Ever wonder why some people carry weight in their belly while others notice it around their hips, thighs, or even their upper body?
It’s not just “genetics” or “hormones being off”… it’s often about your endocrine metabolic type.
You inherit strengths and weaknesses in four key systems that shape your body type, metabolism, and how you process food:
Thyroid Type
- Oxidation: Fast oxidizers — burn through fuel quickly.
- Weight pattern: When imbalanced → gain around the middlewith fatigue and mood swings.
- pH tendency: More acidic → irritability, restlessness, blood sugar spikes.
- Best eating style: More protein and healthy fats to slow the burn — think eggs, fish, grass-fed meats, nuts, seeds, avocado. Limit refined carbs and sugar.
Pituitary Type
- Oxidation: Slower-burning oxidizers — need more carbs for steady energy.
- Weight pattern: When imbalanced → gain in the lower body(hips, thighs, buttocks).
- pH tendency: Drift alkaline → sluggish, procrastinate, low mood.
- Best eating style: Balanced meals with complex carbs — whole grains, beans, lentils, root veggies — paired with moderate protein and lighter fats.
Adrenal Type
- Oxidation: Can swing fast or slow depending on stress.
- Weight pattern: When imbalanced → weight in the abdomen and upper back.
- pH tendency: Acidic → wired-and-tired, anxious, reactive.
- Best eating style: Frequent small meals with steady protein (eggs, chicken, fish, legumes) + lots of colorful veggies to buffer acidity. Avoid overstimulation from caffeine, alcohol, and processed sugar.
- This style is impacted by stress and the nervous system big time – I’ll be talking about this type in detail in a live masterclass today! (scroll to the end of the email for more information).
Gonadal (Ovarian) Type
- Oxidation: Can shift with cycle and life stage (peri/menopause).
- Weight pattern: When imbalanced → gain in the hips, thighs, and lower abdomen, tend toward having PMS or hot flashes, especially in peri-menopause.
- pH tendency: More alkaline → slower metabolism, fatigue, low motivation.
- Best eating style: Light, plant-forward with plenty of veggies, fruit, legumes, fish, and moderate whole grains. Limit heavy meats and excess dairy, which can bog down metabolism.
Here’s the connection:
- Fast oxidizers (thyroid, adrenal) thrive on proteins and fats.
- Slow oxidizers (pituitary, ovarian) need more complex carbs for steady energy.
- Mood + weight gain often reflect how balanced your oxidation rate and pH are — not just what you’re eating.
When you understand your endocrine type, you can choose foods that match your metabolism, stabilize your mood, and finally manage weight without constant frustration.
This week on the Health Fix Podcast, I dive deeper with Martin Pytela into metabolic typing, endocrine dominance, and pH balance — and how these hidden patterns explain why one-size-fits-all diets do not work for everyone.
And if you’re feeling like geeking out even more on this subject, check out William Wolcott’s book, Metabolic Typing Diet on this very subject.
If you’re struggling with weight gain or bloating in the belly I’m hosting a free masterclass today today September 4th – 5p PST/7p CT on what I’ve learned about the connection between the lymphatic and nervous system to cause the belly to expand!
It’s called “Why am I so puffy?” and it’s a joint venture with my clinic in Wisconsin called “The Center for Human Restoration”.
Even if you can’t make it in person you can sign up to receive the replay!
🎧 Click HERE to sign up now!
Here’s to finding your type and restoring your balance,
Dr. J
