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Sweet & Spicy Miso Sweet Potato Wedges with Green Goddess Sauce

January 30, 2021 by APRÉS RUN

You guys.

I don’t mean to be overdramatic…

But if I could only eat sweet potatoes in one form for the rest of my life, it would be as these miso-roasted sweet potato wedges. They’re so good I made them two weeks in a row. You know… for taste-testing purposes 😉

One thing I’m really proud of from 2020 is how I’ve embraced new flavors in my cooking. Last year I tried my hand at Thai food, Chinese food, Korean food, Greek food, Italian food… the list goes on. It’s been really fun experimenting with different flavors and learning from different cultures. These Sweet & Spicy Miso Sweet Potato Wedges are inspired by Asian cuisine. They get their sweetness from a little pure maple syrup, their bite from chili paste and ginger, and their ‘umami’ (or savoriness) from miso. It’s an incredible combination and gives a ton of depth of flavor.

I like to finish them off by drizzling a homemade Green Goddess Sauce on top. It’s not necessary, but it really makes them over-the-top. I make mine from cashews, lemon juice, and lots of fresh herbs. It’s super creamy, cooling, and balances out the subtle punch of the wedges. The recipe below will make a big batch (more than you’ll need for drizzling on the sweet potatoes), and I love storing leftovers in a mason jar in the fridge. It makes an amazing salad dressing, veggie dipping sauce, and even a great base for potato or chicken salads.

If you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it as much as we do.

Sweet & Spicy Miso Sweet Potato Wedges with Green Goddess Sauce

Author: APRÉS RUN
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 30
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: Side dishes
Method: Roasting
Cuisine: Healthy
Diet: Gluten Free

Description

Where to start? These are truly my favorite sweet potato wedges I’ve ever made. I would eat them every day if I could. Sweet and a little spicy, with an ‘umami’ savoriness from the miso paste… the sauce on them is just amazing. I love topping them with my homemade vegan green goddess sauce for a little something extra (and a fun pop of color!).

Scale

Ingredients

Sweet & Spicy Miso Sweet Potato Wedges:

3 medium sweet potatoes, or 2 large
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons miso paste
2 teaspoons chili paste with garlic*
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger, or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Green Goddess Sauce:

1 1/2 cup raw cashews
3/4 cup water
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup cilantro, lightly packed
1/2 cup parsley, lightly packed
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 425º F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper, and set aside.
Chop your sweet potatoes into long, thin wedges.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients (sesame oil through ginger). Add your sweet potato wedges, and toss until well-coated.
Place sweet potato wedges on baking sheet, making sure the wedges are not touching or overlapping. (They need room in order to crisp up the way we want them to!) Place in the oven, and roast for 25-30 minutes.
While sweet potatoes are roasting, combine all green goddess ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend on high power until a smooth, creamy sauce forms.
Remove sweet potato wedges from the oven, and drizzle with green goddess. Sprinkle with extra chopped herbs, if desired.
Serve, and enjoy!

Notes

* You should be able to find chili paste with garlic in the international foods section of the grocery store, or at Asian food markets. You can also substitute with Sambal Oelek.

Keywords: sweet potato wedges, miso sweet potatoes, miso sweet potato wedges, sweet and spicy sweet potatoes, sweet and spicy potato wedges

Cauliflower Wings Two Ways (Buffalo and BBQ) with Vegan Ranch Dipping Sauce

January 20, 2021 by APRÉS RUN

Who here was victimized by the cauliflower trend of 2015 on? Me, too. 🙋🏻‍♀️ Cauliflower rice, cauliflower gnocchi, cauliflower pizza crusts… you name it, I probably tried it. And like a lot of people, at some point you start to feel like you never want to eat anything cauliflower again! I’m definitely glad this is a trend that seems to settling into a more healthy middle ground now.

As for me, I’m still embracing cauliflower, but much more sparingly. Cauliflower rice I can do without. Buffalo cauliflower I LOVE and isn’t going anywhere. We do buffalo cauliflower salads, buffalo cauliflower tacos, buffalo cauliflower pizzas (all have been big hits) – and recently I experimented with making homemade cauliflower wings!

The final version I’m sharing today went through two rounds of testing to get just right. If you want good, old-fashioned chicken wings, I don’t think there’s any substitute. But if you’re looking for a fun, lighter snack (OR if you’re plant-based), I think you’re going to really enjoy these. I made them two ways – one with buffalo sauce and one with BBQ sauce – and I served them with a homemade vegan ranch dipping sauce. I hope you love them just as much as we did.

Cauliflower Wings Two Ways, with Vegan Ranch Dipping Sauce

Author: APRÉS RUN
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 25
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: Snacks
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Healthy

Description

These light, crispy cauliflower wings were a huge hit in our house. You can enjoy them two ways – with a buffalo sauce or a BBQ sauce. Either way, don’t skimp on the homemade ranch sauce!

Scale

Ingredients

Cauliflower wings

4–5 cups cauliflower florets, or roughly 1 medium head of cauliflower
1 cup light, mild-tasting flour of choice (see notes for my recommendations)
3/4 cup non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup almond meal
1 1/4 cup BBQ or buffalo sauce

Vegan ranch sauce

1 cup vegan sour cream
1/3 cup avocado oil mayo
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Juice of half a lemon
A few cracks of salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat you oven to 425º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
If you haven’t already, chop your cauliflower into medium-sized florets. The cauliflower wings will turn out best if the florets are uniformly sized.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, milk, onion, garlic, and salt.
Add cauliflower florets to the mixing bowl, and toss to coat. We want to make sure each piece is well-coated in batter.
Add almond meal to the mixing bowl, and toss to combine again. The almond meal acts as a breadcrumb-like topping.
Spread cauliflower onto your baking sheet. Make sure you don’t overcrowd the pan and that there is space between each of the florets (which are lying flat). This is very important for perfectly crispy wings!
Place in the oven, and bake for 25 minutes.
While the cauliflower wings are baking, prepare your ranch dipping sauce. I like to mix all ingredients in a large mason jar, but you can also combine in a bowl. We want to whisk together all ingredients until smooth and well-incorporated.
Once your cauliflower wings are done, remove them from the oven, let cool for 5-10 minutes, then toss with the sauce (buffalo or BBQ) of your choice. Do not get impatient! It’s very important that the cauliflower cool before tossing in the sauce, or else you’ll end up with soggy wings!
Serve cauliflower wings with ranch dipping sauce, and enjoy!

Notes

My favorite flours to use for cauliflower wings are gluten-free all-purpose flour, chickpea flour, or brown rice flour. You can use regular all-purpose flour if you’re not gluten free.

