10 simple foods to get rid of cellulite

You definitely don't want cottage cheese thighs (aka "cellulite") to show up during summers and spoil your beach party. But the problem is that cellulite (the extra fat which shows up as bulging and dimpling deposits just below our skin making it look ugly) is stubborn.

No matter how much money you spend on products and potions, those ugly, orange-peel bumps stay stuck, impossible to conquer. Plus cellulite is seemingly fair - it doesn't discriminate; skinny people get it too, and so do men actually.

But keep heart, there is a way out - via our plate actually!

Eat good fats

If your skin is healthy and toned then the cellulite below it doesn't really show.

So go for omega 3 rich foods: walnuts, flaxseeds, fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna) and other MUFA and PUFA rich foods like avocado, nuts (particularly almonds and walnuts), seeds, olive oil and cold pressed oils.

Flax seeds help in particular as these contain lig-nans, the phytochemicals that help to correct hormone imbalances, which often lead to the formation of cellulite.

Cut salt

Too much salt leads to water retention which makes cellulite more visible.

So stop reaching out to the salt shaker every now and then.

Boost potassium

Make sure you eat at least two potassium rich foods every day as they counter extra sodium in our diet and cut water retention.

Coconut water, most fruits and vegetables, specially banana, dark leafy greens and potato are good bets.

Add antioxidants

Cellulite is usually a result of toxin accumulation in the skin, so a con-certed effort to boost the antioxidant quotient of helps.

It's easy. Simply eat at least two of these high antioxidant foods every day: berries (raspberries, strawberries, blue berries), mango, banana, papaya, (which studies show helps prevent tissue damage under the skin), pomegranate and tomato.

Tomatoes help double as they are high in lycopene, a nutrient that prevents the breakdown of collagen in the skin and promotes cell re-newal. And pineapple delivers the enzyme bromelain, an anti-inflammatory agent that helps to reduce cellulite by boosting fat cell metabolism.

Catch some (vitamin) C

Foods rich in vitamin C are excellent cellulite-busters as this vitamin helps boost levels of collagen in the skin leading to better elasticity and thus firm and taut looking skin.

Amla (gooseberry), lemon, and pineapple are my three main picks. And while you are at it cut sugar from your diet too, as besides in-creasing inflammation in the body, it also interferes with the metabolism of vitamin C.

Choose your cuppa carefully

Make it green, as green tea helps with fat breakdown thus preventing fat deposits. The anti-oxidant EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) present in it also helps. Matcha is the best form of fat-busting, energizing, antioxidant-rich green tea. Studies show that peppermint tea also helps. Coffee also provides temporary help.

Caffeine in it works as a stimulant and dilates blood vessels, which temporarily tones and tightens tissue, besides increasing circulation and reducing water retention. And antioxidants in coffee help release toxins.

So maybe a couple of cups everyday on days leading to the vacay is a good idea. Too many will dehydrate your body and skin, so be careful.

Eat an alkaline diet

Our diet these days is primarily acidic (highly processed and pack-aged foods) which leads to higher toxic residue in the body (= more cellulite), so eating primarily alkaline foods is the way to go. I am talking green (vegetable) juices, lots of fresh, seasonal vegetables and fruits.

Top five alkaline foods: eggplant, spinach, cucumber, watermelon and lemon.

At a pH level of 9.0, lemons are the most alkalising food. And that's why beginning your day with warm water and lemon is a brilliant cellu-lite busting idea.

Score lecithin

This is a kind of fat found in egg yolk, soy products, peanuts, oranges, spinach, cauliflower, potato and tomato.

It helps restore the connective tissue and repair it.

Also as cellulite becomes more prominent with dehydrated skin or lack of moisture, lecithins ability to restore the moisture of the skin also helps.

Eat turmeric

This wonder spice contains curcumin, which is a powerful anti-toxic substance.

It flushes out toxins from the body effectively. Warm turmeric milk at bed time every once in a while is a good idea.

Hydrate yourself

Water is a powerful remedy for cellulite busting as it is a natural anti-toxic agent.

Toxins develop due to impaired digestion, and metabolism and enough water (8-10) glasses a day) helps prevent both.