How Can You Make Cellulite ‘Look’ Better?
I am frequently asked by my female patients how they can improve or lessen the appearance of cellulite.
While I don’t believe there is a ‘cure’ per se, I have seen good success in lessening the appearance of cellulite which is, after all, the part that is bothersome. Interestingly, gluten intolerance and cellulite have something in common.
In Root Cause Medicine we have discovered that the major system that must be addressed in both conditions is exactly the same, the digestive system. Cellulite comes from deposition of fat in the body in an uneven fashion. This creates the lumps and bumps we so dislike.
It turns out that ‘bad fat’ is associated with a body whose digestive tract is not functioning optimally, specifically in the arena of dealing with toxins. The digestive tract doesn’t just digest food as its name would imply. It also houses 70% of the body’s immune system. Your immune system’s job is to swiftly dispatch hostile organisms and toxins that are trying to gain entry into the bloodstream through the gut.
Are You Toxic?
When toxins are not effectively dealt with, the body tends to ‘hold onto’ fat because it deposits excess toxins there. In fact, forcing quick weight loss on a toxic individual can be quite dangerous because the dramatic weight loss can cause an avalanche of toxins flooding back into the system, creating ill health for the body. Instead, the smart approach is to work from the root cause of the problem.
Next is the program that works: (I’m sorry it’s not about swallowing a pill or rubbing some crème on your thighs, but you want the truth, right?)
My 9 Point Program – it works!
Discover if you have any food sensitivities as these create great stress upon the digestive system and will prevent it from appropriately dealing with toxins. Gluten intolerance and dairy intolerance are the two most common food reactions we see.
Find out if you have any chronic hostile organisms present in your intestine. This is not difficult; a comprehensive stool test will provide this information. The presence of such organisms will suppress the immune system’s ability to function properly and the body’s toxicity level will rise.
Assess if there are adequate good bacteria or probiotics in the intestine. The same test mentioned in 2 above, will also provide this information. The probiotic population is responsible for the health and strength of the immune system, so a robust population of these important organisms is critical.
Drink plenty of good, clean filtered water each day. Divide your weight in half and that gives you the number of ounces of water you should be consuming throughout the day. Note: don’t ‘chug’ several glasses at a time. About 8 oz per hour is ideal.
Vegetables and fruits, organic preferably, are ‘life savers’ when it comes to being able to detoxify naturally and effectively. Men need 9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day and women require 7. All fruits and vegetables are not created equal so I will provide the ‘best of the best’ at the end of this post.
Eliminate artificial, over processed ‘frankenfoods’ from your diet. If the ingredient list is longer than five ingredients and there are words that you can’t pronounce, the likelihood is that it’s not a ‘real’ food. Sticking with foods in their natural unadulterated form will ensure that you are ingesting fewer toxins and therefore allowing your body to flush out the ones you have.
NEVER consume high fructose corn sweeteners or artificial sweeteners, flavors or colors. They are pure toxins to the body.
Remember that good fat doesn’t make you fat, nor does it make cellulite. Include such items as olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, fresh nuts and seeds and omega 3s from algae in your diet.
Exercise. The truth of the matter is that you need to get aerobic and increase circulation to your muscles while keeping your heart rate in a good target zone. The formula is that for men 220 minus your age is considered your ‘max heart rate’. For women it’s 226 minus your age. Once you get that number, use a calculator and figure out what 65 to 80% of it is. That figure is your target heart rate you want to reach within 5 to 10 minutes of beginning exercise and then plan to maintain it for a good half hour 5 to 6 times per week.
As an example, a 54 year old woman would have a max heart rate of 226 minus 54 which equals 172. 65% of 172 is 112 and 80% of 172 is 138. So trying to keep the heart rate within those parameters is the goal. Needless to say, a heart monitor is necessary. There are ‘fancy’ ones and basic ones.
Personally, I feel that the most basic and therefore the least expensive ones are just fine. When you first begin, if you’re out of shape, the 65% mark is likely where you’ll need to stay until you get into better condition. As you feel stronger, you can do short bursts lasting about 30 seconds where you bring your heart rate up to the 80% level. This will increase the fat burning potential of your workout.
Another tip to increase your fat burning is to exercise first thing in the morning. You’ll get more ‘bang for your buck’ from a morning workout since you haven’t eaten in a while and your body is in fat burning mode from having ‘fasted’ over the night time. See how you feel exercising on an empty stomach. If you don’t feel well then have a small healthy snack (1/2 a green smoothie) and enjoy the rest after your workout.
Healthy Skin = Healthy Body
That is the truth about how to improve your cellulite. Isn’t it fascinating that it’s also the truth for healing your gut and maintaining good health in general!
I hope this was helpful. Please share this blog with anyone you know who’s suffering from cellulite or ill health.
I would love to hear from you once you embark on this program. And of course if you need any help, let us know.
If you are suffering from any of the problems listed above—contact us for a FREE CONSULTATION or Call us at (408) 733-0400. If you are not local to us that’s okay – our DESTINATION CLINIC treats patients from across the country and internationally.
We help the world’s busiest people regain, retain and reclaim their health, energy and resilience. We can help you too!
To reclaiming your best health,
Dr. Vikki Petersen DC, CCN
Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner
Founder of Root Cause Medical Clinic
Author of “The Gluten Effect”
Author of eBook: “Gluten Intolerance – What You Don’t Know May Be Killing You!”