What is cellutite?

Cellulite is a term we use to describe the fat underneath your skin that is held in sepperate little "pockets" or compartments - because of this it gives it a dimpled look to the skin. Cellulite is made up of mostly fat but does contain water and proteins. When we create an energy imbalance in order to lose weight we can potentially lose fat from many different parts of our body - it could be from cellulite areas, out thighs, chest, abdomen, cheeks, chest, etc.. but we cannot control exactly where we lose extra fat from first. So you may lose that cellulite right away or you may not lose it at all.

There are some important things to think about to avoid gaining any more cellulite or excess body fat, to help deal with those cravings and to ensure that you do attain a healthy level of body fat.

1. Carbo-load, don't garbo-load!
Carbohydrates are one of the main sources of energy for working muscles. But because we have such a limited capacity to store carbohydrate it becomes important to maintain nutritional strategies that will optimize our ability to store muscle glycogen. Athletes and very active people do want to ensure that if they are expending large amounts of energy daily, that they choose carbohydrate-rich selections from within each food group. For instance both a croissant and a bagel are in the whole grains, breads and cereals group.however a croissant is a high fat (and high saturated fat) bread compared to a bagel. If you are watching your weight and/or want to refuel quickly, the carbohydrate rich bagel will benefit you more than a croissant will.. Even if your tastebuds disagree!

2. Practice Protein Perfection
Protein is the sometimes forgotten nutrient especially in females and in endurance athletes' diets. Protein is essential for building and repairing muscles, red blood cells and other tissues such as hair and skin. Proteins even play a role in immune function and hormone formation. Choose quality protein sources such aa, CAAWS, girls body image,where to play sports, girls self-esteem, girls soccer, girls cycling, girls and nutrition, nutrition for active girls, Canadian Association for women and sport, girls@play, snowboarding, skating, boarding, girl site, sports girl, extreme girl, mountain biking, skateboards, surfboards, X Games"> 3. "Meat" your Iron Needs
Iron is a component of hemoglobin (the carrier of oxygen in the blood) and myoglobin (carrier of oxygen in the muscles). Iron is also involved with enzymes of muscle metabolism.so a lack of iron means that not only do you not carry enough oxygen to the working muscles, your ability to use the oxygen once it gets there slows down! The heme form of iron, found in red meats is the most available form of iron for us. Include 3 servings or more of lean red meats each week as an easy way to help "meat" your iron needs. Most cereals and other grain products such as pasta, are fortified with iron, so look for these products and consume them instead of non fortified choices. These non-heme or plant sources of iron can be made more absorbable by combining them with a Vitamin C rich food. For example, drink a glass of orange juice in the morning along with your bowl of cereal.

4. Catch the Calcium Craze and Bone Up in Calcium!
Calcium is a mineral essential not only for building and maintaining strong bones it also helps muscles contract (the heart beat.) and regulates nerve function. Calcium, like regular exercise, helps in the prevention of osteoporosis, a bone thinning disease that affects many men and women. Dairy products such as milk, yogurt, cheese are the primary sources of calcium and Vitamin D (which helps us to absorb the calcium) in the Canadian diet. If you are trying to attain a healthy weight choose low fat dairy products to ensure that you do not take in extra calories that you may not need.

5. Fine tune your Fats
Fat is the greatest source of stored energy that we have! Fat is burned mostly during low-level activity (e.g. reading, sleeping) and long duration activity (e.g. long training runs or cycles). Fats also supply us with a source of essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins. Choose lean cuts of meats, poultry and fish. If you eat canned fish, make sure that it is packed in water. Choose skim milk dairy products and consume small pieces of lower fat cheeses (30 grams). Use predominantly unsaturated fats such as vegetable fats (i.e. canola, safflower, sunflower and olive oils) rather than the saturated fats (butter, hydrogenated margarines) in cooking, on breads and in dressings. BUT enjoy fat in foods when you do choose the richer foods as a treat!

6. Eat smaller amounts of food but eat more frequently throughout the day. This will help control those cravings!