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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Women’s body image trends are always shifting and evolving. From Angelina’s plump lips to the First Lady’s toned and sculpted arms to Kate Middleton’s defined tipped nose, pop culture and celebrities have a big influence on today’s standard of beauty and fitness.
The newest craze to hit popularity seems to focus on the gap between your inner thighs. Women are seeking everything from cosmetic procedures to exercises to diet so they can widen this space by shrinking their thighs and making this “thigh-gap” bigger.
There are a few different ways to achieve a sought-after thigh gap, including surgical procedures and non-invasive body sculpting, specialized exercises that target the inner thigh, and a regulated, nutritional diet.
Dr. Michael Diaz, a board certified plastic surgeon in Melbourne, FL regularly performs procedures that lift and narrow the upper thigh, creating the longed-for thigh gap. Dr. Diaz recommends a thigh lift with liposuction, which would slim down the fat and provide a long lasting result. Worried about a telltale scar? No need- with Dr. Diaz’s procedure your scar will be safely hidden in your bikini line.
Going the surgical route to get the thigh gap of your dreams is the quickest way to achieve the look, but there are non-invasive options you can explore such as the VelaShape. Using a combination of Bi-Polar radiofrequency, Infrared Light Energy, Vacuum and Mechanical Massage, VelaShape is the only FDA approved non-surgical procedure available that is proven to reduce the circumference of your thighs.
Burr Leonard, creator & founder of The Bar Method, recommends exercises that target this specific area of the body. Two of Bar Method’s signature moves, the Diamond Shape and the High Heel Parallel, both target and sculpt the thighs creating a tighter and flatter appearance.
- The High Heel Parallel: Standing parallel to the bar (or anything steady like a chair) and holding on with the arm closest, keep your knees together and bent forward as if you are sitting. Rise up onto your toes as if you’re wearing high heels, while keeping the knees together. Hold.
- The Diamond Shape: From the high heel parallel move, stay in position except push your hips up and out, leaning back and straightening your spine, all the while staying on your toes. Hold.
The Bar Method is based partly on the fundamentals of dance, so long and lean muscles are a definite part of the result. The longer and leaner your thighs are, the wider your thigh-gap!
An easy lifestyle change you can make to achieve the thigh-gap is to re-evaluate your diet. According to Franci Cohen, personal trainer, nutritionist and exercise physiologist, most women tend to store fat in the dreaded hip and thigh region of their bodies. But, this means that if you alter your diet to induce weight-loss, the first place you will lose will be your thighs! “Generally when we gain or lose weight, the same specific areas in our bodies are affected,” says Franci.
- Green Tea: Contains special compounds that slow fat absorption in the body, therefore promoting fat loss. The high antioxidant content is an added bonus that promotes healthy skin and an all-around healthier you! Although the effects of green tea are not rapid, if you consistently start swapping your afternoon coffee for a green tea you will definitely start to see the results.
- Back to Nature: Fruits, veggies, lean protein and whole grain carbohydrates are a boom to the body. Processed foods, fatty fried foods, and refined sugars are toxic to the body. Make the healthy choice and choose foods that are closest to the form in which they are found in nature. These foods will offer the most vitamins, fiber and energy- ultimately helping to trim those thighs!
- Steer clear of the dairy downfall: Too much dairy can make those thighs looks extra puffy. Although dairy offers beneficial nutrients, most importantly calcium, it has been shown to promote a bloated and bulky appearance. In studies involving people on identical diets with dairy being the only differentiating factor, the non-dairy group appeared leaner and slimmer at the end of the trial period. That being said, do not cut dairy out entirely- that calcium is great for bone integrity- but do tread lightly for thin thighs.
- Diet Division: A term coined by Franci to convey two key concepts while trying to promote fat loss in the thighs. First concept is the division of your plate at each meal. Your plate should be filled halfway with raw or lightly cooked veggies, a quarter with lean protein, and a quarter with whole grain carbohydrates. The second concept in the “diet division” is with regard to meal size and timing. Try to consume four to seven small meals throughout the day as opposed to a traditional day composed of three large meals. Even without reducing your overall calorie intake, increasing the amount of meals you eat will promote your body to burn more calories overall. Your body ultimately burns more calories by initiating the digestion process more often. This balance between proper plate ratios and frequent meals will promote satiety consistently throughout the day, will prevent overeating, and will allow you to burn additional calories that would have otherwise stayed on your thighs in the form of fat.
Dr. Michael Diaz www.diazplasticsurgery.com, The Bar Method www.barmethod.com & Franci Cohen
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