Happy Cinco De Mayo! The holiday seemingly entirely dedicated to tacos and margaritas! I know that there is a reall significance to the day - the day the Mexican army overtook the French Empire at the Battle of the Puebla - but let's be real, it's an excuse to enjoy some "forbidden" foods. Well I'm here to tell you that they aren't as forbidden as you think!
You see, we will ALWAYS advocate for the approach that considers longevity. What we mean by that is this - we hopefully have a long time left on this earth. One that we need to treasure and protect, which requires us to take care of our mind and bodies. We have to be disciplined and consistent in our health and wellness efforts so that our bodies stay healthy for the long term. BUT, in order to accomplish that goal of longevity, we need diet-vacations. Just like we need vacations from work, we need vacations from our strict regimens. Now, I'm not talking about a 7-14 day vacation like you may be used to, but I am talking about a day or evening where you cut yourself some slack.
And today is the perfect day for that. Assuming you've been working hard in the gym and sticking to your nutrition plans, then we believe you should be able to enjoy some Cinco De Mayo inspired food today. And of course, there are better ways than others to celebrate, which we'll get in to.
First off, plan ahead. If you know you are going to snack on chips and salsa, make sure the rest of your food for the day is on point - and prioritize protein early. Restaraunts tend to over-do the carbohydrates and fats, and your celebration tonight will be no different. Chips are carbohydrates that have been deep fried, so right there you are getting both. Your margaritas are going to be all carbs, and if you get beans and rice, you guessed it, more carbs & fat. So make sure you get plenty of protein in for breakfast and lunch, and maybe even a pre-dinner snack to keep you from going off the deep end on chips.
When it comes to your entre, again, prioritize protein. We already know everything else you eat will be loaded with carbs and fat, so you need to exercise some will power when it comes to the main dish. I prefer authentic tacos and fajitas, they tend to have good amounts of protein. Be careful when it comes to american style tacos or loaded tacos - the extras typically tend to be fried or processed. Another strategy that I like to use when out is to alternate between a drink and water, meaning after each alcoholic drink I finish, I finish an entire glass of water. This does two things - it keeps me hydrated, and it slows down my rate of liquor consumption - both good things.
With that, I just want to say again, don't be afraid to enjoy the holiday today. So many online fitness influencers will tell you to stick to your diet, but we don't think that's the right strategy. There are so many other days to stick to the strategy, today doesn't have to be one of them. Let us know what you think and what your strategy is going to be today!
Happy Cinco De Mayo!
