Veritasty: Truthfully Delicious

When I was young, I thought I was invincible.  I could eat anything and at any quantity.  I thought I had an iron stomach.  I thought sugar didn't affect me.  I thought caffeine didn't affect me.  Mugs of coffee and tea at night?  Sure, every day! What happened?!  Last night, I was reminded of my mortality when I had a big cup of coffee after dinner, around 8:00pm.  I was so excited to try out this new french press that Alex gave me, so I made a huge vat of coffee for me and my family.  It was a little more viscous and way stronger than my drip machine - albeit a little messier - and I loved it.   And then when I went to bed, I had palpitations and tossed and turned.  UGH!!! In college, I was known to cradle a large cup of coffee for hours until it got cold, usually sitting in the corner of my desk, keeping me company while I did homework.  It could be 11pm and I'd be sipping my coffee that I had purchased 12+ hou...

At midnight on December 31, 2011, I am drinking a large mug of coffee, specifically Starbucks Via that Alex so thoughtfully got me as one of my Hanukkah presents.  Five more days! cappuccino and cream-filled croissant from happier times; Milan, 2010 Now, according to Wikipedia, this year I have been barring myself from a substance that may: - reduce risk of Alzheimer's Disease and dementia - reduce risk of gallstone disease - reduce risk of Parkinson's Disease - improve cognitive performance - act as a painkiller (against migranes/headaches) - reduce risk of diabetes - protect the liver from cirrhosis - reduce oral cancers - reduce mortality rate from cardiovascular diseases - have antioxidant properties (...but then, right under all these, Wikipedia also lists the detrimental effects of coffee.  Hmm.) spanakopita and filtered coffee from the foot of the Acropolis; Athens, 2010 Looking back at my (so far) 360 days sans-coffee, I ha...