5 Cellulite Remedies that Actually Work

cellulite-remedies-tsjo

The Best Cellulite Remedies that Actually Work

Being cellulite free isn’t a pressing health concern, but let’s face it, none of us wants wrinkled thighs. Unfortunately, because many women tend to carry the bulk of our weight in the hips, thighs and buttocks we are definitely prone to those dreaded dimples. So, as swimsuit season nears I thought I’d leave ya’ll with some tips on how to get those nice smooth thighs you really want, even if it isn’t a pressing need.

1. Drop Some Pounds

Essentially cellulite is fat. The less fat you have, the less cellulite you will have. There’s a reason why you don’t see too many ballet dancers or Olympic athletes with cellulite; they have very little body fat. It’s been shown that weight loss generally reduces the fat that causes dimpling in the butt and the thighs. When your body fat drops, your fat cells shrink and your skin looks smoother and more contoured.

2. Tighten and Tone to Work It Off

Losing the fat is only part of the battle. We’ve all seen skinny people who had plenty of cellulite. This happens because, while they are slim, they aren’t toned. The skin is loose, allowing what body fat they do have to show through in the dimply, puffy fashion that characterizes cellulite. Adding resistance training to your workouts will help to tone and tighten up your skin to give your butt and thighs a more firm and smooth appearance.

3. Massage Your Thighs

Massage is a temporary and easily to administer cellulite remedy. While it won’t make the fat go away, it will redistribute the fat, giving your thighs a smoother, firmer look, temporarily. To get the desired results, follow a daily routine. After getting out of the shower, sit on the edge of the tub and, using your fist, massage the skin on your thighs. You should apply quite a bit of pressure over all of your cellulite heavy areas. Repeat a few times on each leg. The massaging will help prevent fat from collecting in one area and break up and smooth out the fat that is already there.

4. Coffee Is for More Than Just Drinking

Most cellulite creams have one main ingredient–caffeine. Caffeine, outside of being a morning pick-me-up, also helps to keep the fat cells moving. You can use coffee grounds in a twice per week routine for this purpose. Start by placing newspaper on your bathroom floor. Sit on the edge of the bathtub with a can of coffee grounds. Rub the coffee grounds into the cellulite-laden areas of your body with your hand or a loofah. Wrap your legs with seaweed or plastic wrap and let sit for a few minutes. Unwrap your legs and rinse off thoroughly. For extra intensity, take a rolling pin and apply it to your legs while wrapped. For extra intensity, take a rolling pin and apply it to your legs while wrapped.

5. Give Mesotherapy a Shot

Mesotherapy is a more invasive remedy to rid your body of cellulite. Administered by a doctor, mesotherapy is a combination of amino acids, minerals and vitamins, injected directly into the problem areas. The treatment usually is recommend for two weeks for an affected area and the results can be dramatic. Mesotherapy has few side effects and the biggest health risk may be an allergy to the ingredients used in the shot.


 Cellulite Remedies Wrap Up

Cellulite affects 85% of women. So having cellulite isn’t some shameful thing, and while diet and exercise will help, it won’t eliminate the issue altogether. Proven methods to help get rid of the cellulite are great options to have. Have you tried any of these remedies? Which one of the above do you think you will try to help with your cellulite? Sound off in the comments below.

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Thick Thighs = Healthy Heart

Turns out my thick 23.5in thighs are just perfect. According to a new study they are the perfect size to keep me heart healthy. And here I was thinking I needed to lose some inches:

The lure of “thinner thighs” has been used to market countless books, DVDs, and diets over the years. If new research published today is confirmed by other studies, though, perhaps there should be an addendum: ” . . . but not too thin.” Writing in the medical journal BMJ, Danish researchers who followed 2,800-plus people for longer than a decade reported that—believe it or not—a smaller thigh circumference is associated with a bigger risk of heart disease and premature death. This effect was independent of body fat percentage and BMI.

Oh and there’s more:

People with thighs measuring less than 60 centimeters (a little more than 23½ inches) around were at higher risk of heart problems
and early death than those with larger thighs, but no extra benefit accrued to either men or women whose thighs were more than 60 centimeters around.

23.5 inches?

