Simple New Year Changes for Keeping Cellulite Deposits at Bay

Cellulite treatmentWhat comes in your mind when you hear the word cottage cheese? What about orange peel? Are you imagining a weird cottage cheese and orange peel salad or are you thinking about the tops of your thigh, a relative’s thigh or a celebrity's thigh?

Women over 30 have a 90% chance to be afflicted at one time or another by cellulite. Millions each year are spent fighting cellulite on anti-cellulite creams alone. And wait, there’s more than just creams to tempt us. There are a lot of choices as far as anti-cellulite treatments go.

You can get rid of cellulite deposits by electric currents; you can have injections of homeopathic substances in your bottom; you can be hit by rollers, suction pads and all manner of other implements. You can also sit in a space-age pod; you can be cloaked in seaweed and cling film; you may also want to drink anti-cellulite tea; you can stick to caffeine-loaded anti-cellulite patches on your skin;

Those were pretty impressive lists of treatments for something many scientists claim doesn’t exist, and which the British Medical Journal labels a “non-disease”. As far as cellulite is concerned, in the medical profession, it has two schools of thoughts.

First cellulite is the polite term of saying “fat”, this is a huge con created by the cosmetics industry to part us from our money. You should know that, “Cellulite is no different from any other sort of body fat”, “babies have cellulite too”, and you’d better be off saving your money and walking up the stairs than bothering with any of the hundreds of anti-cellulite creams or treatments on offer. That’s what the doubters think.

Second, it consists of those in the beauty and cosmetics industry spending an awful lot of time, money and energy trying to find a cure. We’re not talking here about those greedy multinationals, but otherwise some respectable types such as doctors and scientists.

Eat a clean, alkaline, unprocessed diet

In order to remove toxins from your body, you must first draw them out from where they have accumulated cells, tissues and organs.

You have to consume alkaline forming foods. The largest part of your diet should consist of fruits and vegetables.

The key here is to steadily increase your fresh produce consumption so that you don’t magnetize out more toxicity than the body can remove. Otherwise, the toxins will just re-circulate and then re-settle. If you want to minimize cellulite and flood your body with alkalinity, get into fresh vegetable juicing.

Hydrate and Flush

Drinking enough pure, clean water and organic hydrations from fresh fruits and vegetables will flush out toxins in your body. Water is important to life and it is also important in reducing and preventing cellulite.

Just look at the effects of dehydration: shriveled, lumpy, aged. This doesn’t make a cellulite free body with smooth, supple skin.

You have to drink pure water every day when you wake up. If you don’t like water straight up, put some lemon or lemon slices.

Avoid coffee and tea as much as possible. But if you can’t resist them, drink enough water and fresh vegetable juice to counter its dehydrating effects and acidity.

Swap your salt

Swap your refined salt for Celtic sea salt or Himalayan crystal salt. Refined salt is acidic and it leaches minerals from your body.

Moving and Sweating

When you exercise, you are also expelling toxins through your skin. This is another avenue of elimination that is best not ignored if you want to get rid of cellulite.

These are few of the tips to reduce cellulite. Choose one to start and make it a daily habit. Just keep doing this and you’ll see the results.

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Healthy Snack Ideas to help you Lose Weight

A snack or two has always been a sneaky way to get those unwanted pounds. But after all we’re just humans and there’s no sense being healthy when we can’t enjoy the simple things in life. The problem with snacks is when we limit ourselves to sweet and salty treats. Healthy foods need not be boring and there are a lot of healthy options available.

So the next time you find yourself marching to the kitchen for a quick snack, here are some of the healthiest treats you shouldn’t miss.

RYE KERNEL BREAD

The term Glycaemic Index refers to the effect of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels. Foods low in carbohydrates for example releases energy slowly. Carbohydrate rich foods on the other hand release energy quickly. This is why people suffering from unstable blood sugar levels are advised to take a low carbohydrate ding set.

Rye kernel bread has a lower Glycaemic Index compared to white or brown bread. But you wouldn’t consider a slice bread to be a satisfying snack. To make this more appetizing, add a thin slice of peanut butter. It does not only make your snack more satisfying but it also enhance the GI lowering properties of the snack. The fat and protein and fat in peanut butter further slow carbohydrate digestion.

