Cellulite – It’s a word that can make many women cringe. Those dreaded dimples of flesh that most commonly affect the thighs, buttocks and abdomen. This condition can affect men as well, although it is a lot less obvious.

So how do we if we are afflicted with this problem?

First we’ll take a look at the causes of cellulite and what cellulite actually is.

What Exactly Is Cellulite?

Also known as ‘Orange Peel Syndrome’,  cellulite is the dimpling of the skin as a result of the herniation of subcutaneous fat with fibrous connective tissue. Generally it occurs in females past the age of puberty and is rarely noticeable in men due to a man’s much thicker skin, which makes it harder to see. Also, men tend to deposit fat in different parts of the body to women. In addition to this a man’s fat is stored deeper beneath the skin surface, further hiding cellulite deposits.

The term ‘cellulite’ was first coined back in the 1920s, a name that became more prominent in the 1960s when articles were published about the condition in major periodicals such as Vogue . Up to 98% of women can suffer from cellulite issues at some stage throughout their life. This is a very high percentage, but in many cases it’s not a noticeable problem.

What Causes Cellulite?

There are a number of contributing factors. Some women get bad cases of cellulite while others do not, and this can often be attributed to hormones, or the condition could be hereditary. There could be a metabolic or physiological change as a woman gets older, leading to the body reacting in a way that it creates cellulite deposits.

Crash diets and regular dieting can also be a cause, where the body has an adverse reaction to the sudden changes in nutritional intake. An example being cutting out fat for a period of time, then suddenly eating fats again. The body will often go into starvation mode and over-compensate the next time it receives a dose of food it has been denied for some time.

Also, a high-stress life can be a contributing factor, as increased levels of stress also increase the amount of These are organic compounds derived from amino acids and have been known to aid in the production of cellulite cells.

Some other factors that can contribute to cellulite problems include:

• Drinking too much alcohol
• Smoking
• Poor blood circulation
• A lack of appropriate exercise

Cellulite Exercises

Which brings us onto this topic. There are indeed some exercises that can greatly reduce the appearance of cellulite and well as prevent further build up of these unsightly deposits. Obviously any exercises that target the actual problem areas will be beneficial, but let’s look at a few that are really known to help with this issue:

Abduction Squats

You can use one of those big exercise balls for this. Using one leg at a time and alternating, raise your right leg and place it on top of the ball and move the ball left and right. Return the foot to the floor and then do the same with the left leg. Once both feet are back on the ground, squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor, hold for a few seconds, then slowly raise yourself back up into a standing position. Keep repeating this routine for around 10-15 minutes.

Lunges

You can do this with or without weights. Basically lunges are like doing squats one leg at a time. Take a giant step forward with your left leg and bend the knee to a 90 degree angle while lowering the right knee towards the floor. Propel yourself back up onto two feet and take a lunge with your right leg. Keep doing this until you’ve built up a good burning feeling in the muscles, take a break for 60 seconds, then go again.

Hip Bridge

This one is great for toning up a whole bunch of areas all at once; such as the thighs, hamstrings, calves, buttocks, abs, back and arms. Virtually a full body workout. Lay down on the floor, bend your legs at the knees with both feet flat on the ground. While keeping your arms parallel to your sides and firmly on the floor, raise your butt off the ground until the point between your neck and your knees is held in a straight line. Lower yourself to the floor and repeat. Do 10-12 reps, take a short break, then perform two more sets.

Squat and Side Lift

To add more resistance you can do this exercise with ankle weights if desired. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointing out at a 45 degree angle. Place your hands on your hips with the elbows bent. Lower yourself into a half squat as if preparing to sit, straighten back up again, then swing your right leg out to the side. Bring it back in again and do the same with the left. Repeat the process by going directly into another squat and performing the legs swings. Do 15 reps, take a break, then do two more sets.

Cellulite Diet

Fluid can be a big issue when it comes to cellulite. On one hand the fat deposits look worse when full of fluid, and dehydrated skin makes that cellulite look stand out even more prominently. You need to drink plenty of water to keep the skin well-hydrated, but at the same time it’s also necessary to reduce fluid retention. This can be achieved by eating diuretic foods such as celery, cucumber and asparagus. You can read a good book on dieting to .

Eating healthy fats not only helps keep the skin hydrated, they also help keep the fat cells dehydrated; two things you want to accomplish to reduce the dimpled cellulite appearance. Nuts, seeds and fish oil are excellent sources of healthy fats.

Keep alcohol and soft drink consumption to a minimum and steer clear of oily takeaway foods that are laden with unhealthy fats.

Following is a bulleted list of some of the foods that are beneficial in the battle to remove cellulite:

• Lemons
• Herbal tea & green tea
• Whole grains
• Skinless chicken
• Raw foods
• Garlic
• Avocado
• Cherries
• Papaya

Cellulite Creams

Scientists and medical teams have been researching products for years as they search for . Some of these creams have been proven to be beneficial and actually reduce cellulite deposits as well as helping to prevent them returning to problem areas. Here we’ll be introducing you to two of the hottest products on the market today and giving a brief summary of each.

Cellulite Solution

Featured heavily in the media and produced by the Dermology company, has been a bestseller in recent times. It is made with all natural ingredients that easily absorb into the skin. You simply apply like any cream or moisturiser. The solution will penetrate the skin and get to work on reducing those lumps and bumps to leave your skin smooth and dimple-free in time.

One of the main active ingredients in this product is caffeine. When consumed by mouth by drinking coffee and tea, the caffeine contained in these drinks will rarely, if ever, reach those problem fat cells. The caffeine contained in Dermology’s Cellulite Solution penetrates those fat cells directly and helps to break them down.

See the image below for the list of active ingredients:

The benefits of using Cellulite Solution:

• Smoother, healthier skin
• Reduction in dimples
• Reduction in fat deposits
• No bad odour or residue

Many users declare they see noticeable results in just a few shorts weeks of regular use. The cream is easy to apply and doesn’t leave any uncomfortable tingling sensations like some cellulite formulas of days gone by used to do.

It comes with a free one month supply when you first order.

Revitol Cellulite Solution Cream

This product works to firm and tighten the outer layer of the skin, while also penetrating deeply beneath the dermis to attack the pockets of fat and ‘fix up’ those connective tissues that cause that unattractive dimpled appearance. One of the main active ingredients is Retinol A (derived from Vitamin A). This compound improves the skin’s outer texture while also repairing those all-important connective tissues. Below is a before and after graphic, demonstrating the results of .

Active Ingredients:

Revitol Cellulite Solution Cream comes with a trial offer and a 100% money back guarantee if not completely satisfied with the results.