To hell with trepidation. I'm forcing myself to try those five intriguing foods that scare me. I may barf, I may cry, and I may not always enjoy myself, but at least I won't be a coward.

#5: Prune Juice

All right, all right, so prune juice isn't exactly the Everest of food and drink. I'm considering it a warm-up for more challenging foods like a Chunk's Four Horsemen Burger.

In answer to my concern regarding the juice's "cleansing" effect on my digestive system, blog reader Diarrhea Cha-Cha-Cha recommended I eat while sitting on the commode; however, I'm not quite ready to stoop, that is to say, squat to that level. I also took into consideration the advice of reader Condimentqueen, who warned me that prune juice was "really sweet."

She was right. Prune juice is the type of beverage unsuspecting small children might guzzle with abandon: Perhaps the appropriately named "Sunsweet" company has a wicked sense of humor and likes to see kids OD on a mild laxative. After a few sips, I had to cut my four-ounce pour with some cold water. God knows how old folks can drink gallons of this stuff.

I wonder, however, if prune juice might just be the perfect mixer for cheap-ass vodka and gin, which never taste good straight up. A prune martini to get you roaring drunk and regular?

Which leads me to the original source of my anxiety: prune juice's impact on my GI system. Let's just say there was nothing unusual to report. Moderation was key.

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