Honey which is a rich source of fructose could also be added to this concoction to make it healthier. Medical studies have shown that fructose effectively controls blood sugar levels. Fructose has a lower Glycaemic Index compared to other carbohydrates which include table sugar (sucrose).

Other benefits of peanut butter include its ability to lower risks for heart disease. Peanut butter contains phytochemical resveratrol that promotes a healthy heart. It also has cancer fighting properties and can even lower cholesterol levels.

HEALTHY CRACKERS WITH TOMATO And AVOCADO

Reaching out for a cracker will always be a convenient way to grab a snack. Instead of salty crackers trade this with fiber rich wholegrain crackers. Fiber rich foods are necessary for maintaining healthy bowel movement and digestion. More importantly, fiber reduces your risks for developing colon cancer.

Check your crackers for vitamin and mineral content. Some healthy crackers contain these nutrients making them not only a convenient snack but also healthy.

Fruits and vegetables are excellent snack choices. Avocados in particular help lower cholesterol levels. It is also rich in antioxidants that lower your risk for cancers. It is an excellent detoxifier, helping remove toxins and impurities from your body. Avocado contains vitamin B6, C, E and potassium. It is a natural source of Omega 3, an essential fatty acid that helps maintain a healthy heart.

Tomatoes are rich in Lycopene which is known for its antioxidant properties. It is a powerful free radical scavenger that greatly reduces risks for developing serious chronic diseases and cancer. Although the exact cause of cancer is not known, free radicals in particular believed to play a great part in the development of cancer. It is also rich in Vitamin E, C and helps keeps your skin looking young and healthy.

VEGETABLE SNACKS (CARROT, CELERY, TOMATOES)

Vegetables will always come on top when it comes to healthy food choices. It has so many benefits that you can’t go wrong with vegetables. Generally, vegetables are rich in fiber.

Let’s start with carrots. It’s rich in beta carotene that helps keep our hearts healthy and prevent many types of cancer including lung cancer. It guards us against food poisoning and lowers blood cholesterol.

Celery is a good source of potassium. It has a diuretic effect, can help control blood pressure and has anti-inflammatory effects.

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Cellulite, First Signs of Unhealthy Fats

Cellulite treatmentIt would be impossible if not unhealthy to label ourselves fat free, after all the body needs these as a source of energy for fuelling the body’s many processes.  It becomes only unhealthy when the levels of body fats far exceed the ideal numbers required by our body.

What is Cellulite?

Ever noticed those unusual dimples and uneven skin contours on your body? These are usually located in heavy fat concentrations on our stomach and leg areas. The areas where this uneven skin conditions could be seen are those rich in cellulite deposits. Fat concentration is so great that it has covered the muscles and the appearance has been changed.

Skin can only be stretched to a certain extent. It is certainly flexible composed of fibrous, connective tissues but once it has reached its limit cellulite deposits could be seen in the uneven appearance. When large amounts of is deposited between the skin and the muscles, it appears as cellulite deposits.

This can be disturbing and could affect the confidence of men and women. Cellulite deposits are usually seen in the buttocks, legs, arms, hips and stomach areas. Not ideal places especially during the summer when wearing shorts and shirts are the norm.

Candidates for Cellulite

Women are ideal candidates for developing cellulite. They are more likely to develop fat deposits due to their physical disposition. These are caused by aging, pregnancy and hormonal changes. Women have different levels of fat in their body at different ages in their life. Race also plays a role as Caucasian women have a higher tendency to store fat compared to Asian women.

Aging plays a large role in the development of cellulite deposits. Metabolism slows making it harder for the body to burn fats. Skin may also loosen due to aging and sun damage. It loses its elasticity making skin contour uneven. As people age, they become more sedentary. An inactive lifestyle can bring rise to weight gain.

Women undergo many hormonal changes. It could be seen in their regular monthly periods and especially during menopause.

Cellulite Stages

There are different stages of cellulite deposits. A simple way of identifying which stage cellulite is by performing a pinch test. Using your index and thumb, pinch the skin on the thighs, stomach and buttocks. A dimple effect clearly indicates cellulite deposits. This could also be done by simply standing in front of the mirror and studying skin appearance.

