You may find this hard to believe, Suffolkians, but I used to be able to do 10 back flips in a row when I was younger. I was limber and athletic. There were times when I thought I could literally outrun the wind. I could play sports all night long and still not tire myself.

These are the thoughts a man holds onto when he’s now 34 years old and the doctor goes into that little box of rubber gloves to begin a physical. After being a somewhat active human being for the better part of 30 years, it seems like one’s overall health can come down to what the results are after the rubber glove snaps.

Luckily for me this time, though, the rubber gloves were just the usual precaution the doctor takes to check my heartbeat and breathing. She told me I was still a little too young for a prostate exam, which was both a relief and a foreboding sign of things to come. (Isn’t it funny how the scene seems to take on that sort of gritty crime scene feel in the doctor’s office when the doctor says the phrase ‘prostate exam?’)

Nonetheless, someone must’ve slipped my beloved doctor a mickey before I got to my 8 a.m. appointment. Because, for the first time, the lady whom I’ve come to think of as the ruination of my every good time seemed somewhat upbeat about my condition.

And then I thought to myself, why shouldn’t she be in a good mood? I’ve lost 12 pounds or so since January. I’m breathing much easier now, when previously the physical exertion of simply typing this very column would have made me break out into a sweat and need to chug a Gatorade.

So as much as I hate to admit it, sometimes the good doctor is right. Proper diet and exercise seems to work.

And I can think of no better time in Suffolk to be feeling like a healthy-ish tub of man with a clean-ish bill of health.

Today marks the beginning of Restaurant Week in Suffolk. It is one week of fine dining at an affordable price. According to what I’ve seen online, some of the deals around town during Restaurant Week are practically like giving food away. And as I’ve always said, the only thing better than food is free food.

So, I feel I’m right in the eye of a perfect storm. The three tent posts of decent health, nice weather and a celebration of food surround me. I may say, Suffolk, that you will not find this portly columnist in any finer mood than this glorious week.

I hope to see you all out there enjoying what Suffolk is offering this week.

And if you should see me skipping along, it’s only for two simple reasons. My decent health allows me to do so with only a modicum of pain. And two, who wouldn’t skip when the smell of cooking in the spring air?