Keywords: cauliflower wings, buffalo cauliflower wings, buffalo cauliflower, healthy wings, bbq cauliflower wings, barbecue cauliflower wings, bbq cauliflower, barbecue cauliflower

Our Most-Used Baby Essentials: 0-9 months

January 16, 2021 by APRÉS RUN

Creating a baby registry can be overwhelming! It’s hard to believe that this time last year I was starting to work on ours. I put SO much thought and research into the products I asked for, and I thought it might be helpful to share what – at 9+ months – we’ve actually used and loved, and what we didn’t. I’ve seen so many women getting pregnant or welcoming babies recently… hopefully this is a help to them! A few of our newer favorite products (like Brady’s giant playpen and playmat) I get questions on anytime I post about in on social media. So hopefully this can also serve as a one-stop-shop for that, as well.

The basics

Gerber cloth diaper burp cloths – Cloth diapers make the best burp cloths… who knew?! This was a tip we got from another mom, and she was right. These are the best burp cloths we have, and the only ones you need. They’re super absorbent, and you’ll use them for everything.
Gerber white cotton onesies – and tons of them. Buy them in both the long and the short sleeve, and expect to replace them every couple months as your baby grows out of them. These are great on their own or as a layering piece. They’ll wear them under everything. I’m linking the organic cotton ones, but they have regular, as well.
Keekaroo Peanut Changer – Life-changing! This changing pad is amazingly easy to clean, which was a must for us. There’s no slipcover to mess with, and you just wipe it down any time they get it dirty.
Boon bottles – These are the bottles we use for Brady and love. If you plan to breastfeed, they have a wider neck base and are shaped more like a nipple than traditional bottles. They also collapse inward as your baby drinks, preventing them from ingesting air (a common cause of gas). They’re dishwasher-safe, super easy to clean, and they’re pretty cute! I recommend buying the 8 oz. size (not the 4 oz.) so you don’t have to upgrade later on. Just purchase the slow-flow Stage 1 nipples if you plan on introducing bottles right away.
Philips Soothie pacifiers – If you plan on introducing a paci to your baby, these are a really popular one to start with! Brady never really took to pacifiers, but there were times early on when we were very grateful to have them on hand.
Dimples booster pads – Once your baby starts sleeping through the night, your challenge becomes keeping them from waking up in a puddle every morning. (Trust me… you don’t want to be changing them *and* the sheets every. single. morning.) What worked for us: A regular diaper with a Dimples pad in it, plus a diaper in one size up layered over top. He never wets himself when we use this combo.
Luvable Friends booties – Trust me and buy 3-4 of these, in multiple colors. There’s really no need for your baby to wear shoes until he or she is walking, and these are SO much easier than socks, which babies will kick off constantly. Bonus: they’re fleecy so will keep their little toes nice and warm!
Tubby Todd All Over Ointment – I love this stuff so dang much. We use it on everything from diaper rash to dry cheeks and noses.
DockATot – I put the Boppy newborn lounger on our registry, but wish I’d gotten the DockATot instead. Nothing wrong with the Boppy lounger… only that we used it for so short a time and it’s not a safe sleep device. The DockATot is a lot larger (hence you’ll get a lot more use out of it), and babies can actually sleep in it. Great if you want to have baby nap next to you on the couch, or on the bed while you get some chores done.
BabyBjorn carrier – A baby carrier is a MUST for soothing a fussy baby and multitasking. It’s also great for walks and getting outside when you don’t want to bother with the stroller. I put a wrap-style carrier on my registry but didn’t end up using it nearly as much as this one. I just never really got the hang of the wrap (clearly… see below photos for proof), Brady was wiggly and always trying to escape it, and it was always such a pain to have to constantly wrap and unwrap each time. To each their own, though – I know some moms swear by the wrap carriers, and this may be something we use more with future babies!

*Don’t worry… no babies were harmed in the wearing of this wrap. Photo 1 was right before I rescued him out.*

BabyBjorn bouncer – Savor the days when your baby is tiny and stationary! Now that our little guy is on the move, we don’t use this *as* much, but this is an amazing way to keep baby occupied and contained while you’re doing something. I would put him in here all the time while showering, getting ready, doing laundry, or doing dishes.
NUNA PIPA car seat – This was car seat we decided to go with. I tried to prioritize nontoxic baby gear whenever possible on our registry, and NUNA was a great, well-recommended to us brand for this.
Outlet covers for babyproofing – These were a frantic middle-of-the-night Amazon order when we realized there was an outlet right next to Brady’s crib!
Babyganics All Purpose Surface Wipes – We love these nontoxic wipes for everything from wiping down toys to playmats to highchairs. Things get dirty when you have a baby!
Oxiclean spray – Yup. Stock up, and keep it right next to the baby hamper. You will constantly be getting stains out of baby clothes. We buy this stuff in bulk.
Fragrance-free laundry detergent – We love the Method Free & Clear laundry detergent because it’s nontoxic and fragrance-free… really important for sensitive baby skin.
Moms on Call Basic Baby Care – More on this in a separate post, but if you have any interest in sleep training your baby, Moms on Call was absolutely life changing for us. I can’t recommend them more highly, but you should do your own research to see if sleep training is right for you and your family.

Bath time

Boon 3-stage baby bathtub – This bathtub has served us really well! We were able to use it right from Brady’s first bath, all the way up to now (at 9+ months). It’s easily transportable, can be used in a sink or bathtub, and is easy to clean.
A bath cup for pouring water – Brady loves this little whale cup.
Tubby Todd shampoo and body wash or Aveeno Baby shampoo and body wash – Tubby Todd is our favorite, but it’s a splurge. For an everyday shampoo and body wash, we use Aveeno Baby (2 big bottles on Amazon will last you forever.)
Baby bath towel – You really only need one or two bath towels. These animal-shaped ones from Pottery Barn Kids are super cute and soft.
Baby comb and brush – The brush is super soft and great for scrubbing newborn baby’s heads (it prevents cradle cap!).

Sleep

Infant Optics baby monitor – This one is great and came highly reviewed.
Cuddlebug velcro swaddles – It took a lot of experimentation to find a swaddling method that worked well for us. My advice is to go for a swaddle with velcro unless you want to inflict constant pain and frustration on yourself. This was the only brand that could contain our very active 0-3 month old. And was so essential to helping him get good sleep in those early months.
SNOOZ white noise machine – We love this model! It works great and is easy to travel with. We keep one in Brady’s room, and Ryan and I sleep with one as well. We live in a city so get lots of street noise, but this machine completely drowns all that out. This also really helped us with establishing good sleep habits for Brady early on. The white noise machine turning on is a ‘cue’ it’s time to sleep.
Gerber zip-up footie PJs – My tips: 1) Stock up and buy a whole bunch of these. These are all they’ll need to wear at night, and they’ll wear them every night. 2) Don’t even bother on the cute, expensive footie PJs. They will grow through these SO fast. Cheap is the way to go. 3) Buy the zip-up footie PJs… make it as easy on yourself as possible. You will not want to be undoing and doing a million little buttons during 2 AM diaper changes.
Tubby Todd Dream Cream – This is hands down my favorite baby lotion. It’s made with clean, nontoxic ingredients, smells amazing, and is my favorite part of our nighttime ritual. Bath, Dream Cream, PJs, bottle, book, then bed. I always save a little extra for myself, too… it works great on tired, dried-out mama hands.
SlumberPod – This is the only thing we don’t have on this list! (With one caveat… we had a baby during COVID so haven’t had a reason to buy it.) Other moms say the SlumberPod is a life saver for traveling, and we 100% plan to buy this when we’re traveling again. The SlumberPod keeps baby completely dark while they sleep (you can put your baby monitor in there to keep an eye on them) and helps everyone to actually have a peaceful, restful vacation. If you’re sharing a room with your baby, you also won’t have to worry about your moving around waking them.

