hile no diet can ever cure you of cellulite or prevent you from developing it completely, there are certain foods you can eat, or avoid to help keep cellulite at bay. Here are some top tips to make your diet as cellulite-unfriendly as possible. And what’s even better - these tips are good for your general health as well!
The Cellulite Villains
Refined carbohydrates, like white bread, rice and pasta are all problematic. They’re all inflammatory foods, and when you begin to suffer from inflammation, your fat cells start to enlarge retaining fluid and toxins, which is a key step in the development of cellulite.
Processed foods, like chips, sodas, processed meat, ready-made meals, and convenience foods often contain a lot of sugar and refined carbohydrates. These foods can cause spikes in blood sugar, causing your body to produce more insulin and as we’ve seen with refined carbohydrates, this too can cause fat cells to grow, retaining fluid and toxins, which again leads to cellulite.
Salt may not cause cellulite but it could certainly make it looks worse. Salt causes you to retain fluid in the fat cells and tissue, which leads to the problem of puckered lumpy flesh we call orange peel skin.
The Cellulite Heroes
Whole Grains
Eating whole grains instead of refined carbohydrates (whole-wheat flour, brown rice and wholegrain pasta instead of their white versions) has been shown to help with weight loss. While thin people also suffer from cellulite, putting on extra fat certainly won’t help with reducing cellulite. Whole-grains also help you feel full for longer, helping you avoid unhealthy snacks, and they’re high in antioxidants, which help to reduce toxins that can cause cellulite.
Healthy Fats
While you should avoid processed fats it’s vital that you include some healthy fats in your diet. The fatty acids in oily fish like salmon and mackerel can help your body to metabolize fat (including the fat in your cellulite). Oily fish contain a lot of antioxidants and the fatty acids also help strengthen skin tissue, which can reduce the appearance of cellulite.
Other foods containing healthy fats, like nuts, seeds, avocados, and olive oil also help with weight loss. Olive oil also contains fats that keep your thyroid healthy (monounsaturated fats and polyphenols), which boost your metabolism and help skin-building cells, leading to a reduction in fat cell expansion and stronger thicker skin. Remember, if you’re cooking with olive oil use a low temperature, or even better, use it cold in salad dressings.
Fruit
Fruit and vegetables should be a part of any healthy diet but we have a few favourites that are particularly good at fighting cellulite.
As we mentioned before some foods should be avoided because they cause inflammation, but don’t worry, there are plenty of foods with anti-inflammatory properties. Antioxidants and polyphenols are particularly good at reducing inflammation, and they can be found in fruits like berries and oranges.
Oranges and other citrus fruits also contain vitamin C which helps your body produce collagen, strengthening your skin. Lycopene is another antioxidant found in fruit, which helps improve circulation, smoothing cellulite away. You can find it in watermelon and pink grapefruit, which also happen to be great metabolism boosters.
Dark berries like blueberries and blackberries can also help with collagen production, and they also include other antioxidants that can help break down fat attached to your connective tissue, which should help reduce the lumpy appearance of cellulite.
Let’s not forget the family favorites apples and bananas. Bananas contain zinc which helps with healthy skin and potassium which aids circulation. And apples contain antioxidants and pectin which helps detoxify your digestive tract.
Vegetables
When your mom told you to eat up all your greens she was doing you a big favour! Some of our favourite vegetables contain top cellulite busting components.
Asparagus and cucumber both have diuretic properties, relieving fluid build-up and reducing bloating, helping remove toxins, reducing the appearance of your cellulite and helping to prevent it develop further. Asparagus also has anti-inflammatory properties and can help stimulate circulation, both of which are important when preventing cellulite.
Some vegetables contain more vitamins than others and broccoli is one of those stars. It contains a wide range of vitamins and minerals, as well as alpha lipoic acid. This substance helps prevent collagen hardening and contributing to cellulite. Bean sprouts are another vitamin bomb, containing A, B, C, D, E, and K, as well as a wide number of vital minerals. This help stimulates circulation and helps liver function, all of which help prevent cellulite.
We mentioned lycopene in fruit, but it also appears in some vegetables too, including tomatoes and beetroot (yes, we know - tomatoes are technically a fruit), where it will help stimulate your circulation and help smooth your cellulite away. Beetroot also contains vitamin E which is important for healthy skin and vitamin A which helps boost your collagen. Tomatoes contain vitamin C which is also good for skin health.
