By Carolina Diaz-Bordon
Some are blessed with bigger busts and slender legs while others are born with curvaceous hips and smaller waists. They are both shapes of beauty in their own way. The difference in these shapes not only makes up what you look like on the outside, but it plays a vital role in what is happening on the inside as well.
Underneath every woman's wardrobe is a fruit of health waiting to be discovered. Dr. Marie Savard, author of Apples & Pears, The Body Weight Solution for Weight Loss and Wellness, has made it her mission to show you how to find it and what you can do to stay healthy. The book focuses on one essential health factor that has been dangerously overlooked throughout the years: body shape. According to Dr. Savard, "Your body shape is the single most powerful predictor of your future health." In the book, Dr. Savard provides answers to many of your weight loss and health questions including, the reasons for your cellulite, low self esteem and menopausal hot flashes or why it's so hard for you to lose weight no matter how hard you try.
The fruit tree of health knowledge begins with determining whether you are an apple shape woman or a pear shape. Chances are you already have an idea. The most precise way to determine your shape is by using a tape measure. Dr. Savard says, "Grab the tape measure and measure your waist and your hips, then come up with the ratio. If you are a pear then it's your thighs, butt and hips that acquire the extra cushion. The more apple shaped you are the larger your waist size is going to be relative to your hips, and the much greater your health risks are when it comes to chronic inflammation, heart disease, diabetes and cancer."
In Apples & Pears, the first step is to determine your body shape, then it's time to chew the fat about fat. The critical difference between the two shapes lies in the type of fat you have and where it's stored. "What's extraordinary about the difference in body shape is how nature has really made that kind of fat two completely different organs depending on where the fat is stored," Dr. Savard tells eDiets. "Pear-zone fat is passive and actually protects against heart disease, the smaller your waist and the bigger your hips, the smaller your risk of heart disease. Apple-zone fat, on the other hand, is harmful. Apple shaped women have visceral fat, the very active fat. This type of fat is an actual gland that releases chemicals and hormones right to the liver. If too much starts to get stored in the liver and in excess in the abdomen, then their waist size gets larger, their insulin level goes up and inflammation occurs."
According to Dr. Savard, while apple-shaped women need to be very careful and alert about the many health risks associated with their body shape, they are not alone. Pear-shaped women also face serious concerns of their own. Osteoporosis, eating disorders, varicose veins and cellulite are all great health concerns for pears. Although pear-zone fat is actually healthy, once it's there it's extremely hard to get rid of. The good news for apples is their fat comes off much faster and easier.
Whether you are an apple or pear the best solution to taking control of your health is to follow a nutritious diet, exercise and minimize large amounts of stress. In Apples & Pears, you will learn what types of elite foods benefit each of the body shapes. eDiets.com offers a variety of diet plans that will help guide you down the road to good health. You will also receive individual guidelines, recipes and menus, and have access to nutrition professionals and support. Each plan is completely customized to your tastes.
Dr. Savard says, "Women need to throw away the scales and use the tape measure to measure their health. The key is to think about long-term health. This means eating elite foods. These foods will protect you from heart disease, diabetes, cancer and osteoporosis and that's what you want."
Your body is continually changing and with these transitions new health concerns constantly arise. Apples & Pears offers a variety of tools, such as the health log, to help you keep constant track of these developments. According to Dr. Savard, the health log is a checklist that covers everything from keeping track of your waist size, heart and cholesterol, to scheduling a mammogram and pap test. You can find the form in the back of the book or download it from the Apples & Pears website at www.applesandpears.org.
There are no pears about it. When it comes to taking control of your health the apple does not fall far from the tree. Understanding your body shape can help you become alert to all the health risks you may be facing and guide you toward making the vital changes you need to stay healthy.
To get your copy of Apples & Pears : The Body Shape Solution for Weight Loss and Wellness, click here.
