Weird to say, but cellulite is actually a wonderful way that your body helps you deal with toxic exposure as a protective mechanism. While we may not visually enjoy our “cottage cheese thighs”, “lumpy, bumpy areas”, and ‘looking like we were pelted by a paint gun look”, the fact of the matter is, your body has become this way for a unique reason and it involves helping you stay alive.
Aside from that, you can help your body and in turn, get rid of those cheese curds on your thighs by following some simple strategies below. But first you need to understand what cellulite is, and why it's actually good in some respects.
Simply put, cellulite is the result of fat cells becoming larger and protruding through distressed collagen fibers. And this is largely due to the fact that the liver, is overworked and “underpaid attention to”, overloaded with toxins, decides it best to store these toxins in fat cells for later detoxifying, IF the time ever actually arises.
Here’s how cellulite forms, Part 1:
Each day you are bombarded by environmental toxins, toxic chemicals from beauty products (i.e. parabens) and cleaning agents (i.e bleach, Windex), chemicals and pesticides in food and water (i.e. roundup or glyphosate), toxic sugar (high fructose corn syrup), toxic hormones from stress (cortisol and adrenaline), toxic stress and negative thinking, pollution, allergens, and on and on and on. Your liver’s main job is regulate body fat for energy and for burning, and it’s secondary job is to filter out toxic exposure of any kind from the blood that is pumped through it minute by minute.
Unfortunately, too much toxic exposure doesn’t at all allow your liver to do it’s main job of burning fat, and requires it to work overtime just detoxifying your system. Even with all that detoxification happening, sometimes “the project manager” which is to say, the liver, can’t get it all done. So he sends the leftover toxins to fat cells to be held onto until a later date when the body is not so toxic and it can be dealt with. The fat cells expand with the uploaded toxins and form kind of a “cocoon-like” look that attaches itself to surrounding tissue. Hence, the reason no matter how much you think you can “rub the cottage cheese” away, it will not budge.
Here’s how cellulite forms, Part 2:
Collagen is the connecting fibers in the tissue of your body that holds everything together. The gorilla glue of your skin if you will. Women have a period every month from puberty on, and with each period comes a loss of collagen in order to help the release of menses to happen. I know, I know….not fair. Since men do not have a menstrual cycle (although some seem to act like they do sometimes, ha) they do not lose collagen as quickly. Hence the reason men do not have much cellulite, or many wrinkles. I know, I know…..doubly not fair. And there is another reason. Our collagen fibers are different. Women have picket fence fibers, meaning they run up and down under the skin like a picket fence. While men have cross link chain fence fibers (think of a chain link fence). Why is this important?
Imagine throwing a nerf football through each fence. The nerf football is your fat cell. In the picket fence most of the football will poke through if a fencepost is missing (i.e. the loss of collagen) and in a crosslink fence, not much if any exception for the nose pokes through, meaning the fat cell can’t really poke through to be seen (i.e. no cellulite in men). Different fibers as well as the fact that men only have 1 layer of fat under the skin, while women have 3 layers, mean that women will prominently notice cellulite, whereas men will not. I know, I know….could life be any more unfair. But there is a reason for this. Since women are the baby-bearers, the body is designed to house more fat to protect that wee one from toxic exposure, cold temps, and the body is doing precisely what is best for that such condition (even if you don’t plan on putting yourself in that position.)
So to give you the cliff notes:
Cellulite is the result of too much toxic exposure…
Too much break down and loss of collagen fibers in the tissue…
Resulting in cocoon-like fat cells that attach themselves to “3-layered fat” areas of the body, namely, the thighs, buns, back of the arms, and even the knees.
Okay, bottom line....how do we get rid of it!
Here is a list of 7 strategies for ridding cellulite once and for all. In no particular order, let the burning begin!
1. Eat better not less - don’t restrict calories, restrict estrogenic foods! Certain foods of which contain what's known as PUFA (Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids) would do a body good to be eliminated. These foods promote excess estrogen in the body. Foods such as processed oils, i.e. canola, corn, vegetable oil, soybean oil, margarine, certain nuts and seeds. Instead choose saturated fats like coconut oil, butter, and animal fats.
2. Avoid processed foods such as processed breads, cakes, cookies, and crackers and especially processed starchy foods like fast food are your liver’s worst nightmare. So instead of skimping out on carbs altogether, aim to simply shift from processed, sugary food to fruits and vegetables, as well as easy to digest foods like rice and oats.
3. For women: Exercise and eat in a certain monthly cycle to help your monthly cycle: Because energy and estrogen are highest the first two weeks of a woman's cycle, HIIT, strength and a higher-carb approach are best for helping the liver do its job of clearing out toxins and tapping into stored areas. In contrast, the week prior to and during your period, lower carbs and less strenuous exercise, more rest and relaxation, and walking are appropriate for continuing that cellulite detoxification in the time of the month where the body requires more relaxation.
4. Heal your liver by eliminating the toxic incoming exposure from your environment, your foods, your cleaning and beauty products, etc. Not only will choosing the right foods help hear, but eliminating outside sources of toxins to help the liver function better will also help. In addition, one of the best things you can do for your liver is get adequate sunlight and vitamin D, 8 hours of sleep per night, and keeping your minerals level adequate with mineral rich sea salt added to your meals.
5. Essential oils. Essential oils are pure concentrated forms of nature’s medicine. They have been used for thousands of years to promote healing, and detoxify the body. For cellulite specifically, there are several that can not only help to detoxify the liver and speed the breakdown of the “cottage cheese storage tanks”, but also will help remind the body of dormant areas where we are holding excess estrogens and toxins by increasing circulation to those areas. The following oils are designed to do just that - grapefruit, cypress, juniper, cinnamon, frankincense - all increase circulation and detoxification. Add a drop of each to a skin soothing carrier oil or gel (such as olive oil) and watch overtime how those toxic areas become less “paintball-ish” and more smooth.
6. Ingest collagen and bone broth. Since we are daily breaking down collagen in our delicate tissues, it’s a good idea to properly keep bringing it in. This can be done through a simple powdered collagen form, or even by making your own bone broth from the joints and bones of your leftover steaks and chicken. The collagen in their joints will break down into the broth and when you consume it, you will absorb it for your use. And, you can find a lovely brand of Collagen powder in your local health food store or online. I recommend a brand known as Great Lakes Collagen. Want a quick way to get it in?? Simply blend a scoop into your favorite coffee for a collagen latte!
7. Carb Cycling for Fat Loss - one of the best approaches for most people is cycling in and out different macros, i.e. higher carb on some days and lower carb on others, lower fat on some days and higher fats on the other. As they say variety is the spice of life!!!
And, not only will carb cycling make nutrition to fit your lifestyle more doable but it will also make it more conducive to lose stored body fat and cellulite too! Here's an example of how to make it work:
Non-workout days - stay lower carb.
Workout days - higher carb, lower fat.
Or perhaps, try higher carb in the morning before and after your workout, and lower carb the rest of the day. Conversely, some people enjoy lower carb during the day, and saving their carbs for dinner.
Even thought our body is trying to help us, cellulite is frustrating to anyone who has experienced it. But there are strategies and it can be dealt with. If you give the body the proper conditions, it will heal. Try implementing as many of these strategies as you can today, to make those lumpy-bumpies go away!
“He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything.” - Arabian Proverb