The problem:inside the veins, we have valves that bring blood back to the heart. In some cases, especially because of the heat, the veins dilate and these valves work less well. Result:The blood pools in the legs.
Good gestures:
Abuse cold water, going up on the legs, in front, behind and starting under the soles of the feet.
Take showers, not baths.
Wear compression stockings if your job requires you to stand, and always during airplane flights.
Walk often to activate the blood pump.
Swap your heels for "rocker" shoes, with the heels lower than the toes, to promote venous return.
Gestures to ban:
Do not abuse sources of heat (baths, exposure to the sun, hammam, sauna) which dilate the veins and aggravate circulatory problems.
Avoid clothes that compress the legs (skinny for example).
Do not sit often and for a long time. Don't have a choice at work? Stretch your legs often (either exercises you can do sitting down or breaks in which you go for a walk).
Do not cross your legs.
Situations of overweight accentuate the phenomenon of heavy legs.
The problem:your lymphatic circulation is sluggish, causing water to stagnate in the tissues. How to be sure? Rest your legs against a piece of furniture for 1 minute; if the skin becomes hollow, you are retaining water. Only solution ? Manual or machine drainage to facilitate the evacuation of water in the tissues.
The right tempo:the rhythm of the lymphatic circulation being very slow, you must adapt your gestures to this internal movement and be gentle and slow.
The right gestures:the movements performed on the legs must be light. Start by enclosing the ankle with your hands, go up along the calf gradually to the knee, then on the thigh. Once at the top of the thigh, press your hand flat against the groin where there is a large chain of lymph nodes.
On the cosmetic side:choose oils that promote the elimination of water thanks to plant extracts such as broom for example, or a slimming disinfiltrating treatment that acts on water retention.
Are you up all day? Relax your legs often. Neither seen nor known, do regular toe lifts to reactivate blood circulation. If you can, grab a tennis ball and, while standing or sitting, roll it under your arch. Once at home, take off your shoes. If you have time, take a cool shower and stay a few minutes with your legs up against a wall. In the evening, calm on your couch, press with your fingers in the heart of the arch of the foot to restart the machine by making a heart.
The problem:You focus on the bumpy or quilted appearance of the skin on certain areas of the body. These dimples concentrated on the buttocks, hips or thighs, serve as a fat reserve for future pregnancies. Don't worry, all women are affected. Just squeeze the skin of a thin girl with no apparent "cellulite"... to see the orange peel skin appear. Does this mean that we have nothing to do aesthetically? That we have to accept these capitons as a fatality? On the contrary ! The visibility of cellulite is due to the general lack of firmness.
Take the test! At home, hand flat on the top of the thigh, pull upwards:if the "cellulite" appearance disappears, it is indeed "cellulite", a phenomenon which concerns thinner or stronger women, due to relaxation of the tissues. Cellulite amplified by an unhealthy lifestyle (no sport, a diet high in fat and sugar, etc.) takes several forms, it can be:adipose, that is to say essentially greasy, aqueous, linked to retention watery or fibrous, often old and more painful, due to a hardening of the collagen located between the cells.
The right tactic against orange peel
Eat better and healthier, avoiding sugars, bad fats and excess salt. Unlimited fruit and vegetables are yours, accompanied by grilled meat or fish. Favor good oils (olive, rapeseed, etc.) and all foods and herbs that facilitate digestion (pineapple, fennel, celery, artichoke, turmeric, ginger, basil, etc.).
Practice a physical activity:choose endurance activities that promote venous return and build muscle in harmony with the silhouette without causing "muscle gain" which has no impact on cellulite:45 minutes of walking, pilates, running endurance, hiking or cycling, or 30 minutes of swimming pool or aquatic activities (aquagym or aquabiking).
Massage yourself often! First unclog the ankles and knees which tend to quickly go into storage mode, then the thighs and buttocks in order to "break" the installed fat and facilitate its elimination. Use a specific anti-cellulite treatment on stubborn areas to firm the skin and help eliminate fat cells.
After the classic application of your treatment by smoothing and kneading movements, you can also perform pumping movements to fluidify the lymphatic circulation:hands flat on the ankle, press then release alternately to "suck in" the skin. Perform this gesture by going up on the whole leg.
The problem:you accumulate handicaps! Poor blood circulation coupled with sluggish lymphatic circulation, you are prone to water and/or fat retention. As a result, your legs, which most of the time tend to swell, no longer really have a distinct shape, hence the unflattering but very revealing nickname of "post-shaped legs".
To avoid poles:
Eat light in the evening.
Walk as often as possible. At the beach, take long walks on wet sand (great for venous return) or mid-calf or mid-thigh water (great for draining action). In both cases, think of sunscreen and a hat!
Reduce your salt intake, even hidden, especially in the evening. It retains water in the tissues:eliminating it completely from your diet will quickly give you results.
Do not cross your legs:this blocks blood circulation and causes the legs to swell.
And on the plate?
Bet on foods rich in flavonoids, which promote the fluidity of blood circulation and the elasticity of tissues:grapes, kiwis, clementines and all red fruits:raspberries, strawberries, blackcurrants, blueberries...
Choose draining foods like pineapple, asparagus, artichokes and radishes.
Fill up on antioxidants with garlic, champion in all categories, almond which is also an excellent appetite suppressant, vegetables (broccoli, eggplant, beetroot…).
Drink and abuse green tea, a slimming drink par excellence.
Excerpt from Doctor, I want to be the prettiest! by Dr. Olivier Courtin-Clarins, Marabout editions, €10.