Clothes

My favorite places to buy baby clothes:

*Brady at 9 1/2 months in his Childhood Clothing set, with his Luvable Friends booties!*

Breastfeeding

My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow – I thought a nursing pillow wasn’t a necessity… it is. It’s so helpful for keeping baby in place and nursing with better posture. (Your back and shoulders really take a beating from breastfeeding.) I like the My Brest Friend so much better than the Boppy nursing pillow, personally, and this is what I’d use next time around.
Nursing/pumping bras – and LOTS of them. These are literally all you’ll be wearing day in and day out if you’re breastfeeding. It’s important to know if you’ll want a bra that can pump AND nurse, or just one. My favorites, after lots of trial and error – these, these, and these. The latter two you can also pump in. The first one is only for exclusive breastfeeding.
A great lactation consultant – Not ‘gear’ per se, but if you plan to breastfeed, expect that you’ll probably need help along the way. I read a ton and watched a ton of videos about breastfeeding, but there’s really no substitute for hands-on care. RI people – Healthy Babies, Happy Moms in East Greenwich is great, and they do home visits!
A giant water bottle – The struggle is real to drink enough water while breastfeeding! Find a giant water bottle you love and won’t have to refill that often, and it will make your life a lot easier. I love my Yeti Rambler with the Straw Lid attachment, because I find I drink so much more water with a straw vs. without.
Nursing pads – Probably a purchase you never thought you’d be making. Nursing pads help ‘catch’ leaky boobs and prevent you from leaking all your shirt. I had them in my nursing bras at all times.
Lansinoh Therapearls – Breastfeeding can hurt (especially early on), and these are a really nice way to relieve some of the pain. You can use them hot or cold, depending on the kind of pain you’re having and what feels good.
Farmaesthetics Hand to Heel Softening Salve – A friend bought me Farmaesthetic’s New & Nursing Mothers Set shortly after I had Brady (SUCH a sweet gift!), which is how I fell in love with this salve. It can be used for a lot of things, but I actually found it was the best nipple cream I tried. Everything from Farmaesthetics smells amazing and is nontoxic. And fun fact: they’re a small, woman-owned, Rhode Island based company!

Feeding (once you intro solid foods at 4+ months)

Lalo high chair – I’ll be honest: I was initially attracted to this high chair because I thought it was very aesthetically pleasing. (I love Scandinavian design.) But it’s continuously impressed us with its functionality! It’s SUPER easy to disassemble and clean (a *must*), lightweight, has great safety straps, and it also converts to a play chair when your baby grows out of it.
Travel high chair – This portable high chair just snaps right onto a table and is easy to pack/travel with.
Baby food containers – I love these cute, colorful little jars so much. I have about three dozen of them and used them from 4 months on when I was making my own baby food.
Self-feeding spoons – These cute little spoons ‘grip’ your baby’s food so they can practice feeding themselves! Great for developing fine motor skills and teaching them to be independent eaters.
ezpz food mat – This mat suctions to your baby’s high chair tray (or your table) to prevent messes. It has little compartments for different types of food, and comes in fun, bright colors that babies really like.
ezpz Tiny Cup – We love Tiny Cup! This is a great first open cup for babies to practice with. It’s perfectly sized for their little hands, and made from silicone so it won’t break or hurt them. I probably have a million videos on my phone of Brady with this. Babies drinking from cups is just the cutest thing.
NUK Simply Natural Learner sippy cup – This is the first sippy cup we introduced to Brady. The handles make it really easy for him to grab onto, and it came very highly recommended to us.
Silicone baby bibs – Buy these for solid foods, instead of the cloth bibs that will just a million stains on them and be a pain in the butt to clean. You really only need one (we bought 3… which was a mistake), as you’ll just wipe them down in between uses.
Bumkins Baby Smock – A must-have for baby-led weaning or when your baby starts to feed themselves!

Play

Lovevery Play Kits – At first I balked at the idea of a toy subscription (and thought it was too pricey), but this was honestly one of the best investments we made. They send you boxes of developmentally-appropriate toys for your baby every 2 months, along with instructions and play ideas. I think it’s saved us a lot of money in the long run, because
Baby playpen – Ryan and I both agree this was our best baby purchase, hands down. Every time I post about it I get questions on where it’s from. This thing is massive, but it gives Brady SO much room to roam and play, and it gives us so much peace of mind that he’s contained and safe. He spends a ton of time in here, and all the free play has been great for his development.
Play mat for inside the playpen – I found this play mat to fit perfectly inside the playpen. It’s nice and thick, so if he falls or rolls around he won’t hurt his head. It’s also really easy to take out and clean.
Fisher Price Rainforest Activity Gym – When I was doing registry research, I found a lot of other moms recommending this activity gym (probably because it’s so much more aesthetically pleasing!). But this was one area where I didn’t want to skimp on the bright colors, since they’re so good for baby’s attention and development. Brady has loved this mat and continues to be mesmerized by it at 9+ months. It’s also a lot cheaper than the Love Every version. Now that we have the giant playpen, we just put this right inside.
Baby Einstein activity saucer – We’re constantly rotating between the playpen, this, and the Jolly Jumper as Brady gets fussy and tired of one or the other!
Jolly Jumper – We have this hooked up to the doorframe in our kitchen, and Brady loves spending time in here while we cook or do dishes.
Sophie La Girafe – For some reason all babies go nuts for this teething toy. Sophie is Brady’s BFF, and if you only get one teething toy, get this one.

Strollers

Mockingbird stroller – I did a TON of stroller research before Brady came, and this was the one we landed upon. Reviews said it was a best-kept-secret, and a dupe for the $1,000 Uppababy stroller that everyone raves about. We got the Single Stroller, but I’m linking the Single-to-Double Stroller that has since come out. This is what I would have asked for if it was available when I was making my registry. If you’re planning on having more than one kid, it will save you a lot of $$$ down the road.
BOB Revolution Flex 3.0 – This is the jogging stroller I landed on after a lot of research. It is truly worth every penny and makes running with Brady as smooth and comfortable as possible! It truly has so many well-thought-out features, great storage space underneath, and it’s really lightweight (IMO) for how big it is.
Milk Snob carseat cover – This carseat cover has been a lifesaver. We mainly use it as a sunshade, but it’s also given me great peace of mind when going out and about during COVID times. This is one thing I put on my registry but wasn’t really sure if I’d use or not. And now I’m so glad I asked for it!

