Do you struggle with orange peel? The anti-cellulite diet is one of the main allies in the fight against the imperfection most hated by women. In addition to hormonal and vascular factors, poor diet is in fact one of the causes that can contribute to the appearance of cellulite.
Unfortunately, it’s not just an aesthetic issue! Cellulite is the consequence of a real inflammation that doctors call “localized adiposity” (AL). It affects the subcutaneous tissue, which modifies its metabolism and accumulates fat. Water retention is a consequence! And you will observe the characteristic orange peel appearance.
Hips, thighs, buttocks and abdomen are the areas most easily affected. But how to get rid of cellulite? Healthy eating is an effective weapon, not only to fight, but also to prevent orange peel skin.
Find out more about this blemish and how to get rid of it by following the anti-cellulite diet.
Cellulite: what it is and why it appears
Cellulite is not just a beauty flaw. It derives from a structural alteration of the adipose cells of the subcutaneous tissue: dermis and hypodermis. The affected cells undergo changes in metabolism, which leads them to accumulate fat.
As a result, fat cells increase in size and tend to retain water. In the intercellular spaces (between the cells that make up the tissue) a stagnation of water and liquids from the surrounding tissues is activated; phenomenon better known as “water retention”.
All this is mainly due to poor water reabsorption. The lymphatic system and the blood microcirculation do not drain the local tissues well and the water remains, causing the visible blemish such as “orange peel”, but also a local inflammatory state of the affected area.
Recapitulating, we have:
- an alteration of the metabolism of the subcutaneous tissue.
- Increased volume of fat cells.
- Localized stagnation of liquids (water retention).
- Poor drainage.
This is where edematous fibrous panniculopathy, more commonly known as cellulitis, manifests itself.
This imperfection mostly affects women and mainly affects legs, arms, thighs and buttocks. Among the triggering causes are genetic, hormonal and vascular factors, associated with poor eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle.
That’s why an anti-cellulite diet, together with an active lifestyle, can make the difference in fighting and preventing orange peel skin.
Let’s find out what are the most useful strategies and foods to knock out cellulite at the table!
Find out the causes of cellulite.
Let’s find out what are the most useful strategies and foods to knock out cellulite at the table.
Anti-cellulite diet: nutritionist advice
Salt and sugars are two sworn enemies of cellulite: that’s why the first step of an effective anti-cellulite diet is to drastically reduce them. Luca Piretta, nutritionist (SISA) explains why.
Salt is “a powerful water retainer, therefore, given that cellulite is characterized by an excess of adipose tissue with edema and therefore local water retention, to counteract it it is advisable to limit its consumption”.
This means that you have to pay attention not only to the salt you add to the dishes you cook, but above all not to exceed with all those foods that already contain it. In particular:
- preserved and processed foods.
- Cold cuts and cured meats.
- Canned meats.
- aged cheeses.
- Kitchen dice.
In addition to salt, it is also important to reduce the consumption of sugars: “an excess of sugars – explains Piretta – leads to excessive formation of adipose tissue, which can get trapped in the thighs and buttocks, parts of the body that tend to be more affected by cellulite”.
The advice is therefore to reduce the intake of sweets, which must represent the exception, and not the rule, in a path of healthy eating.
Anti-cellulite diet: useful foods
Water, potassium, fiber and antioxidants: here is the poker of beneficial nutrients that help you eliminate cellulite.
It seems like a paradox, but hydration is really important against cellulite! To eliminate excess fluids from the body, it is necessary to keep the tissues hydrated. This is why, in addition to drinking a lot, it is good to bring foods rich in water but also diuretics and purifiers to the table.
Here are which foods can help you reduce cellulite!
Fruits and vegetables: source of water and potassium to purify
Water and potassium are valid allies to drain and purify the body. We have seen how water is needed to keep the tissues hydrated and eliminate stagnant water. But potassium? This element is really essential for regulating the water balance.
In fact, together with sodium, it helps to keep body fluids at the right values, regulating, among other things, volume (blood volume) and blood pressure. But what is interesting in this context is its role in preventing water retention!