In our previous article, we looked at some of the foods you should avoid if you don’t want to develop cellulite, and we also looked at some delicious foods you can eat to help keep cellulite at bay. While none of these will totally prevent cellulite from forming (thanks genes!) they will help slow its development. Here we look at some seasonings, drinks, and our number one favorite anti-cellulite food...
Herbs, spices, and seasonings
If you like hot and spicy food you’ll be very happy to hear that chili and cayenne pepper are both great cellulite fighters. They help improve your circulation by warming the body, which as we know, is great for keeping cellulite away, plus they boost your metabolism, burning calories faster than usual. Capsaicin, which is found in hot chili peppers, has been shown to boost your normal metabolism, by around 8%, and as an added bonus, spicy food also helps you feel full faster, so you may also end up eating less.
Turmeric is another circulation booster, and also contains high levels of antioxidants. It tastes great in curries and has other health benefits, unrelated to cellulite. It’s a powerful anti-inflammatory and is often used by people suffering from arthritis.
Another delicious cellulite fighter, garlic, also has other health benefits. It has been shown to help lower cholesterol levels in the blood and can help boost your immune system. This will help improve your general health and can also help your circulation, which will help your body to flush cellulite causing toxins. And as an added bonus you won’t have to worry about vampires either!
Saffron is another spice which has some great anti-cellulite properties. It contains anti-inflammatory compounds that stop fat cells from expanding, leading to cellulite. It can also help with appetite suppression and increase your circulation.
Cider vinegar is great for the digestion, helping to flush out toxins and reduce water retention, reducing the appearance of cellulite. It is also a great weight loss aid, so try adding a few capfuls to your meals, juices or salad dressings.
Dry fruits
We should try and eat more nuts and seeds for general health, but flaxseed and sunflower seeds are also both great cellulite fighters. Flaxseed helps lower excess estrogen levels with its hormone modulating compounds, lignans, while sunflower seeds contain loads of essential vitamins and minerals. They are a good source of zinc, potassium and vitamin E, and contain vitamin B6 which helps strengthen and repair connective tissue, reducing the appearance of cellulite.
Drinks
The build-up of toxins in our bodies is one of the key causes of cellulite. They slow our circulation and damage our skin, making cellulite appear worse. One of the best ways to flush out toxins is to drink plenty of water and avoid sweetened drinks and alcohol. So make sure you’re drinking enough water - around eight glasses a day, although this will vary depending on your lifestyle and the climate where you live.
While not technically a drink, one of the nicest ways to enjoy fennel is as a tea. It’s a great digestive aid and helps to reduce swelling and flush out excess fluids and toxins in your body. It also helps give you healthy skin and hair. If you don’t enjoy fennel tea you can buy the roots and roast them for a delicious side dish.
Green tea is delicious and refreshing but also helps to aid weight loss by boosting your metabolism, reducing fat absorption and regulating glucose levels. All of this helps keep you healthy and in shape. It also helps fight cellulite with a compound called theobromine, which stimulates the release of fat stored in the body.
Ginger, nettle and dandelion teas can also help, speeding up your metabolism and helping you to burn fat faster. Nettles and dandelions are both great for detoxifying your system, acting as natural diuretics. They also contain a lot of antioxidant vitamins and minerals, and dandelions contain zinc iron and potassium.
And finally
Our favorite snack is also our favorite cellulite busting food - dark chocolate! Make sure you’re eating at least 80% cocoa content chocolate to get all the benefits and avoid high amounts of sugar and fat. Cocoa is an antioxidant-rich food, helping to break down fat and encouraging skin renewal and building. It also contains small amounts of caffeine which can help reduce the appearance of fat cells, when consumed in small doses. Plus you get to eat a delicious treat and know it’s good for you!
Find out more
For more information on how to reduce cellulite, check some of the other posts we have in this blog.
We also have a YouTube channel which has a lot of tips and techniques on how to use our products, you can visit our channel here.
Also, don't forget to like our facebook page where we share great information about women's health and beauty, click this link to find out FB page
This list of cellulite busting foods is by no means complete, so why not share your favorite cellulite busting ingredient or dish with us on our Instagram using the tag #GloWomen #glo910
Don't forget to check out our Youtube channel where we have more information on Glo products.
