Cellulite

The Cellulite Solution

Information excerpted from 1996 book by Dr. Elisabeth Dancey

(These are summaries of information found in each chapter of this book. There are therefore places where information is repeated for emphasis and places where page numbers have been referenced to reduce lists that are offered by the author.)

Cellulite described.

Cellulite is fatty tissue that has been damaged as a result of certain malfunctions in the body’s systems.  Chemicals, pesticides and other unwanted products contained in food & water are stored in the body’s fat to protect more important tissues from their adverse effects.  Cellulite tissue has a very poor blood supply.

Fat cells have Alpha-2 receptors that allow fat into cell and Beta-receptors to allow release of fat from cell.

Fat cells on butt, thighs and knees have six times more fat-storing alpha-2 receptors than fat-releasing beta-receptors.

Fat cells on the upper body have six times more fat-releasing beta-receptors than fat-storing alpha-2 receptors.

Fat is preferentially stored on the lower body and released from the upper body.

A rich & plentiful blood supply through fatty tissue is necessary for the mobilization of fat.

Blood carries oxygen & nutrients through the arteries to the cells (blood supply).

Deoxygenated blood, containing carbon dioxide and toxins, returns to the lungs via the veins (venous return).

Lymph fluid from the tissues trickles into the lymphatic system to be returned to the blood (lymphatic return).

Venous blood & lymph are returned to the circulation via three mechanisms: -the contraction of the surrounding muscles, -the stimulation of the plantar return reflex, -the action of the thoraco-abdominal pump.

Insufficient blood supply via microcirculation, insufficient clearance of tissue fluid by the veins and the lymphatic system can eventually lead to cellulite.

Lack of oxygen in the tissues causes a build-up of toxic waste products known as metabolites.

Toxic metabolites cause damage to tissue.

Poor oxygenation of the tissues allows thick, tethering cellulite fibers to develop around fat cells.

Arachidonic acid and other waste products cause damage to the vein walls, making them leaky.

Increased venous pressure causes varicose, swollen and broken veins.

Varicose, swollen and broken veins cause cellulite.

Lymph vessels are very fragile.

Lymph fluid contains proteins, which can separate out of the fluid and set like jelly if the flow of lymph is disrupted.

Once it sets, lymph fluid forms thick, tethering fibers, which are made even thicker by the action of fibroblasts.

The fibers arrange themselves around the fat cells and may ultimately form “steatomes.”

Digestive problems can result in cellulite tissue on the tummy.

Constant stress can result in cellulite on the neck.

A disruption in the venous drainage system can cause cellulite on the upper arms.

Disturbance to the microcirculation and venous drainage can result in dysmorphism, commonly known as “footballer’s legs.”

Digestive problems and stress can cause cellulite on the tummy in both men and women.

Constant stress over a period of time can pull the bones of the neck and shoulders out of alignment and result in a fatty, cellulite-ridden lump on the nape of the neck, known as “Dowager’s hump.”

Cellulite on the upper arms can arise from a disturbance in the venous drainage system and is almost always accompanied by cellulite elsewhere on the body.

Dysmorphism, or footballer’s legs, is a cellulite condition affecting the front thighs and can occur in both men and women, usually those who exercise the legs more frequently than the rest of the body.

Cellulite is primarily a lifestyle problem and may also be inherited.

The body needs fat, but only in small quantities.

Excess fat and sugar in the diet is stored as fat, mainly around the thighs and bottom.

Yo-yo dieting removes fat from the upper body and deposits it on the lower body.

Weight-loss diets with sugary or fatty treats exacerbate the pear-shaped distribution of fat.

Skipping meals and substituting sugary and fatty snacks allows fat to be deposited on the lower body.

Excess sugar in the diet will ultimately be stored as fat.

Excess sugar in the diet is stored initially as glycogen in the liver and then ultimately as fat on the lower body.

Excess sugar in the diet can disturb the sugar control mechanism and lead to sugar craving and weight gain.

A diet low in fresh, non-processed foods can lead to a deficiency in the sugar-controlling trace elements chromium, zinc, nickel, and cobalt.

Pre-menstrual sugar craving may be due to a genuine need for extra calories.

Pre-menstrual sugar craving may also be caused by hormonal changes, which highlight a vitamin, mineral, and trace element deficiency.

Alcohol is rich in calories but can be beneficial in small doses.

Alcohol is rich in calories and is rapidly turned into fat.

Alcohol weakens your resolve to follow a diet.

