Natural Cellulite Treatments - Part 2

Welcome Everyone! Spring is finally "springing to life" up here in Maine. Last night I heard the first "peepers" peeping from the boggy area at the lower end of my back yard - a sure sign that warm weather is one the way! I planted 2 dwarf "Honeycrisp" apple trees and 2 semi-dwarf plum trees in my garden over the weekend. They are supposed to give me fruit within 2 years . . . cross your fingers! Today I will discuss Part 2 in the "Anticelllulite Series". I hope you are re-vamping your diet, exercising more, and drinking lots of water these days - in order to feel better and firm up for summer! Preventing Cellulite Development If you're one of the few people who isn't afflicted with cellulite, you're either very young or very fortunate. Even female athletes who work out more than 2 hours a day can still have a minor amount of cellulite on their thighs and buttocks. Here's an eye-opener: Many years ago, I knew of two women who cross-trained (yoga, running, walking, weight-lifting, and Pilates) for more than 10 hours per week, but still had very flabby, big, cellulite-ridden legs - inspite of all that exercise and lots of water consumption . . . but . . . and this is the BIG BUT . . . they drank more than their fair share of alcohol every week - party girls! I'd say they consumed at least several "hard drinks" and many, many big glasses of wine. All that alcohol (and sugar) causes the body to retain water . . . read "bloating". Keep that in mind ladies . . . wine may be good for you, but there are other ways to increase your antioxidant intake instead of drinking! Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, raisins, cherries, and prunes come to mind. Back to my train of thought . . . However, there are several lifestyle "adjustments" you can make - if they're not already a part of your routine - that will not only keep you healthier in general but will also help prevent the formation of, or further development of, cellulite. 1. Get up, move, and sweat. Daily, vigorous aerobic exercise is paramount, so fight your sedentary tendencies. Try jogging, walking, dancing, bicycling, "hot" yoga or "power" yoga, Pilates, or gardening to stimulate circulation throughout your body, especially from the waist down (the area most commonly affected by cellulite). Sweating is key . . . as toxins leave your body via your sweat glands. 2. Begin a regular weight-lifting routine to keep your underlying muscles toned and tight. 3. Drink, drink, drink - water and decaffeinated and unsweetened herb, green, and black tea, that is. An ample intake of liquids will keep toxins flowing right out of your body instead of lodged in your cells. 4. Eat a proper, balanced, whole food, unrefined diet with minimal fat. Keep preservatives, artificial colors and flavorings to an absolute minimum. They "don't do a body good". 5. Avoid salty foods like the plague! Salt (just like alcohol) causes your body to retain water, which can exacerbate the appearance of cellulite. 6. Stop smoking. I can't believe that anyone would still smoke these days! What a nasty, harmful habit to you and everyone around you. Smoking impairs circulation and adds poisonous toxins to your bloodstream - that lodge in your fat cells. 7. Keep alcohol and caffeine consumption to a minimum - as I said before. They contribute more toxins for your poor liver to deal with, and they sap your body of valuable nutrients essential for skin health. 8. Stay within your normal, healthy weight range. Cellulite is more pronounced if you are overweight. 9. Eat a low-to-moderate carbohydrate diet. This is my belief . . . carbs, especially those on the medium-to-high end of the glycemic index (look up "Glycemic Index"online for more information) tend to ask your body to retain more fluid than if your diet consisted of more protein - especially clean, trim protein. Read a few of Tosca Reno's books on "Eating Clean". She's a 50+ body builder, mother, author, and avid exerciser and looks fabulous. I mean fabulous! Good inspiration! Next blog, I'll continue with Part 3 - "Treatments For Cellulite". Until then, eat right, exercise daily, drink your daily quota of water & tea, breathe deeply, and enjoy spring! All the best. NOTE: The above article was written by Stephanie Tourles and adapted from one of her many books, "Naturally Healthy Skin", copyright 1999, Storey Publishing. The information is true and complete to the best of her knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of Ms. Tourles. She disclaims any liability in connection with the use of this information. It is for educational purposes only.

Natural Cellulite Treatments - Part 1

Howdy All . . . As promised in the last blog, I will begin a new series discussing natural ways to rid the body of cellulite. Despite it being a bone-numbing 25 degrees here at home in coastal Maine today - colder when you add in the terrible windchill - it is time for me, and for the rest of you in warmer climates, to address that lumpy, bumpy, unsightly cellulite that has developed over the winter on your thighs, and other areas - before it becomes swimsuit and shorts season - and you get caught, exposed and jiggly, as if you've smeared marmalade on your parts!! No one wants to see that! What exactly is cellulite? Cellulite is the dimpled, lumpy skin that most often appears on the thighs, hips, buttocks, and stomach. Reminds some of an orange-peel or cottage cheese appearance. Enticing, eh? Cellulite is not a type of fat, but rather a result of the relationship between skin and the fat layer beneath it. It affects women more than men because women tend to have more subcutaneous fat and slightly thinner skin . . . isn't that sad? Life's never fair, is it? Anyway . . . Causes: If you were to ask 10 different skin care and body care experts, ranging from dermatologists to estheticians to massage therapists, to state the causes of cellulite, you'd get 10 differenet answers. Here are some of the answers I received upon interview: 1. There's no such thing as cellulite. It's just plain old fat. The cause is simply a lack of exercise and overeating. 2. It's a result of stagnant circulation in various areas between the torso and the knees. 3. Cellullite is a type of fat that traps extra water beneath the skin's surface, causing a puckered appearance. 4. Cellulite is caused by toxins in the diet, such as artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and aditives, which the body stores in fat cells - as it doesn't recognize these ingredients as real food. It doesn't know what to do with them nor how to process them. 5. The appearance of cellulite is more apparent when the underlying muscle is untoned and flabby. In an athletic body, the visible dimpling of the fat layer, if evident at all, is minimal. 6. Cellulite is one of the side-effects of a constipated colon and insufficient water intake, resulting in an overaccumulation of toxins. When toxins are not being released through the proper channels - the skin, kidneys, liver, and colon - they are stored in the fat tissue, isolated from the body and out of harm's way. 7. Cellulite is a combination of fat, water, and wastes trapped beneath the skin in pockets within the connnective fiber bands that hold the skin in place. As the amount of these materials increases, the pockets bulge, causing the familiar cottage-cheese effect. All of these "causes" of cellulite ring true to a certain degree. Cellulite does consist of fatty tissue, water, and toxins, and the degree to which it affects you depends on the types of food you consume as well as the amount and type of exercise you get - and genetics - sorry to say. Although it can be difficult to eradicate completely, there are ways to at least minimize its appearance. In the next blog, I discuss natural ways to help prevent cellulite's development and aid in the elimination of this unsightly problem, if you've got it already. Stay tuned! Also, if you have any tips that have been successful for you, then by all means, send them to me and I'll post them in a future blog!! Be well . . . NOTE: This article was written by Stephanie Tourles, lic. esthetician. The content was adapted from material in one of her many books, "Naturally Healthy Skin", Storey Publishing, 1999. The information is true and complete to the best of her knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of Ms. Tourles. She disclaims any liability in connection with the use of this information. It is for educational purposes only.