The Dreaded Cellulite
Cellulite occurs mainly in women and consists of dimpled fat that clings to the hips and thighs. If affects both the thin and the overweight. No amount of exercise or massage will get ever get rid of it. Even dieting combined with exercise will not budge it.
As Leslie Kenton, author of Cellulite Revolution , (Ebury Press, 1994) says at the beginning of her book, "Cellulite is no simple cosmetic problem of concern only to vain women who have been sold a bill of goods by the beauty industry. It is a sign that internal pollution is present in parts of your body which can not only reduce your energy levels but mar your physical beauty as well... You can be sure that you body is telling you that something within needs attention."
Nutritionist Carola Barczak, owner of Nutritional Body Care in Toronto, says that "cellulite fat is an estrogen controlled emergency ration for breast feeding during famine and ...that cellulite is burned for energy only when starvation sets in. This makes it unresponsive to diet and exercise."
Nonetheless, Barczak advises that excess starch and sugar form a flabby, soggy, waterlogged layer of cellulite while too many animal fats cause a more pitted texture.
Barczak stresses that essential fatty acids in flax oil, primrose oil, borage oil, and fish oils are "necessary to liberate stored fat so it can be burned off." These oils are part of what Barczak calls common sense nutrition for women.
Essential fatty acids and iodine from seaweeds are common ingredients in anti-cellulite pills. Barczak believes it's cheaper to supplement them yourself if necessary.
At her Toronto clinic, Barczak has had excellent results using electro-muscle stimulation (EMS) which exercises the muscles by alternating contraction and relaxation; but only if heat is applied during the treatment and a reducing diet is followed at the same time. Carola has documented that a series of 10 EMS treatments and a reducing diet can reduced the thighs by one to two clothing sizes.
Barczak also uses vacusage, which is a lymph drainage treatment developed in France that uses heat with vacuum suction. "This breaks up the deep micro-scars that cause the uneven texture of cellulite". At least 25 treatments are recommended.
Barczak suggests you look for a reputable clinic in the yellow pages under weight loss clinics that advertise cellulite treatments. "Call and ask if heat is applied during EMS or if they offer vacusage. Although expensive, these treatments do yield results. Anything else just isn't worth your money."
In her book, Kenton outlines a comprehensive programme that includes a cleansing and detoxification programme, daily skin brushing, and epsom salt baths. She also promotes increased lymph drainage through specialized massage and through using the mini-trampoline at least ten minutes a day. She advocates the daily use of aloe vera juice, spirulina, silica, and seaweeds.
Kenton has devised a cheap but effective anti-cellulite lotion. It is made by using 350cc. of aloe vera liquid combined with 25cc. each of cola vera liquid extract (14 percent caffeine, burns fat) and fucus vesiculosus (bladderwrack). Kenton advises applying the lotion twice a day to the cellulite areas, followed using a special anti-cellulite glove or roller over these same areas.
Drs. Michael Murray and Joseph Pizzorno in their book, Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine (Prima, 1998) recommend oral centella asiatica (gotu kola) 30mg twice daily and aesculus hippocastanum (horse chestnut) 500mg of the bark of the root three times a day and escin (compound isolated from the seeds of horse chestnut) 10 to 20mg three times a day. They also advise an ointment made with .5 to 1.5 percent cola vera extracts; .25 to .75 percent bladderwrack, and .5 to 1.5 percent escin.
One study of 65 patients who had cellulite showed 58 percent had very good results and 20 percent had satisfactory results using oral gotu kola alone.
In March 1999, a new anti-cellulite pill known as Cellasene was introduced to the market. It was invented by an Italian scientist named Dr. Gianfranco Merizzzi . It consists of bladderwrack, grape seed extract, sweet clover, ginkgo biloba extract, bioflavonoids, borage oil, fish oils, and lecithin. Three unpublished studies have been conducted in Italy involving just 90 patients. One small Australian study showed that 69 percent of women benefited from taking cellasene. It remains to be seen how effective this pill will turn out to be on the long term.
There are some good solutions to getting rid of cellulite, but it seems that time, money and commitment is required.
Listen to Your Body by Carola Barczak is series of ninety minute videos that discuss 55 different nutritional factors in depth (705-746-7839). Carola's Nutritional Body Care Clinic is in Toronto at 416-960-6200.
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