The Tribune

By Christine Carey

Cellulite is one of those things that either you accept is a beautiful part of the human body or you dislike it and do all you can to banish it. Here are a few things I’ve learned about cellulite and effective ways to reduce its appearance.

Cellulite is an accumulation of fatty deposits. They become increasingly visible or lumpy when you have an increase of toxins. We get toxins from things like alcohol, junky processed foods, foods our body doesn’t break down well, pollutants in the environment and lack of exercise. Some people say that cellulite is hereditary; however I believe that what is hereditary is not the cellulite itself but eating and lifestyle habits.

Reducing the appearance of cellulite takes time. And unfortunately, a lot more time than it takes to put on the extra weight. But with consistent diet and lifestyle changes your body will begin to take a healthier shape.

1. Cut out alcohol

Sorry to say, but it’s really important. As an example, each bottle of wine (or 4 glasses) is about 600 calories, mostly from sugar.

1. Increase your

intake of whole

foods and decrease

processed foods

Eliminate them all together for faster results.

1. Be aware of

food combining

The body seems to have an easier time processing proteins with vegetables rather than proteins, carbohydrates and vegetables together. It is very helpful to speak to a trained nutritional professional about your diet to make sure you’re getting

adequate nutrients. Many people go at it alone and end up being deficient in vitamins and minerals. Exhaustion and irregular bowel movements are a sure sign of deficiencies.

1. Drink half your

body weight in

ounces of water

per day

If you weigh 160lbs, you need 80 ounces a day.

1. Get enough sleep

Many of us have difficulty sleeping throughout the night. And there are many reasons for this. Figure out what the solutions are to attain some balance and bring this very important healing mechanism back into your life.

1. Start lifting

weights

You will get great results from about 20 minutes a day of weight training, especially when you use your major muscles (like your thighs and hips). Make sure and get someone professionally trained to guide you through some initial routines to avoid injury. Add in a little cardio and you’ll accelerate the process.

It is important to note that when you begin a detoxification program, which this essentially is, these common side effects can occur but should only last a short time: headaches, bloating, skin rashes, irritability. Your skin is the largest organ and as you are releasing those toxins, many times they come through the skin.

On the positive side, after sticking with this for a couple of weeks you can feel: happier, lighter, have regular bowel movements, more hormone balance, experience an increase in mental clarity, and decrease in preventative disease and illness.

Take care of your body and your mind; we only have one this lifetime.

• Christine Carey is a Certified Holistic Life Coach (www.christine-carey.com), Partner at Liquid Nutrition (www.liquidnutrition.com) and Director of Corporate Wellness at 242 Consulting (www.242consulting.com). With over ten years of coaching experience, Christine works with individuals and groups to assess and define their health and lifestyle goals with a strong focus on increasing knowledge and implementing tools for success.