To be able to fully understand the explanation of how exactly
cellulite is caused (in the following few chapters), you better have read the first 10 chapters of this book first.
11. Cellulite
What is cellulite?
Cellulite is not caused by too much fat.
Cellulite is not about trapped toxins.
Cellulite is not about inflammatory subcutaneous cells.
Cellulite is merely the visibility of subcutaneous fat cells.
But why are only the female fat cells that visible?
Cellulite is an almost exclusively female issue (though increasingly more men get it too) because female fat cells are clustered in sacs, arranged in vertical columns. Additionally, women by nature also contain about twice as much fat as men, which makes the fat cells more pronouncedly visible. But though you need fat to fill fat cells, cellulite is not caused by excessive body-fat; Even the skinniest women can have cellulite because even they have partially filled fat cells. Being a woman means holding sufficient fat.
It is both unnatural and impossible to empty all your fat cells completely, and in women the last drops of fat are stored on thighs and buttocks.
The reason why in women much fat is stored on thighs and buttocks is because the female body is designed to give birth. And her breasts are designed to feed her baby. 52% of the energy human babies need is obtained from fat in mother's milk (the rest from protein and carbs in mother's milk). And this fat originates from mama's adipose tissue; mainly from her thighs and buttocks. That is why these are the hardest parts of your body to lose weight from; it's the fridge for your future child.
We all need sufficient fat because fatty acids are the main source of energy for the colon and heart. Some essential neurotransmitters in the brain are made of fat.
There is only one name for completely emptied fat cells: end-stage anorexia.
If you are overweight the fat cells are filled. This makes cellulite more pronouncedly visible than in half empty fat cells, but even slim women have cellulite. Cellulite is not about too much fat, but about the visibility of those fat cells.
But since most women have it, isn't cellulite natural?
Lots of people think that cellulite in women is natural, but that is absolute nonsense. What is true is that nowadays it is considered normal for women to have cellulite. About 90% of women in developed countries, where 'supermarket-food' is consumed, have cellulite. And because it is so normal, we tend to think it's natural. The reason why it is so prevalent now is because we all eat the same so-called 'health' foods and 'junk'-food, and consume increasingly more protein. Americans, on the average, consume more protein each year, but from 1984 till today this increase was four fold higher than before 1984. (Source: FAO database)
Another reason is that it is now normal to use hormonal contraceptives from a very early age.
OK, but what causes those fat cells to become visible?
12. Cellulite: Visibility of Fat Cells
Cellulite is characterized by extrusion of fat cells into the outer skin. [18] This is caused by an increased concentration of damaged proteins, with high water- attracting properties. This leads to a rise in the amount of water retained in the skin. [19]
What does this mean?
That you can only see those subcutaneous fat cells if they are extruded into the outer skin. The fat cells are extruding due to excessive moisture - which is attracted by damaged protein.
You can test this yourself:
Excessive moisture increases water pressure. You can increase water pressure in your skin by pressuring two inches of thigh between thumb and fingers. What happens?
Subcutaneous fat cells become clearly visible. This, exactly, is the secret of cellulite: subcutaneous fat cells become visible due to an increased water pressure in the skin. If the skin does not contain too much moisture, the true skin is soft enough to 'absorb' these fat cells and there is no cellulite, but if the true skin contains too much water, it cannot 'absorb' the fat cells and these are extruded into the outer skin.
Picture this:
A bicycle tire, pumped up normally, absorbs all road irregularities.
But if you pump it up much more, you will clearly feel every little stone you ride; if the skin is 'pumped up' with too much moisture, subcutaneous fat cells will be visible.
So what causes cellulite?
1. The consumption of too much proteinaceous prepared foods. Heat damages amino acids and creates new substances (the Maillard reaction). Proteins are long chains of amino acids; if some of these amino acids are damaged, they can no longer be easily separated from the other amino acids. These undivided amino acids cannot be immediately utilized, and, therefore, end up in the skin where they attract extra moisture that increases the water pressure in the skin and reveals subcutaneous fat-cells.
2. Occasionally consuming too much salt or spices will
increase the temporary severity of cellulite, but if your salt / spices intake is very steady and level it will do no damage because the body adapts its uptake and excretion of salts to the average intake of salt / spices.
