Cellulite or cellulite?
Cellulite | orange skin. Lumpy structure of the skin and subcutaneous connective tissue.
Cellulitis, on the other hand, is a bacterial infection of the connective tissue and is therefore often treated with antibiotics.
The skin is red, swollen and warm to the touch.
Cellulite is therefore a painful infection while cellulite is painless.
Physically then, but what does it do to you mentally?
What is Cellulite?
First of all, it is good to know that fat is not the main problem.
The collagen under your fat tissue plays a major role.
When your collagen loses its quality, you lose elasticity.
For example, your fat tissue will be less evenly distributed and your skin will have a bumpy structure – like the peel of an orange.
The beauty industry is all too happy to jump on this – purely aesthetic? – problem because about 85% of women have to deal with this.
Why do women mostly have cellulite?
Mainly disturbance of estrogen levels can lead to collagen change and thus cellulite, or orange peel skin popularly called.
That is why women in particular, and to a lesser extent men, suffer from this.
The number of fat cells also plays a role.
The more fat cells, the greater the chance of cellulite. In addition to hormones and fat cells, men
also have a different connective tissue structure with more collagen fibers and fewer large fat cells.
To all men; this time you are the stronger sex?
Causes and solutions for cellulite
stress
Causes increased cortisol production.
This stress hormone causes a change in your collagen.

To do:
- Take a look at whether your daily life contains many stress stimuli
- Look for new routines that can limit these stimuli
Are you immediately ‘on’ from early in the morning, taking care of the children, doing some laundry while the first emails are already coming in?
Rather get up 15 minutes earlier and ensure a quieter morning routine. Your cortisol level is highest in the morning anyway. Don’t dare to make it even higher.
- Do you need help with this? Then don’t wait for the stress to take over your body
Schedule a moment of rest every day, look for fun sports sessions in your area? Are you looking for a (creative) hobby?
Increased inflammatory levels in the body
Increased inflammation values, low-grade inflammation, are caused by an unhealthy diet with, for example, too many simple sugars and too few healthy fats.
To do:
- Take a close look at your diet
Keep a food diary for a week and have it looked at by a Strak Plan dietician – leen@strak-plan.be or jielke@strak-plan.be
- Eat more anti-inflammatory foods
Like healthy omega 3 fats.
Think of seaweed, fish, crustaceans and shellfish because of the anti-inflammatory Omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA.
But also green tea, garlic, ginger, turmeric, basil, oregano, coriander and carrots.

- Get started with eating breaks
At Strak Plan we work with the principle of eating breaks towards slimming and health.
3 main meals a day that provide:
» Optimal fat burning due to fewer insulin peaks
» Prevention against insulin resistance
» Less inflammation in the body
Want to read more about the Tight Plan operation?
Elevated blood sugar levels
Your fat cells are constantly filled and are never used because your body has enough sugar. This will also affect your collagen.

To do:
- Limit simple, fast sugars
- Eat more complex carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats
- Get enough exercise throughout the day
Think of sitting breaks. Break your sitting time every hour and raise your heart rate for 1 to 2 minutes. This seems like a good first step, especially in a society with many sedentary jobs.
When you sit, you put your body in ‘breakdown mode’. You lose muscle mass.
Loss of muscle mass means: loss of energy because it is literally your energy factories – the mitochondria – that you are breaking down.
Hormonal disruptions
Mainly disruption of your estrogen levels can lead to cellulite. That is why women in particular, and to a lesser extent men, suffer from this.
To do:
All the tips and tricks mentioned above will ensure more balance in your body. Hormonal disturbances from other causes are best monitored by your doctor and/or an endocrinologist.
The aging process
With age, the connective tissue becomes weaker, there is less collagen production and therefore the risk of cellulite increases.

To do? Stopping aging could be the answer here, but just let this beautiful process happen.
What you can do? Stop torturing yourself and being anxious about getting older.
Get started today on addressing your mental health and being at peace with your body.
Your body is the only thing you are sure will be yours for the rest of your life, right?
Embrace it!