Every year when summer arrives, you like any other woman would love to don a swimsuit and hit the beach. But then you happen to take a look at your skin into the mirror and drop the idea. Just because you have cellulite, doesn’t mean it should stop you from living your life to the fullest. There are simple and effective ways to get rid of cellulite. However, cellulite cannot be eliminated by a one hundred percent, while its presence can be made to look less evident.
For those who don’t know, cellulite is the subcutaneous fat that lies right below the skin. It happens to push against the connective tissues and causes the skin above it to dimple, making it appear bumpy and uneven. It is also known as ‘Orange Peel Syndrome’. Cellulite affects the skin of the thighs, butt and arms. It is a myth that only obese women get cellulite. Skinny women have equal odds of getting it. Studies suggest that 9 out of every 10 women have cellulite, of course of varying degrees. Cellulite can also be seen in men.
Now that you know what exactly cellulite is, let’s take a look at these sensible tips to get rid of this dimply monster!
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Stay Hydrated
Drinking a lot of water is the best way to begin your battle against cellulite. Water keeps the skin moisturized from within, making it look fresh and rejuvenated, reducing the appearance of cellulite. Actually, water accelerates the synthesis of collagen that makes the skin firmer. Drinking 8-10 glasses of water daily should do the trick.
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Say No to Junk Food!
Pizzas, burgers and fries are loaded with cheese and grease. These foods make you fat and your cellulite worse. So anytime you are offered a pack of chips or a serving of fries, simply nod your head sideways! No matter how badly the burger pleads to you to eat it, resist the urge. Your fat intake goes down automatically and your skin appears better.
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Gorge on the Goodies
By goodies, we mean the veggies and fruits. These are nature’s goodies in true sense. Every time you feel an urge to snack, nibble on a carrot or a handful of strawberries instead. Eat spinach, broccoli, kiwis and almonds to improve your skin tone. If you are too lazy to ruminate on greens just like I am, blend it to a smoothie with some fruits to make it yummy. You can make your own miracle smoothie. Just whirl some spinach, honey, strawberries, Greek yogurt and some ice for a glassful of goodness. Follow a healthy eating habit to say goodbye to your cellulite.
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Say Yes to Healthy Fat
Fat is undeniably an important component of our diet. But it is necessary to make sure you leave the saturated fats onto the plate. Saturated or unhealthy fat makes your cellulite worse. Eat foods rich in healthy fats such as the Omega-3 fatty acids. It is good for the skin and diminishes the prominence of cellulite. Salmon, sardines, tofu, walnuts, soybeans, olives and avocados are not only delicious but also healthy.
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Boost up Your Protein Intake
Protein is a vital component of the repair mechanism of the body. It helps maintain healthy muscle mass and connective tissues. The protein from foods such as fish and chicken promotes regeneration and repair of the damaged connective tissues and collagen, helping restore the firmness of the skin.
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Eat Foods Rich in Fibre
Cellulite is also caused due to the toxins in our body. Foods rich in fibre content tend to cleanse our body of the toxins and eliminate the same through the digestive system. Fibre is necessary to keep your tummy and gut happy. So every time you sit to have your meal, make sure there is something on the plate like kale, mushrooms, chickpeas, eggplant or sweet potatoes. Apples, oranges, pears, berries and dry fruits are great sources of fibre. Well, for breakfast, cereal is always at your service Ma’am!
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Coffee Scrubs
Coffee contains caffeine and antioxidants, which are known to reduce cellulite. There are coffee scrubs of various brands available in the market. However, you can also make your own scrub at home. Take a big bowl and throw in half cup of fresh ground coffee, a quarter cup of olive oil and sugar each and give it a nice mix. Dip your fingers in the scrub and gently rub it onto the affected areas in circular twirls for 5 minutes. Wash off with lukewarm water. All of this might sound a little messy, but trust me when I say it works. The scrub exfoliates and tones the skin, enhances blood circulation and smells amazingly gorgeous. This would improve the way your skin looks. You can use it on arms, thighs, abs or virtually any part of the body with cellulite.
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No Hot Water Please!
Bathing with hot water robs the skin of its moisture and makes it wrinkled over time, which increases the prominence of cellulite. Make it a point to bathe with lukewarm water in winters to contain your cellulite problem. And in summers, who needs to heat the bath water anyway?
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I like to Move it Move it!
Working out is the simplest and the hardest way to a toned body. Simplest because it is just so obvious that working out tones your muscles and make your body look wow! And hardest because you need to sweat it out and put up with pain. Hit the gym if need be. Every time you feel lazy, just take a look at the swimsuit that is waiting for you in your closet like a kid lost in the supermarket waiting for his mother to find him. Then look back at yourself into the mirror. I am sure this would be enough to motivate you to exercise.
Warm up nicely before you engage in high-impact exercises. Working out on an elliptical machine and engaging training tones your muscles and thus your skin. Weight training in a fantastic way to get rid of cellulite in arms, thighs, butt and lower abdomen. It works on every part of your body having dimpled skin.
You can also try cycling, swimming, yoga or jogging. Fat is the number one cause of cellulite. You see exercising helps you lose weight, which is why it works so great when it comes to reducing cellulite. Aerobics is just so fun, because of the music. Indulge yourself in aerobic exercise at least 4 times a week for 30-60 minutes.
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Liposuction is a Big No No!
Liposuction is a surgical procedure for the removal of excessive body fat with the help of big needles and tubes. Scary, eh? However, it is not a suitable procedure to get rid of cellulite. Like I said before, cellulite is a fat that lies directly under the skin. But liposuction is used to remove fat that is deposited deep within. With liposuction your skin would look worse than how you had started with. The cushion of fat is removed and skin becomes loose and wrinkled and ultimately, cellulite gets worse.
So, just stay away from liposuction and the crazy people who recommend it for cellulite reduction.
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A Couple of Specific Exercises For Cellulite Reduction
Number One – The Pony Kick
Lie down on your back on a yoga mat. Keep your arms and legs straight on the ground, yet in a relaxed position. Lift up your right leg to an angle of 45 degrees in such a way that the knee is bent and the heel faces the ceiling, or sky for that matter if you exercise in the open air. Hold it for 4-5 seconds while keeping your back straight. Put your leg back down slowly. Do the same with the other leg. Repeat the exercise 3-4 times with each leg.
This exercise creates a favourable tension in the muscles of the legs, butt and abs, which is necessary to tone them.
Number Two – The Invisible Chair
As the name suggests, in this exercise you put your body in a position that it looks like you are sitting on a chair. An imaginary one though. Stand straight with your feet apart from each other at a distance of 1 foot. Hold your arms in front of you so that they are perpendicular to your chest. Now bend down slowly as you do while you take a seat. Your thighs should be as parallel to the floor as possible. Stay in that position for a few seconds or as long as you can endure. Then slowly stand straight again. Repeat the exercise 5 times. This is a great way to get rid of cellulite on your thighs and butt. This exercise is a little tough, but you should be fine if you practice daily. If you have lower back issues, don’t engage in this exercise.
After all, it’s not that hard to get rid of cellulite, is it? I hope you found these tips useful and would stick to your favourite ones. You can just go out wearing your favourite outfits without having to worry about cellulite. Such bliss it would be!