Look good inside and out
If it’s problem skin getting you down, dimpled bits or just plain lumpy parts depressing you, eating the right foods and getting the right exercise can give you the body you’ve dreamed of.
Here are some of the most common complaints and how to tackle them using a diet and exercise plan:
Pale, lifeless skin
On the inside: Tuck into all the lovely fresh fruit and veg in season during summer and make sure you get at least five portions a day. Try Mexican food, particularly guacamole, which is made from avocados stuffed full of Vitamin E for beautiful skin, as well as cleansing garlic and lemon.
On the outside: Kick-start your circulation by body brushing. Start with a dry brush at your feet and work upwards towards your heart. Regular exfoliation followed by a rich moisturiser will soon leave your skin looking fresh and revitalised.
Top tip: Fake it. Many of us feel healthier and more confident with a tan. The huge range of spray tans or fake tan lotions available today mean there is a shade to suit everyone’s skin tone for an instant pick-me-up, guaranteed to make you look healthier and slimmer!
Flabby thighs
On the inside: To help beat the bulge, fill up on wholegrains like brown rice and pasta as well as plenty of pulses and grains such as quinoa and lentils. Low-fat and nourishing whole foods like these can stop you reaching for a chocolate bar when sugar levels plummet. Green leafy vegetables and nuts such as almonds will also help build your bodies strength by providing lots of calcium, while carrots and eggs have plenty of Vitamin A to help your cells regenerate.
On the outside: A small amount of exercise will soon show the benefit on your bumpy bits, making it even more of an incentive to persevere. Here are four of our favourite ways to stay long and lean:
Walking - If you aren’t fond of the gym, try the simplest way to tone your thigh area. Just park further away from work or in the supermarket car park to stretch your legs. Give your body a chance to adjust to greater walking distances, which will lead to increased endurance.
Stair-stepping - Easily done at work or at home, climbing stairs is an excellent way to target the thighs. Stair-steppers in the gym provide a fat-burning and muscle-toning workout that will contribute to the development of lean, fit legs. Or get in shape by using old-fashioned stairways - choosing the stairs over lifts or escalators will soon make a noticeable difference to your legs.
Cycling - Riding your bike outside is a good excuse to get out of the house and rapidly gives you long-lasting results. Cycling and mountain biking provide a great cardiovascular and toning workout and you’re burning fat fast where it counts.
Swimming - Vary your style in the pool to provide multiple workouts for the thigh area; butterfly and backstroke, as well as freestyle and breaststroke, all use a repetitive contraction of the leg muscles. The constant kicking in swimming provides an outstanding workout for the thighs.
Top tip: Lead the eye. Draw attention away from the bits you don’t like with a glamorous sequinned bikini top if you have a fabulous cleavage, or have a pedicure to draw attention to your pretty feet. If all else fails, slip into a gorgeous kaftan.
Saggy bum
On the inside: Improve circulation and clear toxins by boosting your metabolism - which will give you more energy to exercise too. Eat plenty of protein like beans and lentils, as well as nuts and seeds rich in essential fatty acids. Fresh fruit and vegetables, especially Brussel sprouts, spinach, parsley and cabbage, are great but avoid tea, coffee, soft drinks and sugar.
On the outside: Like your thighs, you can see the difference on your behind quickly if you do the right exercises. Dancing helps keep you toned and supple, but here are five moves you can do in the privacy of your own home:
Lunge - Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and take a large step forward. Lower your body directly down so your front knee lines up with your ankle (your back knee should be almost touching the floor). Push off with your back foot and take a large step forward with your other foot. Walk lunge to the edge of the room, then turn around and repeat. Remember to contract your bum cheeks as you lower.
Step - Step onto the bottom step of the stairs with your right foot and lift your left knee to hip height. Step down with your left foot, and then repeat on the right side.
Kick - Start on your hands and knees and raise your left leg until it is parallel with the floor (keep a slight bend in the knee). Support your weight with your arms and right leg. Contracting your butt, lift your left leg up and towards the ceiling, keeping it bent. Return to the starting position and swap legs.
Lift - Lie on your back, knees bent, feet on the floor. Place your arms at your sides then, exhaling and contracting the glutes, push your hips up towards the ceiling and lift your bum off the floor. Inhaling, slowly return to the starting position but hover for a moment just above the floor.
Squat - Place your feet shoulder-width apart and, keeping your back straight, lower towards the floor as if you were sitting on to a chair. Contract the glutes as you lower and don’t let your knees go over your toes (you should be able to see your feet at all times). Stop when the knees are at a 90 degree angle and return to the starting position and repeat.
Top tip: Be confident. Men prefer real curvy women to stick-thin model types so make the most of your booty. Short-style bikini bottoms may seem like a safe option but will just draw more attention to your behind so stick to a bright, high-sided shape to emphasise your curves.
Flat tummy
On the inside: If you suffer from bloating, try a probiotic drink each day or live yoghurt which contains healthy bacteria. Dried fruit such as prunes or apricots can tackle constipation and fresh grapefruit also helps burn off fat cells. Hot water and lemon first thing in the morning is great for your digestion, or try peppermint tea instead of your usual cuppa.
On the outside: You don’t need to perform hundreds of sit-ups to firm your abs. For the flattest tummy, you only need to do 15 to 20 reps of an exercise which takes a maximum of just ten minutes just two or three times a week. Try a combination of crunches and reverse curls to make sure you tone your stomach muscles from both ends. Any form of regular, cardio exercise will also help you get that super-sexy stomach by shedding the layer of fat covering the muscles.
Top tip: Ditch the booze. Not only does alcohol provide ‘empty’ calories, which become fat if they’re not burnt off, it also irritates the stomach lining and intestines, causing your tummy to swell. If you can’t give it up, just try cutting down - it’s not called a beer belly for nothing!
Cellulite
On the inside: Experts believe we need to build the skin from the inside out to give us those streamlined thighs we all crave. The key building blocks of the body are amino acids found in beans, wholegrains and seeds, essential fatty acids found in flaxseeds, walnuts and cold water fish, and lecithin found in soya and eggs. Cut down on sugar and salt as these are thought to trap fluid in cells, contributing to the dreaded orange-peel effect.
On the outside: Massaging body lotion into the backs of your thighs and your bum after a bath or shower can help reduce cellulite by improving circulation. Some specially designed anti-cellulite lotions contain ingredients to improve the skin’s elasticity - it won’t banish all lumps and bumps but it will make skin smoother.
Top tip: Water. Up your fluid intake - drinking more water (at least eight glasses or two litres a day) will help flush impurities out of your system.
