I’m so excited to share something with you that is – no joke – blowing my mind…
I AM OBSESSED with this topic and in full on immersion mode.
Seriously…
I’m reading text books, using anatomy apps, listening to interviews, You Tube, and physically trying various techniques shared by all of the experts in this burgeoning field.
What has gotten me all hot and bothered, you ask?
FASCIA It’s literally FASCIA-nating me. 🙂
I’ve heard about fascia (just BARELY) in anatomy classes at school and in my yoga teacher training. And I’ve actually been receiving Myo-Fascial Release in Physical Therapy for about 10 years, but I never connected the dots to cellulite, movement and emotional patterns to this connective tissue system that is the “fascial net” until just recently.
I am forever changed.
First off, my initial connection to Fascia (pun intended) was pure vanity. I saw a Facebook Ad with this video from a smart and beautiful woman named Ashley Black, confidently insisting that cellulite doesn’t exist.
“Ya right, tell my long board shorts that I’ve had to wear every summer since 8th grade that cellulite doesn’t exist. BS on that!” I told myself.
But then I dug deeper into the science and results people were sharing and there was a powerful resonance. It just made complete sense to me. My skepticism started to fade.
And let me tell you I was a real skeptic having spent decades and tons of money on cellulite creams and cures that did nothing but drain my pocketbook and make me feel more hopeless.
Not only have I learned that fascial distortions or adhesions (kinda like bunching or tangles) are what cause the appearance of the lumps and bumps we call cellulite, but that these fascial distortions play a huge role in pain, migraines, fibromyalgia, TMJ, vascular disease and mobility issues – maybe even cancer.
There’s even a connection between emotional patterns, depression, anxiety, trauma and the fascial system.
As someone who has chronic jaw clenching and hip and shoulder mobility issues, this really interested me way beyond vanity. This could be a key area in my athletic performance and healing – not only for myself, but for my family, friends and clients too!
So what is fascia? I’ll share the Fascia 101 video from Tom Myers who wrote the text book, Anatomy Trains (that happens to be my nightstand read at the moment):
“Fascia is the 3-D spider web of fibrous, gluey, and wet proteins that hold our 70 trillion cells together in their proper placement… Fascia is everywhere – top to toe, birth to death, micro to macro.” ~ Tom Myers
It’s basically the sticky stuff that’s pushed aside to get to the muscle or organ of interest. But in reality, the fascia network is a complete system of not only collagen fibers – but of information, pulses and reactions based on our nervous system and many other inputs.
In other words, if we’re stressed out or in chronic “fight or flight” (sympathetic nervous system dominance), chances are we have what Ashley calls “crappy” fascia that manifests as either cellulite, pain or other symptoms.
So since I’m (by far) NOT a fascia expert, but I am a clinical nutritionist, I want to offer 5 expert nutrition insights that can minimize fascial stress (inflammation and congestion) in the body so that you can use fascia movement techniques in conjunction with good nutrition and lifestyle practices to live and look healthier and with more vitality:
1. HYDRATION – This is absolutely the most important aspect to healthy fascia. Fascia has to move and glide and if it’s dried out, it won’t. You have to not only drink water, but you have to eat in a way that supports tissue hydration. This includes eating lots of colorful, fresh, real whole foods – a variety of mineral rich, non-starchy vegetables (mainly) with lesser amounts of (preferably) low glycemic fruit (berries, lemons, limes).
2. AVOID EXCESSIVE CARBOHYDRATES – My post a few weeks ago explained that Carbs – Fiber = Sugar in the body. It doesn’t matter if it’s a donut, a potato, pasta or a peach. Excesscarbohydrate not only gets stored as fat, but it also dehydrates tissues, causing glycation (like a hardening – think of a candy apple). Every individual has their own unique carbohydrate tolerance based on genetics and other functional and metabolic factors, but I advise most of my low to moderately active clients to keep net carbs under 100 grams per day. Some need less, some need more, but this is a good starting point.
3. DON’T EAT CHARRED FOODS – This creates Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) that literally age you and are linked to cancer. Remember that glycation = tissue hardening = bad for fascia too. We need our fascia to be fluid.
4. EAT AN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIET – In addition to the above, eating “clean” (preferably organic and local/fresh) vegetables and fruits, healthy fats, HERBS AND SPICES!, and smaller amounts of nuts, seeds, grains, legumes, wild fish, pastured meats and eggs (depending on food beliefs, bodily constitution, metabolism and physical demands) is the best way to give your body the nutrients and building blocks to support healthy tissue and organ function. Eat the rainbow (a variety of vegetables and fruits) to provide a spectrum of phytonutrients and antioxidants that fight inflammation and tissue oxidation.
5. SUPPLEMENTS – As much as I’d love to believe that eating this way is all we need to thrive, it’s just not the case. Our soils – even in organic foods – are sadly imbalanced and depleted of nutrients. Aside from a good multi and B Complex, here are my recommended Fascia Support Supplements:
High quality fish oil is highly recommended because it reduces inflammatory markers and promotes fatty acid balance. Most of us don’t eat enough fish to get the essential Omega 3s we need. This is well studied. I use this liquid daily (between 1-3 grams) in my Collagen smoothies (I swear you can’t taste it!).
I make my smoothies with a grass fed hydrolyzed beef protein which contains both collagen and complete proteins (Can’t taste it! actually it’s very delicious, like a chocolate milkshake). Amino Acids, including Collagen, are the building blocks for all of our tissues – including fascia. As we age, we need more.
Because I Crossfit and have autoimmune issues, I take Inflammatone every day. It’s a blend of enzymes, curcumin, resveratrol, quercetin, and rosemary, etc.. that reduce inflammation and associated pain. It’s a miracle formula in my opinion! I haven’t taken NSAIDS in over 10 years.
I do a protein based detox with PaleoCleanse every season. This helps to release liver sluggishness and open up space for more toxin release and processing with fascia work. Because moving fascia stirs up stored toxins in both fat and connective tissues, a healthy liver is important.
And finally, taking 300 mg of chelated magnesium before bed helps to relax muscles and tissues as they go through the repair process while sleeping.
Now remember, I pretty much eat this way, move every day – strength train, walking/hiking, yoga/stretching – and I get 7-8 hours of sleep most nights and I still have cellulite.
What’s changing for me is I’m moving my fascia everyday. Physically breaking up the fascial distortions with weekly integrative myo-fascial release physical therapy, therapeutic massage (Bonnie’s AMAZING if you’re local to CT), heat and this device.
(It’s too early for me to fully endorse the Fascia Blaster device for my cellulite, but I can tell you, it feels really good when I use it – although there is a painless bruising effect that’s completely normal as blood circulation improves. PLUS my physical therapist commented that I’m holding less fluid in my abdomen and pelvic area AND my husband and kids are asking me to use it on their aches and pains too.)
Regardless of whether or not I can finally ditch the board shorts someday, I’m liking how moving my fascia makes me feel so far… so for me, it’s looking like a winner.
Learn more for yourself, check out Ashley Black’s You Tube channel and other social media outlets for TONS of great and free information. She tells it like it is and I love her for it.
SOOO tell me what you think. Do you have a cellulite or chronic pain story? What questions do you have about fascia and nutrition? Please reply or share and don’t forget to give us a like, comment or share on the Nourished Path FB page. As always, thanks so much for being here <3.
