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When you think of cellulite, you probably think of ugly ‘orange peel skin' and ‘cottage cheese thighs.' Cellulite is embarrassing, it's depressing, and it's unhealthy. The bad part is you don't even have to be fat to have cellulite. Even thin and slender people suffer from this malady. Regular fat settles in all parts of the body, but cellulite gravitates towards certain areas, like
-Buttocks
-Thighs
-Ankles
-Back and inner areas of upper arms
-Hips
-Stomach
Cellulite is a potential precursor of other health problems like varicose veins and broken blood vessels. A simple test will help detect cellulite. Press the tissue between thumb and finger, or between two palms. If cellulite is present, you will see ugly ‘orange peel' designs on the skin.
Formation of cellulite:
Muscles in our body are covered with a padding of fatty connective tissue. This is surrounded by a liquid, which nourishes and helps remove waste. When all systems work in harmony, waste products that collect in this liquid are removed efficiently. But when waste begins building up in this liquid, it thickens and hardens into pockets. This forms grooves that look like “cottage cheese.”
Certain contributing factors help the buildup of cellulite:
-Lack of exercise
-Constipation and digestion problems
-Insufficient intake of water
-Poor eating habits
-Hormonal cycles
-Pregnancy
Cellulite formation can begin during teenage years. Although cellulite is not hereditary, incorrect eating habits are usually passed down from parents to children.
To regain the smooth contours of your skin, you need to loosen the trapped waste matter and flush these from the body. The connective tissue also has to be loosened and restored to its original elasticity. The best way to do this is through strength training, cardiovascular work, and a healthy diet.
Strength training:
As we age, metabolism slows down, and there is a startling loss of muscle from the body. Simultaneously, fat begins to accumulate. A woman can easily gain 15 pounds of fat per decade. Strength training fights this detrimental muscle loss and limits fat gain. Muscles burn calories, even when the body is at rest. Concentrate on exercises that target your hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes, and abductors. Lunging, squatting, leg curls, and leg extensions are effective.
Diet:
If you are on a quest for a lean, smooth, cellulite-free physique, evaluate your eating habits. Eat food rich in fiber. Stay away from white flour, white rice, commercial fruit juices, colas and burgers. Five to six small but balanced meals, rich in lean proteins (fish and chicken) and low-glycemic carbs (oatmeal and yams) are the best. Limit the intake of sodium. Alcohol is a definite NO.
Drink lots of water, as detoxification is an important part of your battle against cellulite. Proper elimination of waste is necessary. Constipation is a major cause of cellulite. Do not use laxatives to remedy this; instead use stool-bulking products. These products are not habit-forming and do not have any side effects. A fiber rich diet aids fast bowel movements.
Massaging the areas that contain cellulite will stimulate circulation. This is particularly good for areas that are hard to be exercised, like the inner areas of the thighs and the upper arms.
Most women and quite a few men detest the splotches made by cellulite on otherwise creamy smooth skin. The process of eliminating cellulite can be slow and sometimes very discouraging. Hard work and optimism are the only mantras here.
No reasonable man wants man boobs -- the fact is they are generally not attractive to women, and can lower your confidence, which is not good. Everyone knows that women are attracted to confidence. In this article, we will discuss how to decrease your man boobs and give you a flat and attractive chest.
In order to get rid of your man boobs, you have to understand how they occur in the first place. The most common way that man boobs come about is by being overweight. The fact is that your pectoral muscles store fatty tissues. The more fat you have on your body, the more fat will be contained within your pectoral muscles.
The second reason why man boobs occur is because of a certain medical condition, which has been classified as gynecomastia. In this case, your body produces an excessive amount of estrogen and an inadequate amount of testosterone.
Actually, because these two different causes vary greatly, each requires its own treatment. If the main reason that you have man boobs is because you're simply overweight, then it is a matter of working on a way to get down to your ideal body weight.
In this case, do not fall for "spot reduction" methods. The fact is if you want to lose fat anywhere on your body, you have to make it a plan to lose fat on every place on your body.
This means combining a good workout with a sensible diet.
If you're suffering from gynecomastia, then the first place to look is in the medications you take. Certain medications can cause you to produce estrogen or reduce the level of testosterone in your body. Also, it is important to get a checkup, because a testicular tumor can often be the cause of the body creating too much estrogen.
If you are around your ideal weight and you suffer from having man boobs, then it is important that you seek out medical advice. Here, you want to get a checkup to make sure that your estrogen levels aren't extremely high, and if so get the proper medication to treat this problem.
In some dire cases, surgery may be necessary if you're suffering from gynecomastia. In any case, it is important that you get this condition checked out by a medical professional.
In conclusion, I have given you the two main causes of man boobs, and the best way to treat each cause. Use this as a general guide to research this matter further.