No Pain, No Gain

Max's Latke Reuben: lactase tablets got me through it.

When I turned 40, I lost the ability to digest milk; the condition, familiar to the majority of Asian adults, is known as lactose intolerance.

My doctor was unsympathetic: "maybe you won't put on as much weight." In this relativistic age diarrhea, bloating, and cramps are not unequivocally bad.

Lactose intolerance has another benefit--it stopped me from being addicted to cheese.

Cheese happens to be especially addictive because of an ingredient called casein, a protein found in all milk products. During digestion, casein releases opiates called casomorphins.

"[Casomorphins] really play with the dopamine receptors and trigger that addictive element,"

Lactose intolerance helps with weight control and cheese addiction. It is a feature, not a bug.

Saint Paul: "For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Nancy Pelosi: "Embrace the suck."