WHAT’S YOUR BODY TYPE?

Understanding your body type would help you in choosing the right fitness programme. In this article, I would briefly explain the different body types and the appropriate fitness programme for each.

Generally, people fall into three body types: Ectomorph, Mesomorph, and Endomorph. Let’s take a closer look at these categories.

Ectomorph

Are you tall and slender and stay that way even after downloading a basin full of food! Ectomorphs tend to be tall and slender with little excess fat. An ectomorph would probably have the burden of being too skinny. (I’m sure some lady reading this wishes she had this problem). Ectos tend to lose weight more easily than they gain.

Fitness goal: An Ectos fitness goal should be to gain tone and build muscle mass. Your workout routine should therefore focus more on resistance and strength training and less of cardio. Ectos are advised to eat more regularly than other body types and also eat foods high in carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

Mesomorph

Mesomorphs are mainly muscles. They lose weight and build muscle easily so they tend to be muscular. While most men would appreciate this body type, I’m pretty sure that most women wouldn't. Mesomorph’s weight tends to fluctuate often. If you were a size 12 in January and in February you are a 14 and then in March you slip to a 12 again, it is possible you fall under this category. An advantage for the Mesos is that they tend to maintain good muscle tone, making it easy for them to go a while without exercising and still maintain good form.

Fitness goal: Mesomorphs should participate more in fitness programmes like, yoga and Pilates. If you are a meso, you should avoid over-training There should be a balance between cardio, strength and flexibility training. Stretching exercises would help lengthen the muscles, making your body appear slimmer and taller. Mesomorphs are advised to focus more on eating lean proteins and vegetables, especially in the evenings.

Endomorphs

Endomorphs gain fat easily, usually carrying extra fat around the lower abdomen, hips and thighs, and they struggle to build muscle. Endos, unlike other body types, have a harder time in losing fat.

Fitness goal: Endomorphs should focus on fitness programmes aimed at burning calories. This means increasing cardiovascular training. Endos are advised to stay off fatty foods and carbohydrates.

NUTRITIONAL/HEALTH BENEFITS OF PLANTAINS

P lantains are widely eaten in West Africa. Plantains are similar to bananas but larger in size. While bananas are termed fruits, plantains are vegetables. Bananas are mostly eating raw, while plantains are usually cooked before consumption. Plantains can be eaten unripe, ripen or over-ripe. When unripe, plantains are usually green in colour, when ripen, they turn yellow. In Nigeria, for example, unripe plantains are usually used to cook plantain porridge, ripe plantains are mostly fried and used as a supplement to main dishes like rice and beans. Over-ripe plantains are used to make snacks like plantain fritters.

NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS OF ZOBO/SORREL DRINK

z obo/sorrel was a must have during family gatherings. As children, we loved drinking it, not only because of how nice it tasted, but also because it coloured our lips and tongues red. Zobo (Nigerian) or Sorrel (Jamaican) is a red coloured drink made from a flower called Hibiscus sabdariffa. The sorrel plant contains a wide range of vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, calcium, niacin, riboflavin and a group of compounds called flavonoids. Flavanoids not only gives the sorrel plant its deep red colour, but, are also rich in antioxidants which rids the body of toxins. The sorrel plant also contains nutraceleuticals, which are said to be helpful to the health. Nutraceleuticals can help prevent and treat several diseases including diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF LIME AND HONEY

L ime and Honey are two must haves in my house. I use honey as a substitute for white sugar. I remember a friend of mine visited me once and she wanted to drink garri (drinking garri is local to Nigerians, i.e. eating dried cassava with cold water as opposed to hot water), she was astonished when I told her to use honey to sweeten her garri. I'm not a tea person, but my parents are, and a cup of tea for them is not complete without limes.

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