CHEER UP..HAVE A JELLY BEAN

I love jelly beans. They come in pure, bright colors, just like the old Christmas lights we had before electrical shorts and indoor fires became a concern to homeowners. Orange, white, green, red, black...nothing nondescript.

Jelly beans have no fat and around 9 calories each, for your standard size. Eat 12 and you've got less than half of a candy bar. They are neat and easy to eat. You can put them in your pocket, in your running shorts, leave them in a candy dish for months and still get a burst of sweetness that never disappoints.

A friend of the family's once sailed his boat from LA to Hawaii and was caught in a gale. For some ungodly number of days, he had to stay at the tiller. What he said got him through the endless ordeal was...you guessed it, jelly beans. It seems he had around 50 in his bag, and allowed himself to eat one every half-hour.

We marathoners often take them on long runs. Carb magic. Some are fortified with electrolytes. They're all good. I buy the generic beans which are dirt cheap yet good as gold when the sweets craving hits. And if you drop one, pick it up and enjoy; the 10-second rule must have been invented for jelly beans. Nothing sticks to them.

In the Halloween spirit, grab a bag. You don't have to be president to enjoy them. So I celibrate the jelly bean! As the teeth penetrate the shell and the flavor sings to the taste buds, you've got a simple pleasure that is fat free. Just remember to brush your teeth!