I am blown away by the amount of myths and urban legends about weight loss and cellulite reducing that still exist out there. What is most upsetting is that I see people trying so hard and failing… and then giving up hope, only because they have been following the wrong set of rules for their bodies. You have cellulite because your body is out of balance and there is a certain level of toxicity that your system simply isn’t managing well. Cellulite has been scientifically linked to a sluggish lymphatic system. Cellulite is essentially toxins trapped inside of your lymph. And guess where those toxins are stored? Inside of fat cells.

The lymphatic system plays a key role in keeping us healthy. The lymphatic system is made up of dozens of lymph nodes and glands, as well as our spleen, thymus and our tonsils. Its primary goal is to push toxins out of our tissues and toward our blood stream, so the kidneys and the liver can sort through it and filter it out of our bodies.
The efficiency of our lymphatic system, and its ability to keep moving, keeps us free from disease and determines the level of our immunity. Our lymphatic system also plays a key role in the development of cellulite. Keeping our immune system boosted and supporting our lymphatic system are key ways you keep your pathways of elimination and detoxification open for business.
You don’t have cellulite and excess puffiness on your body because you don’t apply cellulite cream or don’t exfoliate everyday. You don’t have cellulite because you didn’t take a shot of wheatgrass in the morning and forgot to run your 5 km, 4 times this week. You have cellulite because something needs to shift. Your body is FED UP! Let me share a few steps with you that must start happening if you want to feel and look better…because your life is precious, and it is passing. And YOU get to determine how you live it.

6 Things to understand about getting rid of cellulite

  1. Eat Clean and Alkalize Your Body: To move toxins out of fat cells and from your body we don’t cut you open and suck them out, we draw them out. You need to cut the crap from your diet and consume more balancing, nutrient-dense, alkalizing foods and reduce the amount of harmful acidic foods that are creating inflammation and fat-storing pockets of toxins that show up on your rear, your thighs, arms and abdomen as dimply, lumpy cellulite land mines. Your diet needs to be made up of a variety of healthy; mostly organic, fruits and vegetables, healthy hydrating fats and good quality protein to chelate (bind) to the acidic toxic build up, drawing it out to be removed from your body.
  2. Hydrate and Flush: If you take away only one thing from this let it be this – DRINK WATER! You must drink enough water and eat hydrating foods to help flush and remove the toxins from your system through you and out. Water is essential to decreasing cellulite. Dehydration in your body leads to trapped toxins in your fat cells, which causes them to swell and press up against the skins surface, plus you will retain more water being dehydrated because your body needs, but is barely getting any and will hold onto whatever is can so you end up have cellulite AND felling puffy. For best results drink 2-4 liters of good quality, not from a plastic bottle, water each and every day.
  3. Break Up With Your Crack: Caffeine, sugar, salt, wine, beer, chocolate, dairy – what is your drug of choice? I say drug because that is exactly what all of these items are; highly addictive and creating the same level of stimulation to certain areas of your cerebral cortex that illicit the same opiate “feel-good” feeling that drugs such as cocaine, heroin or uppers would do. I know you believe that it is your taste buds and your stomach crying out for these treats but it’s not IT’S YOUR ADDICTED BRAIN looking for its next HIGH and stimulant, your poor little adrenals will soon begin to mimic this exact message creating out of control cravings, an insulin muffin top over your pants and squishy cottage-cheese thighs out of your undies, yes even the granny undies and control top panties. Once you connect to the realization that your unhealthy, daily addictions are contributing to your cellulite and zero energy, no sex drive, bunged up bum and lackluster skin; it will feel so freeing to break up with your crack and move on.
  4. Move Your Garbage Towards The Exit Sign: In order to truly detoxify your body effectively and efficiently you must make sure your back-end is moving well and regularly “aka” you must be pooping daily! If you are trying to cleanse and flush everything from the top down, but your gut and intestinal system aren’t functioning well and you are dealing with constipation; then all of the junk and debris you are pulling from your fat cells and organs will back up into your system and re-circulate causing even more problems. Poop needs to flow in order for toxins to flush. If you are not having healthy bowel movements your cellulite will be hanging around for a long time.
  5. Get Stimulated: Lets’ get your lymphatic system moving and create some heat and buffering in your body! Daily dry brushing, massage, Epsom salts baths, certain essential oils and rebounding are effective ways to move the toxins through your lymph system and out to your major excretory organs; lungs, liver, bowels and skin. Ditch your EXPENSIVE anti-cellulite cream and choose natural Carrier Oils such as Coconut oil, Almond oil, Jojoba oil, Apricot Kernal oil, Shea Butter and Sesame oil and use these essential oils; Juniper, Fennel, Grapefruit, Lemon, Rosemary, Sage and Cypress are known as the best oils for increasing circulation to areas plagued with cellulite.
  6. Daily EXERCISE is probably the best way to get things moving and build lean muscle tissue which helps to firm and tone your body head to toe. You will never change the shape of your body, lose your cellulite or increase your core metabolic function by cardio alone. So get off the treadmill and into the weight room.
​Plus, all of these suggestions above for your lymph system help to decrease your major stress hormone cortisol and increase the amount of endorphins and serotonin you are producing – these are your feel good hormones, literally your body’s own natural anti-depressants.

How to Dry Brush

  1. Select a natural bristle body brush. You can find body brushes for purchase from any natural health store in the beauty section.This brush acts like an exfoliant, similar to the salts shown above. The brush helps to remove dead skin cells, and stimulates your lymphatic system.
  2. Each day before you shower, GET NAKED! Keep the brush dry, and use big circular motions and brush starting at your feet.
  3. Always brush towards your heart. Work your way up the backs of your legs, thighs and gluts, always moving in a circular motion.
  4. Once you reach your upper body, brush starting at your hands, moving back towards your heart. Brush the backs of your arms, and underneath your arms.
  5.  For stubborn cellulite spend some extra time in those areas.
  6. Consistency is the key! Do it at least 5 days per week. Make sure your body and the brush are always DRY (just thought I’d drive that point home 🙂
 Resources:
James Duke, CRC guide to Medicinal Use of Spices, CRC Press, 2003
Tiffany Wyse ND, Healthy Family’s Preventing the Cold & Flu, 01/20/15
Aviva Romm MD, Winterize Your Kids! Optimizing Health with Herbs, Diet and Common Sense, 01/20/15
Olivia Jenkins, A Step-By-Step Guide To Dry Skin Brushing,http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-12675/a-step-by-step-guide-to-dry-skin-brushing.html, 03/28/15
Longmont Healing Art Clinic, 5 Pathways of Elimination, 03/28/15
Kim Ann Zimmerman, Lymphatic System: facts, functions, and disease,http://www.livescience.com/26983-lymphatic-system.html, 03/28/15​