Many rumors have circulated over the years about the much-dreaded stretch marks that can occur when you are pregnant. Some say they are hereditary and if your mother or grandmother had them, there is a good chance that you will have them, as well. Others say that if you don't nourish your skin properly while you are pregnant you will be more likely to get them. Your diet, the amount of exercise you get, the type of soap you use and hundreds of other factors might also apply.
No matter what the cause of stretch marks, however, no mother to be wants them. Not only do they not go away, but the stretching of your skin can be very painful and who would want to worry about any of that on top of all the other worries that are coming your way with the new responsibility of being a parent?
The cause of stretch marks is still unknown but there are a few things that can not only minimize the appearance of these scars but moisturize and nourish your skin for a healthier appearance. The first one as everyone knows is what their doctor has been telling them since they were small children themselves:
Make sure you drink eight glasses of water per day. Nowadays, everyone's lives have become super hectic and it is much easier for a pregnant woman to find a can of cola instead of a bottle of water, but the truth is that the can of cola that you enjoy with lunch does nothing for your body and it also does nothing for your baby besides give the little one a bad sugar high. If you want to eliminate the possibility of getting stretch marks, drink lots of water.
Water is proven by many doctors to help nourish your skin, hair, and nails. It also can help the appearance of any scar -- including stretch marks -- disappear over time. Water also not only helps your internal organs but it helps nourish and takes care of your little baby that you are carrying, and that alone is a great reason to drink more water.
Source: associatedcontent.com
More than anything you want to make sure that you are getting enough fiber in your diet. When it comes to what foods cause cellulite, anything fatty and sugary you will definitely want to avoid. Chocolate, cakes, biscuits, pastries, all of these should be avoided if you want to have the best skin and avoid problems like cellulite.
You also want to avoid salty foods as dietary salt can cause fluid to be retained in the body and may actually even worsen the visible signs of cellulite.
Add Fiber and Supplements
Fiber is basically the opposite; make sure that as you increase your intake of fiber you also drink more water or you may end up constipated. A high fiber diet means eating foods such as whole grain breads and cereals, fruit and vegetables.
There are also supplements that you can take and you will want to talk to your doctor to get more information on this. Ginkgo bilboba is one herb in particular that can help with cellulite by improving circulation and it may also be beneficial in reducing the severity of cellulite as well.
There are many other foods that you should be aware of when it comes to the topic of what foods cause cellulite. Basically you just want to make sure that you eat a healthy, well balanced diet and drink plenty of water. Exercise is also important of course, and every step you take here will be benefiting you, keeping you looking your very best and reducing your chances of developing something like cellulite.
Foods to be avoided by cellulitics
A detailed list of such foods, which should be avoided by a cellulitic is given here:
- Fish, salted and preserved caviar, anchovies, sardines, cod, tunny, haddock
- Oily fish like eels, mackerel, herring
- Certain meats like foie gras, duck, goose, fatty pork meats, stews, guinea-fowl, high game, tripe
- Shellfish like lobsters, crabs, crayfish, prawns, mussels, scallops
- Vegetables like broad beans, split peas, soya
- Fruit like all dried fruits
- Milk products like strong cheese
- Highly fermented cheese
- Cooked butter
- Confectionary
- Fried foods
- Condiments like mustard, pickles, garlic, spices, salt, pepper and all other spicy things
- Drinks like coffee, tea and all alcoholic drinks
- Tobacco like at the most two cigarettes a day
Myth 1 Low-fat or no-fat diets are good for you.
Fact
Leading dietician Lyndel Costain says: 'People tend to think they need a low-fat diet to lose weight, but you should still have a third of your calories coming from fat.'
The body needs fat for energy, tissue repair and to transport vitamins A, D, E and K around the body.
Lyndel Costain adds: 'As a guideline, women need 70g of fat a day (95g for men) with 30g as the minimum (40g for men).
'There's no need to follow a fat-free diet. Cutting down on saturated fats and eating unsaturated fats, found in things like olive oil and avocados, will help.'
Myth 2 Crash dieting or fasting makes you lose weight.
Fact
This may be true in the short term, but ultimately it can hinder weight loss.
Claire MacEvilly, a nutritionist at the MRC Human Nutrition Research Centre in Cambridge, explains: 'Losing weight over the long term burns off fat. Crash dieting or fasting not only removes fat but also lean muscle and tissue.'
The loss of lean muscle causes a fall in your basal metabolic rate - the amount of calories your body needs on a daily basis.
This means your body will need fewer calories than it did previously, making weight gain more likely once you stop dieting.
It's also why exercise is recommended in any weight-loss plan to build muscle and maintain your metabolic rate.
Claire MacEvilly adds: 'Fasting can also make you feel dizzy or weak so it's much better to try long-term weight loss.'
Myth 3 Food eaten late at night is more fattening.
Fact
Many diets tell you not to eat after a certain time in the evening. They say the body will store more fat because it is not burned off with any activity.