*Brady on a trip to the beach this Summer, peeking out from his Milk Snob carseat cover.*

First aid

Baby thermometer – This one is the best!
Baby nail clippers – Clipping a tiny baby’s tiny nails for the first time is terrifying. These nail clippers made us feel a lot more comfortable, and I also highly recommend watching this video tutorial from Moms on Call.
Baby Tylenol – Have this before baby comes. You never know when you’ll need it, and you won’t want to be without it when you do.

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Winter Running Tips & All My Favorite Cold Weather Running Gear

December 27, 2020 by APRÉS RUN

Happy Winter! This past week was a busy one with the Christmas holidays, and it was easy to miss that the Winter Solstice slipped right by. The Winter Solstice marks the first day of Winter in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s also the shortest day of the year. From here on out, each day will get a little bit longer and a little bit lighter. Every year I think Winter is not so bad through the end of December. Then once Christmas and New Year’s passes and we’re staring down a few more months of dark mornings and dreary days, it can start to feel a little… deflating. But there really is so much to enjoy about Winter running!

A fun fact about me: I used to absolutely loathe Winter and cold weather. And then I chose to go to college in Central Pennsylvania, moved to Michigan, and now I live in New England. So it’s safe to say I know a thing or two about cold-weather running! In that time, though, I’ve really come to embrace and even appreciate Winter. Really, it’s a mental shift. Winter brings inconveniences – like snow, ice, and cold temperatures – which will force you to slow down at times and occasionally adjust your training plans. But if you know that going in and can keep an open mind, you can enjoy some of the special parts of this season… like quiet, peaceful miles when no one else is out, getting to lay the first set of tracks in fresh snow, not finishing every run drenched in sweat, and not struggling to breathe in high heat and humidity.

Another fun fact about me: I’ll run outside in almost anything. (Lots of ice is where I draw the line, though!) I’ve done a handful of runs in -10 to -12º F, and I think that’s the coldest I’ve ever made it.

My Winter running tips:

Getting out the door in the Winter takes a little more time and planning, but it’s worth it to do it right. If you’re running in the dark, make sure you can see the ground in front of you and are highly visible to cars and others at all times. It’s worth it to run safely. If it’s cold out, make sure you’re warmed up and properly layered. Keeping your muscles warm and healthy are worth it, and can prevent injuries down the road.
Good gear helps. The saying ‘there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear’ is not entirely wrong. If you can invest in a few pieces of really good, quality gear, it will make Winter running SO much more pleasant and enjoyable. Look for warm, but sweat-wicking technical fabrics; mittens instead of gloves; mid-calf socks instead of crew length; and YakTrax for your shoes if you’re running on any snow and/or ice.
If you’re comfortable in the first mile, you’re overdressed. When dressing for cold temperatures, remember that you’re going to warm up (a lot) as you go. Generally speaking, if you’re a little chilly for the first mile, that means you’re dressed perfectly and won’t overheat later in the run. If you’re perfectly comfortable and content in the first mile, you’re going to be overheated and uncomfortable later in the run.
Embrace the opportunity to get mentally tougher! Winter running builds toughness, and that’s something all of us can enjoy and appreciate come Spring and Summer races. You may have to adjust expectations and paces depending on the temperature and if there’s any snow on the ground – but forcing yourself to get out the door in sub-freezing temps can feel immensely satisfying when you’re done and make you realize you’re a lot tougher than you thought. I’m a big fan of training in all conditions, because you never know what race day might bring and you always want to be prepared.
The treadmill is a great training tool. For times when it’s not possible (or smart) to run outside… the treadmill is a great tool. You don’t have to be tough all the time – so if you do have treadmill access, don’t be afraid to use it. Even if it’s possible to do easy runs outside, it might not be possible to do quality sessions or go after faster paces. And even if it is possible, sometimes you need a mental break from sub-freezing temps days upon days upon end. A treadmill run here and there can help break things up and make Winter running feel a lot more managable.
Winter can be a great time to embrace cross training and/or strength training. If you’re not training for an early Spring race, Winter is likely a base-building time for you, anyway. If you live in an area that gets really tough Winters, OR if running through Winter just feels really miserable for you, it can be a great time to work on getting stronger indoors, or by replacing some of your miles with other forms of aerobic cross training.

My favorite Winter running gear:

If you’re looking to brave the elements this Winter, here is a comprehensive list of everything I love.

