Thursday, October 9, 2008

Vexed by cellulite?


The less you weigh, the less cellulite you have, right? Not necessarily. Contrary to popular belief, the real culprit of cellulite is damaged skin. Closely linked to overall health, cellulite is a skin disorder that affects, or will affect, most women at some point in their lives, regardless of how much they weigh. New research has shown that the appearance of cellulite is more closely related to skin damage, or, in the words of Dr. Howard Murad, "the loss of cellular water."

Many factors contribute, such as: environment, stress, diet and lifestyle. When the skin doesn't get enough water or vital, cell-building nutrients, dehydration sets in, causing fat cells, normally contained deep within the dermal layer of the skin, to bulge out between the collagen and elastin fibers. The result of this breakdown?? Cellulite. A breakdown of the blood vessels is considered the start of cellular water loss and may even be the reason cellulite develops at all.

Hydrating the skin from the inside-out is one key component to preventing or even reversing the signs of cellulite and a great start is to strengthen blood vessels. In addition to staying hydrated and drinking enough water, consider supplementing your diet with certain nutrients that are particularly effective in the fight against cellulite, including: grape seed extract, glucosamine sulfate and gotu kola. Another whole-body wellness step, which will also assist with the appearance of cellulite, is to ensure your diet includes adequate amounts of essential fatty acids, or EFA's. Not produced naturally by the body, EFA's must be obtained through the diet.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Thanks for pointing out the misconceptions associated with cellulite and providing us with helpful tips!

I think it's also important to avoid getting upset if you see cellulite. Instead, focus on leading a healthy, active lifestyle and taking good care of yourself, which you've spelled out by drinking water and eating right.