Cellulite, the scourge of the modern women. It is possibly the number one issue that women have especially as the days get hotter and the prospect of baring their legs looms nearer. The weekly trash mags love to hi-light it on celebrity bodies – making them ‘more real’.
Don’t get me wrong, in this day and age where airbrushing pictures is so de rigeur that we have a distorted view of perfection, I would be lying if I said seeing cellulite on an otherwise ‘supposedly’ perfect body didn’t make me feel a little warm inside. However, my personal viewpoint is that the media, rather than focusing on the not particularly nice looking stuff should focus on the natural and positive attributes – without the digital effects of image distortion.
Excessive cellulite is a result of our fast-paced processed/junk society. It can appear on the stomach, arms, bums and thighs - i.e. the places where fat is stored. That said, cellulite is a multi-faceted issue, there is not a total cure, however there are a number of nutritional protocols that you can do to help reduce it dramatically.
Contributory Factors
The presence of cellulite indicates congestion within the body’s fatty tissues. Poor diet, lack of exercise, constipation, over-burdened liver contribute to toxin overloads that impair the efficiency of blood flow and lymph circulation as well as the exchange of fluids, nutrients and expulsion of toxins from cells.
Lymph
This is how the fatty tissue is transported around the body. Unlike the blood, there is no pump so it is pushed around the body, solely via the movement of the body, which is why exercise is so important. When lymph is overburdened and there is a build-up of toxins this can be a significant contributor to cellulite and skin appearance.
Liver
The liver is the body’s workhorse. Everything that comes into our bodies will go through the liver at some point from alcohol and drugs to the nutrients of food, cholesterol is made here, as are hormones – and it detoxifies all the nasties that our body can not cope with for elimination via the digestive tract.
It is our silent partner, the background cog that just keeps on churning, no matter how much crap we throw at it. When the liver is at capacity or does not have the required nutrients to perform its actions with each of the detoxification pathways, it becomes clever. It packages up toxins, such as heavy metals like mercury, lead, aluminum; or chemicals or plastics that we consume through our food, bundles them up and hides them so they do not cause a threat to the body.
And guess where they are hidden? In the fat cells, which are innate so cannot cause damage.
This makes the fat cells more difficult to remove and contributes to the cellulite problem.
What to avoid
Foods that are high in sugars, saturated fats, additives, chemicals, toxins, salt, caffeine and low in fibre all impact cellulite including:
- Processed, ready meals and junk foods
- White starchy carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice)
- Trans, hydrogenated and saturated fats: baked goods, processed meats, cakes, biscuits and crisps.
- Caffeine and artificial sweeteners in fizzy drinks & fruit cordial
- Excess red meat and dairy products can trigger higher oestrogen levels, which also increases the burden on the liver
- Alcohol: the sugars and toxins in alcohol directly impact the body.
- Smoking reduces blood flow to the skin and destroys Vitamin C and zinc levels - both crucial nutrients for skin health.
What should we be eating instead?
Strengthen the connective tissue: brightly coloured fruit and veg such as berries, peppers, goji berries and tomatoes. They are packed full of bio-flavonoids and vitamin C, key skin nutrients.
Water
Water is the most important ingredient to help flush the skin and keep cells working well.
Liver support
Vegetables such as cabbage, kale, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, watercress, radishes and grapefruit. Research shows cabbage proteins and broccoli sprouts enhance liver detoxification.
Organic food
Remove key toxins from the food you eat. If budget is an issue, focus on apples, pears, berries, grains and citrus fruits.
Image via Navet's Flickr