While it is true that human morphology is influenced by genetics, which govern predisposition, epigenetic factors – i.e. external influences, and in particular nutrition – have the power to turn on or off genetic expression, thereby influencing body shape.
According to the principles of the Chronomorpho diet, a person’s physical features, fat distribution areas and predisposition to certain medical conditions are the product of hormonal imbalance. In fact, hormones influence food choices as well as fat distribution, and food itself, in turn, influences hormone secretion – it’s all connected. The good news is that we can use diet to modulate hormone production, and actively promote localised weight loss as well as prevent major diseases.
The Chronomorpho diet identifies three main morphotypes:
•Android or apple-shaped: this body type tends to have a larger abdomen and torso and slimmer legs. Balance issues are usually in connection with cortisol and insulin production.
•Gynoid or pear-shaped: this body type tends to have a slimmer torso and wider hips and thighs, as well as a tendency to circulatory and lymphatic stasis. Balance issues are usually in connection with thyroid function and liver detoxification processes.
•Hormonally balanced: people with well-balanced hormones tend to have harmoniously developed bodies, although health issues can arise, especially in connection with oxidative stress and weakened immune response.
In android body types, who tend to store fat mostly in the abdomen, insulin and cortisol are out of balance and there is a tendency to develop metabolic syndrome, diabetes, hypercholesterolaemia and hypertension. In gynoid body types, fat is stored mostly in the hips and thighs. This is associated with an imbalance in oestrogen production and reduced thyroid function, as well as liver and lymphatic overload, and a predisposition to autoimmune diseases.
The Chronomorpho diet is designed to rebalance the hormones that influence fat distribution by eating certain foods and supplements at certain times, as well as making lifestyle adjustments. This approach helps to achieve localised weight loss and counteract the onset of disease. This is not a classic “last-minute diet”, nor a fad diet: it’s a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach that takes into account individual body type and hormonal cycles, relying on personalised testing, nutrition and supplementation.
Dr Stefania Mazzieri, MD: DietaCOM® practitioner specialising in functional diagnostics, functional nutrition and epigenetics.