That’s where I’m at right now.

WOOHOO!

I’m not quite the fat cow I think I am. lol.

Seriously though there have been other studies that show having wide hips and big butts are a sign of health. Others that show that a small waist is key to heart health. So from what I can gather if you’re an hourglass or spoon shaped woman you’re in good shape even if you’re not a size 6. That being a skinny *ahem* chick is just plain bad for your health.

Or am I just projecting?

LOL.

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12 Tips to Staying Motivated

Keeping up the day to day of working out can be tough. Motivation is key, but keeping up that motivation, particularly if you don’t like working out, can be just as difficult as saying no to that extra piece of cake. Well The Health and Fitness Guide offers 12 Keys to Staying Motivated:

# 1. Vary your routine every so often to prevent boredom and provide enhanced benefits by working different muscle fibers within the same broad muscle groups. Try different exercises; try doing more reps and lighter weights one day; more weight and less reps another day, etc.

#2. A little bit is much better than nothing and in fact goes a long way. While an hour or so 3 to 4 times a week is great, exercising for 15 to 20 minutes once or twice a week is much better than no exercise.

#3. Work with a trainer when bored or discouraged– even if it is just for a few sessions – to get you back on the right track, learn some new things and rejuvenate your workout.

#4. View work-out time as “your time” to escape from the demands placed on you from others and take care of yourself. Get in a “zone” by focusing on the music you’re listening to, the results you will achieve or how good you will feel after your workout.

#5. Write down your goals – You are more likely to remain committed to them. Also, keep a diary of your workouts and your progress – what gets recorded and measured gets improved.

#6. Workout with a friend – you will push each other and time will go by faster.
Keep reading for the other six.

What do you think?

Do any of these tips resonate with you?

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Apparently Black Women Are Big Boned

For all of you who’ve lost the weight, but the BMI scale doesn’t seem to agree…it’s not you:

The body mass index (BMI) and waistline measurement overestimate obesity in African-Americans, according to a new study. The results, which were presented at The Endocrine Society’s 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., suggest that conventional methods for estimating body fat may need to become race-specific.

“Compared to Caucasians, African-Americans of the same age, gender, waist circumference, weight and height may have lower total and abdominal fat mass,” said principal investigator and study leader Samuel Dagogo-Jack, MD, professor of medicine and chief, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis. “These findings argue for a review of the existing cutoffs for healthy BMI and waist circumference among African-Americans.”</span

I've written about this before in Big Butts = Good Health I mentioned how a study shows black women can have a BMI of 27 and still be healthy. This new study largely confirms that the current BMI scale doesn’t do a good job of measuring black women’s body mass.

I completely understand what this article is saying. At 140lbs I’m borderline overweight according to the BMI scale and at 165 I’m listed as obese. In reality I’m rocking a six pack at 140lbs and I’m merely overweight at 165.  The previous scale where you weren’t considered overweight until you BMI hit 27 was a bit more accurate.

Now, this doesn’t mean that you can be 250lbs and be healthy. It does mean if you’ve lost a considerable amount of weight and look lean and helathy, but the BMI scale is suggesting you’re not, you’re probably in good shape. I’m mean at 140lbs I’m rocking a size 6, but if I listen to the BMI I’d still be worried about being overweight.

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Everything You Should Know About Heart Disease

African American women are especially affected by heart disease. They have a higher mortality or death rate than white women and black men under the age of 55 years. The mortality rate from coronary heart disease is 69% higher than for white women. In addition, the first heart attack occurs at an earlier age in black women and is more likely to be fatal than is the case in white women. And pre-menopausal women who have hypertension, which is more common in black women, have 10 times the heart attack risk of those without high blood pressure.

Risk Factors in African-American Women

Black women have the highest rates of what are called risk factors for cardiovascular disease in the country, when they are compared to men and women of their own race as well as other races. When you have a risk factor, which means that you are unusually likely to develop CVD, as opposed to people who have none. In addition, the more risk factors you have, the greater are the chance that you will have an adverse event involving the cardiovascular system such as a heart attack or a stroke. It has been well documented that African American women have the highest rates of the following risk factors:

* Smoking: 26% of black women smoke
* High blood pressure: about one-third of black women have hypertension
* Obesity: two-thirds of black women are overweight or obese
* Physical inactivity: the majority of black women do not exercise regularly

In addition, diabetes, which causes so many heart attacks that it is now considered a cardiovascular disease and a CVD risk equivalent, is found in a very high percentage of African American women.