The Nurnberger-Muller scale is a classification method for determining cellulite stages. Zero is considered as the norm and three as the most advance stage.

  • Normal (Zero) – there is no uneven surfaces or dimples. This is evident even when standing or lying down.
  • Stage One – there is a slight dimple when pinched and could be seen when sitting or when pressed against a hard surface.
  • Stage Two – dimples are present when pinched and uneven skin surfaces could be seen even when standing. The skin looks smooth when lying down.
  • Stage Three – dimples are visible even without pinching. Uneven skin and bulges could be seen when standing or lying down.

Simple Ways of Preventing Cellulite

There is no surefire way of preventing fat but there are simple ways of reducing their development.  The best way is to keep everything healthy. Maintain proper skin and muscle tone and reduce fat intake.

  • Diet Changes – we are what we eat and by sticking to healthy food and reducing fat intake we also prevent the appearance of cellulite deposits.
  • Exercise Regularly – living an active lifestyle helps burn fats and tones the muscles.
  • Maintaining your Ideal Weight – sudden weight changes could stretch your skin. Keeping your weight stable helps maintain skin tone.

Eliminating fat entirely from our system is impossible and not recommended. It is only when cellulite deposits reach abnormally high levels that health professionals recommend slimming down. Cellulite is the first signs that there is unusual fat build up in our bodies. It is also a sign that we should start seriously consider slimming down and go back to our healthy ways.

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Obesity in Children - Safe and Healthy Ways Children Could Lose Weight

Obese childThe number of children suffering from obesity continues to grow. While many parents think that kids who are above their natural weight is a sign of good health, medical professionals think otherwise. Obesity in kids is simply not healthy and is a sign of poor nutrition. One common misconception is that children who are malnourished are those who are sickly or severely underweight. But not having the right nutrition is not only having a deficiency of nutrients or vitamins but in this case storing too much amounts of fat.

There is no shortage of diet books or exercise programs for helping people lose weight. But these have been developed for adults not for children. A child’s body may not react the same way as an adult when given the same exercises or diet. As a general rule, it is best to stay with what’s been shown to work in scientific studies.

There are steps or guidelines developed by experts from the CDC, the Health Resources and Service Administration, and the American Medical Association and it is reviewed by 15 other professional organizations. You can start by choosing one or two steps and work your way into a healthier lifestyle.

Aim to maintain your child’s weight rather than lose weight for younger kids who still have a lot of growing to do.

This allows your young overweight child to grow into his weight. Cutting down calories in your children’s diet is not a good idea unless it is advised by your doctor.

Embrace a Healthier lifestyle for your family

Be a cheerleader for your family and keep it fun, enjoyable and positive. Then make your partner or another child a co-cheerleader to help keep up your family’s motivation. The more, the merrier.

Eat at the table.

It’s really tempting to eat in front of the TV or have a own schedule for family members, it is much better to eat together at the table at least 5 or 6 times a week. Kids who ate most of their meals with their family on the table were less likely to be overweight according to a study.

Focus on vegetables and fruits.

You should track how many servings of fruits and veggies your overweight child eats. The ultimate goal here is to convince your child to eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Making it more visible to your kid is an easy way of encouragement. Apple and oranges in a bowl is good on your table. Or you can also add up washed, cut, bite-sized veggies with a healthy dip on a plate covered with clear plastic wrap in the fridge.

Remove sugared beverages such as soda, sports drinks, and fruit punch.

Have each member of the family start every meal with a glass of water to help your family make this transition. It will really take time to get out of the habit of having sugary drinks every day but you’ll be able to make it. If they were used to drink sugary drink four times a day, try to switch to three a day for a week. Then cut down, and so on.

Being overweight or obese as a child may also lead to psychological disorders in some children. A child counselor or specialist helps to increase confidence and self-esteem. It will also develop coping strategies when they find themselves being teased or bullied.

If you want to help your overweight child, you can start with small changes to your family’s diet and lifestyle to make it healthier for the whole family. You have to remember that if a child is obese or overweight, they will have a higher risk for developing various health problems especially during their adult life. They will most likely be overweight or obese as an adult. If you will treat obesity during childhood, some of these problems may be prevented.

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