Health Curiosities

Cellulite. It's the curse of many women, as well as an increasingly growing number of men. If fact, it's become so commonplace, that many people now think cellulite is a natural consequence of aging.

But it's not.

Yet, despite what so many believe, there is something you can do about it.

And the answer is waiting for you, right in your kitchen! In this report, we'll reveal what it is and explain why it works.

What Is Cellulite?
Simply put, cellulite is a buildup of fat between muscle and connective tissue. This fat buildup is caused by proteins that clump together and accumulate between the cells of the body. As this process continues, the end result is loose, dimpled skin, primarily in the areas of the buttocks and thighs. (Cellulite can also occur on the arms, stomach, and knees, as well as other areas of the body.)

Since the bodies of women generally have a higher overall fat content than men, traditionally women have been more prone to developing cellulite than men have. In recent years, however, an increasing number of men are also developing cellulite, for the most part due to the increasingly sedentary nature of our modern lifestyle and the increasing amounts of fatty foods in today's modern diet.

Another factor is the fact that an increasing number of both men and women around the world are overweight or obese. But excessive weight gain is by no means a primary cause of cellulite since many men and women who are not overweight also have it.

Forget About Cellulite Creams
Given how common cellulite is, many cosmetic companies sell creams that they claim help to diminish cellulite and firm up buttocks and thighs. Such creams sell well, despite their expensive costs. But there is only one problem with them.

They don't work!

This fact was proven by research conducted by an independent group of scientist at the prestigious John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. The researchers tested a variety of the most common creams and other so-called cellulite-reducing protects. Based on their evaluation, the researchers concluded that not a single product worked as advertised. In short, they were a complete waste of money. Despite their findings, millions of women in the U.S. continue to spend millions of dollars on these expensive products hope to get rid of unsightly cellulite.

So What's A Poor Girl (and Guy) To Do?
To deal with cellulite effectively you need to address its underlying causes: an increased ratio of body fat to lean muscle mass, and congestion of the lymphatic system.

Reducing your body's overall percentage of fat requires a dedicated program of exercise along with proper diet. The best type of exercise program is one that combines stretching, aerobics, and weight resistance training. All three types of exercises are important, especially weight resistance training, which can help you to quickly start to reduce the ratio of fat to lean muscle tissue in your body due to the increase in lean muscle mass and reduction of fatty tissue that weight training results in. In addition, research shows that regular weight training (2 or three times each week) also helps to boost metabolism, levels. This, in turn, makes it easier for your body to more easily and efficiently burn calories that would to otherwise get stored as fat.

Note: Before beginning any type of exercise program, always consult with your Health Coach.

A healthy diet is one that includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with lean meat, poultry and wild caught fish, as well as a limited amount of complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains legumes. Fatty foods should make up no more than 20 percent of your daily food intake, and should only include healthy, unsaturated fats. (Saturated animal fats are also permissible to a lesser extent.) Avoid all processed and "junk" foods, and also avoid eating protein foods in the evening, as this can cause an increased buildup of fibroid proteins in the lymphatic system.

In addition, be sure to drink plenty of pure, unfiltered water throughout the day, as water is essential for flushing out toxins from your body, including your lymphatic system. Avoid unhealthy beverages, such as soft drinks, commercial fruit and vegetable juices (which are high in sugar and/or sodium, as well as other additives), and alcohol.

By following these recommendations consistently, over time you will start to see improvements not only in the amount of cellulite you have on your body, but also in your overall health.

But what can you do to speed up the process of cellulite reduction?

Get Your Lymph Flowing
As mentioned above, cellulite is also due to congestion in the body's lymphatic system. The main component of the lymphatic system is lymph. The lymphatic system is often overlooked when it comes to maintaining good health but it shouldn't be. That's because the lymphatic system acts as your body's filtration system. In this capacity, it targets toxins and invading germs, encapsulating them within the lymph so that they do not spread further into the body. As a result, your lymphatic system is closely related to your body's immune system.

A good example of the lymphatic system in action is the swollen glands along the neck that often occur when a person develops a sore throat or cold. This swelling is actually due to your body's lymphatic system targeting and encapsulating the germs that cause such illnesses before they can do further damage.

When the lymphatic system is operating efficiently, it filters out the encapsulated toxins and germs via the urine. But when the lymphatic system becomes congested, this process becomes impaired, making it increasingly difficult for your body to effectively deal with these harmful invaders, and placing an increasing strain on the immune system. In addition, congested lymph flow can lead to cellulite over time.

Fortunately, there are a number of easy steps you can take to help maintain healthy lymphatic function. In addition to drinking plenty of water each day to help to keep lymph flowing, one of the easiest and most enjoyable ways to avoid and reverse lymph congestion is to spend ten or twenty minutes bouncing on a mini-trampoline, also known as a rebounder. Rebounding exercise has been proven to be one of the most effective ways of improving lymph function and can be a lot of fun compared to other types of exercise.

Another excellent way to keep lymph flowing – and therefore also reduce cellulite – is massage, something you can do on your own, or with the help of your spouse or partner. And that's where your kitchen comes in!

Banish Cellulite With Vegetable Oil
Congested lymph flow is due in large part to impaired circulation in the body. Cellulite forms in the areas of the body is which circulation is most impaired. Research has for many years confirmed that one of the most effective ways to improve circulation is massage. Therefore, it makes sense that massaging areas of the body affected by cellulite should also be helpful for cellulite reduction, and that's exactly what health and beauty experts are discovering. In fact, daily massaging areas of your body affected by cellulite may be best thing you can do to banish unsightly bumps and dimples!

While massage alone can be helpful, its benefits for reducing cellulite can be dramatically improved by the use of simple vegetable oil, which you most likely have in your kitchen pantry right now.

Here's how you can make use of this easy yet powerful solution. Apply vegetable oil (any type will work – olive, safflower, sunflower, etc.) to your thighs and buttocks and then massage each area each night before you got to bed for at least ten minutes. Then do the same thing to your calves. When you are done, wash off the oil from your body, or take a soothing bath or relaxing shower.

That's all there is to it! By using vegetable oil to daily massage the areas of your body affected by cellulite, you will quickly improve the circulation in those areas, and also enhance lymph flow. And before you know it, you will start noticing that those annoying cellulite bumps and dimples are being rubbed away, leaving you with smooth, healthier skin. You can also have your spouse or partner administer your massage. If you do, don't be surprised if you also start to have more fun in your bedroom!

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