Ah, January. New Year, New You.

Perhaps you’ve resolved to improve your health in 2019.

The good news is, health and fitness go hand in hand with great coffee.

“Are you drinking the Red Rock Roasters-recommended four cups of coffee a day?”

Sometimes a customer in the shop will say something like, “Coffee’s my only vice,” betraying a sense that coffee is not a healthful drink. Indeed, at one time, coffee was thought to contribute to gastric ulcers, an association which has been debunked. For the last several decades, though, the great majority of research into coffee has indicated that it is actually very good for most people.

Coffee is full of vitamins, comprises the greatest source of antioxidants in the Western diet, helps prevent cancer, increases fat burning, is associated with decreased risk of Type 2 diabetes and stroke, and, in more than one large study, has been linked to a lower risk of death from all causes.

Members of the Portland Trail Blazers use coffee as a pre-game performance enhancer.

“So finally, in desperate need of a boost, [Blazers’ point guard Lillard] gave coffee a try].

"The first time I did, I just felt sharp," he says. "I remember walking out there for warm-ups, and I was sweating because the coffee made me hot. I just felt focused. My mind just felt locked in. I had no idea that coffee had that effect."

Perhaps most importantly, coffee tastes great and confers psychological benefits—it makes you feel happy.

"There's not a lot of perks on the road," [Lakers’ coach] Tim DiFrancesco says. "And when you're in the locker room on a game day on the road, if you can get me a good cup of coffee, I can basically be happy."

Coffee is a delicious, low-calorie treat in this gray January of self-denial.

Have another cup.