A great base layer: For a formfitting base layer, I love the Lululemon Swiftly Tech Long Sleeve and the Oiselle Flyte Long Sleeve. For a looser-fitting base layer, the Outdoor Voices All Day Long Sleeve (one of my favorite 2020 purchases – it’s made of the dreamiest fabric!) and the Lululemon Swiftly Breathe Long Sleeve. These pieces all work great on their own for 30º+ weather, or as a layering piece in colder temps. In colder weather, you might want a warmer base layer. For that, I love the Oiselle Flyout Wool Long Sleeve and the Lululemon Runderful Long Sleeve.
Cozy mid-weight layers: The Saucony Women’s Sunday Funnel Neck and the New Balance Heat Grid Hoodie are two great layers to have in your arsenal. Wear these when you want something more than just a base layer, but aren’t quite ready for a puffy jacket.
An all-conditions outer shell jacket: The Oiselle Say Anything Jacket gets rave reviews for being able to withstand miserable cold, rainy weather – great for those living in areas like the Pacific Northwest! This also works as a great outer shell layer for windy runs.
Warm jacket: The Lululemon Down for It All Jacket is hands down the best jacket for very cold Winter running. It’s an investment piece, but worth it if you regularly see sub-20º temps.
The best running tight: There are so many things I love about the Lululemon Fast and Free Tight – mainly its perfect compression, and the amazing side pockets! I wear these in all conditions, and any temps above 25º or so.
Fleece-lined tights for under 25º: The Athleta Rainier Tight and Athleta Altitude Tight in Polartec Power Stretch are amazing for when regular tights just won’t cut it.
Windbreaker pants for really cold days: For running in under 10-15º, I recommend layering with a windbreaker pant overtop of your tights. CRAFT ADV Essence Wind Pants are a great one.
Mid-calf socks: We want to keep all the tendons and ligaments in the feet warm in order to keep them healthy. Smartwool makes my favorite socks for Winter running. And in really cold temps, I wear these.
Warm headbands and buffs for keeping your neck and face warm: The Smartwool Merino 250 Neck Gaiter is amazingly soft and comfy. I’ve also heard great things about SKIDA brand, and I’m dying to get my hands on their Alpine Headbands and Alpine Neckwarmers. Their prints are so cute. A baclava is a must-have for truly cold temps – I wear them for anything under 10 degrees or so. I like the Smartwool Merino Sport Fleece Hinged Baclava, and the Northface Underballa Baclava.
Yaktrax for running on snow and ice: Yaktrax are a device made out of little metal coils that you stretch over the bottom of your running shoes. They grip the ground underneath you when running on snow and ice – and they help you to stay on your feet. Living in New England, I’ve used these every single year since I’ve gotten them, and I can’t imagine my life without them now. They give you so much peace of mind.
Extra thick gloves and mittens: A few favorites – the Oiselle A.T. Mittens, the Oiselle Super Puff Mittens, and the CRAFT Core Insulate Split Finger Glove. Mittens are a huge game changer and will keep your hands so much warmer than gloves!
Hand warmers: I have Reynauds and get poor circulation to my hands when it’s cold out. They’ll turn blue and go numb after particularly cold runs. Shoving a pair of HotHands Hand Warmers into my mittens was a trick I learned in college and makes a huge difference for me. I buy them in bulk on Amazon in prep for Winter running!
Reflective gear: I swear by my Noxgear Tracer 360 Vest for dark runs. It’s super bright and makes sure you can be seen from both the front and the back. It’s also insanely lightweight, and once you get it tightened to your correct size, you’ll barely notice it while running.
A good headlamp: I currently use the Petzl Actik Headlamp, which has been great to me, but am planning to upgrade to the Petzl IKO Headlamp soon. The Petzl brand headlamps are great, high-quality, and have a really good battery life. The Actik Headlamp does slide down on my forehead a little bit while running – but I’ve heard the IKO does an amazing job of staying in place with no bounce!
Sunglasses: Yes, sunglasses! Miles of sun bouncing off of fresh white snow can be blinding, and there’s nothing worse than spending an entire run squinting. Goodr makes the best budget-friendly running sunglasses I’ve found. If you’re able to invest in something a little pricier but higher-quality, I can’t recommend ROKA’s running sunglasses more highly. I just got this pair for my hubby this Christmas (in the Matte Black), and he loves them! Super lightweight, anti-fogging, and they don’t move a bit while running or working out.
A shoe dryer: Hear me out – I know this sounds like a silly purchase, but once you get a shoe dryer you’re not going to be sure how you lived without them. If you’re running in snow or soggy weather day after day, your running shoes may not get a chance to fully dry out in between sessions. I keep my shoe dryer under our stairs, right b the door, so I can take off my shoes right when I get in and put them on the dryer. The next time I want to run, they’re perfect (even a little toasty… which feels amazing on a cold day!).

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Chipotle Turkey Sweet Potato Chili

December 17, 2020 by APRÉS RUN

Hello from snowy Rhode Island. We’re supposed to get around a foot – maybe more- of snow tonight, and I keep checking the weather to see if that number gets downgraded because I can’t believe it. It’s been so long since we’ve had a truly great snow storm!

In prep, I made a huge batch of chili for lunches this week – the perfect antidote to freezing temps. My chili is protein and veggie packed, with a little heat from chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. This is feel-good good-for-you food at its finest.

And the best part? It can easily be doubled or tripled for meal prep, or to feed a crowd.

The other best part? It only requires one pan (a large stock pot) to make. Less dishes are always a good thing.

Chipotle Turkey Sweet Potato Chili

Author: APRÉS RUN
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 45
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 6 hearty servings 1x
Category: Soups and stews
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Healthy

Description

My Chipotle Turkey Sweet Potato Chili is one-pot, high-protein, super nourishing, and exactly what you’ll want to make on repeat all Winter long.

Scale

Ingredients

2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle in adobo sauce
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large carrots, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 medium to large sweet potato, diced into ½ inch cubes
1 tablespoon cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (I like using fire-roasted for extra flavor)
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Optional (to garnish):

Avocado
Sour cream (I love Kite Hill’s dairy-free sour cream!)
Fresh cilantro
Lime wedges

Instructions

In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add turkey and chipotle peppers in adobo, and scramble until lightly browned and turkey is cooked all the way through. Transfer turkey to a plate, and set aside.
Meanwhile, add remaining 1 tablespoon of olive to the pan, and sauté diced onion, garlic, carrots, bell pepper, and sweet potato. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add in cumin, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper, and stir.
Add diced tomatoes, beans, corn, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer on low for 30-45 minutes, or until chili is thickened to your likening. Taste, and add additional seasoning as needed.
Serve with any garnishes, and enjoy!

Keywords: healthy chili, healthy high protein chili, high protein chili, turkey sweet potato chili, healthy turkey chili, healthy turkey sweet potato chili

Fudgy Flourless Peppermint Brownies

December 12, 2020 by APRÉS RUN

Just in time to get you into the holiday spirit: Fudgy flourless peppermint brownies.

Yep.

Add these to your to-do list this weekend.

This recipe is:

One-bowl
Only requires 10 ingredients
Gluten- and dairy-free
Refined sugar free… AKA healthy (…ish)
Oh so fudgy and delicious

Apparently you guys love brownies. (My Great Healthy Brownie Bake-Off is the highest performing post of all time on my blog.) So I don’t think it’ll be a stretch to say you’ll love these. They’re flourless, which makes them nice and gooey in the middle, and just gives them the most amazing texture. There’s a dash of peppermint extract in the batter, and the crushed candy canes on top take it to the next level.

Good luck stopping at just one square.

Fudgy Flourless Peppermint Brownies

Author: APRÉS RUN
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 20
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 16 1x
Category: Desserts
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Healthy

Description

These Fudgy Flourless Peppermint Brownies are a must for getting into the holiday spirit. They are gluten-free, dairy-free, healthy(-ish), and guaranteed to make you feel festive. Their texture is truly amazing and everything you could want want from a rich (but not too rich) flourless brownie.

Scale

Ingredients

1 cup natural almond butter (the drippier the better)*
1/2 cup packed coconut sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 eggs
1 tablespoon avocado oil, or other mild-flavored cooking oil of choice
1/3 cup unsweetened high-quality cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large candy canes, crushed**

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease or line a 8 x 8″ pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine almond butter, coconut sugar, maple syrup, peppermint extract, and eggs. Whisk together.

3. Add avocado oil, and whisk again until smooth.

4. Stir in the cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and stir until well-incorporated and ribbony. This batter should be THICK (that’s a good thing!).

5. Transfer brownie batter to the prepared pan, and use a rubber spatula (or your hands) to spread it evenly towards the edges.

6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean, or with only a few crumbs attached. It’s better to underbake fudgy brownies than to overbake them.

7. Let the brownies set in the pan for a full 20-30 minutes. Once completely firm and cool, remove from the pan, slice up, and enjoy!

