Cellulite can sometimes be so stubborn that it never leaves you alone. Even though you’re using creams, workouts, spa procedures, and lord know what else. But you know what the trick might be? Removing the foods that cause cellulite from your diet.
I’ve recently had a nice moment while streaming a TV show. I saw that one of the actresses, whom I’ve admired for years, had some cellulite in her thigh area. And I appreciated that. After decades of stressing myself out over the “orange peel effect” on my legs and feeling all awkward and weird when going to the beach, I am in a place of acceptance with the imperfections in my body.
But maybe, just maybe, instead of stressing out about it, I could try something I haven’t thought of until recently: avoiding the foods that cause cellulite. You see? There might be no other way because some people have cellulite in their genes and it’s impossible to get rid of completely. But eliminating some unhelpful foods might just make the cellulite invisible. The culprits are the usual suspects: salt, sugar, and bad fats.
What is cellulite anyway?
It’s a buildup of fat cells that accumulate and expand beneath your skin. They end up pushing against tissue and thus cause that uneven skin appearance. You know where it tends to turn up: your hips, your buttocks, your thighs, and your arms. And then it refuses to go away.
Foods that cause cellulite
1. Pizza and fatty foods
Pizza is one of the biggest sources of saturated fats in your diet. And these fats tend to clog your arteries, which in turn leads to poor blood circulation and oxygen flow. This leads to the weakening of connective tissues, which makes your skin look like cottage cheese.
2. Cottage cheese
Speaking of cottage cheese, it’s one of those foods that cause cellulite. It might not taste salty, but take us at our word: one cup serving of cottage cheese can have almost 700 mg sodium, which is about a third of what you’re supposed to have daily. How about you try replacing it with some yogurt? It has more protein and less salt. A totally winning combo, I’d say!
3. Sugary drinks
For firm skin, you need to keep producing collagen. And if you want to keep doing that, cut back on your sugar. And especially your sugary drinks that are so not worth consuming. It could be said that sugar consumes collagen, so it’s definitely a no-no if you want to get rid of cellulite. Of course, sugar is everywhere, in any food. But having sodas is like drinking melted sugar. Definitely not recommended.
Also avoid at all costs: energy drinks and even diet drinks. They all have sugar or an even worse replacement. Even vitamin water is guilty of way too much sugar.
4. Processed foods
Including, but not limited to deli meats, processed cheeses, and of course, all kinds of snacks you find at the supermarket. Does the sacrifice seem too big for you now? I would say that getting rid of cellulite and lumpy skin, is worth all the sacrificing. All of these things are loaded with salt or their flavors are designed to make you never feel full and satisfied.
Find cheeses that are low in sodium, like feta, which has about 400 mg of sodium. Unfortunately, deli meats are all loaded with sodium, so they have to go. Salty foods lead to water retention, and that extra H2O makes cellulite more visible. Drink more water, too, because staying hydrated helps your skin look more flexible.
5. Foods similar to butter
Margarine and all the other kinds of almost-butter spreadable items are full of trans fats, which harden inside your body. They clog your arteries and make the blood flow way harder than it has to be. This damages your circulation and makes your skin tissues weaken and lose elasticity. That’s one of the causes of cellulite.
So, if you want something creamy and buttery on your bread, resort to actual butter and not the bad replacements. It actually has a fatty acid called CLA or conjugated linoleic acid which supports weight loss, because it burns through fat.
