I recently had the opportunity to attend Dr. DicQie Fuller’s work shop, WHAT IS YOUR BODY TYPE? After learning more about this research and discovering my own unique body type, I decided to incorporate this component into my practice. As a dietitian-nutritionist, I have always been intrigued by all the different body types. As you’ve surely noticed, not every person has the same body type. According to Dr. Fuller, there are 4 basic shapes and every body shape comes with different nutritional and enzyme needs. Dr. Fuller explains, since there are 4 different body types, “no one diet will work for everyone.”
Dr. Fuller’s body type categories:
- Para or Type 1, where the controlling glands are Para thyroid or thyroid gland.
- Estro or Testro or Type 2 is more controlled by the gonadal or hormonal glands.
- Supra or Type 3 stands for suprarenal or adrenal glands.
- Neuro or Type 4 gets its name from the neurological and endocrine systems. These glands control the hormone production of other glands and indirectly affect the nervous system.
An individual’s body type is based on food preferences, health issues, personality traits, and their shape/bone structure. Dr. Fuller discovered that people are drawn to certain foods, but may not feel too well when they consume them. And, when we devote a lifetime to eating foods that are not the best choices for our bodies, we manifest certain health issues. Dr. Fuller also was able to identify personality similarities in each of the body types, as well as how each body type distributes weight. Dr. Fuller’s body typing method is a not medical diagnosis, it is just an observational tool that helps communicate nutrition and health to our clients in a different way.
Once a person’ s body type is determined, we will then begin to support the proper changes to better their health.
First, we start with diet and food choices. Second is an enzyme protocol specific to food preferences and enzyme deficiency.
Check the descriptions below to determine your body type.
Type 1, the Para:
For a para, a meal is not complete for you without some type of carbohydrate, whether it is a sweet or bread or rice
This group gravitates toward being a vegetarian, and they typically think it is healthier for them, but that is not always the case. They actually do much better with protein and on higher protein diets. In fact, if you are a para, you are usually lacking the enzymes you need to digest carbs. A lack of carbohydrate enzymes is oftentimes the result of eating so many foods that require these enzymes, that the body simply cannot keep up to meet the need.
As a result, carbohydrates and starchy foods that are improperly digested cannot be used by the brain (like they are supposed to be in normal metabolism). Instead, they ferment in the system, creating everything from inflammation to fatigue. The main health concerns for a para type are thyroid dysfunction, headaches, skin issues and eczema, low blood pressure, allergies, depression or mood swings.
The para type tends to gain weight evenly all over. If overweight, excess fat is in the stomach and waist area. Men will usually have a spare tire and women hold fat in their buttocks. The main stand out of a para is they have a perky butt. The para is very outgoing and can be the life of the party.
Type 2, the Estro/Testro:
For the Estro/Testro, a meal isn’t complete for them unless they have some type of fat. They love fat, whether it’s fried food, a rich creamy dessert, or ethnic food like pizza, Italian or Mexican. They love fatty foods with a lot of spice and flavor. This is why they are referred to as the gonadal group because fatty and rich foods stimulate the gonadal system (the sexual organs) which creates a feeling of control and high energy. But as with other imbalances, this feeling is short lived. Their enzyme deficiency is going to be the lipolytic enzymes. The lipase is important for proper digestion of fats and triglycerides. Since this body type has trouble digesting fats, the fat will turn rancid in the intestinal tract. In women, they may have issues with menstrual cycles or reproduction and men may have prostate disorders (overall hormonal problems). They also have gall bladder issues, high cholesterol and triglycerides because of their high fat diet. They tend to have skin disorders as well as cysts and dermatitis. They are also more susceptible to kidney and bladder infections. The good news is that once they clean up their gut and digestion, a lot of these issues resolve. Their body shape is smaller up top and much broader hips. They gain the majority of weight below the waist, which is a result of the hormonal imbalance.
Men’s shoulders will slope versus being square. While the para type has the high perky butt, the estro has the lower slung butt. Male or female, the legs are generally strong in comparison to your upper body. They tend to eat based on emotion and are not big on breakfast. They are very caring and they try to make the world a better place.
Type 3, the Supra
For the Supra, a meal is not complete for them without something salty or some form of protein. They tend to like meat and potatoes. They prefer protein to other foods. However, their consumption of excess protein may create problems with their kidneys and liver.
They love seafood, beef, chicken, bbq, they are meat eaters and they gravitate to the steak and potato style of a meal.
They like the salty meats like lunch meat and sausage, nuts, cheese and eggs. They can comply with a low carb diet nicely/ however, this is not the best choice for their biochemical type.
The enzyme deficiency for a Supra is proteolytic, which means they lack the digestive enzyme, protease The proteases are what we focus on for the breakdown of proteins.
This body type actually makes the best vegetarian as they require the least amount of protein than any other body type.
Health concerns for a Supra will often result from their inability to detoxify undigested, putrefied protein properly.
The proteases will help with health concerns by cleaning up excess fibrin from the protein and clearing out the circulatory system for better blood flow and detoxification.
Every body type can be affected by stress on the adrenals, but it is most prominent in this group. They tend to feel stress rather than fatigue. Due to their inability to digest protein, the liver can be bombarded with toxins, which will also affect the kidneys.
The Supra body shape is similar to that of Super Man. They gain weight in their upper back and torso. They have broad, strong shoulders. Their clavicle is much wider than their hips. They tend to have flat to almost no butt and often have to use a belt or suspenders to keep their pants up.
Overall, they build muscle easily and have greater muscle mass than the other body types. One thing specific to this group is that they have really nice, toned legs at any age and really don’t have to work hard at maintaining them. They are usually not hungry in the mornings because of the poor liver detoxification and tend to go all day without eating, saving their largest meal for dinner. The Supra body type likes being in charge and they tend to have a stubborn nature.
Type 4, the Neuro
This body type tends to be lactose intolerant and dairy intolerant. Therefore, they have an extreme lactase deficiency. They don’t eat much because they don’t feel good when they do. Their digestive challenges cause them to have a lot of health issues. This group gets its name from the neurological and endocrine systems. For the neuro body type, a meal isn’t complete without some form of cereal and/or dairy.
The neuro body types often suffer from extreme food allergies,
ongoing fatigue, and weakened immune systems. They are very sensitive to chemicals and the environment around them, so their food likes are often limited. The body shape of a neuro is similar to the para in that they gain weight evenly all over and tend to be very square shaped. They are either straight up and down or more soft and plump. Their clavicle and waist bones are equally distanced apart. Personality wise, they tend to be introverted, analytical and very intelligent.
Once you have identified your body type, you can select the diet program that works best for you. Regardless of which body type you are, all of the body types should adhere to eating real food, have a diet that is balanced with lean proteins, healthy fats, some grains, lots of vegetables, fruits in moderation and drinking adequate water every day.
Body typing is a service offered in my practice. Please feel free to email: patty@pattyrd.com if you are interested or if you have any questions.
