Spinach.

Peeps, I am in the depths of despair. Last week, as you may remember, was crummy. I felt a little off and had a skin problem and my nails kept breaking...there were several reasons for this, but I'm pretty sure I've tracked down the culprit.

Coffee.

You don't know me, so you cannot understand the utter horror of this realization. I love coffee. I know we modern people say the word love far too easily but I do love coffee.

It has such a wondrous bitter flavor. Now I'm not going to deny that I'm a little odd when it comes to the flavor of my food and drink. I do err on the side of the exotic. I like bitter, sour, and spicy things. My family will attest to the fact. I happen to like Tabasco sauce in my lemonade and I add red pepper to nearly everything. Stir-fry, beef stew, chocolate milk, ginger tonic, honey (I love red pepper with honey). You name it and I've probably added red pepper to it.

Anyway, I love coffee. I drink a cup or two a day. Of late I've been drinking more. Sometimes up to four or five cups a day. (Note: I drink out of small coffee cups, not gigantic mugs.) Not a huge amount compared to some folks I know, but still a fair amount.

And coffee is good for you. It stimulates the brain and muscles. It contains essential nutrients. It lowers risk of diabetes, liver disease, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. It's also my most effective painkiller.

However, coffee also makes it more difficult for your body to absorb iron. Not so drastically as to make it bad for you: most Americans have a diet that's pretty high in iron, so a cup or two of coffee shouldn't hurt. However, at four cups a day (including tea and other caffeinated beverages) it adds up. I seem to be a little deficient in iron and that means no more coffee until I feel better.

This may seem quite trivial, but remember, I love coffee. I can't remember the last day I went without it. So it's going to be difficult and I'm going to be irritable. Suffice it to say that I am not looking forward to this next week or so.

To make matters worse, it is recommended that people with iron deficiency eat things like spinach and peas. I do not like spinach and peas.

I just ate a bowl of spinach and I am in the depths of despair.

Fare thee well and may your life be blessed with many cups of gloriously caffeinated delight. Mine shan't.