A study at the Dunn Nutrition Centre in Cambridge suggests otherwise.
Volunteers were placed in a whole body calorimeter, which measures calories burned and stored.
They were fed with a large lunch and small evening meal for one test period, then a small lunch and large evening meal during a second test period.
The results revealed the large meal eaten late at night did not make the body store more fat.
It's not when you eat that's important, but the total amount you consume in a 24-hour period.
Lyndel Costain adds: 'It is true that people who skip meals during the day, then eat loads in the evening are more likely to be overweight than those who eat regularly throughout the day.
'This may be because eating regular meals helps people regulate their appetite and overall food intake.'
Myth 4 A slow metabolism prevents weight loss.
Fact
This is a common myth among dieters who are struggling to lose weight.
Studies have shown that resting metabolism - the number of calories used by the body at rest - increases as people become fatter.
In other words, the larger you are, the more calories you need to keep your body going and the higher your metabolism.
Clare Grace, research dietitian at the Queen Mary University of London, says: 'Weight gain occurs when the number of calories eaten is greater than the number used up by the body.
'Unfortunately, people are becoming increasingly sedentary, burning off less and less calories, and it seems likely this is a crucial factor in the increasing numbers struggling to control their weight.'
Myth 5 Fattening foods equal rapid weight gain.
Fact
Believe it or not, true weight gain is a slow process. You need to eat an extra 3500 calories to gain one pound of body fat (and vice versa for losing it).
Lyndel Costain explains: 'If the scales say you've gained a few pounds after a meal out, it's largely due to fluid, which will resolve itself - as long as you don't get fed up, and keep overeating!
'A lot of people feel guilty and think they've blown their diet if they eat rich foods. But, how can a 50g chocolate bar make you instantly put on pounds?
'For long-term weight control, balance high-fat foods with healthy food and activity.'
Myth 6
Low-fat milk has less calcium than full-fat milk.
Fact
Skimmed and semi-skimmed milk actually have more calcium, says dietician Alison Sullivan, because the calcium is in the watery part, not the creamy part.
She says: 'If you're trying to lose weight and cut fat from your diet, skimmed milk is your best bet because it is lower in fat and has 10mg more calcium per 200ml milk than full fat.
'Semi-skimmed is best for maintaining a healthy lifestyle if you're not dieting.
'Full-fat milk is best for children and adults who are underweight.'
Myth 7
Low-fat foods help you lose weight.
Fact
'Low-fat' or 'fat-free' doesn't necessarily mean low calorie or calorie-free, warns Lyndel Costain.
Check the calorie content of foods, especially cakes, biscuits, crisps, ice creams and ready meals.
Extra sugars and thickeners are often added to boost flavour and texture, so calorie content may be only a bit less, or similar to standard products.
Foods labelled low-fat should contain no more than 3g fat per 100g.
'Watching the quantity is important,' adds nutritionist Alison Sullivan. 'People tend to have half-fat spread but then use twice as much.
'And things like fruit pastilles may be low in fat, but are high in sugar which turns to fat.
'With low fat foods, look to see where else the calories might come from.'
Myth 8
Cholesterol is bad for you.
Fact
Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is made mostly by the liver.
It can be bad for us, because it forms deposits that line and clog our arteries. Clogged arteries contribute to heart disease.
But we all need some blood cholesterol because it's used to build cells and make vital hormones - and there's good and bad cholesterol.
Lyndel Costain explains: 'Saturated fats found in food like meat, cheese, cream, butter and processed pastries tend to raise low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, known as 'bad' cholesterol, which delivers cholesterol to the arteries.
'High density lipoprotein (HDL), or 'good' cholesterol, transports cholesterol away from the arteries, back to the liver.'
So choose unsaturated fats such as vegetable oils, nuts and seeds.
Myth 9
Vegetarians can't build muscle.
Fact
Vegetarians can be as muscular as meat eaters by getting their protein from vegetable sources such as cheese, nuts, pulses and grains.
Claire MacEvilly says: 'You need protein to build muscle, but too much can lead to long-term side effects.
'The body can only store a certain amount of protein, so too much can damage the kidney.
'The Department of Health recommends that 50 per cent of energy should come from carbohydrates, 35 per cent from fat and the remaining 15 per cent from protein.'
Myth 10
You always gain weight when you stop smoking.
Fact
Some people gain weight when they stop smoking, some lose weight and some stay the same.
While nicotine does increase the body's metabolism, its effect is small. It's far healthier to be an overweight non-smoker than not bother giving up because you think you'll put on weight.
Alison Sullivan says: 'Where people tend to fall down is when they replace a cigarette with comfort food.
'Chewing sugar-free gum or snacking on vegetable strips kept in the fridge is a good idea because you can have these instead of reaching for the biscuit tin.
'And something like a satsuma keeps your hands occupied until the craving goes away.'
Source: netdoctor.co.uk