An excess intake of water is, contrary to popular belief, not a cure for cellulite. What is necessary is a balanced intake of sodium, potassium, and water.

Water distribution throughout the body depends on the balance of sodium and potassium and the level of protein.

Some people are very sensitive to sodium in the diet and need to monitor their intake.

Anyone who has an excess intake of sodium will ultimately suffer from water retention.

Fresh fruit and vegetables are essential to maintain an adequate intake of potassium.

Diuretics taken to cure water retention that is not associated with heart disease can deplete the body’s stores of potassium.

Diuretics do not help in the long term and frequently exacerbate the problem.

Weight gain, fluid retention, tissue damage, and circulatory disturbance may be caused by a high intake of artificial food products.

Certain individuals are unable to detoxify artificial food products.

Artificial food products are not always properly metabolized by the body and may contribute to weight gain, fluid retention, and cellulite.

Artificial sweeteners contain no calories but may still cause weight gain.

Artificial sweeteners in sensitive individuals cause weight gain by fluid retention.

Food allergies can lead to cellulite and therefore must be treated.

Inheritance – one of your parents suffers from a classic allergic reaction such as hay fever, asthma, eczema, and migraine or food allergy.

Early introduction to bottle feeding/ceasing breast-feeding.

Poor diet – a diet with a high content of processed foods.

Stress of any kind.

Bowel infection, inflammation or damage.

Certain viruses – in particular hepatitis A, glandular fever.

Allergies and/or intolerance to certain foods in the diet can cause cellulite, weight gain and heavy legs.

Intolerance to common foods shows itself as many symptoms, seemingly unrelated.

You are more likely to be allergic to a food that you frequently eat such as wheat or milk.

Treating the food allergy helps the treatment of cellulite.

Hormones, particularly relating to the female sex organs, can influence the development of cellulite.

Estrogen and progesterone can lead to cellulite.

Estrogen and progesterone are female hormones. Both may be used in the combined contraceptive pill. Progesterone also appears in the progesterone-only pill.

Estrogen stimulates fat storage in the breasts, thighs, bottom, hips, and knees; this effect is seen most at puberty and during pregnancy.

Progesterone (for example, in the mini pill and combined pill) may cause fluid retention.

Infection, inflammation and any disturbance in the ovaries and gynecological organs can lead to cellulite.

HRT can cause cellulite and also render existing cellulite difficult to treat.

Surgery to the pelvic area is often a cause of cellulite and weight gain.

Pelvic surgery may disrupt the lymphatic return and cause cellulite.

Pregnancy can cause fluid retention and fat storage and may lead to cellulite.

Pregnancy is a high-estrogen and progesterone state and the effects of these hormones are therefore multiplied.

Pregnancy can cause fluid retention, which may set the scene for the development of cellulite.

Pregnancy can reduce the mother’s stores of iodine, compromise the thyroid function and prevent a return to pre-pregnancy weight.

Breast-feeding stimulates the hormones that reduce fat on the lower body.

Prolonged stress can lead to cellulite on the upper tummy and back of the neck as well as on the lower body.

Adrenaline normally causes weight loss but can actually cause weight gain in some women.

Stress is a major cause of cellulite and must be treated.

Any damage to the lymphatic system, microcirculation or venous return will inevitably lead to cellulite.

Chronic pelvic infections and constipation can lead to cellulite.

Constipation and infection or inflammation of the legs or pelvis can cause the lymph nodes to enlarge and slow down the flow of lymph.

Constipation can also cause cellulite as a result of pressure placed on the lymph vessels.

Lymph vessels can be compromised from both the outside and inside of the body.

Poor posture is a frequently overlooked cause of cellulite.

Poor posture can squash the inguinal canal and disrupt lymphatic and venous return.

Sagging abdominal muscles can impede the function of the thoraco-abdominal pump and lead to fluid retention in the legs and bottom.

Bloating is unsightly and unpleasant and can lead to cellulite.

Abdominal bloating can cause cellulite by compressing the inguinal canal and preventing the thoraco-abdominal pump from working properly.

The wrong type of massage can damage the delicate lymph vessels.

Forceful massage techniques can place excessive pressure on the fragile lymph vessels and cause damage to the tissues.

Inactivity and too much sitting around can cause and prolong cellulite in several ways.

A sedentary lifestyle can have far-reaching consequences on the lymphatic, microcirculatory and venous systems and lead to development of cellulite.

Inactivity and a change in atmospheric pressure can damage the lymphatic and circulatory systems.

