#427: A Dietitian’s Advice on Healthy Eating during the Pandemic
Sarah and Katie dish with Ellie Kempton, the Simply Nourished Nutrition dietitian, about healthy eating, weight management, and meal planning. Ellie serves up:
- ways to maintain motivation for healthy eating, even in stressful times;
- how to side-step stress eating—and how protein can aid in that pursuit;
- the concept of—and examples of—“stitchable-meals”; and,
- methods to combat weight stagnation.
In the intro, Katie shares COVID-19-related family news. The conversation shifts to food-related topics at 16:40.
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There’s the Rub: Stop (and Heal) Chafe from Running
[Photo from The Run Commuter]
Chafe from running. We’ve all been there.
Who hasn’t jumped in the shower after a summer run — and nearly jumped right back out again when the water hits a freshly chafed patch of skin? Some of us have also scared the heck out of our pets, spouses, or kids because of how loudly we screamed.
“It’s so impressive that you usually don’t notice chafing when you’re running but you get in the shower, there it is,” dermatologist Jennifer Gray says. Jenn knows about it firsthand. In addition to being an M.D., she’s also a mother runner. She has two kids, ages 12 and 15, and has been lacing up her trainers for 11 years in and around Stonington, Connecticut.
All chafe from run ning, she explains, is the result of friction and the shearing forces it causes, like sandpaper running over wood. This force breaks down layers of your skin, which can happen anytime there is skin-to-skin or skin-to-clothes abrasion. Add some moisture like sweat and humidity and the process picks up speed.
Jenn has some pointers for those looking to avoid the rub.
The most important step is to “address sweating. If you wear 100% cotton, you will not be very happy. Look for a wicking fabric and pay close attention to seams. Socks without seams are ideal.”
Change up your bra, she suggests, if there’s chafing between your breasts or around the straps. “In a proper bra, nothing moves. That’s important,” she says.
Antiperspirants
AntiperspirantsShe recommends Certain Dri roll-on — can help because they shut down the sweat. Lubricants like Body Glide and plain old petroleum jelly are great, as is Aquaphor for those who aren’t sensitive to lanolin. You can usually find small sizes of all of these in the drugstore. Jenn carries a tube of running lube with her when she’s out for a sweat session, just in case.
Still chafe from running happens. When you jump in the shower, be kind to your newly injured skin. “People feel like they really need to scrub a wound but be gentle,” she says. If it’s in a place where it will still be rubbed by clothes, use a non-stick bandage or paper tape.
The spot should heal relatively quickly, Jenn says, but be sure to monitor for redness and swelling. “Clear yellow discharge is okay; cloudy yellow discharge is not okay.” And if you should start running a fever, get yourself to a doctor.
In addition to Jenn’s advice, we did a little crowdsourcing for tips and tricks for dealing with the dreaded chafing:
“I use Shea Butter Vaseline under my bra straps and heart rate monitor straps. Works like a charm and much cheaper than Body Glide.” —Amanda H.
“None of the glides or topical anything works for me. I use a lot of strategically placed large band aids.” —Anne O.
A&D ointment
“This does wonders and it’s cheaper than most of the recommendations. But I definitely agree a proper fitted bra will help, too” —Denée H.
Shefit
“This bra has helped me. The rib cage and shoulder straps are adjustable, plus it is easy to nurse in.”—Jill B., who is six months postpartum
Chamois Butt’r.
“They also sell little 1 oz. packages that I put in my hydration vest pocket and reapply if needed during my run. It works much better for me than glide — and doesn’t leave grease stains like petroleum jelly.” —Nicole R.
KT tape
“I recently tried this tape under my bra where it tends to chafe. It worked like a charm! Nothing else I’ve tried helped.” —Holly T.
“Coconut oil mixed with a drop of lavender oil for healing and long shorts for prevention.” —Jeanne B.
Tri-Slide triathlon
“Anti-chafe spray! But spray it on outdoors — if you get it on your floor, it will literally be slippery for weeks.” —Roberta S.
Chafex
“I like it more than Body Glide. I met the inventors at Hartford Marathon expo years ago. Great guys who really focussed on the science of eliminating as much chafing as possible. These hot days of summer training make chafing so tough!” —Kate P.
