Fat is the cause of cellulite, but we know you already knew that. The “lumpy” skin appearance is most common in the thighs and butt area. While the exact cause of cellulite is unknown, it’s believed to be a result of below-the-skin interactions between the connective tissue in the dermatological layer and the layer of fat beneath it. There are several factors that go into why some people get it and others don’t. While genetics, hormones, and age are certainly contributors, they don’t carry the most weight, so to speak. Diet and exercise continue to be the biggest factors.
From creams spa procedures to cellulite-blasting foods, there’s no shortage of suggestions when it comes to figuring out how to get rid of cellulite. While these things have varying levels of success, they all have one thing in common: they’re far more effective when you kick certain foods out of your diet.
While cellulite isn’t completely avoidable (we need a certain fat percentage for our bodies to thrive), we can reduce it. Eating a balanced diet is key, which includes limiting these foods that definitely contribute to it.
Which are the foods that cause cellulite and make it worse?
Cellulite is every girl’s nightmare, and all of them want to know how to remove it from their skin.
Besides avoiding tight pants and sitting down for many hours a day, it’s good to also stay away from the following foods that cause cellulite or make it worse in some people.
Sugar
Natural sugars in fruits are fine but any processed or added sugars should be avoided. That means no more fruit juice cocktails, alcohol, candy, creamer, baked goods, bread, sweets and anything else that has added sugar.
When you eat excess amounts of sugar, your body can’t process it quickly enough and the extra turns to fat! Sugar is a huge cause of cellulite. What’s even worse is that sugar is actually more addictive than cocaine! Consuming too much sugar puts your body in a vicious cycle of always wanting more.
You crave sugar, you eat it, your blood sugar levels spike and then they come crashing back down. Once you crash, you start to crave more sugar to make yourself feel good again. Then the cycle continues.
If you’re a sugar addict, you can break the relationship slowly. Swap out candy for sweet fruits like kiwi and start using a little less creamer in your coffee. Eventually you’ll get to a point where you can eliminate it completely.
Sugar Substitutes
A lot of people think that swapping out regular soda for diet soda is something that is going to help them because they are eliminating sugar, carbs and calories by taking the diet option.
Most people don’t realize that sugar substitutes, like aspartame, act in the same way sugar does. So even though you are technically eating sugar, your body thinks you are and still reacts in the same way.
Processed Food
Processed foods are full of so many unnecessary ingredients. When you eat processed foods you are filling your body with junk. This is no good for your weight and makes you gain excess body fat very quickly.
The unfortunate thing is that processed foods are all around us and are often a quick and cheap option. It will take a bit of willpower, but if you can avoid them, it will help reduce your cellulite.
Fast Food
Fast food joints have recently gotten into the habit of promoting a “healthy” portion of their menu. Keep in mind that the healthy options you can get in the drive-thru will not compare to something you would make at home. Drive through the produce aisle instead (with a cart, not a car!).
Of course if fast food is your only option for some reason, choosing their “healthy” option is going to be better than getting that super sized combo meal.
Sodium
Sodium (or all those foods that contain some of it) is an enemy of your health for various reasons. First, because it causes fluid retention – the perfect environment for cellulite to appear. When you have too much salt in your body, you start retaining water to help balance out the burden. Water retention can make cellulite appear worse. To avoid this, doctors suggest not consuming more than 1.5 grams of salt a day.
Excess Condiments and Dressings
Mayonnaise and mustard, as well as spicy dressings and tomato sauce, also wreak havoc on your skin and are allies of cellulite. You can make your own dressing using natural herbs and condiments. Regardless, try reducing your consumption of these products, especially the store-bought ones.
Carbonated Beverages
These beverages are bad for your skin’s health and in general. Carbonated beverages, especially the cola kind, have a lot of sugar and chemicals. Also, some people think that drinking the diet or zero kinds of these products is the best option, but that is not true. You should always favor drinking water. If not, at least choose natural fruit juices or cold herbal infusions.
Coffee
Its main component (caffeine, also found in carbonated beverages) can harm your skin. Because of this, limit your intake to 2-3 cups of (neutral) coffee a day, at most, with a little bit of sugar, milk, or cream.
Refined Flour
Refined Flour refers to the white kind, the one that is present in most foods that you eat every day. Bread, cookies, rice, and pasta that are not whole grain go against your cellulite reduction plans. This is because they have a lot of yeast, which is difficult to metabolize.
If you cannot live without eating bread, try making it yourself; use whole wheat flour whenever possible. If you buy it, try to get the black kind with seeds.
There really is no quick fix for cellulite. Focus instead on making changes for a more natural, more balanced diets – and that just may help with the prevention of and the appearance of cellulite.