Warning Signs for Black Women

Pain in the chest is a classic symptom of an impending heart attack, and it means that your heart is literally crying out for help. It is called angina. Black women do not experience it as commonly as white women, for reasons that are not entirely clear. It may also occur in locations other than the chest such as the back, arm, and even the jaw. It may or may not be associated with activity. If it does occur, it may be misinterpreted as indigestion or an upset stomach. The best advice is, don’t take a chance—go to the nearest hospital right away to be checked to make sure you are not having a heart attack. This is crucial, because half of the people who have a heart attack die on the first occasion. You may not get a second chance if you are having a heart attack and don’t get immediate medical attention. So use 911—that’s what it’s there for. Better safe than sorry. Shortness of breath, a fast heartbeat, excessive sweating, unexplained weakness and tiredness, nausea and dizziness may also occur.

High blood pressure may not cause any signs or symptoms warning you of its presence until something happens, such as a stroke or heart attack. For this reason, it is called the “silent killer”. You really do need to get that blood pressure checked by a doctor, and more than one time. When hypertension does cause symptoms, they may include headache, dizziness, rapid heartbeat (palpitations), or blurred vision. But don’t wait until these symptoms occur, because by then, dangerous complications stemming from damage to major organs may already be in progress.

Stroke is caused when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted, and it can also be caused by blood clots in these arteries or whenever a brain artery is ruptured or bursts, causing cerebral hemorrhage, which commonly occurs in black people who have hypertension. Strokes generally occur suddenly, often without warning. Some of the warning signs may be sudden numbness or weakness of the limbs or face, especially on one side, sudden confusion, difficulty speaking or walking, difficulty focusing the eyes, and headache. If any of these things happen, you should get to the hospital right away, because brain damage progresses within minutes and is usually permanent and irreversible unless treated very quickly. Call 911 immediately. You don’t even have time to get dressed.

Conclusion

It is not possible in this small space to give more than a comprehensive overview of the problems, but hopefully, you have gotten the most important message of all, which is to get yourself checked out by a doctor and to heed the advice given.

From What Every Woman Should Know About Heart Disease from Blackdoctor.org

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Staying Motivated When You’re Not Seeing Results

So how do you stay motivated when you’re not seeing any results?

What’s going to keep you going to the gym or doing that workout video or waking up early to run everyday?

I ask the question because that’s the situation I find myself in right now. My weight is fluctuating between 165lbs – 169lbs which is down from my high of 172lbs, but nowhere near the 140lbs I’m trying to get back too.

It’s beyond frustrating.

I know that my body is prone to weight gain and not so much weight loss. I also know that I gain muscle easily as well so that’s a bit of consolation. So except for the occassional experience with back fat (that’s gone now by the way) I’m not saggy or flabby and I still have a small waist and relatively flat stomach.

But still..

I’m tired of being fat.

And all the running and walking and jumping doesn’t seem to be doing the trick.

Sigh.

It can be tough.

Ultimately I don’t have any major words of wisdom, but to keep going to the gym, doing those videos and waking up and running. I think you have to be very methodical about it. Tracking your weight, being congzinant of what you eat and making the necessary changes if what you’re currently doing isn’t working. Basically you just keep pluggin away because the alternative isn’t an option.

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Racism May Affect Maternal Health of African American Women

Seems like racism is even more insidious than most could imagine. High maternal mortality rates in African American women appear to be caused by the stress of dealing with racism in daily life:

According to Women’s eNews, African American women “are three-to-six more likely to die during pregnancy and the six weeks after delivery than U.S. white and Latina women.” This statistic applies to women on all levels of education and income. There are some studies that maintain black women who are highly educated and have a middle income are actually at higher risk.

Although African American women comprise 12 percent of the female population in this country, they represent almost half of the maternal mortalities.

