The Perfect Healthy Diet

Tony Horton: Is There A Perfect Diet?

My Google-friendly fans often get confused when they look to the internet for advice on how to eat like Tony. They find articles on my vegan ways. They find opinions on the benefits of organic meats. They may even stumble on the P90X2 Nutrition Plan , which features a “grain-free” modification with a strong Paleo feel to it.

“So which is it, Tony?” you demand. “What’s the right diet for those wanting to eat the Horton way?”

The answer to that, my friends, is, “All of them.” Yes, I was a vegan for years — and I felt great doing it. But the problem was that I couldn’t keep weight on, eating just veggies, fruit, beans, and nuts, so I had to rethink my strategy. I still eat tons of veggies, but I'm now a free-range chicken, wild salmon and other healthy fish-eating type of guy, too. I’ve also cut back on my grains, having discovered that the less gluten I eat, the better it is for my body and brain chemistry.

You see, even if you think you've found the perfect diet , it won’t always be perfectly perfect. Making adjustments based on your ever-changing needs — especially as you get older and wiser — is normal. I like to refer to this philosophy as “flexitarianism.” Some define this as a vegetarian who occasionally eats meat. I beg to differ. To me, it means you eat with an open, observant mind, shifting your diet as needed to suit your personal nutritional needs.

For some strange reason, this style of eating is news to most of us. As a society, we’re compelled to segregate diets into rigid categories, like we do religion, politics, or sporting team loyalties. Vegan, Paleo , raw, macrobiotic, pescetarian, pollotarian, or vegetarian . They all have their benefits. When it comes to food, there’s no shame in being a flip-flopper and taking advantage of all of them.

That said, I think there are a few simple rules to keep in mind. First off, why do you eat what you eat? Hunger? Survival? Cravings? Boredom? Performance? It’s important to find the balance. If you don't stay accountable, then cravings for addictive comfort foods will cause all kinds of problems . On the other hand, overly restrictive diets will almost always lead to problems as well. Sooner or later, you’ll crack and binge. So, to keep your hand out of the proverbial (and literal) cookie jar, it’s important to design an eating plan that makes you feel good while eating it. If you do that, then you'll stop the weight-loss-weight-gain cycle.

The diet guide in P90X and the one in my book Bring It! may seem entirely different, but they aren't. The strategies vary, but when all is said and done, they both recommend that you eat healthy food. P90X2 takes that philosophy a step further with grain-free, vegan and high-protein plans — all healthy, varied options. Note the key word here:

healthy

.

If you’ve found the perfect diet for you, great, but it might not

always

work, so don’t be afraid to experiment. Think of it this way. Over the course of your life, do you buy the same car over and over? Probably not. As your needs change, you might go from junker, to sports car, to family wagon, back to sports car (midlife crisis), to roomy sedan. As your tastes, needs and economic situation shifts, you require different vehicles. The same goes for food. Your 20-year-old body and your 50-year-old body have totally different needs. It’s important to honor that.

Of course, I may be 100% wrong. Maybe there’s some magic diet out there that’s perfect for everyone. If you know about it, please tell me, because I’m willing to give it a try. After all, that’s the whole point of being a flexitarian, right?