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CELLULITE; THOSE ADIPOSIS EDEMATOSA SUMMERTIME BLUES (WHAT IS CELLULITE?)
Paul Mach, DN, ND, CCN

Summer time is here and those lumps and bumps of cellulite that have been hidden away all winter now get to be exposed. What is this stuff?? Cellulite is a term used to describe a cosmetic defect that will cause a great deal of distress for millions of woman again this summer. It will also make snake oil salesman; I mean cosmetic manufacturers, millions of dollars this season playing upon people’s ignorance and pride. Subcutaneous tissue that is located just below the surface of the skin and binds the skin loosely to underlying tissue or bones is what is disturbed by this adipose causing those lumps, bumps and ridges.

So why me? Here is the situation. If you haven’t noticed men and women are different in many ways. One of these ways is the structure of the skin. This structure elicits those soft, subtle vivacious curves, but there is more to the picture than meets the eye. The subcutaneous (just below the skin) tissue is composed of two or three layers of fat. In women these layers are large standing fat cell chambers which are independent. They remind me of the individual free standing springs of a mattress. Each spring works individually and independently of the other. Like the mattress ads where you can drop a bowling ball and not knock the pins over. These cells/springs are lined and stacked up, with thin barely supportive layers between them, holding them together. Men’s fat cells are more rounded (springs) instead of elongated. These cells are also interwoven and intertwined together giving them greater elasticity and tensile strength. Men’s skin and subcutaneous tissue layers are also thicker and stronger than women’s are.

As women age or gain excessive weight this thin tissue connecting the fat cells to the skin becomes progressively stretched thinner and looser. This allows fat cells to shift further up into the subcutaneous superficial layers close to the surface of the skin. These fat cell chambers also expand due to the thinning and stretching of each individual fat cell chamber. The result is the alternating depressions and protrusions in the skin all too frequently observed. It’s called the “mattress phenomenon” because microscopically it appears like the springs of a mattress falling out of rows and order and ending up in an uncontrollable, uneven and “lumpy” pattern.

Women comprise over 90% of all cases; with symptoms being tightness, heaviness and tenderness. The areas most commonly affected are the buttocks and thighs, the lower abdomen, and the upper parts of the arms. These typically are the areas that women hold excess adipose. Varicose veins are often found in connection with cellulite. This is because of the loss of the integrity of the supporting tissue structure.

Now you may say enough is enough! How and what do I do to get rid of this stuff?
There are three answers.
1. Reduce the size of the fat cells.
2. Improve the circulation to the affected areas.
3. Increase the integrity of the connective tissue structures.

To reduce the size of fat cells a weight loss / detoxification and exercise program must be utilized. This should always be the primary form of treatment. Weight loss should be gradual and always include detoxification of the body. Any weight loss program that does not include a detoxification regimen is inappropriate, especially if there is a need to lose 25 pounds or more. This is more than simply a weight concern, this is a metabolic body processing concern. Let’s face it. Fat is not made of sugar and spice and everything nice. Fat is your body’s landfill. Buried within it are all the toxins and stench that the body can’t deal with presently because it is so overloaded. It stores and hides these excesses as fat. As weight loss occurs these poisonous substances must be dealt with. Cleansing and supporting the body’s weak metabolic processes is imperative.

While reducing and rebuilding the body with “everything nice” a rational approach should be taken.
1. Remove the burdens of toxicity you carry around. You can’t begin to imagine how toxic our environment is. How much poison and heavy metal is trapped in you, effecting your life and metabolic processes? Also what other conditions may be effecting you that you are totally unaware of such as candida, parasites, food allergies? Also remove known carcinogens you put in your mouth such as chlorine and fluoride in tap water, aspartame, MSG, saccharine, nitrates in meats, hydrogenated oils, refined carbohydrates and white sugar, food dyes (red #2 & yellow #6 especially) and the list goes on and on. Read a book, because all these chemicals and foods we consume and are exposed to, did not exist 100 years ago. We don’t know what they will do to us in the long haul. This is the scary part.
2. Eat more organic raw fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts and seeds.
3. Drink 10++glasses of pure distilled or reverse osmosis water daily.
4. Take a good high potency a) multiple vitamin b) multiple mineral tablet. These need to be a high quality product. Forego the advertising gimmicks and low cost unassimilateable junk.
5. THINK, THINK, and THINK, even though it hurts a lot. As Shakespeare said, “Murder (self lies, illusions) can not be hid. The truth will always come to light.” It will rock and roll your foundation, but isn’t that what life is all about.
6. Read a health book, seek counsel, and do what you need to do.

Improving integrity and increasing circulation is best done through exercise. If the benefits of exercise could be put in a pill you would have the most awesome and powerful life enhancing and anti-aging supplement available. Exercise is imperative for weight loss. It also increases the lymphatic circulation and aids the body in cleansing and eliminating biological and cellular waste. If that wasn’t enough it also tones and builds the muscle tissue that is imperative for supporting and firming the body and skin. This increased skin integrity is going to tone and firm those areas you want toned and firmed. Blood circulation also energizes the body and aids in oxygenation, nutrient and hormonal distribution along with detoxification. A total body cardiovascular workout, along with specialized exercises that target specific affected areas of the body is imperative to the reduction of cellulite. By utilizing a personalized approach to exercising you will notice increased muscle tone and strength. The end result will be a strong and toned connective tissue layer and will be observed by others as a smoother more elastic and vibrant skin tone.

With this in mind, remember, you are the master of your universe and your body. What you are and what you become. The choice is always yours. With summer here always remember you are totally perfect and complete the way you are. ALWAYS! If however you choose to change, the universe always allows this. Do it healthy. Do it the best you can. Read a book and seek guidance from others who may offer another vantage point. Be happy. Have fun. THINK.