Apples & Pears?

I’m sure we’ve all heard about apple- and pear-shaped people, where the apple is a common shape for men who store their excess body fat around their middle while many women store excess body fat around their hips and thighs, giving them a “pear” look.

But we also know that there are many apple-shaped women, pear-shaped men, and again many in-between.

Have you wondered WHY these apples & pears happen? After all, if you think about it, the description is, well, based on what is seen. It doesn’t explain why Martha is a pear, Jane an apple, or Madge this waif who never seems capable of gaining weight.

Many years ago, I came across a book (Dr Abravanel’s Body Type Diet and Lifetime Nutrition Plan) which explains the above as caused by dominant yet exhausted glands in your body. Different exhausted glands cause excess body fat to be stored in different parts of your body. To treat it, we need to stop stimulating that dominant glad: stimulate the other glands in order to give the dominant one a rest. How how is all this stimulation achieved? Through food, of course.

Kosh, my own personal medical student, has not heard about this – kinda figures… I mean, the whole medical institution teaches its students to treat symptoms anyway plus it is so entrenched that new/different ideas take a long time to be accepted.

The four body types are:

G (Gonad) (females only): Craves rich & spicy food; when viewed from the back, accumulates excess weight on lower hips and outer thighs; has cellulite mainly on rear and saddlebags. Usually has disproportionately smaller upper body, lower body/legs much stronger. Tends to exercise lower body, which increases the disproportion. Should drink copious amounts of red clover tea.

A (Adrenal): (Classic “apple”) Craves greasy, salty food; when viewed from the back, accumulates excess weight high on the body: shoulders & back; has cellulite mainly on stomach, back, upper arms. Tends to exercise to enhance natural strength, and puts on muscle readily. Loves weight-lifting. However, body lacks flexibility, and is usually poor in eye-hand coordination. Should drink copious amounts of parsley tea.

T (Thyroid): Craves sweets or starches; when viewed from the back, accumulates excess weight in the middle of the body: spare tyre, wide hips, heavy upper thighs; has cellulite mainly on thighs. Ia a natural athlete, but has low endurance: tends to go for exercise in spurts, i.e. tennis, as opposed to long-distance running. Should drink copious amounts of raspberry leaf tea.

P (pituitary): Craves dairy products; when viewed from the back, accumulates excess weight pretty much all over, no one specific spot; cellulite mainly around the knees. Looks childlike, without a really defined shape. Usually likes long-distance running, but does it for the high: needs to avoid repetitive exercises that allow “spacing out.” Should drink copious amounts of fenugreek tea.

Of course, if you want to know more, get the book lah. Or start at the official website: http://www.bodytypes.com/. All I did was take maybe 5% of the info in the book, so those who have never heard of it get a flavour of the contents.

Something that struck me when I went through this book was the author’s enthusiastic recommendation for an enema every few months to cleanse your bowels. I’ve heard of this elsewhere, but first time in a “proper” book, y’know? I dunno if I’d ever do it myself, sounds like a bother,,, and would I be able to do it alone, safely?? I have my doubts... Then again, I think Samm’s Colema Therapy thingy would achieve the same thing...

Another take-away is the “Long Weekend of Rejuvenation” where he recommends a few times a year to take a 3-day weekend away alone, no talking to anyone, totally out of contact with everyone. Spend the day in meditation, walks, light exercise, eating only simple food. I think the enema is one of the activities during this weekend. Overall, it’s like a mental detox in addition to the physical detox we’ve all probably seen & heard and maybe even gone through ourselves. I like the idea of this, just because in general we are all too busy running around driving ourselves to exhaustion… anything that strongly recommends that we stop and smell the flowers is already on the right track, I think.

Anyways, why am I telling you all this?

If anyone can point me to where I can buy loose raspberry leaves (or red clover, for that matter) for my tea, I’d appreciate it. (In case you scrolled up to see which body types those teas refer to: yes, I seem to be a very close tie between G and T body types).

And why am I bothering with the teas? Well, thanx to my trip to Switzerland, I’ve gotten in the habit of drinking tea again. And I might as well drink something herbal and beneficial rather than just plain black tea, eh? I found a tea that contains red clover as one of its main ingredients, and am taking that maybe twice daily. I’m not “putting my hopes on losing weight” on the tea, but at the same time I know it will probably do me much more good than that can of soda, y’know? Or that cup of coffee! With the weather turning cold, a cup of hot tea is just right to keep me warm inside, mmmmmm!

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activities for the day:
1. 25min walk to gym
2. 30mins rowing @ 225 cals
3. triceps pushdown: 1 x 15 @ 30lbs, 1x15 @ 50lbs
4. 20min walk from gym to library (I'm here now!)
5. 10min walk library to apartment

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Oh, and I believe that it's now the end of fasting, and thus Malaysia and the other nations with Muslim populations will be celebrating Aidil Fitri. My greetings and well wishes to Muslim readers. :-)

Read my "raya" thoughts last year, HERE.

NewJourney gives a nice overview HERE.
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Anyways, have a great day, people!