Perfect Your Bum and Tum
If there is a single woman who doesn’t fear stretch marks or cellulite then we haven’t met her!But don’t distress, here at Slimming Solutions we’ve researched both skin “problems” and collected some info to help you realise what the causes of both are, and some tips to try and banish the dimples and stretch marks.What is Cellulite?So, first things first, EVERYONE gets it at some point, so stop thinking you’re the only one!Acutally, 90% of women live with the dreaded ‘orange peel’ and ‘cottage cheese’ effects of cellulite (and we think the others haven’t noticed it yet!)Cellulite is caused by wicked little fat cells, water sitting in the skin’s uppermost layers and trapped toxins.If you’re wondering why it’s just women that suffer from it, it’s because cellulite is related to the female hormone estrogen.Women also have few extra fatty deposits than men (nice!) so are more likely to suffer from this curse of the “orange peel”.What Are The Causes of Cellulite?
- A diet filled with toxins e.g. salt, sugar, caffeine, fried foods etc.
- Bad lifestyle – e.g. poor circulation due to the shortness of exercise, stress and feeling worn-out.
- Hormones – cellulite can be activated by changes of estrogen and progesterone levels, these controls how much fat your body releases or reserves. Pregnancy or oral contraceptives can disturb these levels.
- Age – the condition and tone of the skin dive with age, as well as its capability to process nutrition for skin tissue.
What are stretch marks?Stretch marks arise when the skin is stretched a lot over a short time. This prompt stretching subjects the middle layer of skin into breaking in places, resulting in the deeper layers of the skin to show through – developing into a stretch mark.Similar to cellulite, stretch marks are extremely common and also largely occurring in women (we have sooo much bad luck!) rather than in the opposite sex. Stretch marks mainly show up on the bum, tum and thighs.What can cause Stretch Marks?
- Dramatic weight loss or gain
- Growth spurts generated by puberty
- In some cases, stretch marks can also be associated with an underlying health problem, such as Cushing’s syndrome – caused by over-production of steroid hormones.
- If you’re feeling a bit down by all this science talk, then do not fear!
Fortunately, there are a few key things you can do to combat both cellulite and stretch marks and we’ve composed some top tips for you.Tips To Banish Cellulite…Up your exercise. A mixture of weight training and cardio is best to discard the dreaded peel effect. Squats and lunges work the legs well, as do sit-ups for the abs. Dancing, skipping, swimming and running are also guaranteed cellulite busters.Improve your diet. Flush out cellulite-causing toxins by drinking extra water. Up your intake of fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, eggs, nuts, wholegrain bread, essential fatty acids and vitamin B.Tips To Banish Stretch Marks…Improve your diet. Eat foods that are rich in vitamin A, E and C and foods with zinc and silica. These are great for skin and help form collagen, which are the supporting fibers in the skin. Eating foods rich in essential fatty acids (such as vegetable oils, fish oils) increases the skin’s capacity to make cell walls.
