Diet and Cellulite

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In terms of what you eat and exactly what sorts of things are put into your body, many of these can be highly influential in the appearance and severity of any cases of cellulite. There are a variety of numerous different types of dietary supplements for sale on today’s market that claim to have benefits for your general health and wellbeing. Some such benefits may lead to a reduction in cellulite. In addition to simply using supplements, the effect of the food you eat shouldn’t be overlooked in itself. Incorporating certain types of food into your normal everyday lifestyle while at the same time cutting out others that are detrimental may also have a drastic and visible effect on any cellulite problems that you may be experiencing.

Which food supplements help reduce cellulite?

Food supplement products generally belong to one of three categories - Antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Each individual supplement even if part of the same general category will have its own functional differences within the body. A combination of supplements rather than just taking one is the most common approach for people that embark on this method of help.

Antioxidants are simply substances that when present in the body, help to rid the body of dangerous molecules known as free radicals. If these free radicals remain in the body, detrimental effects can occur not just related to cellulite but in relation to general health. By ridding the body of free radicals, cell health is optimised meaning you gain an all round benefit and reduce risk of certain cancers in addition to heart disease.

Green tea is a very well known antioxidant. In terms of cellulite reduction, green tea is especially important as it is believed to possess the quality of speeding up the body’s metabolism, causing those extra naughty calories to be burnt much quicker. Ginko Biloba is another antioxidant to take note of. It is claimed that this supplement also has highly positive effects on metabolism. Circulation is also improved therefore aiding the breakdown of deep skin fat. There are many other examples of supplements including evening primrose oil, fish oil, sweet clover, soy lecinthin, seaweed extract and grape seed bioflavinoids just to name a few. Just because one supplement works for one person does not mean it will be as effective for you but as there are many different ones available, there is something for everyone.

Vitamins and minerals are commonly found in many of the foods you eat on a daily basis, especially in fresh fruit and vegetables. However if you have more of a sweet tooth and less of an interest in your greens, tablet versions are available of many of the essential nutrients that otherwise you may not get enough of.

In terms of skin health, there are not many vitamins that are more important than vitamin C is. If you love eating your oranges and other citrus fruits, chances are you will already get satisfactory levels of vitamin C in your diet naturally. If this doesn’t sound like you, you may want to consider investing in some vitamin C tablets. Vitamin C naturally strengthens your skin leaving cellulite appearing much less obvious. Instead your skin is made to appear invigorated and refreshed. Magnesium is another important vitamin for weight management as is calcium as they help you keep that fat down to a minimum.

If you plan to take health supplements to reduce your cellulite, they should be taken in moderation and alongside a healthy, balanced diet. They are readily available in most health food shops and have a low cost in comparison to both surgical and non surgical treatments. It is very important that if you are going to try this method of cellulite reduction, ensure that any drugs that you may be taking on prescription will not negatively interact with the supplements. This kind of information should be on the packaging or in an information leaflet provided with the tablets, although if you are still unsure your GP will be able to assist you with what is safe and what is not. While this can be effective for some people, it has been difficult to evaluate scientifically the full effectiveness of this type of treatment so therefore it isn’t yet certain who this form of treatment will and won’t work for.  

Is there a special diet for cellulite?

As well as food supplements, looking at exactly what you eat and when you eat it may help in reducing cellulite or your chances of getting more cellulite in the future. The added bonus to this is that as well as reducing your cellulite you will also be losing weight at the same time, so making your whole body look better, not just the area with cellulite.

It is very important to keep a close eye on the fat content of your diet. Essentially the more body fat you have in total, the more that will be present in places like your skin making cellulite so much worse if it was to happen.  Sticking to a low calorie diet is crucial to reducing body fat as well as shifting those few extra pounds. A diet of around 1400 kcal per day in combination with regular aerobic exercise should allow you to lose up to 2 lbs of fat per week (depending on your starting body weight).

Eating food from specific target food groups can help deal with contributing factors that worsen the appearance of cellulite. Eating plenty of healthy fats, such as those found in nuts, olives, seeds and oily fish will help to hydrate as well as improve the general condition of your skin. By eating these foods, fluid is encouraged to remain in the cells instead of escaping and causing fluid retention which worsens the appearance of cellulite.  Reducing the salt content of your diet will also help in controlling this water retention, as will drinking more water in general. Some foods, such as celery, fennel, cranberries and asparagus, act as diuretics therefore allowing the body to maintain a healthy water balance and prevent retention. 

Oestrogen is a hormone associated with females that is highly influential in the development of cellulite. Certain foods can be eaten that seek to target levels of this hormone to maintain a good hormonal balance. Flaxseed is one such example of this type of food. Flaxseed contains lignans that act when the body has excess oestrogen to reduce the levels. Having lower oestrogen levels discourages fat cell number increases as well as fluid retention. Flaxseed is available at many health food stores and can be easily incorporated into your diet by simple sprinkling a little bit on your morning porridge or cereal.

Before making any drastic changes to your diet, it is imperative that you seek professional advice from your GP who will ensure that your health will not be negatively affected by embarking on a diet plan.  In addition, if you begin to notice any unpleasant side effects happening whilst on the diet you must see your GP immediately and not just wait for them to go away as it could be the case that the diet is unsuitable for you.

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