It is now thought that these dismal statistics are because of living with the stress of racism– “from workplace discrimination to maltreatment in maternity wards.” This is now the leading hypothesis on the present state of maternal health among African American women.

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4 Gym Hair Tips For Keeping Great Hair While Working Out

Gym Hair Tips

Gym Hair Tips So You Can Sweat It Out

It’s been awhile since I talked about hair on this blog, but on the few times I’ve been able to make it to they gym, I’m always amazed at what length black women will go to not to sweat. Not sweating…in the gym? Isn’t that the point? But god forbid they mess up their hair.

This leads me to ask the question: Is your hair really worth your health? Really?

I want to look fly like everyone else, but even when I had relaxed hair, I was in the gym sweating it our six days a week. Never was my hair going to prevent me from being healthy and in shape. And let’s be real, how fly can you look if you’re grossly overweight? There is more to your body and looking good then a hot hairdo. It’s long past time for us to get out proprieties straight where are health is concerned and realize the superficial (fly hair) is not worth our health.

Make this the year that it’s okay to sweat out the do. It can always be fixed. Here are some tips to help with the post workout hair from Nubian Fitness Goddess:

1. While working out wear a cotton sport headband. It absorbs most of the sweat while I workout and keeps my hair flat. I do not recommend tying your hair up with a scarf. I have found that my hair sweats more that way.

2. Do NOT touch your hair until it dries. When I first started working out I would try to comb my hair while it had sweat it in. This does not work; it spreads the sweat throughout your hair. I learned that my hair is much more manageable if I wait 30-45 min after working out so it can dry.

3. Learn how to care for you own hair. This past year I had to learn how to care for my own hair. Caring for my own hair gave me the opportunity to wash and deep condition it at least once a week ( as opposed to paying someone every other week). Doing this has kept my hair healthy and I work out when I want to without worrying about wasting my money at the hairdresser.

4. Hair Products that Help
*No Rinse Shampoo- if you’re on the go and you really need to get the sweat out use No Rinse Shampoo.
*Aveda Reviving Mist- this is useful if you need a refresh, you can also dry Dry Shampoo. It’s really helpful in between washes
*Aveda Anti-humectant – this little jar is worth the investment during the summer time. It helps prevent frizziness in humid weather.

So what do you think? Are these some gym hair tips that you find helpful? Do you think now you can sweat it out in the gym and keep your hair looking fly? Let us know in the comments.


You May Have A Big Butt, But How’s Your Health?

Big Butt Health

Have A Big Butt And Be Healthy

So many sisters pride themselves on their “Donks,” “Fatties” and “Big ol’ butts,” but the question becomes do those large posteriors also come with a side of dimpled thighs and flabby gut?

I get that black women’s butts are the things of lore, but you can’t focus on one body party to the exclusion of your overall health.

I hear (and know) many women who run around touting the gloriousness of their hindquarters yet are probably well into the obese category or at the very least grossly overweight.

Newsflash: we are more than our behinds. And our lives dictate that, not only do we look fly, but we’re healthy as well. We will get out hair and nails done and dress to the nines at whatever size we are, but healthy seems to bypass us.

It’s time we focus on out overall health and not just the greatness of one body part. You can be healthy and have a big butt too. The two aren’t mutually exclusive, let’s just focus on begin healthy first and let the behind fall where it may.


Getting Healthy is Not Something Only White Women Do

Getting Healthy

Getting Healthy Is A Black Thing

Too often in the black community we ascribe certain aspects of our life we need to improve to “something only white people do,” as if we’re somehow beyond or better than that thing. Unfortunately, when it comes to our health, too often it seems we only believe white women do certain things, particularly when it involves any physical activity, dieting or just simply pampering ourselves.

The gym, running, yoga…only white women do that.
Dieting, pilates, spinning….only white women do that.
Massages, Spa dates, facials…only white women do that.

You get the picture.

When did being healthy and taking care of ourselves become something only white women did? We have a right and responsibility to fully take care of ourselves–body and mind. While we regularly praise what the lord has done and will do for us, we would show him real respect and gratitude for the life he has given us if we full took care of ourselves, mind, body and our soul.

Caring for yourself isn’t relegated to race. We all have a right to be healthy and happy and we need to fully embrace that right