How to Physically Prepare for a Protest

I spoke to Vice for this important article about all the challenges that come with hitting the streets, including running, fueling up, dealing with soreness, self-defense, and even managing your pee.

Manage your need to pee. I’ve had more than a few friends hitting their limit with this in the process of protesting, but CAN we exert any control over the call of nature? Feller reported that, in fact, we can. “It is possible that increasing carbohydrates in combination with unsaturated fats in the short term may decrease the need to frequently urinate,” she said.

Specific amounts need to be suited to the individual, Feller said, but she suggested “starting with adding a serving of carbohydrates of your choice along with an unsaturated fat [nuts, avocado, olive oil] of your choice to your daily routine. You never want to enter a protest dehydrated as you will be on your feet for hours using lots of energy, so prepare the day before and hydrate and nourish yourself to the best of your ability.” If you were waiting for even more permission to eat carbs, from someone other than me, there you go.