Prolonged inactivity combined with decompression in atmosphere allows fluid to leak from the circulation and into the tissues.

Free radicals are extremely damaging to the body and may also contribute to the development of cellulite.

Free radicals from pollution, sunlight and smoking cause damage to microcirculation.

Smoking is one of the most common sources of free radicals.

Nicotine is a vasoconstrictor and damages the microcirculation.

Too much caffeine can restrict the blood supply to the tissues but a small amount can be beneficial.

Caffeine in small doses increases the basal metabolic rate but in higher doses it damages the microcirculation.

Liposuction and liposculpture are useful techniques for removing fat but can cause or worsen existing cellulite if performed incorrectly.

Liposuction and liposculpture can remove fat but not cure cellulite.

Liposuction and liposculpture must be performed with skill and restraint or they can cause or make existing cellulite worse.

Your basic body shape may influence the development of cellulite.

Cellulite may be an inherited condition.

Cellulite may form more slowly or clear up more quickly in tall, lean women than in women with a stocky, muscular build.

Hereditary factors may play a role in the development of cellulite.

Identify causes of cellulite.

Site of Cellulite: Possible Underlying Problems

Legs and Bottom

Poor venous function

Poor lymphatic return

Excess fat storage

Front Thighs

Dysmorphism – with or without:

Poor venous function

Poor lymphatic return

Poor or damaged microcirculation

Excess fat storage

Tummy

Digestive problem such as constipation,

irritable bowel syndrome

Stress – with or without:

Poor venous function

Poor lymphatic return

Poor or damaged microcirculation

Excess fat storage

Arms

Poor venous function – with or without:

Poor or damaged microcirculation

Poor lymphatic return

Excess fat storage

Neck

Bone or muscle problem such as arthritis,

neck pain, muscle spasm

Stress

It is important to establish when your cellulite started and to identify the factors that caused it.

Poor diet – junk foods, high calorie foods, chocolate, etc,

Inactivity or decrease in activity – starting college or a sedentary job

Hormonal influences:

At puberty – no contraceptive pill usage, contraceptive pill usage After pregnancy – first pregnancy, subsequent pregnancy Hormone replacement therapy

Stress – change of home, emotional or work circumstances

No particular event but family history – family history of cellulite, heavy legs, bad circulation, fluid retention.

Any co-existing factors should be treated without hesitation.

Food allergies Constipation Poor posture or lordosis Smoking Poor diet Lack of exercise Sugar craving or hypoglycemia

The above MUST be treated is you are to rid yourself of cellulite.

Steps to prevent, control or reduce cellulite.

STEP ONE: Minimize your intake of artificial colorings, flavorings, and additives.

STEP TWO: Remove artificial sweeteners from your diet.

STEP THREE: Control your sodium intake.

STEP FOUR: Ensure an adequate but not excessive intake of water.

If your cellulite has been caused through water retention, drinking excessive amounts of water can therefore exacerbate this problem.  1.5 liters to 3 liters per day.

STEP FIVE: Remove excess fat from your diet.

This step should be combined with exercise, suitable creams or medical treatment to remove fat from the cellulite areas.

FOODS TO AVOID:

• Cookies, chocolate, cakes and pastries – just about all these foods are high in fat and/or sugar.
• Marzipan should also be avoided.
• Butter and oils – all oils except safflower, walnut, grapeseed and sesame oil, (Keep consumption to a minumum) Butter, Ghee, Lard, Margarine
• Eggs – fried eggs, omelets, pancakes, scotch eggs
• Fish – any fish tinned in oil (chose fish tinned in water or brine), Fish fried in butter, Fish roe, Herring: raw, cooked, pickled, Kippers, Sardines,Sprats, Taramasalata, Whitebait
• Meat, poultry and meat products:  Bacon rashers, Beef burgers (unless made from lean meat), High-fat mince (choose lean or extra lean), Liver sausage, Luncheon meat, Meat with visible fat (trim fat off), Pate, Pork belly rashers, Pork pies, Pork spare ribs, Poultry with skin (remove skin before cooking), Salami, Sausages, Sausage rolls, Tongue
• Milk and milk products:  All hard and soft cheeses except cottage cheese and low-fat cheese, Cheesecake, Cream, Cream cheese, Full-fat milk (choose skimmed or semi-skimmed)
• Nuts – all nuts (except chestnuts) and nut products, for example: peanut butter, tahini, hummus
• Savory snacks – just about all these products are high in fat; for example: crackers, crisps, savory sticks and snacks, poppadoms bhajees
• Miscellaneous – avocado and avocado-based dips and spreads; for example: Guacamole

STEP SIX: Reduce your sugar intake

This step should be combined with the use of cellulite creams, exercise or medical techniques. Nutritional supplements may also be necessary.

