The more we know about the body we were born with and how our environmental factors have influenced us, the more we are freed from the mass confusion regarding which approach to health is best.
Both Eastern tradition and Western science conclude that there are three general body types. Our body types dictate essential processes like how we process and store food, what types of exercise is most beneficial for us, and what we should do for recovery.
The current genetic paradigms believe that the phenotype of individual results from interaction between genotype (established at fertilization) and the environment, which includes epigenetic changes resulting from parental age, diet, lifestyle, and other environmental factors.
In the Western Sport Science world, the three main body types are ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph. In Ayurveda, the world’s oldest health system, the three main mind-body types, respectively, are: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.
Each person has a unique blend of each of these body types. Determining one’s own body type balance can help in choosing foods, exercises, and lifestyle habits that are best suited for that individual.
REFERENCES
Rotti H, Raval R, Anchan S, Bellampalli R, Bhale S, Bharadwaj R. Determinants of Prakriti, the Human Constitution Types of Indian Traditional Medicine and its Correlation with Contemporary Science. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2014;5:167–75.
Lakhotia SC. Translating Ayurveda’s Dosha-Prakriti into objective parameters. Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine. 2014;5(3):176.