Cheese Addiction:  Sounds Funny. But I’m Serious. It’s Real.
When talking to people about cleaning up their diet, the number one food that is brought up is cheese. “I can’t live without my cheese.” Or, “Cheese is my main downfall.”

Or simply the statement of surrender, “I can’t give up cheese.” It is never surprising to me, yet it seems surprising to them. There is a very good reason they love and “can’t” give up cheese and it is not in their “head.” Cheese addiction is scientific. It’s real—just like drug and alcohol addiction. Of course, you don’t find people losing their jobs, family, or homes over it (thankfully)! Could you imagine homeless people begging for cheese (“hey, man, got any cheddar? I really need it.”)?

What Makes Cheese Addicting?
Opiates are found in the casein, a protein present all dairy, but concentrated in cheese. It’s the same opiate found in morphine. When I found this out in my studies, it made sense to me on a personal level. I’m very sensitive to opiates and usually choose not to take them if they are prescribed to me for post-op or injury, simply because they knock me out. Cheese does the same thing to me on a smaller scale, of course. I usually avoid consuming cheese on a regular basis. But if I do, it is in small amounts. Otherwise, I find myself napping soon after I eat it and sometimes feeling headachy… not very productive. I also suffered from serious bouts of constipation as a child as I used to eat a lot of dairy. Although dairy is very binding and mucus-forming on its own, opiates also cause constipation since they slow peristalsis in the colon.

How Does the U.S. Government Fuel Cheese Addiction?
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) gives money to the dairy industry in the form of its Checkoff program. (I wish they would do that with the organic fruit and vegetable industry!). Have you noticed how restaurants, especially fast food establishments, showcase cheese or extra cheese? More cheese slices on sandwiches. More cheese sauces. More cheese crammed onto a pizza or stuffed into it’s crust. More cheese melted over any type of food. It’s on EVERYTHING and there is a lot of it (Pizza Hut’s “Ultimate Cheese Pizza” has a pound of cheese on it and the USDA helped promote it!) As stated by the Physician Committee for Responsible Medicine,

Fast food restaurants are trying to cram more cheese onto everything with the help of the USDA's Checkoff program.

The dairy checkoff is a marketing program in effect since 1984 to increase the consumption of dairy products and reduce surpluses by, inter alia, touting the purported benefits of dairy products. It is funded by a mandatory assessment (i.e., tax) on dairy producers. It is administered by USDA and managed by the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (“Dairy Board”), which is comprised of dairy farmers who are appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture. The government has even acknowledged that cheese has addictive qualities. Rather than educate consumers to reduce or eliminate this unhealthy item from their diets, USDA instead embarked on efforts “aimed at triggering cheese lovers’ craving for cheese.” So in short, the USDA gives money to promote the sale and consumption of cheese — knowingly feeding cheese addiction.

Breaking the Addiction
It’s quite easy. Don’t eat it. No profound advice here. You won’t have withdrawals (maybe some cravings, but no real withdrawal symptoms). Don’t buy it. Start making or ordering foods without it. With the addition of sauces and condiments, you may not even miss it. For example: Use extra salsa in Mexican dishes or extra marinara sauce in Italian dishes. Eliminate cheese from sandwiches. You’ll be surprised how good food will still taste. After about two weeks, you won’t miss it at all.

My Take On Cheese Consumption
In general, I recommend minimizing all dairy intake. But cheese in particular is very calorie-dense, very high in saturated fat and a common culprit for causing constipation. Pasteurization makes it difficult to absorb the calcium contained in dairy (plant sources are much better). If consumed, it should be free of artificial hormones (rbgh) and antibiotics. Melted or cooked cheese is much harder to digest than uncooked cheese (think about it, it’s the consistency of tar!). Furthermore, cheese made with raw milk is easier to digest and more nutritious, but it should be avoided by pregnant women or those with compromised immunity. Eating it with vegetables or beans helps digest it as well (high fiber). I strongly suggest eliminating it completely from your diet if you suffer from allergies or something serious such as cancer (there is a hormone in dairy that fuels the growth of cancer cells. I’ll do a post on that later.).  As with any food recommendation, you should pay attention to how you feel after you eat it and make your own decision and personal modifications based on your physical responses and condition. For instance, if you get headaches, fatigue, or digestion problems after eating it, you should probably eliminate from your diet.

