Friday
Jan082010
Cellulite prevention and reduction tips for models and dancers - Part 5: Sugar, salt, miracle treatments, hydrogenated fats, liposuction
This is the fifth and last part of our list of 25 cellulite reduction and prevention tips for mdoels, dancers and other performers:
- Avoid sugar in all it’s forms and guises (sucrose, fructose, glucose, dextrose, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), agave syrup etc.), and at all costs. Sugar is the number one cause of cellulite today and the increase of the appearance of cellulite in young women has coincided with the increase in sugar, sugar derivative and sweetener consumption. Excessive sugar, if not used immediately by the body ends up in the liver and/or fat cells where it is metabolised into fat. Once a fat molecule ends up in the fat cells or the thighs and the hips it is not easy to release it into the general circulation again. Sugar over-stimulates insulin secretion (which sends fat molecules and sugar itself straight to the fat cells) and causes damage to skin and blood vessel proteins (via a process called glycation and by stimulating inflammation), leading to skin ageing and weakness and impairing circulation. Sugar is evil. Period. Artificial sweeteners are not better either, as they only temporarily trick the brain to believe that you consumed sugar: by the end of the day your brain compensates with appetite increase which leads to the consumption of more calories...
- Avoid salt which leads to fat accumulation in the fat cells - in addition to it's well known effect on water retention. Use low sodium salt instead, marketed as Low Salt, LoSalt, Solo, So Low etc.
- Save your money and steer clear of extremely expensive, “miracle”, "lunchtime" procedures that promise instant cellulite elimination with one or two treatments. These kind of instant cellulite solutions only exists in marketers dreams and the only thing you will lose if you decide to dish out £500 or even £5000 for one hour of treatment (yes, they do charge as much as £5,000!) is your money - not your cellulite. If you can't be bothered to follow a proper, session cellulite reduction plan consisting of 10-15 sessions, along with proper exercise and diet, it is better to make better use of your money on a good holiday instead. These miracle treatments do not give results, regardless of how much money you waste on them or how "posh" the clinic that provides it is. If it sounds too good to be true, then it is too good to be true! Instead, go to speak to an honest, down to earth practitioner, who understands your needs and who will devise a realistic plan, based on things that work, such as vigorous, cellulite-specific massage, diet, exercise, and quality anti-cellulite creams.
- Avoid fried food at all costs too. Oxidised (burned) fat is a major contributor of toxins trapped under the skin in the tissues affected by cellulite. Hydrogenated fats or trans fatty acids (contained in margarine, pastry, biscuits, pasty etc.) are even worse: the short-circuit your metabolism and undermine your health in multiple ways. The only oils you can safely eat are extra virgin olive oil, and cold-pressed, organic vegetable oils found in health food stores and contained in glass bottles. Never buy oil contained in plastic bottles which can leach harmful, fat-soluble chemicals into your oil!
- If you plan to have cosmetic surgery, such as liposuction or smart lipo, make sure you arrange post-surgery treatments immediately after surgery with a suitably qualified therapist that can start treating you from the third day after surgery. This is in order to prevent the scar tissue, skin hardening, excessive swelling and uneven skin surface, that typically accompanies these procedures. As with all types of post-surgery physiotherapy, post-cosmetic treatment three weeks after surgery is still OK, but nowhere near as beneficial as when treatment is taken immediately after surgery. Here it is also important to make it absolutely clear that cellulite cannot be reduced by any type of surgery. Liposuction, smart lipo and VASER may be the only ways a model can remove stubborn unwanted fat, however, this is deep fat, not cellulite fat. Cellulite fat is very superficial and being an integral part of your skin is not removable - unless you want to remove your skin itself!