Notes

* ‘Natural’ means no hydrogenated oils, and the only two ingredients are almonds and salt. You want the smooth, creamy stuff at the top of the jar, not the hard, crusty parts that can form at the bottom. Also note: there are no subs for almond butter here! (That I’ve tested.) Peanut butter has a different fat content than almond butter and thus will produce different results in baking.

** To crush candy canes, I like to place them in a ziplock bag on a hard surface, and use a cast iron or heavy-bottomed pan to crush them into tiny pieces.

Keywords: healthy brownies, healthy peppermint brownies, peppermint brownies, christmas brownies, christmas baking, healthy christmas baking

2020 Holiday Gift Guide for the Runners & Sweaty People In Your Life

December 5, 2020 by APRÉS RUN

This is my second year creating a gift guide on the blog. (If you missed it, you can check out last year’s gift guide here.) I LOVE the holidays, and I LOVE gift giving, so this is something I really look forward to putting together. If you’re looking for gifts for the runner or active person in your life, I hope this gives you some creative ideas. Or maybe it helps you pad your own wish list! I like to think outside the box when gift giving, so the items on this list aren’t all *running-related*, per se, but they’re things a lot of things runners like – good gear, good food, strong coffee, and comfortable loungewear for in between training sessions.

Also like last year, I try to include as many small and women-owned businesses as possible.

(1) Lululemon Align Short (6″) – $58

Bike shorts are obviously super trendy right now. I’ll be honest – I’ve never liked this length of short, but the Align line (truly the most amazing fabric ever) converted me. These shorts are super flattering, SO soft and comfortable, and I love the black camo color. I use these for cross training workouts, weights sessions, or for casual everyday wear. (I love pairing them with an oversized crewneck sweatshirt, a la Princess Di!)

(2) Lululemon Down for It All Jacket – $198

If you regularly run in really cold temps, this is THE jacket to have. It will be your secret weapon for Winter running. It’s pricey, but high-quality, and you’ll have it forever. I recommend going up one or two sizes, as it does run a bit small.

(3) Oiselle Flyout Wool Long Sleeve – $86

Oiselle’s amazing base layers never disappoint. Their Flyout Long Sleeve is already a favorite of mine – the Flyout Wool Long Sleeve looks even better, and perfect for Winter running. Who doesn’t want cozy new gear to help you get out for cold, dark Winter miles?

(4) We Run on Art prints – $18

Jess is an amazing creative and small business owner, and she creates the most beautiful pieces of art for runners. Someday when we have a home (and I get a real home office) I want to purchase several of these for a gallery wall. They’re fun and cute and capture what runners are all about.

(5) Lift Run Perform run coaching – $119 – $199/month

Shameless plug (you can read more about my coaching with Lift Run Perform here), but I think run coaching makes an amazing gift for anyone looking to get faster or reach their performance goals in 2021. Whether you’re just trying to start running, have a big PR goal, want to tackle a new distance, or are trying to return to running after having a baby, there is no substitute for hands-on, individualized training. Feel free to reach out via our website (linked above), or e-mail me personally here. We can help you to gift anywhere from 3-12 months of coaching to someone!

(6) Hanselmann Pottery Thumb Cup – $30

For the coffee- or tea-loving runner in your life, there is no better gift than a really great mug. This one from Hanselmann Pottery is one of my favorites, and guests always love it and ask about it when they come over. It has a little indent in the side where your thumb is supposed to go, and is basically made for cozying up on the couch with a warm beverage.

(7) Farmhouse Pottery Mini Mug Ornament – $32

How cute are these mini mug ornaments?! Hanselmann Pottery and Farmhouse Pottery are two of my favorite sources for great handmade ceramics (we have a bunch of their dishware) – and bonus: you get to help support a small business.

(8) Garmin Fenix 6s watch – $699.99

If you’re looking to splurge on someone you love, this is the newest version of the GPS watch I have, and I can’t recommend it more highly. It has a ton of amazing features I’m still learning and playing with, but what I love most about it is how it’s pretty enough to wear as an everyday watch, too.

(9) Jaybird Vista earbuds – $179

This was the best piece of running gear I invested in this year. I have Apple’s AirPods, which I love for walks and doing chores around the house. But these, hands down, are the best wireless ear buds for running. They’re waterproof, sweatproof, have a super long battery life, and have a lot of cool, thoughtful features that tell you they were definitely designed by runners. (For example, you can tap the earbuds once to pause your music, and twice to skip to a new song. I love this feature, since I usually run with my playlist on shuffle mode.) I also love how they come with three different sizes of eargels, so you can find the right fit for your ears.

(10) Chappy Wrap blanket – $135

A Chappy Wrap is on the top of my wishlist this year. I’ve only heard amazing things about the softness and quality of these blankets (they also come in the cutest colors and prints!), and people love how they’re machine washable. I have my eye on the Sea Watch Plaid color, which I think looks so festive for the holidays. (Note: certain styles sell out really fast, so order soon or get on the waitlist for ones you like.)

(11) Sheex Performance Sheet Set – $147

Once you start sleeping in Sheex, you won’t be able to go back to sleeping in anything else. Their performance sheets were created by two former athletes (and NCAA coaches) who wanted to make bed sheets out of the soft, breathable dri-fit fabric they wore to practice. The sheets are designed to keep you cool (great for sweaty sleepers) and comfortable. We have the Performance Sheets in Graphite on our bed right now!

(12) Boathouse Holiday 2-Layer Neck Gaiter – $12.98

How cute are these holiday-themed gaiters from Boathouse? Gaiters and buffs are obviously a necessity for runners these days, and you can never have too many. What I love about the Boathouse gaiters are how they’re double-ply. They’re truly the sturdiest and most protective-feeling ones I’ve run in, which gives you great peace of mind. If you’re feeling really festive, you can also check out their holiday-themed compression gear, as well.

(13) Indie Lee I-Recover Mind & Body Gel – $48

This Indie Lee product has a cult following and is great for rubbing on tired, sore muscles. (People say it’s also a miracle worker for headaches or migraines!) It smells amazing and is made from totally ‘clean’, nontoxic ingredients – great for the health-conscious runner or active person in your life.

(14) LAKE pajamas – $78 – $122 (price varies)

Oh my word – LAKE pajamas are the best of the best. I have been slowly collecting them over the years and have maybe half a dozen styles now. I also got a few of the maternity styles after having Brady, and they were great for middle-of-the-night feeds. This year I bought a set from their holiday collection for Ryan, Brady, and myself, and I can’t wait to give them out on Christmas morning. Their new dreamknit material (henley set linked here) looks absolutely heavenly, too.

(15) MATE organic thermal loungewear sets – Top ($88) and pant ($138)

What do women want? Loungewear! It’s 2020 – don’t buy us jewelry. I have been coveting the thermal loungewear set from MATE the Label for pretty much forever. They use the most amazing sustainable, nontoxic, organic fabrics that truly feel like butter on the body. (Their organic t-shirts are also amazing, too!)

