Often in health, nothing is what it seems. Recommendations for healthy living seem to change continuously, as Americans look for easier and quicker solutions to bypass the tried-and-true methods of disease prevention.

Recently, when a Kansas State researcher lost more than 30 pounds on a diet filled with junk food and daily Twinkies, every news station reported on the "Twinkie Diet" as if it somehow vindicated our guilty love of sweets and snacks. Does it? Can you eat junk food and lose weight? The answer is not quite as simple as you may think.

On the surface, the Twinkie Diet offers a very valuable lesson — eating in moderation, no matter the nutritional content, is still the No. 1 key to weight loss. The Kansas State nutritionist tightly controlled his daily calories. In addition, he also supplemented his diet with protein shakes, vegetables and moderate exercise. By eating less, he lost weight.

But look beyond the pounds lost, and the quality of his diet is clearly flawed. He may lose weight eating Twinkies and Ho Hos, but the poor nutritional content will certainly increase the risk of illness later in life.

The Twinkie Diet certainly received a lot of attention and hype, but I fear that the main message was lost. This researcher did not aim to encourage all Americans to eat more junk food; rather, he showed that the best diet must be the prudent diet.

We do not have to deprive ourselves of those "guilty pleasures" to lose weight and be healthy. Simply be sensible. Watch the carbohydrates and eat the right fats. Try to get some omega-3 fatty acids in walnuts or almonds and choose proteins such as lean meat and fatty fish.

When you want to splurge on a high-calorie meal, simply pare down the next day to offset the excess. If, like Mr. Twinkie in Kansas, you happen to love junk food, keep track of how much you are eating.

In addition to offering lessons on calorie-counting, the Twinkie Diet highlights our obsession with new, ever-changing health tips. At one point, scientists believed that large doses of vitamins A, C, E and beta carotene were thought to prolong life and fight disease such as cancer, heart disease, stroke and Alzheimer's.

Sadly, more and more information indicates that these vitamins not only are ineffective in preventing disease but may also cause harm, increasing your risk of illness. By contrast, diets rich in naturally occurring vitamins promote health. Green leafy vegetables, carrots, broccoli and avocados are rich in many vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that protect against disease.

A few years ago, we were told that weight was the single most important risk factor for disease. After all, overweight people are unhealthy, right? Wrong! While important, how much you weigh is no more significant in predicting disease than how much you exercise, smoking cessation or screening for illness.

When it comes to exercise, the recommendations keep changing. At one point, a short, brisk walk was all you needed for optimum health. Now, we know that the more you exercise the better, and that the current recommendation is that we all walk a minimum of 60 minutes or 10,000 steps daily.

No matter the topic, health recommendations will always shift and evolve. So, for the empowered consumer of health care, the goal should always be to remain sensible. Never take up a new fad diet or exercise simply because it receives the public spotlight. Unfortunately, nothing is better than eating well and exercising regularly. Living a healthy life does not have to be complicated or challenging — the only requirement is to be prudent.

As the Christmas season approaches, this message of sensibility could not be timed better. Enjoy your holiday feast or Christmas party. Drink some wine and eat some dessert! But do it sensibly. One or two days of excess are not bad for your health. In fact, the celebration of family, friends and community absolutely contributes to a healthier person. However, nobody needs four weeks of excess. Be prudent and do everything in moderation. It is an easy prescription to make, but it's often a difficult one to follow.

Dr. David Lipschitz is the author of the books, "Breaking the Rules of Aging" and "Dr. David's First Health Book of More Not Less." To find out more about Dr. David Lipschitz and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. More information is available at www.DrDavidHealth.com.