Why do you have cellulite?

culled from:pulse.ng

Most of us, especially in Nigeria, grew up assuming cellulite was just one of those things you get from weight gain or genes.

There is nothing wrong with having cellulite, and your body isn’t “ruined” or “disgusting” for having some lumps and bumps. In fact, it’s really no big deal.

If you feel that reducing the appearance of your cellulite isn’t something you really care about? Hey, that’s totally cool.

Cellulite is a skin condition that affects upwards of 90% of women all over the world.

Sure, some men are affected by it, but for the most part, it affects women, often to the point of being fearful of wearing shorts or a bathing suit, for fear of revealing the dimply appearance of her butt, thighs or mid-section.

Cellulite consists of several changes in your skin’s normal structure, coupled with circulation issues (fatty areas of cellulite tend to have poor blood circulation and are cold to the touch), and changes within the fat cells themselves.

If you have cellulite, there isn’t much you can do to get rid of it, but you can possibly reduce its appearance if you want to achieve a smoother look.

Even babies have cellulite too.

Females, by virtue of our hormonal environment and body structure, are blessed with cellulite from the very beginning.

And genes play a role, which probably explains why some babies have and at that early an age.

When women hit puberty, the battle with thigh cellulite commences.

A woman’s femoral region (the back of the upper thigh) is very responsive to her very unique hormonal profile.

Estrogen increases the activity of thigh fat cells to anti-lipolytic alpha receptors, preventing fat breakdown and loss. It also stimulates an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase (LPL) responsible for fat growth. This can occur in the buttocks and abdomen as well, but is usually localized to the back of the legs.

Prolactin (the breast-feeding hormone) also makes cellulite more visible because it increases water retention in the fatty tissue, which makes each fat cell look larger and lumpier.

The look of cellulite can be so frustrating for some women that they will spend any amount of money on creams and pills to reduce its appearance.

However, there likely are no topical solutions on the market today that will make much of a difference, especially compared to improved lifestyle, diet and exercise.

Of the little that we can control with respect to cellulite, there are two major things we can change to minimize its appearance: activity level and diet.

With cellulite, you either have it, or you don’t, and your environment can improve or exacerbate its appearance.

If you have it, you can make it look less pronounced even if you can never really get rid of it.

Exercise lowers insulin levels, but most exercise is done for only 30 minutes to 1 hour each day.

Sadly, many of us just sit for most of the day and miss this opportunity to be active and move our bodies.

It’s important to realize that sitting on your behind, day in and day out, does not do much for improving blood flow to your thighs or making your butt look more shapely.

Areas that are cellulite-prone are known for having reduced blood flow already, so anything you can do to increase circulation may help.

Other than exercise, diet is an important weapon against the appearance of cellulite.

Most importantly you need to minimize simple carbs, sodium, alcohol, and manufactured fats in your diet.