Women Skin Care & Beauty Blog

Fat accumulation is not the main cause of cellulite formation. But cellulite may form due to the presence of excess fat in the body. That is why obese people have a greater chance of developing cellulite than thin or skinny people. You should hence exercise restraint on your food habits. Dieting is important as it helps in reduction of unnecessary fat which not only spoils your metabolism but also makes the presence of cellulite visible. However, mindless anti-cellulite diets will only enlarge fat glands and do nothing to reduce cellulite.

So, let me enlighten you with some guidelines which will help you pursue an anti cellulite diet which is both healthy and effective.

Foods that you should eat:

• Fish: Fish contains fatty acids which help fortify your skin cells and improve the texture and quality of your skin. Cellulite will reduce gradually with the aid of these fatty acids which get replenished regularly. Fish also contains proteins which help fight cellulite. Some fishes that produce effective results are tuna, halibut, herrings, salmon and mackerel. But remember to have fish boiled, steamed or grilled, and never fried.
• Nuts: Nuts contain lots of fiber, protein and other beneficial fats. A handful of nuts, each day is enough to provide stability to your diet and ward off cellulite. You can try hazelnuts, walnuts, chestnuts, almonds, pecans and peanuts.
• Cheese without preservatives and low fat yogurt: They contain vitamins and calcium which are essential for the body to fight cellulite. However, only have them in low quantities; else they may become detrimental to your health.
• Vegetables and fruits: No healthy diet is complete if it is not replete with fruits and vegetables. They contain antioxidants which help in eliminating cellulite in your body.

Foods that you should avoid:

• Saturated fats: Stop eating saturated fats which include animal fats as well, especially steak and pork. These fats are perfect catalysts for the initial formation of cellulite in your body. You will do well to buy only lean cuts of meat (red meat especially). If you can reduce the intake of meat completely, so much the better.
• Carbonated beverages and caffeine: Most carbonated beverages contain caffeine. Tea and coffee have caffeine in them. Caffeine can seriously harm you by promoting waste storage in your body and decreasing circulation of blood through blood vessels and body fluids through lymphatic nymphs. The basic reasons of cellulite accumulation are stagnating, improper body fluid circulation and waste storage.
• Sugar laden products and junk food: These foods contain toxins which are harmful for your body. The may not form cellulite, but they definitely worsen conditions of already existing cellulite to a large extent. This is the sole reason why most health experts urge you to stay away from snacks and fast foods!

A common misinterpretation is that dieting is starving (especially to people obsessed with being slim). Starving weakens your body by disallowing nutrition from entering it, something your body badly needs. But anti cellulite dieting implies that you maintain a healthy food habit, by just doing off with unhealthy foods which aid the production or increase of cellulite in your body.

No matter how hard you try to avoid them, the signs of aging will show up sooner or later. And the problem is not just restricted to wrinkles and fine lines on your skin, but extends to physiological and psychological changes as well. Despite modern medicine advancing by leaps and bounds, there is still no ‘magic pill’ to prevent the aftermath of aging. Diet can obviously play a very important part in deciding how gracefully you age and whether your health remains intact throughout the aging process. But then is there anything such as an anti-aging diet?

Perhaps there is! Some foods and drinks contain powerful components called phyto-nutrients, which are believed to hold the key to long-life. These are actually anti-oxidants which destroy disease-causing free radicals in your body. You may not be aware but these ‘free radicals’ are oxygen molecules which can hasten the onset of diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s.

Other than antioxidants such as these, some other foods also enhance the rate at which you age by causing cellular inflammation. So, an ideal anti-aging diet should consist of foods which are anti-inflammatory and rich in antioxidants.