Personally – Do I Eat Cheese?
Sparingly. I really enjoy artisan cheeses once in awhile (the high price helps me avoid it too). I don’t eat cheese when I know I have to be productive since it makes me tired. Some cheese affects me more adversely than others. I’m usually OK after some mozzarella, still a bit sleepy, but no sinus headaches (maybe because of my Italian genes?) but cheddar ruins me. I love a good quesadilla, but I rarely partake since I’m on the couch napping soon after… feeling grouchy and headachy. Most of the time, it’s not worth the consequences.

Quit Calling Carbs “Bad!”

I wish the media would quit misusing the word “carbs” (short for carbohydrates). I keep seeing the word “carbs” being used in a negative fashion: “Don’t Eat Carbs,” “Low Carb Diet,” “Carbs are Bad,” “Avoid Carbs.” Carbs this — carbs that. And in most all cases, what they are really talking about are processed starches, not the ever-encompassing food category of carbohydrates. C’mon… fruits and vegetables are carbs!

Nutrition 101

There are three categories of food: proteins, carbohydrates and fat. Food can be one or a combination of those three. Usually we will just throw a food into one category by what it is mostly composed of. For example, meat is categorized as a protein, even though it is both protein and fat. Milk is categorized as protein, even though it contains protein, sugar (carbs) and fat. For the sake of simplicity, here are common foods and their categories:

Proteins: meat (all animal flesh), milk, eggs, beans, nuts, seeds

Carbs: grains, fruit, vegetables

Fat: oil, butter

Refined Processed Starches – a.k.a. “Bad” Carbs – the Foods that Make You Tired and Fat

BAD Carbs: Refined white starches - french bread, white rice, bagel

Now you may be asking, “but where’s the bread, pasta, rice (white), sugar and potatoes?” Hmmm… notice those are the foods that usually come to mind when the word “carbs” is used? Well, I pretty much just listed whole foods in the categories, not processed foods. And THAT’S one of the key differences between “good” carbs and “bad” carbs. Think “white” when thinking about bad carbs. Bad carbs are usually white processed and/or starchy foods: white breads or baked goods, white pasta, white rice, white sugar, potatoes (Although, a potato is a whole vegetable, the glycemic load is high, which is what makes a “bad” carb bad, but I’ll get to that later.). These processed and/or starchy carbs (starch converts into sugar when consumed) are usually stripped of nutrients, fiber, and healthy fats and have a high glycemic load. Meaning, it causes blood sugar to quickly spike, causing an overflow of insulin (which also causes fat storage), which then results in low blood sugar, which leads to fatigue and false hunger, which leads to over consumption of food, which leads to gaining unwanted fat.

Fruit, Vegetables and Whole Grains – a.k.a. “Good” Carbs – the Foods that Give You Energy and Are Good For You

Good carbs are usually whole unprocessed foods, such as fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains. These are GOOD for you and will give you energy and help maintain or lose weight. In whole foods, such things as fiber, fat and protein help to keep the glycemic load down so those crazy spikes of highs, lows, and over-eating don’t occur, and you get a slow continuous calorie burn and release of energy.

Summary

A healthy diet is usually high in good carbs and low in bad carbs (as well as animal protein and saturated fat). In other words, high in fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains; low in processed white products (such as bread, baked goods, pasta, sugar, white rice), potatoes, meat, cheese, milk.

NOTE FOR POTATO LOVERS: eat smaller potatoes, such as red potatoes, with the skin and don’t over do it. Potatoes have a lot of good nutrients. But because they are so starchy with a high glycemic load, you need to eat them in moderation, and preferably with some protein and fiber such as vegetables so your blood sugar doesn’t spike.

GOOD Carbs: Whole grains - flourless sprouted whole grain bread, brown rice, quinoa

Some Substitutions

White rice – brown rice or quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) quinoa is a whole grain that is also a complete protein

White bread – whole grain bread (make sure it doesn’t have high fructose corn syrup) the less processed the better, such as sprouted grain bread

Pasta – whole wheat pasta

Instant Oatmeal – whole oat groats or slow cooked old fashioned style. add fruit for more fiber, nutrients and sweetness. nuts, cinnamon and vanilla are also nice additions. nuts add good fat and protein. cinnamon helps to balance blood sugar.

Refined Sugar – whole sugar such as sucanat, honey, real maple syrup, molasses. Whole sugars have many minerals and nutrients and a lower glycemic load than refined sugar.