Dear Dr. Cutler,

I am so frustrated because my thighs look like curdled milk—that unhappy condition known as cellulite. Even extreme weight loss has not helped me get rid of this problem. Could you please tell me what causes the problem and by what means—if any—I can safely get my legs looking smoother again?

—Melody W.

Dear Melody,

You are so right—losing weight or staying skinny will not help you reverse your cellulite problem. Cellulite is a skin condition in which fat deposits—usually filled with toxins and water—get trapped in your connective tissue that lies just below the skin. Although cellulite is normally located on your thighs and buttocks, you can also be plagued by it on your hips, abdomen and upper arms.

You can be genetically predisposed toward this condition, but the main cause of the problem is poor circulation resulting mainly from excessive sitting, lack of exercise or clogged arteries. Cellulite can also form because of…

• Refined and processed foods
• Excess stress
• Excess body weight
• Hormonal problems
• Some types of medication
• Deprivation dieting followed by weight gain
• Chronic constipation
• Cigarette smoking

Because of these factors, waste materials and toxins can become trapped in the fat cells of your connective tissue where they gradually harden to form cellulite. But there’s good news because the cellulite battle can be fought with natural methods. And the best method is through body detoxification and a wholesome nutrient-rich diet.

Your diet should include plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as an abundance of fresh juices. Your food choices should be filled with fiber, low in calories and loaded with nutrition. Also, you should be sure to drink eight glasses of pure water each day and substitute Celtic Sea Salt^® instead of refined salt.

Other tips to fight cellulite include getting a gentle massage… breathing deeply in your diaphragm… staying calm and relaxing often… practicing yoga… or going to an aesthetician for a vacuum massage that manipulates the fat layer beneath your skin, as well as…

• Using a soft-bristled brush to gently dry-brush your cellulite nine times, beginning at your legs and moving upwards toward your heart. This helps get your circulation moving to flush away the trapped toxins.
• Adding cypress or juniper to your bathwater to reduce your cellulite from the inside out. These aromatherapy oils are absorbed directly through your nose and through your skin.
• Trying an “internal cleansing wrap”—a topical body wrap that uses herbal formulations to encourage better blood blow and lymphatic flow inside your body. You can do an internal cleansing wrap at a spa or at home once a week for three to six weeks.

All the best!
Michael Cutler, M.D.