Sport Shield for Her
“I don’t go on runs longer than 6 miles without this. It’s a life saver. I also rub it on my toes and heels to prevent blistering before longer runs. I’m a DD so I chafed HORRIBLY before I found this stuff.” —Aryn S.
Dove Deodorant
“Dove deodorant works so much better for me than the body glide and some other brands.” —Sasha M.
“Before I have any chaffing, I use Aquaphor. For summer long runs, if I’ve already gotten chafe-y, I tuck Spenco Second Skin into the strap of my bra to ease discomfort.” —Shayna D.
How do you avoid the chafe?
What do you use when your luck runs out?
Mother Runners of the Month: Heidi Mischel + Abbie McKee
Each month, we celebrate two athletes monthly in our #motherrunnner community.
[because sports awards aren’t just for youth soccer]
One athlete participates in our Many Happy Miles program and the other one is in a Train Like a Mother Club program: nothing like vicariously living through workout specifics, training cycles, and upcoming (virtual) races, right?
More importantly, they both epitomize the traits that keep us all moving forward: perspective, diligence, badassery, flexibility, and grit.
Heidi and her husband hiking in the mountains of Park City, Utah.
HEIDI MISCHEL
Location: Milbank, South Dakota
Kids: 3 kids; William (21), Claire (19) and Marion (16). I run with our labradoodle, Luna, when it is not too hot. We also have 3 horses, 2 cats and too many chickens.
What’s your running story?
I started running shortly after William was born. I was a walker before then. It was simply a matter of needing to cover my 4 mile route faster so my husband could get to work on time.
I have done several 5Ks and 10Ks, and 13 or 14 half-marathons. However, the Twins Cities 10 miler is my favorite race and distance.
Now I run because I can. My daughter asked me why I do long runs if I am not training for anything. My answer: “Because I can, plus it makes me feel BadA$$”.
Why did you join Many Happy Miles?
I joined Many Happy Miles when it first started at the end of 2018. I wasn’t on a training plan but I wanted the sense of being on one.
I like how each month has a theme and keeps things fresh.
The MHM community is an amazing group of supportive, loving and dedicated women. As Caite says, “it’s the happiest place on the internet”. I agree with her 110%. This group of women consisting of all ages, experiences, and walks of life helps to build me up and makes me stronger – both mentally and physically.
Best workout in Many Happy Miles so far:
Heather, my favorite workouts are from November 2019 when the month consisted of Hat Tips (h/t) to Many Happy Miles members’ favorite workouts. I love “h/t Ash” and “h/t Dimity.” These are workout I go back to when I want to work on speed or running on the treadmill.
Hardest workout in Many Happy Miles so far:
I would say h/t Ash is a tough workout. I was cursing h/t Ash the first time I did this workout. I still occasionally curse her, but in a very good way. I tend to enjoy the tough ones.
Upcoming races? I just joined Train Like a Mother Club’s Love the Run You’re With 2.0. I think this is a fun way to stay motivated and positive. I was hoping to do the Twin Cities 10 miler again, but it is virtual this year.
When I run, I feel: empowered. I know that I can tackle almost anything after a run.
ABBIE MCKEE
Program: Ultra 50 Mile Program
Location: Spokane, Washington
Kids: Two amazing boys – Hunter (13) and Maks (10) and two amazing dogs – BoBo (15 years!) and GiGi (5 months)
What’s your running story?
I started consistently running at about age 23 and was lucky enough to find an amazing group of fellow #motherrunners.
Currently, I run every weekday at 5am with my BRF, Nancy (pictured above). Through this consistency, I quickly became hooked to running! Our mornings are joyful due to the deep meaningful conversations we have that provide therapy for my soul. Running each morning fills my cup, so I can pour that goodness to others the rest of the day. I’m “addicted” in all the best ways!
What led you to choosing the 50 mile ultra program and why do you enjoy it?
My friend from college, Kat Schjei, is a BAMbassador and has used Train Like a Mother training programs. She is so inspiring with so much ultra running success.