3. Consuming excessive protein elevates the average skin-protein level and thus the true skin will also contain more water. Even by consuming only the right combination of fruits, you will lack energy before you can possibly lack protein. (See http://www.13.waisays.com/protein.htm)
4. Constipation intensifies cellulite by giving the body more time to absorb 'dirty' protein, but don't use laxatives. (See appendix A; "Food Causing Constipation")
5. An impaired hormone metabolism, through the use of
hormonal contraceptives, for instance, can cause cellulite.
Though your menstrual period seems perfectly normal when you are on the pill, the only way the pill can function is by dominating the natural metabolism of your hormones. If it didn't, the pill could never prevent pregnancy. Pharmacists know that extra androgens and/or estrogens can cause water retention.
Is cellulite hereditary?
Some of us like to think so because it relieves us from being responsible ourselves. But luckily, cellulite is not hereditary.
What does seem to be 'hereditary' is eating habits; Children take over
much of the eating habits of their parents. They become accustomed to these foods, learn to like some of them, and adopt them as their own choice. In general, they stick to these foods for the rest of their life. So just like their mothers, the girls will very likely have cellulite too.Most recipes are passed
on from one generation to the next, and are only adapted in the sense that today we use more pre-manufactured products and more proteinaceous ingredients.
It's not just about taste and customs:
1. Wheat and dairy products contain physically addictive opioid peptides. (See Chapter 58) We eat so many wheat-and dairy products because of these addictive peptides. Just think of the flavor of baked bread, or pizza, or that cheesy taste. (Many products therefore contain wheat- and/or milk-protein; to increase sales)
Those who have not been breast fed have become
accustomed to cows' milk opioid peptides (in formula milk) from the day they were born, and therefore have even more problems staying away from food products containing wheat or milk protein. This is why formula fed children, on the average, grow up to be fatter than children fed human milk. [20]
While cow's milk-based formula milk contains cow's milk-opioid peptides, it does not contain the right growth factors and –hormones (at best it still contains some of the hormones / factors meant for calves). Human milk contains specific growth hormones and other hormones that strengthen the optimal development of the human suckling (incl. It's brain). That is why formula fed children, on the average, become less intelligent. [21] See 13/breastfeeding
2. Prepared foods contain physically addictive beta-carbolines. (See Ch. 58) The more protein these prepared foods contain, the more beta-carbolines have originated. We, therefore, all love to eat proteinaceous prepared foods. Just think of that salty flavor of fried meat, making you instantly 'hungry'.
Cellulite is considered the 'norm' today because of the foods we all eat. Because fewer babies are breastfed (or just during a few months), even young children can have cellulite nowadays since they already absorb 'dirty' protein from 'baby-food'.
They also become addicted to the opioid peptides and beta-carbolines (in the baby food) at a very early age. If you have been raised mainly on foods containing opioid peptides and beta-carbolines, you are addicted to foods containing lots of 'dirty' protein. So, if mom has cellulite but breastfed her daughter, and the daughter eats differently and consumes very little 'dirty' protein, the girl will not have cellulite. Or the other way around: if mom has no cellulite but did not breastfeed (or just a few months), then her daughter will have stronger cravings for foods containing opioid peptides, and thus will very likely develop cellulite at an early age.
Beating cellulite is mainly about beating your addiction to wheat- and dairy-products and proteinaceous prepared foods. By sufficiently decreasing your intake of 'dirty protein' (and salt) your cellulite will decrease too - within three months. Depending on how good you want your skin to look, you must decrease your intake of 'dirty' protein accordingly.
The skin is suspended from subcutaneous connective tissue. If the skin contains too much water, it is heavier. Too much water therefore stretches connective tissue and causes the skin to be puffy, and eventually to droop.
Cellulite is accompanied with a puffy and eventually drooping skin.
That is why in science "skin-laxity" is another name for cellulite.
Both cellulite and a puffy and drooping skin are caused by too much water in the skin.
This fact may seem contradictory at first, but in cellulite the surface
tension of the skin is increased.
Huh?
Remember how cellulite is caused? Too much moisture increases water-pressure, extruding fat cells. The skin is pumped up and the
surface tension of the skin is increased (just like in a balloon) even
though it does not seem to be since all you see is how droopy your
cellulite skin is.
