g of fiber
per day.
For those suffering from active autoimmune disease I
encourage you to do your own research and to speak with a reputable
Nutritionist. There are a myriad of dietary
suggestions for building a healthy immune system. If nothing else, then be sure to remove food
demons like sugar and refined carbohydrates and replace them with nutrient
dense fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
For further assistance with your immune health concerns please send
inquiries to egglrock@comcast.net or you
may make an appointment with our staff here.