Potassium modulates intracellular fluids (inside cells) with an (almost) opposite function to that of sodium. Stimulates diuresis and helps eliminate excess fluids and sodium.
Among the many foods, fruit and vegetables, preferably in season, are among the most useful, because they are rich in water, potassium and mineral salts.
In particular, green leafy vegetables and other vegetables are very effective, such as:
- chicory.
- Spinach.
- Agretti
- Tomatoes.
- Lettuce.
- Cucumbers.
- Onions.
- Green beans.
- Zuchinis.
As for fruit, strawberries and kiwis are among the richest in water and are therefore precious allies in the fight against cellulite. But other potassium-rich fruits can also help:
- apricots.
- Pineapple.
- Avocado.
- Banana.
- Watermelon.
- Melon.
- Berries.
- Dried fruit.
If you are interested in the topic, discover all foods rich in potassium.
Anti-cellulite diet: the importance of drinking
In addition to serving foods rich in water, it is also important to drink at least 1.5 – 2 liters of water a day. But not all types of water are created equal! In the anti-cellulite diet you will have to drink water low in sodium (less than 20 g / l).
In fact, the more you hydrate with low-salt mineral water, the more liquids you eliminate. While, a water rich in sodium could worsen the retention condition that accompanies cellulite.
It would be ideal to drink more or less the equivalent of 8 kitchen glasses a day. If you can’t, you can help yourself with herbal teas, teas and flavored waters. But it’s essential to drink them without adding sugar.
Pineapple against inflammation
We have seen it among the foods richest in water and potassium. But in addition to being a good source of hydration and mineral salts, pineapple is known to have specific “fat burning” properties, useful against cellulite.
Its qualities derive from the bromelain content. This enzyme not only has a strong diuretic power, which makes pineapple an excellent remedy against the first symptoms of cellulite, but also boasts anti-inflammatory, anti-oedematous and anticoagulant properties.
Therefore, this feature makes it useful for improving tissue oxygenation and circulation in the lower limbs, reducing swelling and inflammation that cause orange peel skin.
In short, due to its qualities, pineapple cannot be missing from our anti-cellulite diet.
Red fruits to improve circulation
We have seen how at the basis of cellulite there is a dysfunction of the microcirculation, i.e. the small blood circulation: a dense network of venous and arterial capillaries (< 200 micron in size) which supplies nourishment to the local cells and collaborates, together with the lymphatic system, in reabsorb waste metabolites and fluids from surrounding tissues.
The accumulation of fat in the subcutaneous tissues (which characterizes the onset of cellulite) compresses the capillaries, compromising their function and triggering inflammation of the adipose tissue (“hypodermic adipose buffer”).
The microcirculation therefore has very important roles in our body:
- carries oxygen and nutrients.
- Removes carbon dioxide from tissues.
- Regulates blood flow and tissue perfusion (affects blood pressure).
And its malfunction determines:
- Heavy legs.
- Water retention.
- Local inflammation.
That’s why eating foods that improve circulation helps. Red fruits, such as raspberries, blackberries, currants and blueberries, are particularly beneficial thanks to their anthocyanin content.
These antioxidants from the flavonoid family help keep blood capillaries healthy, thus promoting venous circulation and microcirculation in particular. In short, don’t forget to include red fruits in your anti-cellulite diet!
Fibers for intestinal health
It is now known that dietary fiber supports the activity of your digestive system. As?
Insoluble fibers:
- they help the intestine to retain less liquids and less fat.
- They speed up digestion and excretion.
- They increase the bulk of the stools.
Soluble ones:
- they perform a purifying action, favoring the elimination of toxins.
- They slow down the absorption of sugars and fats;
- They promote the sense of early satiety (they are an aid to control oneself at the table).
Inserting fibers into your diet every day is also helpful in combating cellulite. We understand why.
First, they help you maintain a healthy weight by slowing down the absorption and accumulation of fat. But also because they favor the purification of the organism. All this helps to counteract the orange peel effect.
Even legumes and dried fruit can help you increase the amount of fiber you take in every day. Here’s why these foods should never be missing from your diet…