(16) UGG Flufette slippers – $89.95

I love UGG slippers. I think they’re supremely comfy, and they last forever. These slip-ons are equally perfect for resting your feet between training sessions, and snuggling at home on the couch. What better gift to give, since we’ll all be trapped at home this Winter anyway?

(17) Slip Large Slipsilk Scrunchies – $39

These are a must-have for runners and active people, as our hair takes a real beating from all the sweating, washing, and tight ponytails. I wear these silk scrunchies in between training sessions, as I like to give my hair a break from damaging elastics. Bonus: they look really cute, and scrunchies are very much ‘on trend’ at the moment.

(18) Sprouted Kitchen Cooking Club gift membership – $30 (3 months) – $100 (12 months)

I love love love what Sara has created at Sprouted Kitchen (her cookbooks are amazing) – and even moreso what she’s created with the Sprouted Kitchen Cooking Club. SK Cooking Club membership is really cheap (IMO), and you get SO much with it. Each week she sends you a meal plan with 4+ recipes, a full grocery list, tips and shortcuts for planning ahead, and ways to modify things if you have food allergies/different dietary preferences. It was developed for people who hate or feel overwhelmed by meal planning but want to cook more. I love meal planning and cooking already and still get a ton of value from being a member. The library of recipes you get access to is amazing, and I constantly find myself utilizing it in my own meal planning. I think this would make such a thoughtful, unique gift!

(19) Thrive Market Curated Reds, half a case of clean wine – $83.94

For the health-conscious runner in your life who has been wanting to experiment with ‘clean’ wines – this is a great starter pack. All of the wines included come from low impact, organic, or biodynamic vineyards, and the set is hand-picked by a sommelier to be the perfect complement to your holiday festivities. Fans of clean wine say they give you less of a headache and hangover than traditional wines, thanks to the low sulfite content and no added sugar.

(20) Scratch Pasta Co. Quarantine Care Package No. 1 – $32

Support a small, women-owned business, send someone great, homemade pasta, and help a runner fuel their next training session… win-win-win. Scratch Pasta Co. was created by a former chef with training in Italy, and I think her pastas (especially this boxed set) would make a GREAT gift for anyone who appreciates high-quality food and good carbs.

(21) Bolt Coffee subscription – $18+/month

I’m giving a local plug to our favorite roastery. A coffee subscription was one of our favorite investments this year. We started it after COVID hit, and after we had a baby, so having our caffeine delivered right to our door was much appreciated. If Rhode Island does two things really well, it’s donuts and coffee. PVD Donuts unfortunately doesn’t ship, but Bolt Coffee does. I can’t recommend their beans more highly, and the ‘Roaster’s Choice’ package is especially fun as you get new blends to try in each shipment.

High-Protein Quinoa & Turkey Taco Skillet

October 29, 2020 by APRÉS RUN

Meal planning and prepping is my saving grace and how I make cooking so often work. You can read more about my strategy and approach to that here. However, and full disclosure – cooking is something I truly LOVE and look forward to doing, which helps from a motivation standpoint. I know not everyone is in that boat.

For those who don’t love to cook (or maybe don’t have the time) but like having healthy food on hand, I recommend keeping things as simple as possible for yourself. Canned beans, frozen brown rice, frozen veggies, and meals that can be made in the slow cooker, pressure cooker, or all in one pan are your best friends.

This is one of those meals.

I created this recipe in my attempt to streamline our weekly meal prep. I like to have healthy, easy-to-grab lunches on hand for Ryan and I each week, but I don’t have full days on Sundays anymore to devote to chopping, cooking, and prepping tons of individual ingredients ahead. Enter this easy high-protein taco skillet.

Why I love it:

Everything comes together in one pan, which makes clean-up a breeze.
It covers all your nutritional bases in one bowl – with veggies, protein, healthy fats, and slow-digesting carbs. (I like slicing half an avocado on top for extra healthy fats!)
It’s easily scalable and can be doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled, depending on how many servings you need.
You only have to chop two things: one onion, and one pepper. The beans and tomatoes come from a can, and the corn is frozen. These small shortcuts add up and are big time-savers.

Last week I tripled this recipe in my giant Le Creuset dutch oven, and it made enough for a full week of lunches for two people, plus some. We never got sick of eating it.

High-Protein Quinoa & Turkey Taco Skillet

Author: APRÉS RUN
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 35
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x
Category: Entree
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Healthy

Description

Tasty, healthy, high-protein, veggie-packed, full of healthy slow-digesting carbs, and only uses one pan… what more could you want? This is an easy meal prep favorite of ours and can be doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled to make ahead for a full week of lunches or dinners.

Scale

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground turkey
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup rinsed quinoa
1 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the diced onion, diced bell pepper, and minced garlic, and sauté for about 2-3 minutes, or until onions start to become translucent.
Add ground turkey, and cook until the meat is browned slightly and just about cooked through. Use the edge of your spatula to break up the meat into bite-sized pieces as it cooks.
Stir in the chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper, and cook 1-2 more minutes.
Add the canned black beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, frozen corn, and quinoa. Stir to combine.
Once the mixture starts to bubble, add in your water, cover the skillet with a lid, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for about 20-25 minutes, then remove lid, remove from heat, and enjoy!

Keywords: one pan meals, skillet meals, healthy one pan meals, healthy skillet meals, healthy lunch ideas, easy lunch ideas, easy lunch recipes, healthy lunch recipes, healthy meal prep recipes

An Intro to the Pelvic Floor (from a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist)

October 13, 2020 by APRÉS RUN

I’m so pleased to share this guest post from Jennifer Reynolds, PT, DPT, TPS, and Owner of Reynolds Physical Therapy in Barrington, Rhode Island. I worked with Jennifer after having my son Brady at the end of March, and we’ve stayed in touch since. We both feel strongly about women’s health and getting more information out there about rehabbing your pelvic floor after birth. If you are active and want to be active for a long time after having kids – you need to understand and be thinking about your pelvic floor.

First, we thought we’d start with what exactly the pelvic floor is, and why it’s important. So without further ado – I’ll let Jennifer take it away…

The Pelvic what?? Floor? What is that?

Pregnancy and childbirth are a challenge for our bodies. A challenge our bodies can handle beautifully. But, a challenge nonetheless. In a relatively short period of time a woman’s body will change dramatically with pregnancy. Our pelvis will widen, our ribcage will expand, our abdominals will stretch, and our pelvic floor muscles will stretch as well.

Pelvic floor? What? Do I have a pelvic floor? Yes, you have a pelvic floor. The pelvic floor is a group of muscles at the bottom of your pelvis. They are around the vaginal and anal openings.

