Ah, cellulite, the bane of many a life. Whether you’re male or female, you’ve probably complained about cellulite at least once in your life; if not, you’re very lucky indeed!
The fact of the matter is that anyone can develop cellulite, and it’s not even about your weight. Commonly found on the backs of the thighs, cellulite is not dangerous, but it is very damaging to your self-esteem, if you allow it to become a fixation and an issue in your life.
Before we really get into what you can eat to hep you banished cellulite and wave goodbye to it for life, we really need to know what on earth cellulite is!
We mentioned that cellulite isn’t harmful to your health, but it is actually about fat deposits which are sitting below the deeper levels of your skin. These fat cells want to burst free, so they push up against the connective tissues, and this causes a bulging and rippling effect on the actual surface. This is where you get that orange peel, or ‘cottage cheese’ effect that is often linked with cellulite appearance.
Unsightly? It depends on your take on it, but if it is affecting your self-esteem, its time to do something about it.
Let’s check out the five best foods for banishing cellulite for good. By incorporating these into your diet, even in small amounts, you will notice a difference in your cellulite appearance. If you can also work in some of the natural methods to help reduce the appearance, e.g. exfoliation, then you will see an even bigger improvement coming your way.
Salmon
Delicious and super-healthy, salmon is a fantastic food to chow down on for many reasons, as well as for waving goodbye to cellulite. The fish is packed with antioxidants which work to break down fat cells.
By our explanation of what cellulite is, you should be able to work out that less fat cells means less cellulite! In addition, salmon contains omega 3 fatty acids which reduce inflammation and also reduce your appetite, so it’s great for those who want to lose weight. You’ll also get the benefit of stronger skin tissues and fibers in the skin, so its harder to cellulite to form.
If you want more reasons why salmon is fantastic for banishing cellulite, it is also great for reducing the build of nasty toxins in your blood vessels, so overall flow is increased, and waste is carried away, rather than building up and causing the bulging responsible for cellulite.
Sunflower Seeds
Throw these onto your porridge in the morning and whatever else you can, because sunflower seeds are wonderful for banishing cellulite! High in vitamin E, potassium, vitamin B6, and zinc, sunflower seeds help to strengthen your connective tissue by metabolising the proteins in the fibers. This means that the bulging of connective tissues under the skin is much reduced.
Sunflower seeds are also diuretics, which means that you’re not going to hold excess water inside your system, reducing bloating, but also reducing the visibility of cellulite. Excess water makes cellulite look more prominent, so reducing this, also reduces how much cellulite you can actually see!
Cayenne Peppers
If you love your food spicy, you’re in luck! These spicy fiends are packed with vitamin B6, which are fantastic for replenishing connective tissue and strengthening it overall. You’re much less likely to get that dimpling effect of cellulite as a result.
Eating spicy foods overall, but especially cayenne peppers, can boost your metabolism for a long time after you’ve eaten it, for up to three hours in fact, and this helps you continue to burn calories.
Those who are looking to lose weight should make sure that cayenne pepper is included in their diet, as well as helping to increase blood flow, flush out toxins, and reduce the number of pesky fat deposits that cause cellulite in the first place.
Blackberries
Delicious and fantastic for your health, blackberries should be on your menu. You can actually get the same benefit from any type of dark coloured berry, but blackberries are a great choice overall.
You can expect collagen formation to be increased, which helps to restore and preserve elasticity, and boosts the growth of new tissue. The tone of your skin will also be beneficially affected.
Blackberries are packed with antioxidants, which we know are great for your overall health, but they also help to break down fat cells, which are responsible for cellulite formation and appearance. Incorporating these into your diet is probably easier than any of the other foods we have mentioned so far, and they’re also probably the yummiest of them too!
Green Tea
Finally, we have that well known drink that every dieter and health fanatic loves – green tea. There’s a very good reason why green tea is so famous; it’s very beneficial to overall health and well-being.
The active ingredient in green tea is called EGCG, epigallocatechin gallate. This is responsible for a faster metabolism, which helps with weight loss, but also helps to avoid fat cells from expanding under the surface of the skin and causing the cellulite to form.
Make sure you drink this daily and you’ll get all the wonderful benefits. Of course, green tea is also a diuretic, which will help to reduce any bloating, and again, reduce the appearance of any cellulite as a result.
So there you have it, the five best foods for banishing cellulite. None of these are particularly ‘out there’ and are all very easy to incorporate into your diet. You don’t have to eat them every single day, but ensuring that you get a good amount every week, varying it up as you go, will give you the benefits.
Of course, there are many other foods and beverages which have links to reducing cellulite, so you could throw some of them into your diet at the same time, and really show the orange peel effect that you mean business!