“Gosh, I just love my cellulite.”- Said no woman ever.
Cellulite is simply something that no female ever speaks of fondly, mainly because we’ve all either been sucked in by expensive “anti-cellulite” tools (like creams, pills and laser treatments) that just don’t work or we’ve tried minimally effective natural treatments that didn’t quite work well enough to keep us onboard. But with a bit of regularity, patience, and an upgraded plan-of-attack, we can steadily chip away at those stubborn fat deposits and reclaim victory over our derrieres.
Here are some natural cellulite remedies to try:
1
EXERCISE
Because we were never getting away with avoiding squats. Banishing cellulite simply won’t work unless we firm up the layers of muscle that sit directly under the fat. The key is to work these muscles from all angles which is why the following re-vamped exercises are going to become your new best friends for a workout for cellulite:
(Starting first and foremost with the Perfect Squat Position. Hands on hips, natural curve in your lower back, pelvic floor engaged and bottom of the belly button gently pulled in towards the spine. Shoulders rolled back and down. At the lowest part of your lunge the upper part of your working leg should be parallel to the floor and knees no further forward than your big toe.)
- Clock work lunge: From standing; step forward (to your 12 o’clock) with your right leg to a full lunge, left leg nearly touching the floor then return to standing. Now take a big step out to the right (to your 3 o’clock), keeping your left leg straight and your back vertical for a side lunge. Return to standing where you will finally complete one more lunge stepping back (to your 6 o’clock) this time with your right leg.
Repeat 15 times, then with your left leg stepping to your 12, 9, then 6 o’clock.
- Plie Squat with raised heel: Stand with your feet a little wider than hip width apart, feet turned out slightly. Bring your left heel off the floor and keeping it up, do 15 slow, perfect squats. Repeat with your right heel off the floor.
Repeat squat and calf raise 15 times.
- Squat with calf raise: Perform a Perfect Squat, straighten your legs then transfer your weight into the balls of your feet and do a slow and controlled calf raise, i.e., Go onto your tippy toes then lower
Work up to 2 or 3 sets of these exercises. Try adding just one of these exercises to the end of your normal workout 3-4 times a week (or even better all of them!) and smile as you show cellulite the door.
2
DIET
Arguably the most important element of cellulite banishing. Beginning with a well known fact: It’s all about water.
If picking off cellulite one bump at a time inspires you to drink the adequate amount of water each day, then you will hear no complaints from us. If you struggle to drink enough water (and even if you don’t!), try adding slices of orange, lemon and ginger to a jug of water. Let the jug sit in the fridge for 30 minutes then enjoy your naturally flavored and FAR better option to soda, fruit juice or any other kind of ‘vitamin (read: sugar) water’. Oranges aid with healthy blood circulation, lemons help aid digestion (and freshen breath), and ginger is a notorious immune system booster. This concoction is not only totally delicious, but also strengthens your stance against cellulite by improving blood circulation from the inside – so drink up!
The reason adequate water intake is so important in combating cellulite is that it’s ironically the first step in eliminating excess fluid retention. Eliminating fluid retention will noticeably reduce the ‘bulging’ effect of fat deposits, that are full of water. Minimizing salt intake, drinking more water and eating naturally diuretic foods such as celery, fennel, asparagus and cranberries will help flush your body of excess water.
This also helps to avoid the pronounced look of cellulite under dehydrated skin. Eating healthy fats in the form of nuts, seeds, olives, etc. encourages the fluid to stay inside the skin cells as opposed to taking up residence in the fat cells. By plumping your skin, it hides the smaller (/dehydrated) fat deposits. Genius!
Also, if you don’t already include food for cellulite like flaxseed in your diet, you might want to start.. Flaxseed is your diet’s secret weapon against cellulite due to hormone modulators called lignans, which lower excess estrogen levels. Why would I want to lower my estrogen levels, you ask? Sneaky estrogen is involved in cellulite production as it triggers the production of fat cells and encourages fluid retention. Adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of flaxseed (you may also know it as linseed) daily to a smoothie, a sauce/ dressing or just sprinkled over a salad/ vegetables will turn your meal into a high performance cellulite assassin. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower also warrant a mention as worthy diet inclusions for their assistance in the matter.
3
DRY BRUSHING
We’ve gone through the ways you can fight cellulite from the inside but your final line of defense comes from the outside in the form of dry brushing. Dry brushing for cellulite works by causing microscopic scratches on the skins surface which triggers blood to come to the rescue improving circulation to the brushed area and essentially renewing the skin. Using a vegetable bristle dry brush, brush gently up and towards the heart, in semicircular motions, just until the skin becomes slightly red.
The way we supercharge it? Pure essential oils.
Oils like cypress, juniper berry and patchouli will help with fluid retention from the outside while rosemary, cinnamon and citrus oils will help to further improve blood circulation. Mix 3-4 drops of your desired oil(s) with a tablespoon of a carrier oil like almond or jojoba oil and massage into the skin. Your skin will feel completely revitalized and may even tingle slightly. You’ll also smell divine! For all the benefits mentioned and even anti aging properties, try Absolute Anti Aging Body Oil that will leave skin feeling tighter and looking brighter.
Yes, this fighting talk of banishing cellulite has us all riled up too, though let’s take a second to remind ourselves of how proud of our bodies we should be, no matter what age or what stage in life’s journey we are on. After all, it’s our bodies that stand by us and support every day in accomplishing every awesome thing that we do. So give that body a hug and a thank you!
Meanwhile, we do hope that this pep talk has inspired you to shake off any sign of defeat that cellulite has may have previously inflicted! Armed with this new supercharged approach to feel as confident as possible, you can show off that cute behind in celebration of not only how good you look – but also how healthy and strong you feel!
