Treating Cellulite

This could easily be one of the most vexing issues for women… how to rid ourselves of those irritating wrinkles and crinkles on the skin (due mainly to giving birth but also from fluctuations in weight).

The bane of our lives – cellulite – is a sure give away that a more innocent time has passed and that we are now developing ‘dimples’! My friends, take comfort.

Here are my (Ayurvedic) rules of thumb for restoring a smoother, more youthful and more resilient skin…

Most of us know all too well what cellulite looks like – the dimples on the thighs, legs, and abdomen. Cellulite is not about weight! It can happen to women who are heavy and women who are thin and the main culprit is a sluggish lymphatic system – your body’s natural detox system which is in effect the body’s way of ridding itself of toxic waste, bacteria, dead cells and fatty deposits.

There is a lot of science to the way the skin differs between men and women but suffice to say that women are more prone to ‘dimpled’ skin than men – so let’s push on…

Just some of the reasons we develop cellulite

And all of them are interconnected:

Genetics (hereditary factors)
Poor Circulation
Processed Foods
Sluggish or Overloaded Liver
Hormonal Imbalance
Tight Restrictive Clothing
Toxins (including from Beauty Care Products)
Lack of Exercise
‘Yo-Yo’ Dieting

The good news is that we can all reduce cellulite naturally. Woman to woman, here are my recommendations for treating cellulite, which come to you from an Ayurvedic standpoint (and therefore do not promote ‘cellulite creams’ or other products which contain toxic chemicals that leach into the blood stream):

The body is super smart

The body knows what is dangerous and it does what it needs to do to protect your vital organs. In the meantime, while we may not immediately ‘get it’, the following commonsense clues will get you started:

CUT OUT CARBONATED DRINKS
Sugar and salt laden drinks are feeding our cravings but doing so much damage. Cut them out and see how your body reacts!
MOVE YOUR BODY
Walk, run, dance… just move your body as you please! It will bring more oxygen and blood flow to the body and stimulate your metabolism. Fat cannot live where movement is present.
EAT WELL, BUT EAT FOR LONGEVITY
Organic food is best, but the rule of thumb is this: cut out processed sugar/salt laden foods, limit dairy, and reduce or substitute the carbohydrates (white rice, potatoes, bread etc.) in your diet.
HYDRATE AND REPAIR
Drink water (especially warm water). Discover herbal and green teas if you haven’t already – and apple cider vinegar. All of these rid the body of toxins and help alkalise and balance the PH of your body. Authentic herbal teas (as opposed to commercially produced, sugar laden beverages posing as ‘healthy’) are a great addition to your anti-cellulite ‘toolbox’. Choose wisely and please do email me for advice.
WORK YOUR BODY WITHOUT LIFTING A FINGER
I’ve said it before… there is no better way to get a full body workout without lifting a finger than INFRARED SAUNAS! I urge you to read about why we, as beauty therapists and personal trainers, are so devoted to infrared saunas. They release toxins and promote the immune system, replenish moisture to the skin and (obviously), have great weight loss benefits
AYURVEDIC MASSAGE
While personal circumstances dictate how this wonderful therapy is applied; suffice to say that pre and post pregnancy massage are often linked to the onset of cellulite. Ayurvedic massage stimulates and repairs the visible signs.
WEIGHT TRAINING
The appearance of cellulite (other than the unavoidable weight change and stretching of tissues during pregnancy) is largely caused by under-used muscle tissue. Weight training works to build the underlying muscles to reduce the ‘dimpled’ effect we have acquired. Squats, lunges, leg presses and derriere exercises reduce the visible signs of cellulite and return your body to its former state.

Dear friends, this bane of our lives (and many others) responds to Ayurveda – the system of medicine which pulls on the infinite organising power of nature rather than often unnatural, cosmetic, responses.

Let me give you a simple example: we have a headache, we take a pill and the headaches goes away… we have cosmetically treated the pain – but not the cause.

Now that said, there are always circumstances where modern medicine is the only sensible recourse and I do not for a minute suggest otherwise. I do suggest you consider this though: many ailments, once traced to their source, are truly remedied (not just ‘treated’) by Ayurveda. I commend the principle to you for further reading. ~ Saroj