Cutting the cellulite

 Not all dimples are cute - especially not the ones you get on your buttocks and thighs. Deanne Panday shares different ways to fight cellulite, the dreaded fat that all women love to hate .

“The Miracle Cure for Cellulite!” That got your attention, didn’t it? Described by so many names – dimpled derrieres, orange peel syndrome, cottage cheese thighs –        cellulite is the dreaded fat which all women love to hate. It has given rise to a million-dollar cosmetic industry promising you quick-fix solutions.

Your body is exposed to a variety of toxins – processed foods,         refined salts, pesticides and preservatives - the list is endless. Such foods are loaded with grease, chemicals, and preservatives which our body finds very difficult to break down. All these ‘poisons’ make our fat-producing hormones go out of whack! Smoking and consumption of alcohol add to the build-up of toxic wastes inside your body. The dimples and pockets of your   cellulite store these toxins in your fat.     Other causes of cellulite are poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, fluid retention, and bad blood   circulation.

With age, the strands of connective tissue that connect the fat tissue to the skin get thicker while our skin gets thinner. Also, as one gets older, muscles get replaced with fat. It affects women more than men because the layers of skin and fat are structured differently in men. In women, the subcutaneous fat layer has large upright chambers while in men, there are smaller slanting chambers. It’s not a disease or an illness - it’s just an additional layer of fat, most commonly found in the form of bumps or ugly dimples on the buttocks and thighs. It is caused due to poor elasticity of the skin. When fat cells become too big for the natural fibre     chambers of the skin, they form a bulge and uneven layers of fat underneath.

As upsetting as this may sound to the samosa and French fries lovers, junk food is one of the worst offenders. The other red flag to look out for when you suffer from cellulite is weak glutes. If you have a desk job, or a lower back or hip pain, you are most probably suffering from weak glutes. Poor posture, long periods of sitting and wrong exercise routines can cause weak glutes and the result is an unappealing, saggy butt with a lot of cellulite!

The miracle cure is simple: clean eating, weight training with compound moves, and high-intensity cardio with interval training. There is no other cure –  no massage, no cream, no oil, no hope in a jar. If there was one, believe me, I would have sold it to all my clients! But remember, cardio alone will not decrease the dimples. Flaccid muscle can increase the appearance of cellulite, so strength training is highly recommended. You should work the muscles in the areas where the dimpling is occurring two to three times a week. Do lunges in all directions and squats for the thighs and glutes.

Strength training will help you regain lost muscle, thus preventing cellulite. All these expensive products and treatments that lure you in are just marketing gimmicks. You need to train and be fit internally. The more muscle you gain, the lesser the chances of cellulite striking on your body.

Some other methods of reducing      cellulite formation in the body are:

n Detoxify and cleanse your system by eating healthy, nutritious, fibrous food, adding greens and various coloured fruits and vegetables.

n Boost your metabolism with high-intensity interval training.

n Lift weights. You must do a resistance training programme because you need to build muscle mass and tone. If the muscle is weak and flaccid, the subcutaneous fat will rest on top of the muscle and give the lumpy look that we all detest!

n Stimulate the lymphatic system (the lymph sits just underneath the surface of your skin) through dry bristle skin brushing and massage. This helps toxins to circulate into the elimination channels for release. Swap your refined salt (table salt) for celtic sea salt or Himalayan crystal salt.

n Drink enough pure, clean water and get organic hydration from fresh fruits and vegetables to flush out the toxins. Water is essential for life and it is also essential for reducing and preventing further          cellulite.

n It has been seen that hormones play a major role in cellulite formation (that is probably why women typically get it and men don’t). So working towards proper hormone balance can help reduce               cellulite.

n Flaxseed supports estrogen levels and boosts collagen growth. Collagen is the main component of connective tissue; by strengthening the skin, it helps reduce the appearance of cellulite. Sprinkle two           tablespoons on oatmeal cereal and yogurt every day, or you can eat the seeds alone to prevent the formation of cellulite.

n Avoid crash dieting; it can make cellulite worse. When you lose weight quickly, you lose muscle tissue - the stuff that makes your legs and butt look toned and smooth.
It’s time to stop        feeling ashamed of the cellulite on your body and start doing something about it. Don’t think that you’re alone in your struggle against cellulite,        because almost 90 percent of women face this problem at one time or another in their lives.


(Excerpt from Shut Up and Train - A Complete Fitness Guide For Men and Women by Deanne Panday, a fitness expert; published by Random House)