Yes! You Can Reduce Cellulite!

Cottage cheese, dimples, lumpy?  Those are the words that come to mind when you think of cellulite.  None of us like cellulite but we have it and regardless of size!  All of us, except men, which I don’t understand because they don’t wear short shorts and bikinis!  Ok, back on track here.  Guess what?  You can greatly reduce cellulite!

I battle it myself and keeping my lymphatic system in check is KEY to less dimples!

One of my favorite ways to stimulate my lymph system is dry brushing.  What is dry brushing? Dry brushing is a form of lymphatic massage. You lymph system is underneath your skin so it doesn’t take much to activate it. You lymph system is a network of tissues and organs that help rid the body of toxins and wastes. It is actually a part of your immune system!

For the dry brushing you will perform on a “dry” body with a “dry” brush (like this one). Start at the bottom of your feet and in a circular motion work your way up with light to medium pressure and as you reach your shoulder go down to your heart  where you will finish. Repeat. I do this before I bathe at night and also try to before I dress in morning.  I massage a little longer on cellulite areas.

If you think your lymphatic system is always circulating, it is not!!  Your lymph system doesn’t just flow on its own like your cardiovascular system, which has a powerful heart to keep fluid flowing, so your lymph system has to be stimulated by all the ways I listed above!  You need to nudge it, daily, and hopefully in more than 1 way.

How can you activate your lymph system?

Exercise
Dry Brushing
Jumping on a trampoline
Jump rope
Lymphatic massage
Hot & cold showers
Deep breathing
Drinking plenty of water

So if you are already really good at drinking plenty of water and you add in dry brushing, exercising, or deep breathing then you are really getting things going!

Now you have a reason to jump rope again!  I loved jumping rope as a kid but it is a little tougher as an adult and I definitely feel things ‘movin around’ when I do, mostly in places I would rather not be moving!  If you jump rope or jump on a mini trampoline aim for about 10 minutes!  That’s all it takes.

Deep breathing is so easy to perform and is also relaxing.  It really calms your body!  My favorite way is to breathe in through nose for 6 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, and slowly release for 8 seconds.  Do that 2 -3 times and not only did you stimulate your lymph system BUT you calmed yourself down!

You can even use a quartz or jade roller ball on your face, neck, and chest to gently stimulate your lymph system and help flush out toxins.  This is really great for helping with wrinkles PLUS it just feels good!

Type of Exercise

Strength training is really important here.  Us women tend to do more cardio in fear of ‘bulking’ up from weights but that is not going to happen from using weights!  Squats, lunges, leg raises, leg lifts, and all the variations of each are KEY to smoothing out those dimples by replacing them with muscle while LOSING weight.  Muscle weighs more than fat so pay attention to the way your clothes fit.  Also, having more muscle means you have a higher metabolism which means you will burn fat easier.  Win win!

Cardio is also important but I do have to say strength training is MORE important.

I would say 60% strength training and 40% cardio for your exercise ratio.  I personally love HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) where I can get an amazing quick (25 min) workout that leaves my body burning calories long after I finished working out. I have my own workout routine I created where I incorporate BOTH cardio and strength training that is also a HIIT workout.  It takes about 40 minutes but has AMAZING results!

What are the benefits to activating your immune system?

Reduce cellulite
Rid your body of unwanted materials
Strengthen immune system
Detoxify

Those are pretty good reasons to activate your immune system? Am I right? Plus anytime you are detoxing better you WILL FEEL BETTER!! All over!

And how does my lymphatic system get rid of cellulite again??

So now when you hear ‘lymphatic system’ you will think of more than just lymph nodes!  I bet ya never thought that your lymphatic system and cellulite were tied together!  I know for my self I easily fluctuate between 5-6lbs of extra weight if I am not doing right by my body.  When I am just 5 pounds heavier my cellulite is more pronounced!  Why?  Because I have been overeating, exercising less, and therefore I have more toxins.  Guess where toxins like to hide?  In adipose tissue, aka fat!  These are reasons that when people start to eat really clean, workout , or do any sort of detox they are informed they might feel blah before they feel great AND that is because of all the toxins being flushed out as they lose fat.

Get rid of these foods for less dimples

Ok, so you are stimulating your lymph system and really getting things moving around your body, good job!  Guess what?  If you do not stop eating certain foods along with that then you are running in place instead of running forward (metaphorically speaking).

Cellulite Causing Foods

• Sugar – this is the #1 cause of cellulite!  Read your labels!  Not sure how to read a label for all of the sneaky ingredients and fancy verbiage?  Teaching clients is one of the many things that comes with my Virtual Pantry & Fridge Makeover.  You will no longer be fooled by those hard to decipher food labels afterwards.
• Processed Foods – hey, if it comes in a package it has gone through some sort of processing.  If it comes in a package AND you cannot pronounce the ingredients then your body will not recognize the ingredients to break it down.  The more ingredients listed AND the more you cannot pronounce the MORE processed it is!
• High Carb Foods – not all carbs are created equal first of all.  You have complex carbs and simple carbs.  Complex carbs (sweet taters, taters, beans, certain veggies, quinoa) burn slower in your body and are a good source of fiber.  You do not need to eat these all of the time BUT they are great at lunch time and after intense workouts.  Simple carbs (breads, rice, corn, cereals, sugars, syrups) burn fast, raise your blood sugar, and give you cute little dimples on your legs!
• Unhealthy Fats – notice I used the term ‘unhealthy’ and not just FATS?  There is a huge difference!  Unhealthy fats like trans fats, are dimple causing little devils.

Now if you really want to create cellulite then mix high carbs, unhealthy fats, and sugary foods together.  Voila!

Cellulite Decreasing Foods

• Veggies – fill your plate with mostly veggies and you are setting yourself up for success!  You will be giving yourself tons of phyto (plant) nutrients along with fiber which really helps flush out toxins.
• Healthy Fats – fats fights fat!  It is true!  Healthy fats fight unhealthy fats.  Think avocados, nuts, olives coconuts, fatty fish.
• Water – water not only helps you stay full but it flushes out toxins.  Win win!
• Fruits – berries, cherries, green apples, watermelon are my go-to’s.  Berries are low in fructose/sugars but high in antioxidants.  I do not eat a ton of bananas, red apples, oranges, or grapes as they are high in fructose.  Now if you have to choose between a banana or candy bar then please choose the banana!

You are all set!  Put these tips into action and you my friend will start to reduce cellulite and inches off your waist!