In “Obama After Dark: The Precious Hours Alone,” Michael Shear provides an interesting account of how this president works late into the night going through speeches and briefing papers and giving himself time to think. This factoid jumped out at me:
To stay awake, the president does not turn to caffeine. He rarely drinks coffee or tea, and more often has a bottle of water next to him than a soda. His friends say his only snack at night is seven lightly salted almonds.
“Michelle and I would always joke: Not six. Not eight,” [Sam Kass, formerly the Obama family’s personal chef] said. “Always seven almonds.”
That’s a freakish level of personal discipline. We mere mortals often turn to comfort food when we work late. Certainly, an alcoholic beverage or two might get consumed. Not this guy: only water and almonds. And not a bowlful. Seven.