And what if you want to have a tight skin?
As long as you are young, excessive moisture comes with a puffy but still firm skin, but the weight of the extra water stretches connective tissue, which will cause your skin to droop as you become older.
Connective tissue must not be burdened too much if one is to have a tight skin. The skin should not contain excessive moisture to prevent the weight of the skin from stretching connective tissue.
The body has remarkable recovering abilities. If your skin contains too much moisture and is drooping, you just need to decrease water retention, and keep it that way. (The only water retention your skin can cope with, is the water retention due to menstruation) This will decrease surface tension, and your skin will eventually be tighter, softer, and will 'absorb' all subcutaneous irregularities. If the connective tissue has been stretched due to a lifetime of excessive moisture, then both the skin surface tension will be low and the skin will be loose.
If you do not want your skin to droop (and who does?) when you are older, you have to prevent stretching of connective tissue as much as possible during your entire life.
When we are young it does not seem to matter what we do or don't do with our skin, but destructive habits like the use of alcohol, cigarettes, 'party-drugs', and too much sun exposure certainly accelerate aging of the skin. How we treat our body and skin when we are young determines how we look as we are aging.
When we are very old, we expect our skin too be thinner, shriveled, wrinkly, and dry, but not swollen and deformed as it is in so many old people. If this is the case it is:
- due to the lifetime consumption of the wrong foods
(proteinaceous prepared foods, dairy products),
- due to the abuse of alcohol or drugs,
- due to prolonged use of hormonal contraceptives,
- due to a hormonal imbalance (because of sterilization,
removal of the uterus and / or ovaries, or years of stress) and / or
- due to years of sleep-deprivation
As increasing numbers of us continue to eat more proteinaceous
prepared food, faces of even young people are becoming swollen and deformed.
Why will my skin be softer when excessive moisture has been
eliminated?
Excessive protein or salt in the true skin attracts water from the outer skin and organs. Outer skin-cells therefore lose their moisture and die prematurely, and the dryer the outer skin, the less soft its texture.
Because multiplication of skin cells is limited, dry skins also age faster. Without excessive moisture in your true skin, your outer skin cells do not age that fast and contain more moisture. Your skin will therefore be much softer, smoother, and will stay that way much longer.
But be aware:
The longer you have had cellulite, the more new cells have been constructed according to this cellulite structure. If you have had cellulite for many years it will take about two to three months before you see that your cellulite is decreasing. It takes about six months to up to twelve months before you can sing "Hallelujah, it's gone!" depending on the severity of your cellulite and the strength of your discipline.
Only by preventing extrusion of fat cells into the outer skin can you eliminate cellulite. There is no pill, cream or plastic surgery that can prevent extrusion of fat cells into the outer skin; only a drastic decrease in the intake of prepared foods and dairy products can do that. That is why cellulite is most common in Europe and North America, and much less common in cultures where less prepared foods and dairy products are consumed.
There is no medication or manipulative process to which cellulite visibly responds. Advertised treatments just don't work. [22]
But that shouldn't come as a surprise; how can you fight cellulite without removing the cause?
Lymph drainage, (through massage only) however, does accelerate the deportation of 'dirty' protein, but if absorption of new 'dirty' protein is not prevented as well, no massage or wrappings in the world can make your cellulite disappear.
Of course no cream can tighten your skin. Be honest; you already knew this. Those that claim to tighten your skin are actually moisturizers. Small proteins (peptides) from skin care products are absorbed into the skin, [23] causing your skin to retain more water.
Through life long use of moisturizers an estimated 14 kg / 30 lb. of ingredients are absorbed into the skin. These chemicals attract more water, increasing skin tension, and thus cellulite.
Only if you are young and the connective tissue is still very tight, retaining water will not make your skin droop yet. To advertise anti-cellulite products and 'skin-firming body creams', they use only teenagers, because their connective tissue is still relatively firm. Or occasionally they use an older model who has always been very strict about what she eats, always maintained her body weight, never used the pill in her entire life and therefore still has a flawless skin.
Because the extra water in the skin increases the surface tension of the outer skin, 'skin firming- ', 'rejuvenating-' and 'anti-wrinkle-' creams can actually make your skin temporarily look tighter. But the fact remains that if you keep on using the product, this excessive moisture prematurely stretches your connective tissue.
