I don’t want to call out any of the popular diets that are currently attracting thousands of followers. However, I have never been a fan of diets. From the grapefruit and cottage cheese diets of the ’60s to the most recent, the focus on eliminating, limiting, or enhancing food groups has never seemed particularly wise. Any time an imbalance in naturally available foods is artificially created, it seems a rebound is just around the corner.

Dieters latch onto “new” diets in hopes of finally finding the combination that will make them lose or gain weight; change their mental attitudes; or control disease. The positive results early on of any limited diet most often give way to reality, compounding the original issue.

While anecdotes abound for the positive results of widely popularized diets, it is imperative that followers devote time to researching the pros and cons. Respected health experts, such as the Mayo Clinic, are less enthusiastic about the high-fat, super low carbohydrate diet that has found a fan base, for instance, than for diets that offer a moderate, balanced eating lifestyle. While epileptic children, strictly monitored, have been helped by this diet that encourages the use of body fat for energy, rather than counting on carbohydrates, long term research is not available to assess the ups and downs of a diet that discourages whole grains, many vitamin rich vegetables, and legumes for otherwise healthy adults.

Moderation. That seems to be my fallback. Excesses of sugar and other sweets, meats, starches, and snack foods are certainly poor habits to maintain. But complete and rigid adherence to the elimination of any food group leads to a dysphoria in a most important social aspect of eating: that of breaking bread together.

I have periodically leaned heavily toward a completely meatless way of life. However, I have never lost sight of the joy of sharing meals with others, even when it has involved ham with a side of white bread, a sausage-spiked soup, or a perfect salad garnished with crumbled bacon. I do believe most research that suggests a lower intake of meat is better for our bodies and the planet; so sticking to that philosophy most of the time, along with continuing to read updated research, talking to my doctors, and — most importantly — checking in with how I feel has, so far, pretty much worked for me.

It is not a lifestyle choice for everyone. There are many who feel their best and are at their healthiest when meat is included regularly in their meals. And as we age, we always need to reconsider our health habits, including what we do and do not regularly consume.

No sugar? No dessert? Total deprivation, unless for a medical reason, of a sweet treat is cruel to the soul, in my mind.

White flour? Not the best choice…but then there are those heavenly popovers that pop their highest with the use of white flour over whole wheat. And really: How often are you indulging in popovers?

Moderation. Don’t drive yourself crazy with crazes. Remember the delight of food, and be thankful that most of us, in this part of the world, have access to such a variety of foods to nourish us every day, and friends and family with whom to break bread.

Speaking of breaking bread, here’s the bread recipe we fall back on at our house.

Mostly Whole Wheat Bread

1 cup hot water

1 cup 2 percent milk (or soy milk)

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon dark molasses

¾ cup old fashioned oats

2 packages active dry yeast (Hodgkins Mill makes one especially for whole grains)

All-purpose white flour (about 2 cups)

1 tablespoon sea salt

3 tablespoons canola oil

2 large eggs

Whole wheat flour (about 3 cups)

In a large mixing bowl, combine hot water and milk with honey and molasses, and add oats; sprinkle yeast over the top. Cover bowl lightly and let sit about ten minutes, until yeast begins to bubble.

Add all-purpose flour and stir in thoroughly. Let stand 20 minutes. Add salt, oil, and eggs to bowl and beat in well.

Add whole wheat flour, one cup at a time, beating after each addition, until a dough forms that is no longer sticky, but not stiff. (It should feel about the consistency of your forearm, unless you are particularly muscular!) Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead vigorously for at least five minutes, dusting surface with additional flour as needed.

Wash out mixing bowl and lightly oil. Place dough in bowl, turn it over, and cover with plastic wrap.

Let rise for 45 minutes to an hour, until doubled in size — a finger poked in will leave a dimple.

Punch down the dough and turn onto lightly floured surface, cut in half. Gently pat each piece into a rectangle, and fold into a loaf, pinching together the final seam. Place each loaf, seam side down, in an oiled loaf pan (or use a spray oil), and gently cover with plastic wrap.

Let rise in a warm spot for another 45 minutes or until the bread rises well above the edges of the pan.

Heat the oven to 360 degrees F.

Bake for 32 to 35 minutes on middle rack of oven. Tops of the loaves should be golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.

Tip from the pans and let cool on a rack.

Enjoy with friends and family.