As the time for resolutions and affirmations draws ever so near you should perhaps reexamine your list of usual suspects and rearrange a few or quite possibly remove them altogether. Yes you heard me right. After years of promising and failing to deliver on your resolution to drink less coffee in the coming year or take drastic measures such as completely switching to decaf you can now mark this displeasing task from your "to do" list.

Despite the proposed evils of caffeine, it seems there is some good involved in this delightful brew as well. Coffee is antioxidant rich, which gives it a stroke in the 'good for your column'. Antioxidants are widely encouraged today for their ability to fight the onset of some forms of cancer, heart disease, stroke, and illnesses such as diabetes. The truth of the matter is that the vast majority of antioxidant consumption in America comes in the form of coffee. So this year, perhaps you should add a cup or two of Joe to your daily routine rather than removing it at all.

Americans are also paying much closer attention to the diminishing affects of aging. It may be of interest to note that coffee is believed to have other ingredients that might assist in the maintenance of bone density along with properties that will assist in the regulation of cholesterol. This ingredient would be known as phytoestrogen. It's an ingredient that we need to all be paying a little more attention to as it not only accomplishes the grand health benefits mentioned above but also is known to actually prevent some forms of cancer. Regular consumption of coffee reduces the risk of breast cancer by as much as 69% and in high-risk circumstances those are numbers well worth paying attention to.

You should also note that caffeine itself isn't the big bad evil it was once thought to be. The caffeine in coffee is believed to actually be good for the heart. In addition to this little benefit it is also a primary ingredient in minimizing headaches and minimizing the likelihood of asthma attacks.

Not only is it important to drink coffee, but also the vast majority of the general public would do well to actually drink more coffee than they currently drink and quite possibly have partaken of in the past. It seems the more coffee you consume daily, the greater the potential benefits to your health. If you haven't yet climbed on board the coffee bandwagon now is a better time than ever to hop up and give it a try. Be sure to try many different flavors, roasts, and brews before making your final decision however as one size most certainly does not fit all when it comes to drinking coffee.

For perhaps the first time in history you can add "drink more coffee" to your list of resolutions for the coming year. You can even add to your list (if you have a very definite sense of adventure) to try a new flavor or blend at least once a week to keep everything fresh and new. Remember to ring in the New Year safely and have plenty of coffee on hand to start the days ahead off right.