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Personal Training Article's
Name: A Word From Brien...
Given the great summer weather, people want to wear fewer clothes. This can be good or bad. For some this is causing stress and therefore after several requests, this week's newsletter is about the dreaded...Cellulite. There are many misnomers about what is cellulite, the causes and the treatment. Bottom line is that if you want to rid yourself of cellulite it will take a lot of dedication (work). Save your money, you are not going to get results from the cellulite creams, diet pills, or products that claim results in 48 hours!
What Is Cellulite?
In the past cellulite was widely considered a fat disorder. Recent medical
research has discovered that it is primarily a disease of the circulatory
system that deforms the connective tissue. The fatty tissue immediately below
the surface of your skin (subcutis) rests on top of and is bonded to a firm
layer of collagen connective tissue. This fatty tissue keeps us warm,
cushions us and protects our bones. The subcutis will remain smooth and
supple as long as the fat cells remain strong, healthy and flexible. Although
it is the fat bulging upwards that causes the irregularity in skin
appearance, i.e. cellulite, the root cause is now thought to be the weakening
of the tiny blood and lymph drainage vessels that maintain a fresh supply of
nutrients in the tissues as well as removing damaging toxins.
Why Does This Happen?
No one really knows why this happens but it is thought that there are several
factors that play major rolls.
- Free Radicals
Free Radicals are highly reactive toxins that are found everywhere in
the environment and in our bodies. They react to almost everything they
come in contact with so they are very damaging. Free radicals will not
only attack healthy cells, including fat cells but they can be the main
agents of damage to our circulatory system that results in cellulite.
- Sluggish Blood
Circulation and Lymph Flow
The job of the circulatory system is to carry nutrients to the cells of
the body, while the lymph carries toxins away. According to cellulite
researcher Elizabeth Dancey (The Cellulite Solution - Hodder &
Stoughton, 1996) when the cells in the skin, called fibroblasts, are
deprived of oxygen they begin to clump together. When they are called
upon to repair damaged collagen, instead of thin, healthy fibers they
create fibers that are thick and stringy.
- Bad Diet and
Poor Digestion
The body stores dietary toxins that the liver can't detoxify in the
cells under the skin. Some of the sources that toxins can originate from
are: junk food, poor water sources, environmental pollutants, artificial
sweeteners and from incomplete digestion.
- Estrogen
Imbalance
An excess of estrogen is believed to cause the weakening of the
connective tissue that allows the fat to bulge up into the skin.
Estrogens are found in conventional meats that have been induced with
hormones, plastics (i.e. bottled drinking water, baggies) and tap water.
Estrogen status can be evaluated through simple lab tests.
- Lack of
Exercise
The lymphatic system is dependent on movement to keep the lymph flowing.
The theory is that lack of exercise causes poor lymphatic and blood
circulation and in particular poor lymph drainage. With poor drainage
the skin becomes bloated with excess fluid. It is this excess fluid that
prevents the incoming blood from reaching the tissues, as well as
causing a build up of damaging free radicals.
The Solution
Beating cellulite is a five-step process.
- Reduce and
Repair Free Radical Damage
Our bodies protect themselves from the continuous onslaught of free
radicals with agents known as antioxidants. These are a group of
substances that include vitamins, enzymes and many herbal extracts. They
are most abundantly available in fresh herbs, fruit and vegetables, and
best immediately after they have been harvested and when they have been
organically grown. Vitamins C and E as well as beta-carotene (the
building block for vitamin A) have been found to be particularly
effective. Even more powerful are certain herbal extracts that act as
antioxidants. At the Center we can do Nutrition Response Testing (NRT)
to find the best antioxidants for you. The Center also offers BioTerrain
Testing to measure your free radical activity byproducts
(malondialdehydes or MDA) in urine, providing an accurate assessment of
free radical levels.
- Boost Blood
Circulation and Lymph Flow
Body brushing, essential oils, massage and exercise can boost your
circulation. (Two more therapies that would be beneficial and that we
hope to have at the Center in the near future are Cold Laser and Ion
Therapy - I will write more one those when we offer the services.) Now
here is a tongue twister yet it seems to help. A simple routine like
daily dry body brushing with a natural-bristled brush that has
medium-hard bristles followed by moisturizing your skin with essential
oils will help increase circulation and flow. If you would like to know
more about the essential oils that are beneficial or proper brushing and
massage technique, contact Linda at OFC- 650-654-4604 or Linda's email. Daily jumping
on a trampoline has shown to be very effective for boosting blood
circulation and lymph flow even for only 5 to 10 minutes!
- Exercise
An ideal cellulite workout includes cardiovascular exercise (i.e.
jumping on trampoline, walking, jogging, or swimming), and an anaerobic
exercise workout with a focus on thighs, hips, and buttocks. The
cardiovascular or aerobic workout improves blood and lymphatic
circulation, promotes sweating which helps detoxify the skin, and burns
fat. The anaerobic workout (i.e. resistance training, cardio-vascular
intervals) is important because it promotes an increase in lean body
mass, increases your metabolic rate, and therefore decreases the toxins
and body fat.
- Healthy Diet
and Nutrients for YOU
What most people do not know is that good digestion is the single
biggest factor in maintaining good health. It does not matter what you
eat if the nutrients from the food are not assimilated to give us energy
for all of our bodily functions. As stated by Dr. Mercola, Metabolic
Typing is the ideal program to find out the specific nutrients you need
and is something we offer to clients. You do not need to be here at the
Center to do the testing. We also offer a medical detoxification program
that has shown to be a very fast and effective way to rid the body of
excess toxins and body fat. For more information contact the Center at
650-654-4604 or by Email.
Essential Fatty Acids
I have written several newsletters on the benefits of essential acids
(EFAs). EFAs are primary building blocks for your cells and facilitate the cells to be flexible instead of rigid. Strength and flexibility are what keep skin smooth, supple, and attractive.
In nature EFAs occur in cold water fish, raw seeds and nuts, and in some vegetables and whole grains. Beware of the quality of your food. Food processing intentionally extracts the healthy EFAs from their natural plant sources and
chemically treats them through a process called
"hydrogenation". The purpose of hydrogenation is to extend
shelf life. All commercial baked goods, processed food, and fried foods
are LOADED with hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils. These oils
are chemically altered, molecularly distorted EFAs
and they are NOTHING BUT BAD FOR YOU. So eat organic!
Cut WAY BACK On Sugar and "Bad" Fat
Both sugar and "bad" fats add to the free radical load. For
more information about the best fats for you ask us about Metabolic
Typing.
Eat Protein at Every Meal
When circulation and lymph flow are blocked fluid will leak from the
cells into the surrounding tissues. Protein, however, contains albumin
that will help prevent this leakage.
Add Coconut Oil
Coconut Oil, (virgin and organic of course) increases thyroid function,
which increases the metabolic rate, and in turn reduces body fat and the
storage of toxins and free radicals. |
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