4 Tips for a Better Butt
Once during a meeting with a bunch of women, we got to talking about food, obviously — specifically how you can use foods to help shape different parts of the body. It was inevitable that someone asked, “Is there something I can eat that will make my butt look better?” The answer is “yes”!
If you’re one of the 85% of women (and 10% of men) that has cellulite on your backside, here’s more incentive to eliminate caffeine from your diet.
James D. Lane, an associate research professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University says, “The effects of coffee drinking are long-lasting and exaggerate the stress response both in terms of the body’s physiological response in blood pressure elevations and stress hormone levels.” Numerous studies have shown a direct correlation between stress hormones and cellulite. And since consuming caffeine can lead to heightened stress, it may increase your risk for fatty skin, bumps, and dimpling.
Instead of that coffee or soda, drink water. Water is the best way to flush toxins every day and keep your skin hydrated, plump and elastic. My rule of thumb is to drink half of your body weight — in ounces — per day. So for a 140-pound person, that would be 70 ounces of water.
Lastly, you also want to eliminate artificial sweeteners such as Sweet ‘N Low, Equal, and Splenda, as these are friends to a lumpy, bumpy butt. Remember, if it’s fake, take a break.
4 tips for a better butt
These easy tips make a huge impact on my clients:
1. Eat a snack of fruit immediately before exercise.
The largest muscles in your body are your butt muscles — your gluteus maximus, or your “glutes.” A fruit snack before a workout feeds those large muscles with the quick-burning fuel they need to contract and relax to maximize your workout efforts quickly. Which fruits in particular? Citrus is my most favorite because it is very high in a nutrient called bioflavonoid, as well as vitamin C. One orange or grapefruit within half an hour of your run or cardio workout will make that big muscle snap to. If you are in Phase 2 on the Fast Metabolism Diet, where only lemon and lime are allowed, make yourself a tangy mint tea: Squeeze one lemon and one lime into iced mint tea. Add stevia if you like. That will increase blood flow to fatty areas right before your weight workout. Yes, you need protein to build muscle, but you also need fruit to make it stand at attention.
No gym membership? No problem. You don’t need one to work your butt. Squats are about the best exercise you can do, and you can do them at home.
This large muscle group is also lined with a sometimes very thick layer of fat. The fat on your butt has very poor blood flow. Tips 2 and 4 deal with that!
2. Treat your butt to a salt scrub. Dry skin brushing, loofah, or salt scrubs bring blood flow to the fatty areas of the butt. Take time during every shower to scrub this area. I use a homemade salt scrub consisting of 50% course ground sea salt and 50% aluminum-free baking soda. Or treat yourself to a salt-scrub spa treatment and let someone else do it for you!
3. Turn your workout pants into hot pants.
The substance that makes your Mexican food spicy can also help your bottom line. Capsaicin is what gives hot peppers their fire. By using a cream or gel that includes capsaicin just before workouts, you can help promote blood flow to your butt area. Some of my clients like to wear neoprene pants or wrap in plastic wrap just before their run, lunges, or squats. Be careful with application — you don’t want capsaicin in any sensitive areas and be sure to wash your hands after applying to avoid getting it in your eyes.
4. Consider taking either cinnamon or ginkgo biloba before a workout. Both can also help improve blood flow. Before taking these or any supplements, check with your doctor first. These supplements are both blood movers and can be contraindicated in conditions such as high blood pressure.
Once during a meeting with a bunch of women, we got to talking about food, obviously — specifically how you can use foods to help shape different parts of the body. It was inevitable that someone asked, “Is there something I can eat that will make my butt look better?” The answer is “yes”!
If you’re one of the 85% of women (and 10% of men) that has cellulite on your backside, here’s more incentive to eliminate caffeine from your diet.
James D. Lane, an associate research professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University says, “The effects of coffee drinking are long-lasting and exaggerate the stress response both in terms of the body’s physiological response in blood pressure elevations and stress hormone levels.” Numerous studies have shown a direct correlation between stress hormones and cellulite. And since consuming caffeine can lead to heightened stress, it may increase your risk for fatty skin, bumps, and dimpling.
Instead of that coffee or soda, drink water. Water is the best way to flush toxins every day and keep your skin hydrated, plump and elastic. My rule of thumb is to drink half of your body weight — in ounces — per day. So for a 140-pound person, that would be 70 ounces of water.
Lastly, you also want to eliminate artificial sweeteners such as Sweet ‘N Low, Equal, and Splenda, as these are friends to a lumpy, bumpy butt. Remember, if it’s fake, take a break.
4 tips for a better butt
These easy tips make a huge impact on my clients:
1. Eat a snack of fruit immediately before exercise. The largest muscles in your body are your butt muscles — your gluteus maximus, or your “glutes.” A fruit snack before a workout feeds those large muscles with the quick-burning fuel they need to contract and relax to maximize your workout efforts quickly. Which fruits in particular? Citrus is my most favorite because it is very high in a nutrient called bioflavonoid, as well as vitamin C. One orange or grapefruit within half an hour of your run or cardio workout will make that big muscle snap to. If you are in Phase 2 on the Fast Metabolism Diet, where only lemon and lime are allowed, make yourself a tangy mint tea: Squeeze one lemon and one lime into iced mint tea. Add stevia if you like. That will increase blood flow to fatty areas right before your weight workout. Yes, you need protein to build muscle, but you also need fruit to make it stand at attention.
No gym membership? No problem. You don’t need one to work your butt. Squats are about the best exercise you can do, and you can do them at home.
This large muscle group is also lined with a sometimes very thick layer of fat. The fat on your butt has very poor blood flow. Tips 2 and 4 deal with that!
2. Treat your butt to a salt scrub. Dry skin brushing, loofah, or salt scrubs bring blood flow to the fatty areas of the butt. Take time during every shower to scrub this area. I use a homemade salt scrub consisting of 50% course ground sea salt and 50% aluminum-free baking soda. Or treat yourself to a salt-scrub spa treatment and let someone else do it for you!
3. Turn your workout pants into hot pants. The substance that makes your Mexican food spicy can also help your bottom line. Capsaicin is what gives hot peppers their fire. By using a cream or gel that includes capsaicin just before workouts, you can help promote blood flow to your butt area. Some of my clients like to wear neoprene pants or wrap in plastic wrap just before their run, lunges, or squats. Be careful with application — you don’t want capsaicin in any sensitive areas and be sure to wash your hands after applying to avoid getting it in your eyes.
4. Consider taking either cinnamon or ginkgo biloba before a workout. Both can also help improve blood flow. Before taking these or any supplements, check with your doctor first. These supplements are both blood movers and can be contraindicated in conditions such as high blood pressure.
