10/16 The syrupy menace
Say what you will about high fructose corn syrup, that potentially evil sludge that's even now flowing in a dark river through a pipeline in Matt Heerema's backyard. But my fear and distaste have kept me away from [insert preferred word for sweetened carbonated beverages here] for quite some time, and I'm no doubt better off for it.
But to a degree, sugar is sugar, and it's bad for you. It rots your teeth, it makes you fat, and if you think "real" sugar, cane juice, or some other more natural form of sweetening is going to make everything better, you're destined for a big ol' ring around the belt.
So Austin, with its abundance of sugary choices - from old-school recipes like Mexican Coke and Dublin Dr. Pepper to the proliferation of natural fruit sodas and micro-brewed root beers - has really wrecked my beverage abstinence plan.
Add to that the local craft beers on tap pretty much everywhere, including the deli, the tacqueria, the coffee shop, and probably the gas station and vacuum repair shop, and I'd better be glad I'm living in an apartment complex with a gym.
But to a degree, sugar is sugar, and it's bad for you. It rots your teeth, it makes you fat, and if you think "real" sugar, cane juice, or some other more natural form of sweetening is going to make everything better, you're destined for a big ol' ring around the belt.
So Austin, with its abundance of sugary choices - from old-school recipes like Mexican Coke and Dublin Dr. Pepper to the proliferation of natural fruit sodas and micro-brewed root beers - has really wrecked my beverage abstinence plan.
Add to that the local craft beers on tap pretty much everywhere, including the deli, the tacqueria, the coffee shop, and probably the gas station and vacuum repair shop, and I'd better be glad I'm living in an apartment complex with a gym.