Can I eliminate fluid retention by using hormones, caffeine, or diuretic tea?
To solve a problem you have to take away the cause. The use of any diuretic steals water from cells in other organs that badly need the water, thus speeding up the aging process of these organs.
Using diuretics is like mopping up the floor while water is still running from the tap. To dispose of excessive moisture you must 'close the tap' first; simply prevent the uptake of 'dirty' protein and excessive salt. Drink lots of low- (!!)- mineral bottled water (like Volvic) to flush out some of the substances that hold the extra water, like salt.
Using hormones, caffeine or whatever other diuretic doesn't prevent anything and is very unhealthy.
How about peels?
Whatever treatment 'encourages' your skin to shed its top layer faster enhances aging. Using scrubs, and especially chemical peels, will make you look like an old woman far too early.
Do not peel your skin more than once every two weeks and only use the mildest peelings you can find.
Scrubs are only acceptable for your buttocks, legs, knees, elbows, and feet.
If you live in an extremely polluted city and you always use make-up, a soft peeling once a week is more than enough. Your daily routine should only include soft and gentle cleaning using a washing glove or sponge, or a soft and natural face brush.
Good (early) sleep in a room with sufficient fresh air, and drinking lots of water or juices will do your skin far more good than any cream possibly can. Sleep de-stresses and enables recovery.
The use of scrubs and peelings accelerates regeneration of skin cells, and because all cells can multiply only a fixed number of times, premature replacement of old cells decreases their total life span. The more you peel, the sooner your skin ages.
In addition, the longer a woman maintains her harsh beauty regimen of regular peelings and moisturizers, the more intensively she needs to peel and moisturize to have the same effect.
It is the same for the woman who thinks she needs a tan to hide her bad skin; she will need an increasingly darker tan to hide the increased deterioration of her skin.
It is much better to have a beauty weekend every three weeks.
This would include drinking quarts of water and fruit juices, and eating only fruits, sashimi and a box of the best quality full fat delicious chocolate, for example. It would also include sleeping a lot, walking outside in nature for the clean oxygen, reading, and watching a good movie. Have a mild peeling, a cream mask, and a relaxing bath with nicely flavored foam. Shave and use a mild scrub for your body and….again…relax. Do your nails, read some fashion magazines, etc. etc. Be lazy, self indulged, and relaxed.
This is much healthier for your skin than peeling it regularly.
Does drinking water help against cellulite?
The blood and lymph need sufficient water to be able to transport as much 'dirty' protein to the liver as possible, but drinking more water than you need does not decrease cellulite.
You do need to drink water for every prepared food item you consume. Remember also that when consuming nuts, you need to drink a lot of water or eat high water-content fruits.
Don't drink tap water, but, instead, low-mineral bottled water, like Volvic or Eldorado, or Montcalm from the French Pyrenees, or Aytaç or Ulubey from Turkey. Consuming water high in minerals increases water retention.
Can "fat-metabolism-boosters" fight cellulite?
No.
Cellulite is not caused by overweight; most slim women have cellulite too.
Because cellulite is not due to overweight, these "boosters" can never decrease cellulite. Even if they could, you don't want a lifetime dependence on a drug that changes the metabolism of hormones and neurotransmitters - with all the damaging side effects. Moreover, you would need to continuously increase dosages, and the eventual dependence would make quitting a nightmare. You would be left with the worst skin ever and lots of extra pounds as the end result.
If you lose weight, your adipose fat cells will be less filled but just a bit (or not at all) less visible. By losing too much fat, your fat cells will still be visible, but you will become less curvaceous. You can have a gorgeous skin all over and be curvaceous by minimizing your intake of dirty protein and salt. (See Part 3)
Also remember that dietary fat is essential for bowel functioning, to sleep well and for the uptake of vitamins. That's why the woman who consumes sufficient fat generally has beautiful hair and a healthy shiny skin. She also has a better disposition because certain fatty acids increase serotonin receptor activity. Most diets that claim to help you to lose weight actually increase cellulite. This is because these diets are generally low in sugars and fats, and relatively high in protein.
If you want to lose weight naturally and lastingly, see Part-4
>>> Skip the acne chapters; to part 2 of this book
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