FOODS TO AVOID:

• Desserts
• Ice cream, Milk-based puddings, Pies, Puddings, Sorbets, Tarts, Tinned fruit
• Dried fruits – all foods containing dried fruit, for example, fruitcake, muesli
• Apricots, Bananas, Currants, Dates, Figs, Mangos, Peaches, Pears, Raisins

STEP SEVEN: Curtail your alcohol intake.

STEP EIGHT: Limit your coffee intake.

STEP NINE: Include plenty of fresh vegetables in your diet.

Useful in the treatment of cellulite – artichoke, seaweed, nettles, garlic

Recommended vegetables:

Asparagus, bamboo shoots, beans (French, runner, string), bean sprouts, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chicory/endive, Chinese leaves, courgettes, fennel, globe artichoke, kale, leeks, mange-tout, mushrooms, okra, onions, peas, peppers (red and green), spinach, squash, tomatoes, watercress

STEP TEN: Separate fruit from meals

STEP ELEVEN: Follow the food-combining and separation principles

The general principle is not to eat protein in the same meal as carbohydrate.

Food groups and combinations – p. 87

Other helpful suggestions.

Vitamin and mineral supplements for sugar craving – chromium, zinc, nickel, and cobalt

Regular exercise increases the rate at which we burn calories.

Exercise produces lactic acid, which cleanses the arteries, thereby improving blood supply.

Exercising the legs encourages the return of venous blood and lymph to the heart.

Movements that stretch and flex the feet encourage the return of lymph.

Strong abdominal muscles allow the thoraco-abdominal pump to function well and return venous blood and lymph to the circulation.

Abdominal exercises encourage good posture.

Regular exercise acts as a natural anti-depressant, combats stress and increases our sense of well-being.

Dysmorphism sufferers need to follow a balanced exercise routine that pays attention to both the upper and lower torso.

Exercise that involves excessive use of the quadriceps should be avoided.

Exercise that involves short, repetitive movements of the legs is also to be avoided.

Posture diagrams – pp. 138, 139

Good posture can improve your looks and your well-being.

Poor posture results in muscular pain and stress and can contribute to cellulite.

Osteopathy/chiropractic, Alexander technique and Pilates can improve posture and help relieve muscle tension and stress.

Stress can cause cellulite or make existing cellulite worse.

Stress must be effectively treated if the cellulite is to be shifted.

Choose a method of relaxation that suits you.

Aromatherapy is a powerful form of treatment for cellulite, providing the mixture is chosen correctly.

Treatment must be applied locally (direct to the skin).

It is recommended for all types of cellulite, in conjunction with other measures.

Use oil mixture that contains: an oil suitable for improving venous function, one for improving lymphatic drainage, one for removing existing fluid retention and fiber formation and if necessary, one for releasing fat. – Always include an oil that addresses the effects of stress on the body.

Use a maximum of 2 ml of each oil in base of Hazelnut oil for its decongesting properties.

Essential oils of value in the treatment of cellulite: Cypress, Cedar (rock, red, Atlantic, Indian), Spikenard, Cajeput, Neroli, Sandalwood, Geranium, Sage, Lemon, Rosemary

There are many effective anti-cellulite creams on the market but they can be expensive.

All creams are based on pharmaceutical products rather than on natural plant products.

Creams are useful for all types of cellulite except the well-advanced stages (stages 5 and 6).

Chief components of anti-cellulite creams and gels:

• Hedera helix – “English Ivy” – common poisonous Ivy plant – decongesting
• Centella asiatica – “Gotu Kola” – strengthen collagen
• Caffeine – effective topically
• Aminophylline – improves skin ‘texture’ when used topically – fat releasing
• Silicium – improves blood flow
• Hazelnut oil
• L-carnitine – helps transport of fats
• TAGO-1 – treats ‘heavy veins’ & inflammation of vein walls

Supplements based on plant products are useful for advanced or stubborn cases of cellulite or when cellulite is widespread on the body.

Dry skin brushing:

A useful home remedy best combined with the use of an anti-cellulite cream or aromatherapy.

Useful for all types of cellulite.

Improves the skin texture rather than decreasing the volume of cellulite.