The muscles that make up the pelvic floor play an important role in our most intimate functions. They control pee, poop and sex, hold up your bladder, rectum and uterus and stabilize your pelvis. And, for the most part we never think about them. In fact, most women don’t think about them until they have a problem. Perhaps, you leak urine with sneezing, coughing or when you exercise. Or maybe you have an increase in urinary urge and then leak urine. Or maybe you are struggling with returning to the exercise you enjoy after having a baby.

During pregnancy and childbirth, the pelvic floor undergoes tremendous stretch and strain as they support the growing baby and allow for the baby to be born. After, pregnancy and childbirth these muscles require more attention so you can return to exercise without pain, be able to control your pee and enjoy sex again.

Can you imagine having an injury to another body part? Maybe your shoulder or your ankle. Would you expect to return to all your activities without any difficulty? Or would you expect to have to rest, recover and rehab that shoulder or ankle? The pelvic floor is no different than any other group of muscles in your body. They need to rest, recover and rehab after a pregnancy and delivery as well.

Returning to your previous exercise or lifestyle without considering your pelvic floor can be challenging. Perhaps you are not sure where to start or how to reintroduce exercise. A pelvic Physical Therapist can help you through the process of rest, recovery and rehab. A skilled pelvic PT will help guide you through the various stages of rehab and return to your previous active life.

Some frequently asked questions:

Q: “How quickly can I return to running after having a baby?”

A: In general, the answer is 12 weeks postpartum. However, there are a lot of factors that go into the decision for a woman to return to running after having a baby. It is recommended woman see a pelvic physical therapist for a pelvic floor screen before returning to running to help evaluate the pelvic floor musculature for strength, function and coordination of the abdominal muscles and the pelvic floor muscles. A physical therapist can also help you consider other factors that are important to consider before returning to running which are: your previous level of activity before and during pregnancy, including running, how well you handle the load and impact of running, strength and core stability, breastfeeding, amount of sleep, scar tissue etc.

Q: “What makes running challenging to the pelvic floor?”

A: Running requires the effective management of intra-abdominal pressure as well as ground reaction forces transmitted through the lower limb and pelvis. A pregnancy and delivery place a great deal of stress on the pelvic floor, hip and abdominal muscles. The changes the muscles go through during a pregnancy and delivery may make it more difficult for your body to manage the intra-abdominal pressure and ground reaction forces which can lead to urinary leaking, pelvic organ prolapse and/or injury. But, it doesn’t mean you can’t rehab your pelvic floor, abdominals and hip musculature to return to running. Guidance and coaching from a pelvic physical therapist can help you rehab and return to running safely.

Q: “What are some signs and symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction?”

A: Great question! Some things to look out for in the postpartum period and with the return to running are:

Leaking urine or inability to control bowel movements
Heaviness/ dragging in the pelvic area
Pelvic or lower back pain

Best-Ever Healthy Chicken Pad Thai

October 8, 2020 by APRÉS RUN

Since moving to Providence and getting to immerse myself in the incredible food scene here, I’ve become a lot more of an adventurous eater. I found out I LOVE Korean food (give me all the bibimbap, kimchi, Korean barbecue, etc.); I’ve tried Thai dishes, Lebanese food, Portuguese cooking. And I’ve incorporated a lot more international cooking into our own weekly meals.

This means I now have a little stockpile in our fridge and pantry of ‘specialty items’ that aren’t used *incredibly* frequently – but which are really important to have on hand for when cooking different cuisines. Fish sauce, soy sauce/liquid aminos, rice vinegar, and chili paste are just a few. They make dishes like this one – my FAVORITE pad thai – possible. And they’re really a huge difference maker in terms of flavor and authenticity.

This healthy pad thai recipe is one I’ve perfected over the past couple years, and I’m finally pleased enough with it to share on the blog. Everyone I’ve made it for has gone nuts for it. (A few people even said it was the best pad thai they ever had!) And it’s such a fun, easy recipe to make for a crowd. You can easily double or even triple the recipe, and who doesn’t love a good bowl meal?

I used to be intimidated by making pad thai because it has so many moving parts. If that’s you – don’t be!

The secret to a quick and easy pad thai: pre-chop all your veggies and your chicken ahead of time. Once you do that, everything comes together really quickly, and this meal only requires two pans (1 pasta pot, and 1 large skillet). I use a cast iron skillet and serve it right from the pan when it’s done, which makes for simple clean-up, too.

I hope you’ll give this recipe a try soon and let me know how you like it. I think pad thai makes a great comfort food for the chilly Fall and Winter months – so it feels especially timely to share!

Best-Ever Healthy Chicken Pad Thai

Author: APRÉS RUN
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 15
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Asian

Description

This pad thai is my secret weapon for pleasing a crowd. It comes together quickly and easily, only uses two pans, and requires less specialty ingredients than you would think! It’s also made with super nourishing, good-for-you ingredients, like brown rice noodles, lots of fresh chopped veggies and herbs, and a sauce made from real peanut butter.

Scale

Ingredients

Pad thai:

8 ounces brown rice pad thai noodles (I buy this brand – but you can also substitute brown rice fettuccini)
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, sliced into thin strips
Olive oil, for cooking
1 red bell pepper, julienned into thin strips
5–6 medium carrots, cut into matchsticks, or 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
1 medium shallot, minced
3 teaspoons minced garlic
2 eggs, beaten
2 green onions, minced
1/2 cup raw, unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 limes, cut into wedges

Sauce:

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, or liquid aminos if gluten-free
1 tablespoon real maple syrup
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons natural peanut butter (smooth, not chunky)
1 tablespoon chili paste
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Juice of 1 lime

Instructions

Pre-chop all your veggies ahead of time (shallot, bell pepper, carrots, green onion, and cilantro), and pre-chop your chicken intro strips.
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, and cook brown rice noodles to al dente according to package directions. Be careful not to overcook, as we want that perfectly finished noodle with a little bit of crunch left. The noodles will continue to cook a little longer in the sauce later.
While noodles are cooking, whisk together all sauce ingredients and set aside.
Once the noodles are cooked, immediately rinse under cold water so they don’t get sticky and hardened together. Drain, and add to a large mixing bowl. Toss with 1 teaspoon olive oil and set aside.
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large nonstick skillet (I love using my cast iron for this), and heat over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add chicken strips and stir-fry until just cooked through. Then remove chicken and transfer to a plate.
Add another 1 tablespoon of olive oil to your skillet, and stir-fry your shallots and bell pepper for about 1 minute. Add carrots and minced garlic, and sauté another minute. Reduce heat to medium and pour beaten eggs over your veggies. Cook, stirring constantly, until eggs are scrambled.
Next, add your noodles and chicken to the pan, and pour the whisked sauce over top of everything. Toss until evenly combined, and cook 2-3 more minutes.
Garnish with chopped green onion, peanuts, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges, and drizzle fresh lime juice over top before enjoying.

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