by Jennifer Lim

Created on: September 25, 2009   Last Updated: September 26, 2009

Have you ever notice unsightly lumpy appearance on the thighs of some celebrities in magazines? This lumpy substance that looks like orange peel or cottage peel affect almost 90% of women and a small percentage on men. Can we prevent cellulite from forming?

Cellulites are collections of fat and dietary toxins stored in the cells under our skin. It pushes against connective tissues beneath our skin, giving the dimple, lumpy look on the surface of the skin especially around thighs, hips, stomach and arms.

It's difficult to prevent cellulite not unless you are inherited with the fortune of a gene that prevents cellulite. As a matter of fact, there are people whose genetic makeup ensures that they will get cellulite.

Another reason why cellulite formation is difficult to control is hormones. Hormones play an important role in cellulite formation, which explains why most women suffer from cellulite. Hormonal changes such as puberty, pregnancy and menopause can affect the regulation of blood flow, fat and lymphatic drainage. There is also a theory that estrogen, insulin, thyroid hormones and prolactin influence cellulite production. Women taking birth control pills have a greater tendency to cellulite formation due to increase flow of estrogen in the body.

Though it is not easy to prevent cellulite, proper care with a combination of internal and external treatment can help us reduce the appearance of cellulite. Since cellulite are accumulation of waste and fat in our body, the ultimate purpose will be to effectively eliminate toxic waste, enhance the body's natural cellular function and speed up metabolic rate. Doing it correctly will not only ensure long term reduction of cellulite, it will also improve our health and well being.

Here's what you can do to prevent cellulite:

1.Exercise consistently to reduce the appearance of cellulite. As cellulite build up mostly at the lower part of our body, it could be ideal to target your exercise around your stomach, hips and thighs. Incorporate some strength training in your exercise regime, especially workout that will increase the muscle tones and decrease body fat. Exercises like Step Aerobics, lunges, hamstring curls and brisk walking are also effective for burning fat and toning up thighs, stomach and hips.

2. Do not go on crash diets as losing weight won't eliminate all the cellulite build up. Crash diets actually harm our body as it cause your body to hold on to the fat, slow down metabolism and may worsen cellulite appearance. Adopt a healthy and balanced diet that is low in fat. Avoid junk food, processed food and food with saturated fat. Eating smaller meals several times a day can help improve the body's metabolic rate. A healthy diet will improve your skin and enhance your overall well being.

3. Drink more than 8 glasses of water a day will hydrate your body and help flush out toxins. This should not include coffee, alcohol and drinks with high sugar content.

4. It is believe that daily skin brushing can help stimulate blood circulation and improve lymphatic drainage. Skin brushing also remove dead skin cells and encourage new cell growth. To get the best benefit from skin brushing, do it before bathing. You can easily buy skin brushes from pharmacy and health shop.

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