tips & tricks

cellulite: the five-step management plan

1. Use massage oils
Everyone loves a topical treatment, but most commercial cellulite creams are loaded with chemicals and additives that contribute to your body’s toxic load. To treat cellulite, you want to decrease your skin’s waste burden, increase the removal of toxins and improve local circulation. Massage oils specifically for cellulite – containing no artificial ingredients and with the addition of natural essential oils – are your best option. When choosing an anti-cellulite oil, look for the following ingredients:
Birch oil is extracted from the plant betula alba. It contains salicylic acid, is astringent (so it helps tone the skin), improves circulation, increases toxin removal and has a mild diuretic effect.
Rosemary oil increases circulation to the skin and assists with elimination of toxins. Do not use this oil on its own – it can be found in anti-cellulite massage oil formulas, otherwise mix it in with almond and birch oil. Don’t use it if you’re pregnant, have epilepsy or high blood pressure. Other suitable ingredients include apricot kernel oil, almond oil, jojoba seed oil, wheat germ oil, vitamin E, limonene, grapefruit extract, calendula/marigold, carrot oil, fennel extract, rosehip oil and kelp/seaweed.

How to apply anti-cellulite oil: Have a shower or bath, then pat skin dry. Tip a small amount (about the size of a large coin) into the palm of your hand and rub your hands together to warm the oil. Apply the mixture where necessary (thighs, bottom, stomach, arms), using more oil as necessary. Give yourself a slow massage, working in a circular motion from the legs and toward the heart, to help your lymphatic system remove toxins.
Tip: Apply oil to affected skin twice a day, ideally morning and night. Never use a cellulite cream or oil without including exercise in your routine.

2. Eat well to repair cells and tissues
Your cells leak fluids when they don’t have the right nutrients, such as omega-3 and lecithin for maintenance and repair. You can get these nutrients, along with their little helpers (antioxidants), through foods. Try the skin firming drink (see recipe on page 169), which is specifically formulated to reduce the appearance of cellulite. Omega-3 is found in oily fish (trout, sardines, salmon, tuna) as well as linseeds, flaxseeds (and their oil) and, in small amounts, dark green vegetables. Lecithin is found in egg yolk, liver, nuts, soy products and corn, and you can also buy soy lecithin granules.
Dosage: Adults with cellulite should take 2000–4000mg of lecithin per day. One tablespoon of soy lecithin granules contains approximately 1700mg of lecithin, so have one-and-a-half to two tablespoons of lecithin daily. Add lecithin granules to the skin firming drink or muesli.
Collagen and elastin are made up of amino acids such as glycine and proline and a substance called hyaluronic acid, recently renamed “hyaluronan”. Its main building block is glucosamine, which normalises cartilage and restores joint function. Magnesium is also needed to manufacture hyaluronan and studies have shown that deficiencies in zinc and magnesium contribute to hyaluronan abnormalities. Supplements with glucosamine, glycine, proline, vitamin C, copper, manganese, magnesium and zinc can help to restore elasticity and strength to connective tissue (these nutrients can be found in some glucosamine complex supplements, available in most health food shops).
Dosage: Adults should take 1200mg (1.2g) of glucosamine sulfate or glucosamine hydrochloride (HCL) per day, with either food or the skin firming drink. Make sure your glucosamine supplement also contains the following ingredients: magnesium, zinc, vitamin C, copper and manganese.

3. Exercise and improve your circulation
Your circulation plays an important role in having smooth, evenly textured skin. Circulation of blood is essential for health, but it’s also the lymphatic circulation that will help to keep your skin looking fabulous. If you want to get rid of your cellulite, you must exercise. Set aside at least 15 minutes each day to get some good lymph-pumping movement. Another way you can pump lymphatic fluid around your body is by breathing deeply. When you breathe correctly, you utilise the diaphragm, a muscle found below your lungs, which causes movement of your lymphatic fluid, enabling it to collect cellular garbage and “problem water”. When you breathe well, your lymphatic vessels drain “problem water” from tissue spaces and this helps to prevent fluid retention.

A quick sprint to sexy: One of the best exercises to help reduce cellulite is sprinting. If you are a walker and are able to do so, combine walking with 30-second sprints every five minutes. For example, power-walk for five minutes, then sprint as fast as you can for 30 seconds, then briskly walk for five minutes and, again, sprint as fast as you can for 30 seconds or more (up to 1 minute) and so on. Repeat this routine for at least 20 minutes. If you are a jogger, combine slow jogging with 30-second sprints in a similar manner.
Boost your circulation by:
• Dry-skin brushing (using a natural bristle brush to lightly stroke your skin).
• Have a shower and alternate between warm and cold water, then exfoliate your skin with a granulated gel or cream.
• Massage your skin with an exfoliation glove.
• Get a lymphatic massage from a qualified masseuse.
• Self-massage cellulite-prone areas with anti-cellulite oils.
• Do breathing exercises.
• Make sure you exercise daily.
(If you suffer from any kind of medical problem, such as a heart condition or diabetes, talk to your doctor before trying to improve your circulation.)

4. Avoid dairy products and sugar
Some foods can promote the onset of cellulite – the main offenders are dairy and sugar. Dairy products can increase your risk of cellulite because they are mucus forming. Naturopaths say that dairy products make your lymphatic fluid thicker, so it has a harder time travelling around your body. A sluggish lymphatic system can’t remove cellular waste fast enough, so it builds up. These cellular toxins can be harmful if they are floating in your blood, so they are relocated to be safely stored in your fat – especially on soft thighs. Eliminating dairy works better than any other treatment. It quickly enhances lymphatic health and allows better absorption of other minerals such as zinc, copper and magnesium, which are essential for firm and toned skin. Eating too much sugar can also increase your risk of cellulite. This occurs because sweets, junk food and processed “white” carbohydrates (such as white bread, pastries and cakes) increase acid in the body and also affect your blood-sugar levels. This surge in glucose in the blood uses up lots of vitamin C and may therefore cause low levels of this important antioxidant. Excess glucose in the blood can also cause blood vessel damage, which may hamper circulation to cellulite-prone areas. Vitamin C is essential for strong, healthy blood vessels – low levels of vitamin C can lead to poor blood vessel strength and varicose veins, which are often associated with the formation of cellulite.

Food and drinks to avoid include:
• Dairy – milk, cheese, yoghurt, ice-cream, butter.
• Cakes, biscuits, muesli bars, white bread, white rice (basmati is okay), white flour, chips, sweets.
• Soft drink, diet soft drink, fruit juice, alcohol.
• Margarine.

5. Promote good bowel health
Good bowel health is essential for healthy looking skin. Poor bowel health can result in constipation, allowing toxins to be reabsorbed by your body, which will slowly poison your system. If you suffer from constipation or any other bowel complaints, it’s essential that you seek treatment before your bowels harm your health. Be sure to stay hydrated as this helps prevent a sluggish lymphatic system. Dehydration can also damage your cells and cause poor bowel function.

This is an edited extract from The Healthy Skin Diet by Karen Fischer ($36.95, Exisle Publishing). Available at bookstores or exislepublishing.com

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