The 5-Day Anti-Cellulite Meal Plan You’d Be Crazy Not To Try

by Women's Health | May 10, 2017 | Food & Nutrition

By Nicole Wraight, Juliana Diniz and Sharon Natoli; image from Pexels.com

Bitter experience tells us there’s no instant fix for a bumpy booty, but if you’ve got five days…

What exactly is cellulite?

“Cellulite is a term used to describe the dimpled appearance of the skin caused by fat deposits just below the surface,” says Dr Phillip Artemi of the Australasian College of Dermatologists. “It generally appears in the abdomen, lower limbs and pelvic region.” The (kind of) relieving news: “Cellulite knows no cultural boundaries,” says Dr Melanie Gerolemou, owner of Sculpt Aesthetic and Wellness Clinic in Cape Town.

It’s a condition that occurs in every woman and it can strike at any age, although it’s more common from 35 onwards. “Thinner skin and expanded fat cells mean you can see these cells pushing through, giving skin that ‘orange peel’ look,” she adds.

What about creams and lipo?

And now the news you’re dreading (but really already knew): “Creams just don’t penetrate deep enough,” explains Gerolemou. Yes, they’ll help with your skin’s tone and texture, but they won’t “cure” fat cells. “Using a cream will help resurface the skin so the problem is less noticeable,” she says.

And lipo? The problem is, to eliminate cellulite you’d need to repair the netting under the skin and, as yet, there’s no medical or scientific evidence that any intervention can do this. “Liposuction will reduce fat and break down connective tissue, but it’s very invasive,” says Gerolemou, who warns that it can actually cause dimpling.

So, what’s a girl to do?

Before you moisturise, have an AHA moment by exfoliating the outer layer of skin cells with a cream that contains alpha hydroxy acids. You can also repair collagen with massage, because it stimulates the blood supply to the connective tissue. Add 20 seconds of massage with any moisturiser or baby oil to your beauty regime twice a day.

Diet is another approach to reducing the appearance of orange-peel skin. Dermatologist Dr Howard Murad, author of The Cellulite Solution, says that fat cells get damaged from a combination of ageing, genetics and hormones that result in cellulite, so we can repair those damaged cells by consuming antioxidants, amino acids, essential fatty acids, B vitamins, trace minerals and lecithin. Here’s your nutritionist-devised weight-loss eating plan that contains these nutrients…