Nutrition author and New York Times columnist Jane Brody was in Cooperstown recently on behalf of the Bassett Heart Care Campaign. She promoted an inspiring blend of solid information, personal responsibility and humor in her quest to put the new Bassett Heart Care program out of business.

It's an ambitious goal and one that The Walking Example Group endorses. After all, WE-GO exists for the same reason, with all due respect to Dr. Streck, his vision and his impressive team.

With heart disease our leading killer, we need all the medical advancements we can get, especially when they're in our own backyard. Most of that heart disease is exacerbated by our own lifestyle choices, i.e. too many of us sit too much, eating too much garbage masquerading as food. Even the best medical techniques cannot replace the healthy living habits that Ms. Brody exemplifies.

Her tenets are straightforward, as are her assessments of gimmicky diets (Atkins is a "travesty") and flimsy excuses (no time to exercise? Watch less TV.) When it comes to weight and health, you are your primary caregiver.

Jane Brody's principles are simple and affirmative. My copy of "Jane Brody's Good Food Book" is well-spattered from nearly twenty years of use and is full of healthy life information and easy, satisfying recipes. As a long time admirer, I've gleaned the following:

1. Eat reasonably. Consume foods that make your body say, "thanks," and eat them in sane portions. Enjoy fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fiber, lean meats, water, and a few fats and a little sugar for satisfaction's sake. The less processed and the nearer their source- the garden, the tree, the stalk- the better.

2. Exercise sensibly. Walk, ride a bike, dance, spelunk, fence, etc. Engage in any activity that keeps you in motion part of every day. It needn't be tedious repetition. Make it social, make it enjoyable. It's your body and your life you're enhancing.

3. Consume alcohol moderately. Red wine gets a lot of good press these days. That considered, if one glass is good, somehow I doubt a full bottle is better.

4. Avoid tobacco. Period.

Choosing to give your body a lifetime of premium fuel instead of the "kerosene" that Ms. Brody asserts most people ingest is a no-brainer. Don't wait for the government to legislate for you, or some sham litigation to expose the supposed evil-doer, or research to suddenly prove that, much to your relief, it is all in your genes. None of that is going to happen and in the meantime you can eat your way to chronic illness or an early grave.

Medical science is extending the length of our lives. It is up to us to enhance the quality of our lives. As Ms. Brody said when she quoted Ashley Montague "the idea is to die young as late a possible."

Brenda Berstler is the founder of the Walking Example Grouo (We-Go) a non profit organization encouraging walking and walkable communities.

Visit their website at www.we-go.org.