Many so-called experts often say there is no such thing as cellulite, they say it is simply fat. These experts are usually men who should look at the legs of their wives, girl friends or sisters. That orange peel look on the legs is usually a telltale sign of trapped toxins within the cells. The French word "cellulitis" has been Americanized as cellulite and means trapped toxins within the fat cells. Many American doctors have begun to recognize the existence of cellulite. The word Panoculosis is now used in American medical language to describe cellulite and means trapped fluids within adipose (fat) tissue. Whatever name is used, most will agree that cellulite is trapped toxins within the cells.

These toxins or toxic wastes are stored in the cells for several reasons. Hormonal changes that increase the amount of estrogen in the body are nearly always a cause for cellulite at puberty, at menopause, while taking birth control pills or having Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Stress can also effect the level of estrogen and many women find that cellulite increases during a job change, house moving, divorce, marriage, or even financial worries. Several women have told us that the only time their cellulite has disappeared in the past was when they were pregnant and the body was not producing much estrogen.

        Below are two pictures that show an example of the most common Cellulite deposits as "saddlebags" on an otherwise thin 35 year old woman.

Diet is another cause of trapped toxins due to the type and amounts of food eaten. You may have to make some rather difficult sacrifices in your diet, in the short term, if you wish to get rid of the cellulite. You will have to modify your diet long-term to avoid having it come back. Some sacrifices might be giving up coffee, any soft drinks with caffeine, alcohol drinks, fats and even red meats for a while. You may even have to Detox your body before you can begin to break down and eliminate the cellulite. (see info on internal cleansing programs, Do you need to Detox? ) The liver is the main internal organ for disposing of the body's waste or toxins.  If your liver is stressed from ordinary environmental toxins, drug use (prescription or illegal) or illnesses it may not perform all of its functions at 100%.  You may have to take steps to help detoxify and strengthen the liver.

Another primary cause of cellulite is a sluggish lymphatic system that is not able to properly flush toxic wastes from the cells. Your lymphatic system is one of the body’s main toxin cleansing systems and protects your body by processing waste material discarded by the cells. When you have a sluggish lymphatic system you also have a weakened immune system, as they function as one and the same. Your system can become sluggish because your other internal organs are toxin filled and there is no place for these toxins to be processed. As a result, this toxic waste becomes stationary and is parked on your hips and legs by the body for safe keeping. Your liver, kidneys and even your lungs can require Detoxification before your system can overcome this sluggishness.

     A posture problem, particularly a forward tilted pelvis, or Lordosis, can be a cause for a sluggish lymphatic system. The         forward tilt of the pelvis causes congestion in the pelvis whereby the lymphatic system does not move wastes from the lower part of the body and the classic cellulite "saddlebags" result.  The congestion in the lymphatic system is caused by your internal organs being moved slightly forward due to the pelvis position and pressing against the lymph vessels that pass through the pelvic area.  The causes lots of congested lymph in the pelvis and the body stores it on the legs.  Additionally, the slight downturn of the pelvis throws the body posture into an unnatural position which makes it appear that you have a protruding stomach and wider hips.  

You can usually improve this condition somewhat with a series of exercises designed to stretch your muscles so that the pelvis returns to a more normal position. 

Lordosis is more fully described in our book, Now, to solve those Cellulite problems which includes some suggested exercises and bodywork routines to help improve posture.