It's not easy staying fit when you have a sedentary job. My favorite summertime fitness strategy involves "eating out" a lot. Here's how it works: This morning, I decided to go out for breakfast. First, I took the half mile walk to the Gray Meadow Diner. It's a pretty spacious place- a whole block long, in fact, since the "diner" is really a street in our neighborhood. Instead of sitting in a booth or on a stool, you stroll down the strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street. And Gray Meadow Drive is a suburban street with a difference- one block is lined on both sides with Juneberry trees, each one a little different than the next. Juneberries are a sweet and nourishing fruit, full of vitamins and other phytochemicals. They have small, soft chewable seeds that I suspect are rich in protein. So, for my breakfast hors d'oeuvre, I sampled a potpourie of Juneberry varieties- delightful!

After that I needed a little something to refresh my palate, so I crossed the street into the adjoining lobby,.. I mean field, where I treated myself to just two wild red sour cherries. Whew! refreshing, to say the least. So much so, that I couldn't resist doing a few push-ups, and a couple of chin-ups from a low-hanging limb of a nearby tree. Then it was on to the main course at the Bike Path Buffet. To give the first course time to settle, and give me a change of scenery, I took the quarter-mile long-cut through the woods, listening to birdsong, smelling leafy fragrance, inhaling peace.

When I arrived at the "buffet", the spread was so inspiring, I did a few more push-ups to pique my appetite. Our bike path is a 6 mile + supermarket aisle of wild edibles- berries, nuts, greens, and herbal teas. Today, the special was red and black wild raspberries. I'm almost embarassed to say I stuffed myself, first on wild black raspberries, then on wild red raspberries, and finally, more wild black raspberries.

Despite the feeling of fullness and contentment that swept through me - the feeling that I would never need to eat again - I knew lunchtime would inevitably roll around and I had better be prepared. So, after a short rest to say thanks to nature for feeding me so well, I walked another 1/4 mile to the local community garden for some "takeout".

Right next to our family plot is a vacant plot loaded with a variety of wild veggies, many of them tastier (and richer in nutrients) than the pampered plants in the occupied plots. From the wide selection available, I chose some particularly succulent purselane. It took me all of 60 seconds to pick enough for a couple of meals- a purselane omelet for lunch, and Quick Purselaned Beans for supper. Next time I come to the garden, I'll remember to bring a bag so I can pick enough to make a batch of purselane pickles. Later on this summer, I'll harvest the seeds to make purselane bread. The harvest was a little too easy, so, before leaving I did some weeding to stretch my back.

Finally, lunch in hand, I began the half mile walk back home to my work feeling wide awake, with a full stomach and well-exercised muscles.

Can such a simple workout really keep you fit...and fed? While you may want to do more (I usually take another, more vigorous walk in the afternoon, followed by a 30-40 min. swim., and I certainly do eat other foods), the impression I get from reading the most recent research is that most of the longevity and health promoting effects of exercise are achievable with mild, but frequent, consistent exercise- the equivalent of a brisk 1/2 hour walk, five days/week. Of course, even greater benefits accrue as you increase the level of exercise (up to a point- too much isn't good, either).

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