Therefore such a diet can never include trans-fatty acids, sugars, starches and saturated fats. Ideally you should look at diets comprising of:

• Cold water fishes such as salmon which are rich in omega 3 fatty acids. This acid offers a multitude of health benefits.
• Avocado, which is a great source of monounsaturated fat, which is healthy and helps reduce bad cholesterol from your body. It is also a good source of vitamin E which prevents signs of aging from showing up on your skin in the form of fine lines and wrinkles. Being rich in potassium it also helps you keep blood pressure under check.
• Berries are a great source of antioxidants and phyto-nutrients. All black and blue berries help reduce the number of free radicals in the body.
• Cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and sprouts which can significantly reduce the amount of toxins in your body. These are best eaten raw or very mildly-cooked so as to keep the important enzymes intact.
• Nuts, which are not only great sources of minerals but also help you control the levels of cholesterol in your body.
• Wholegrain foods, which provide soluble dietary fibers and also large amounts of phyto-nutrients.
• Yogurt which has probiotic elements. These help in introducing good bacteria to your intestines particularly when you have yogurt with active cultures.
• Whole meal pasta and rice which gives you complex carbs. This helps you stay energetic and beat lethargy, which is a vital sign of aging.
• Soya which helps stabilize estrogen levels after menopause. Unstable estrogen may hasten aging post menopause and fermented Soya products can help you prevent that.
• Lots and lots of water everyday. Provided you are drinking clean water, there is better way to flush out toxins from your body and keep your skin fresh and radiant.

It’s not necessary to have all of these as a part of your diet, but you should definitely try to include as many as possible. Remember that anti-aging diets are simple and effective and there is nothing miraculous about them!

Everywhere you look antioxidants are creating quite a buzz. Such has been their popularity that you might wonder whether they are the only to stay healthy these days! Not only are antioxidants known to help you with diseases such as arthritis, hypertension, asthma and problems such as infertility, they are also promoted as great anti-aging substances. They indeed have some great health benefits and so, it will do you a world of good to know more about them.

Do you know that most of your health problems are caused by the process of oxidation? Due to various reasons such as stress, pollution, poor diet, radiation, pesticides etc, free radicals are released in your body. These are nothing but unpaired oxygen molecules which tend to oxidize cells, enzymes, and tissue by pairing with them quickly.

Continuation of this process and presence of a large number of free radicals can trigger a total physical degeneration. Antioxidants, as their name suggests, prevent this from happening by destroying free radicals effectively. In fact research shows that intake of antioxidants via diet or supplements can significantly increase your chances of living longer and healthier.

In preventing oxidation, antioxidants help you avert diseases such as:

• Various types of cancer
• Coronary artery disorder
• Muscular degeneration and Alzheimer’s.

So, this brings us to the most important question: which are the best antioxidants? Here is a list which will enlighten you in this regard:

• Alpha Lipoic acid, which is found in abundance in meat. This antioxidant can help you get rid of glaucoma and diabetes.
• Astaxanthin, which is the substance that imparts a pink color to salmon. It is said to be 500 times stronger than vitamin C as an antioxidant!
• Beta-carotene, which is found in carrots and tomatoes. This antioxidant can help you treat gastritis and also boost your immune system. You should know that beta-carotene should be taken in natural forms and not as an artificial supplement because the synthetic form has only one active molecule instead of two.
• Ubiquinone. This substance is found in fishes such as mackerel and sardines and beef. Peanuts and spinach are also good sources. It is usually used for cardiac insufficiency, wherein it helps to strengthen the heart muscles. It can also counter the effect of histamines and so, is quite useful in case of allergies and asthma. This is available in the form of expensive supplements and so, you can try the cheaper fishes to get the benefits of this supplement.
• Cucurmin. Mainly found in turmeric, this antioxidant can help you get relief from stomach pain and nausea, liver problems related to non-secretion of bile, menstrual cramps. It can also serve as an anti-inflammatory agent for treating arthritis, asthma and eczema. However, this can thin your blood and so; you may want to consult a physician first.
• Cysteine. This antioxidant is found in eggs and dairy products. It facilitates the absorption of iron in your body and promotes natural healing.

Your best bet is to use these uncommon antioxidants in their natural forms. Supplements may be good, but why go artificial when natural alternatives are available?