I’m excited to present another guest post by health writer Liz Schau. Liz wrote a thought-provoking post for The Cellulite Investigation a few months ago about gluten intolerance and cellulite. We’re lucky she kept our cellulite project in mind when she came across the following evidence to add our case. Thanks, Liz!
**********
It may seem too good to be true — a diet that can cure all sorts of ailments, including one in particular that seems to plague Western women in the most ubiquitous way: Cellulite. So many women have it, try to hide or minimize it, or worry about it at one point or another in their lives. And while new products and research may be bringing us closer to a “cure”, some age-old ancient traditions may shed more light on this condition than modern mainstream medicine could have ever anticipated.
Ayurveda, or traditional Indian medicine — a practice that has been around since about 1500 BC — is (to put it very simply) about balance. Balancing systems, fluids, emotions and temperaments, and foods are basic tenets of Ayurveda. Eating seasonally and staying in balance with nature and the natural progress of winter, spring, summer, and fall is also adhered to (that is, with Ayurveda, we learn to behave more instinctively than intellectually). Respecting the cycles of mother nature means we’re giving our body what it needs in each respective season and also in preparation for the next. Have you ever eaten a salad in the middle of winter and immediately got cold and damp and were unable to warm yourself for the rest of the day? Or, have you eaten a bowl of steaming soup in the heat of summer and soon after felt agitated and irritable? Ayurveda works to correct these imbalances and missteps we often fall prey to.
Once a person figures out their body type, or “dosha”, they can work to bring their body and health into balance. More specifically, Ayurveda focuses on clearing the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is truly the mother of all good health, as its functioning determines the successes of the immune system, mucous production, fluid removal, circulatory system, hormones, glands, cholesterol production (that’s right — high cholesterol is a lymph problem!), gut and intestinal function, blood, reproductive organs, and so many others. When a lymphatic system is clogged, we are forced into adapting a toxic environment which only weakens our immunity as well as other important pathways of detoxification (usually in the form of inflammation and circulatory congestion). At the first sign of a health concern, we should first consider our lymphatic system — cellulite included!
Cellulite can be considered a lymph drainage problem because according to Ayurveda, toxins and fluid will accumulate in pockets of fat on certain parts of the body when the lymph system is not working properly. Improving the circulation of the lymph in areas that are prone to cellulite will reduce the cause of cellulite. Reducing toxic exposure is also an essential component on an anti-cellulite program and reduces the cause.
The first step toward clearing your lymphatic system, aside from figuring out your dosha, is to start eating three times a day. Yes, only three meals a day. No snacks, smoothies, or fancy coffee drinks in between meals. This is because when we eat only three meals a day, our bodies go into a fat-burning mode. In this fat burning mode, toxins are eliminated (toxins are stored in our fat tissue). So, by allowing toxins within the body to be burned off during breaks from meals, our lymph system starts to clear and function properly. This three-meal technique also stabilizes blood sugar (contrary to the popular belief in 6 small meals a day); when we eat 6 meals a day, our blood sugar is on a constant roller coaster of up and down, up and down, and we end up feeling more tired, more moody, more emotional, and, get this — more hungry! Challenge yourself to try eating only three meals a day, for one week, and see how energized and clear-minded you feel! Also try sipping hot water or breathing very deeply throughout the day to get your lymph moving.
For more information and resources, see Dr. John Douillard’s writings
**********
Liz Schau is a holistic health counselor who uses natural methods to help people improve their health and empower themselves to live out their unique purpose in this world. After putting her own autoimmune thyroid disease into unmedicated remission via nutritional healing, her specialities have become helping people with food allergies, candida, autoimmune disease, and thyroid conditions find better wellness. You can find her at LizSchau.com.
*This post is part of Monday Mania hosted at The Healthy Home Economist, Real Food Wednesday hosted by Kelly the Kitchen Kop, and Works for Me Wednesday hosted at We Are THAT Family.
Are you battling the blight solo? Cellulite investigating is much more fun (and effective) when you're not going at it alone. Come join the conversation in our discussion forum.
{ 1 trackback }