You know how some say that age 60 is the new 40? Well, I’ve been trying to convince my doctor that 165 is in fact the new 95 when it comes to my blood sugar level. But for some reason — party-pooper that she is — she’s not biting.

Which is a shame, because if I could’ve convinced her, or performed some sort of Jedi mind trick to make her give me the green light, I could have shared with her the reason for my need for a clean bill of health.

All you foodies of Suffolk know what’s coming. The fall encore of Suffolk’s Restaurant Week begins Sunday, making me wish I were a healthier and wealthier man. And even though I’m neither, it always puts me in the best of spirits to know that I am a stone’s throw away from Suffolk’s finest chefs whipping up some of the best dishes around.

Even though I have to apply some restraint to my attack on Restaurant Week, I know that the little morsels I’ll get to sample will be top quality.

After all, some of my favorite restaurants are participating this time: Amici’s, Grits and Gravy, The Plaid Turnip, Primo 116 Bistro Italiano, Sushi Aka and Jammin’ Jerk BBQ to name but a few will be serving up their finest at special prices through Nov. 12.

There’s a lot of ground to cover to make this a complete Restaurant Week experience, but I figure if I tell my doctor that I’ll be jogging to each location to sample their wares, maybe she’ll lean toward letting me enjoy it the way I’d like to.

Then again, she knows that enjoying food the way I’d like to would mean finding a piano crate to put me in for my funeral. So, I must again fall back to moderation as the only means of getting any enjoyment out of Restaurant Week.

But I’m inclined to be more philosophical than pessimistic about my approach to Restaurant Week this year, telling myself that it’s better to have a few bits of awesome than way too much of nothing.

So, on this point, I will again yield to my doctor’s advice. I will control each delectable portion during Restaurant Week. I will actually chew my food, not just inhale it. I will taste each ingredient with care, not just feel its effects later.

If I can learn to do those things during Restaurant Week — when temptations are at their highest and every eatery seems alive with flavor — then there’s hope for me yet. I can change my ways and actually enjoy the food I eat.

For those who haven’t enjoyed Suffolk’s Restaurant Week and have a health issue or two, it doesn’t mean you should miss out. Try a little moderation and you’ll get a lot of gratification from some of the finest meals around right here in Suffolk.

And if your doctor asks, you didn’t have dessert, either.

For more information about Restaurant Week, visit www.suffolk-fun.com/restaurantweek.html.

Troy Cooper is a page designer for the Suffolk News-Herald. He can be reached at 757.934.9612 or at troy.cooper@suffolknewsherald.com.