Cellulite is the term given to the unsightly formations that occur on the surface of the skin, generally caused by superficial fat deposits.

These fat deposits lie close to the skin’s surface as women have vertical chambers in their subcutaneous fat layers where fat stores are stacked. When these ‘stacks’ get high enough these chambers may protrude slightly into the dermis, causing the visible disruption to the skin’s surface.

There are various reasons why cellulite forms, including a poor diet and questionable lifestyle choices, hormones, your genetic predisposition and age.

However, the one common denominator to all of these factors is the accumulation of toxicity in your body. Your body stores toxins in your fat to help minimise how much toxicity your vital organs are exposed to. This is why even a skinny person with an unhealthy lifestyle could be susceptible to cellulite.

All women have cellulite and it generally occurs around the buttocks, stomach, upper thigh region and the calves and ankles. In fact, the unsightly appearance of cellulite gave rise to the term orange peel skin, which is what most people use to describe affected areas. The issue is that as we age these things tend to worsen due to the changes our bodies undergo. However, the good news is we can win this battle with a bit of cellulite cream, exercise and a healthy diet or by following the seven tips below.

Cellulite free tips:

• Eat a clean, alkaline, unprocessed diet – Eating this way helps to rid your body of toxins. Consider juicing vegetables for even faster, more effective results.

• Stay hydrated – Drink lots of water and stay away from stimulants and diuretics as much as possible.
• Change to sea salt – Refined salt dehydrates your body and creates toxicity.
• Skin brushing and creams – Stimulating the lymphatic system (lymph nodes sit underneath the surface of your skin) through dry bristle skin brushing and massage helps to eliminate toxins by increasing circulation, which also helps to reduce water retention and increase skin firmness. Moisturising also increases the elasticity of your skin so it appears smoother and less lumpy. Most cellulite creams only do one of these functions, but I use a product called Shrink to Fit (stocked at JVL) which does both.
• Exercise – Sweating releases toxins, while toning with weights firms skin.
• Potassium – This releases excess water retention in a natural way which, in turn, would eliminate plumpness.
• EPA and GLA oils – These essential fatty acids not only keep your skin, hair and nails strong and healthy, but they also help to prevent the formation of harmful fatty deposits in blood vessels. They also help to burn the subcutaneous fat that can provide a home for waste material, which leads to increased cellulite.