Because of Kat, I figured trying a Train Like a Mother plan was a no-brainer since she’d proven them to be successful for her! The 50 mile plan was easy to use and had a very clear plan for training. I also loved the chats in the Ultra group!
Best workout in the Ultra 50 mile plan so far:
I really like the strength workouts that changed every few weeks. They were easy to use at home as well.
Most challenging workout in the Ultra 50 mile plan so far:
Oh my how to choose! LOL! Probably the week where you run 26 miles one day and the very next day run 18 miles. That was a bugger – but I finished!
What was your goal race?
I was training for the St Regis, MT Trail Rail 50 miler, slated for June 6. With Covid, they decided to offer the race to local Montana residents only. All other registrants were kindly offered the chance to run it virtually on race day, upload Garmin data showing completion, and finishers were mailed the medal and Patagonia running race jacket!
So my BRF, Nancy, and I decided we weren’t throwing in the towel on getting this 50 miler done and created our own virtual local race course! (That jacket – we needed it!!)
We planned a beautiful course with friends hosting “aid stations” along the way out of their cars. We pre-packed all aid station bags for them and included what we wanted (en, water, tons of snacks, bandaids, etc).
We genuinely had the best time! It was wonderful to see 9 various sets of friends and family along our course and say hello to friends we hadn’t seen in awhile. The support they all provided was just priceless.
While our race didn’t look as intended, it worked out truly for the better. I will forever cherish the memories made along my “course” and how much my friends and family truly showed up big time to support me.
What was your goal for your race?
My goal was just to finish in the allotted time and not be injured. Both were accomplished!!
When I run, I feel: like I am fully tapping into what makes me a more motivated employee, patient mother, loving wife and caring friend. It gives me a clear mind to focus on my purpose and the energy to achieve that purpose. I know what butters my bread – it’s running.😉
The Struggle Is Real: A Mother Runner Moment in Glacier National Park
You might think this post is about hiking, swimming, bear sighting during our family vacation to Glacier National Park.
It is not, although we did hike, swim and sight a bear at a safe distance.
Or you might think this post is about biking the stunning Going to the Sun Road.
It is not, but I did conquer that beauty, and actually wished the 21-mile climb were longer just so I could soak up views like this.
You might think this post is about pushing my limits.
It is not, although I did take deep breath and launch myself off the Old Belton Bridge with my kiddos. (And yes, getting a picture was my main motivation for the leap.)
Instead, picture yourself at a campsite with four grills and picnic tables, already generously socially distanced before social distancing was a thing. Your posse (kids + husband + family of four you are traveling with) at one table at the end of the line. Another family of four, with what looks like two young teenage boys, at the other end. Two tables separate you.
You have two teenagers: one fourteen, one seventeen. The older bought a portable hammock with some birthday money, and the younger one is constantly pecking, asking to put it up/lie in it. The typical sibling power struggle. The frequency with which the hammock conversation occurs is, quite frankly, unnecessary and annoying. But you have been able to ignore it; you’re on vacation.
Two hammocks. The orange pattered one belongs to Amelia. The blue one belongs to Isabel, her friend. Neither belongs to Ben, unfortunately.
But now? Now you’re hangry. You’re hot and have a sunburn on your neck and dirt under your fingernails and bug bites on your leg. Plus, you got your period unexpectedly, and are mentally rallying to drive the 15 minutes you need for Super Plus tampons. Your daughter’s pencil thin ones don’t cut it.
The tangerine LaCroix you guzzled wasn’t as refreshing as you wanted it to be, and there’s no room for you to sit down at the picnic table. And you’ve got to chop a bunch of veggies so your (picky) kids can have a few vitamins this trip.
The hammock banter begins again.
“I am going to go get it out of our tent and put it up,” says Ben.
“No you’re not,” says Amelia, “It belongs to me!”
“But you haven’t used it on this part of the trip,” he says.
“I don’t care. It’s mine!”
And then, out of nowhere, you yell. At a volume you reserve for those special FIRST MIDDLE LAST NAME: GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW occasions at home.
“Quiet! I am SO SICK OF HEARING ABOUT THE HAMMOCK! Stop it now. Don’t SAY ANOTHER WORD ABOUT IT. Enough! EITHER ONE OF YOU!”
