The Best and Worst Foods for Cellulite

You’ve no doubt heard the common phrase “You are what you eat”. It’s meant to be a metaphor, but in some ways it is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The food you consume is somewhat responsible for the makeup of your body, especially where cellulite is concerned. Believe it or not, the meals you ingest could be feeding (or alternately, starving) the fatty tissues in your body that contribute to the formation and appearance of cellulite.

There’s no denying that other factors play a role. If you’re wondering how to lose belly fat and cellulite on the thighs and buttocks, you must realize that genetics, hormones, and lifestyle choices are also involved in the process.

That said, weight management through diet and exercise could help to prevent or even reduce the signs of cellulite. The foods that make up your daily diet almost certainly have some bearing, and you need to know which foods are best and worst when it comes to cellulite. Here are a few items you may want to add or subtract from your diet if cellulite removal is on your agenda.

WORST: Refined Sugars

If you’ve already got cellulite, you might be thinking about body contouring options like liposuction or laser treatments to reduce fat in your body and reduce the dimpling caused by cellulite. The problem is, if you don’t change your habits, cellulite could recur.

In addition to cosmetic treatments, you must therefore address dietary concerns.  Refined sugar is potentially the biggest culprit when it comes to food-related causes of cellulite. It’s not only that your body likes to store excess sugars as fat, but refined sugars are in everything.

Start reading labels and you’ll see that sugar, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, lactose, and a variety of other forms of refined sugar are added to all kinds of foods. In fact, there are over fifty different names for sugar.

How can you avoid it? The best way is to eat as much natural food as possible. Sugar isn’t necessarily forbidden, but most people have far more than the recommended daily allowance. The World Health Organization suggests 25 grams for normal weight adults. For reference, a 12-ounce can of Coke has 39 grams of sugar.

You can get natural sugar through fruit, honey, and so on, but even then you should look for low-glycemic options like berries, cherries, citrus fruits, and apples, just for example. Always monitor portions carefully. In all honesty, our bodies just don’t need that much sugar.

WORST: Processed Foods

Processed, prepackaged foods are stuffed with mass quantities of chemicals and preservatives, including sugar and sodium. These ingredients can damage your body in a variety of ways, including weight gain and the formation of cellulite. As always, natural foods are best.

WORST: Carbs

Don’t make the mistake of thinking carbs aren’t an essential part of your diet – carbohydrates are the main source of fuel for our bodies and we absolutely need them. That said, there is a big difference between eating white bread and consuming whole grains like quinoa, for example.

Complex carbohydrates help to keep your body functioning, while products that strip away nutrients and add sugar, sodium, and other preservatives and likely doing more harm than good.

BEST: Lean Meats

This slow-burning source of fuel can not only help to repair muscle damaged during the course of strenuous exercise, but adding lean protein to your diet can also help you to lose weight, decrease fat in the body, and reduce the signs of cellulite when consumed as part of a balanced diet.

BEST: Fiber

Most people balk at the idea of adding fiber to the diet, but we’re not talking about chalky drinks you have to gag down. Instead you can add fiber through leafy greens and other fruits and vegetables.

What will this do for your cellulite? Fiber is not only good for digestion – it also helps to reduce toxins in your system and is important for weight loss and fat loss. In other words, you need to make sure you’re getting adequate fiber if you want to avoid or reduce cellulite.

BEST: Water

Staying hydrated is not only essential for proper cellular function, but it also helps to keep your lymphatic system working to flush toxins from the body. Even better, add some lemon or lime to your daily eight cups of water. The addition of vitamin C is great for your skin and it is an antioxidant that can help to fight the signs of aging.

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