Silence at the campground.
Embarrassment at the campground.
The parents with whom you’re traveling likely get it; they’ve been around for a couple of days and are as sick of it as you are. But the parents at the other table? They seem so quiet, such a happy, cooperative family.
You don’t really know how, but your table’s chatter returns to what’s on the docket for tomorrow. You eat an excellent meal—chicken and steak and grilled veggie skewers—and wash it down with a refreshing lager, and you feel much better. Even your bug bites seemed to have shrunk.
Tossing a bag of garbage, you pass the mom from the other table on the grass, and think about saying something like, “Sorry for the eruption. Long day.” But you decide against it. It feels like hours ago.
That happy family of four finish their dinner, and start playing a game of cornhole. As you walk towards your car to head into town, the mom says, “Dimity? The Mother Runner?”
Embarrassment at the campground.
“Um, yes. Hi! What’s your name?”
“Brigitte. From Portland.”
Immediately, the dad chimes in. “We were so relieved to hear you yell at your kids; now we know we’re not the only ones.”
Phew. Connection at the campground.
You chat for a bit with Brigitte and her husband, and laugh about how travel is great, but you’re still with the same people you’ve quarantined with for five straight months. This COVID thing? Hard for everyone, even when you’re grilling steak skewers and planning a glorious hike through Glacier National Park tomorrow.
You drive to the store, relieved they have Super Plus tampons. You throw in a pack of Peanut M’n’M’s to enjoy on the drive back to the campground, and look forward to getting up and doing it all over again.
[Read more The Struggle is Real Columns]#426: Alysia Montaño Talks about Motherhood, Saying “No, Not Now,” and Race
Sarah and Tish welcome professional runner, activist, podcast host, and new mom (for a 3rd time) Alysia Montaño. In addition to talking about her new book, Feel-good Fitness, Alysia details:
- how fitness is her “space for joy”;
- the importance of making life during this pandemic “manageable and sustainable”;
- advice on cultivating motivation;
- the mothers-supporting mission of &Mother, the foundation she co-founded; and,
- what she, as a Black woman, is feeling in the current racial injustice reckoning
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Tish + Life on the Run
No, it’s *not* a dog in need of a diet!
Many years ago, long before my child came into my world, my BRF (best running friend) was a nurse with three children, ages 6 to 15. Folks knew why I—this is Tish—was training like a crazed maniac: trying to run the New York City marathon fast enough to squeak out a Boston qualifier. But one guy wanted to know why my BRF was grinding out long runs with me if she wasn’t going to run the marathon? What was she training for, anyway?
What was she training for? “Life,” she said.
Before the pandemic, I used to joke, “The run is the best part of my day!” Which was partly true and partly mean. Because if the run was the best part of my day, what did that say about my kid, my job, my BF? (Um.) Haha, just joking!
And now? After more than 100 days of working from home with a 15-year-old who was schooling but is now just hanging around because her counselor job evaporated, amid all the attendant anxiety of upheaval, uncertainty, and disrupted expectations?
Most days the run is the only hour when I’m out of the house. Away from the computer with its endless-scroll task list. Away from the dirty dishes clamoring for attention.
(And I type all this fully appreciative of how fortunate I am to have my health, my family, and a job I can do from home.)
I try to be mindfully present and notice my surroundings. And here’s what I’ve noticed: There are so many more folks running now. Probably because gyms are closed, and the skies get light around 5 a.m. Still! It’s so nice to see so many people outside!
And not just runners! Last week, I was out for a run feeling a little sulky about the New York City marathon, which had just been canceled. It was the right thing to do, and there are larger problems in this world yet, still, I was sad. NYC is like the lodestar of my running year. Plus, I’d already picked out my souvenir sweatshirt.
I ran (slowly) up a hill behind a couple walking what appeared to be a very fat dog with a long swishing tail. But hold on a second, that’s not a dog!
“That’s a pig.” I said. “Yup,” they said.
I started to run by, but turned back to exclaim, “That is the best thing I have EVER seen on a run.”
So this is what we’re all training for now, right? You never know what you’ll see on a run. Life.