Need help staying away from cheese

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Cheese DOES contain adicting substances!

Postby LuAnn » Fri Oct 12, 2007 8:53 pm

A lot of good suggestions have been made, and references given to resources that are very persuasive tools for disuading one to use cheese and other dairy. (For me, perhaps the statement by Robert Cohen that Dairy (read, cheese) is liquid meat!.) However, in addition to other points that have already been shared, there is another element that I don't believe has been brought up in this thread.

Forgive me, I haven't learned yet how to use the "Quote" feature when posting, but calla said: "I realized that cheese is like a drug to me."

For some, cheese truly CAN be experienced "like a drug", causing literal addiction! If possible, read what Dr. Barnard says in the chapter, "Opiates on a Cracker: The Cheese Seduction" in his book, Breaking the Food Seduction. I can't begin to cover it all here, but will try to touch on some of the high points.

He reasons that cheese's attraction is not mainly due to taste or smell, but its opiates! Milk has been found to have traces of morphine and codeine. The protein, casein (mentioned in other comments), also present in milk, releases additional opiates when broken apart in digestion!

BTW, CHEESE contains far more casein than is found in cows milk.

In individuals sensitive to opiates, cheese can literally BE ADDICTING. My understanding is that these individuals may actually feel physiologically driven to seek one cheese "hit" after another, in order to experience the pleasurable sensations caused by the opiates.

If this is the case, then in addition to viewing and listening all of the very persuasive materials listed above, some individuals may need to deal with cheese and other foods containing addictive properties (sugar, chocolate, and meat) using some of the same methods used in freeing a drug addict of his/her addiction. I am not a therapist, but here are a few suggestions gathered from my own study:

*Acknowledge that you have a problem
*Ask for help.
*Look for support
*Educate yourself as to the dangers of the addicting substance/food. *Consider the benefits of being free of the addicting substance/food
*Make sure a healthy/fiber rich food program is in place to deal with normal cravings. (All of these are being done in Calla's case)!
*Obtain adequate rest
*Obtain adequate exercies
*Reduce stress as much as possible
*Clear the environment COMPLETELY of anything that might remind the you of an attraction to the addicting substance/food
*Find alternate foods and/or activities that may fulfil similar physical or emotional needs
*Seek a power higher than your own to help you conquer the addicting substance/food
*Give the process TIME!
*Avoid situations where you know the addicting substance/food will be present

Kudos, Calla, for already doing several of these! If you are one of those sensitive to the opiates in cheese, I believe you're well on the road to recovery!
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Postby Daffodil » Tue Oct 16, 2007 2:40 am

And if all else fails, there is always "The uncheese cookbook" by Joanne Stepaniak. It's all vegan, you make fake cheeses that taste eerily similar to the real thing, and you won't miss cheese anymore.
more info can be found at vegsource.com
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Postby Callalilly » Tue Oct 16, 2007 6:41 am

Yes, I am reading Neal Barnard's, Food Seduction book as we speak and the cheese chapter is truly incredible. I can't believe that there are opiates in cheese, well actually, I can believe it. Whenever something stressful happens in my life I swear I rum to something cheesy even though I know how bad it is for me. Very interesting points, thank you all. Also I have the Uncheese Cookbook, but believe it or not I have never cooked anything from it, I better pull it out again and make the crock cheese, I hear that is great.
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Postby bethannerickson » Tue Oct 16, 2007 7:21 am

Hey McDougallers,

I may be crazy, but I purchased "Dairy Free and Delicious" by Bryanna Clark Grogan to take care of any dairy cravings I may have.

Her "cheezy soup" is made with potatoes, carrots, onions, spices, nutritional yeast and tofu. Yeah, it's a little richer than our normal fare but WOW, great for a treat.

She also has a nice cheezy fondue that we whip up to make mac and cheeze.

It's completely vegan. Some recipes call for some oil but I just eliminate it.

Also, Mary has a great cheezy gravy recipe in the MWL cookbook.

I found one of my favorite cheezy spreads on the Neil Pinkney (I know I spelled that wrong) website, Kumu.org. I use it as a potato topper.

I bet if you dig through the recipe archives on this site you'll find tons of very good cheese replacements.

And yeah, the vegan cheeze that you buy sucks. But if you make it... wow.

My two cents,

Beth
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Re: Cheese DOES contain adicting substances!

Postby DianeR » Tue Oct 16, 2007 7:40 am

LuAnn wrote:He reasons that cheese's attraction is not mainly due to taste or smell, but its opiates! Milk has been found to have traces of morphine and codeine. The protein, casein (mentioned in other comments), also present in milk, releases additional opiates when broken apart in digestion!


I haven't read the book you mention, but I would be surprised if milk actually has traces of morphine and codeine. How would they get there? My understanding is that casein (like gluten) contains peptides that react with the opiate receptors in the brain, thus mimicking the effect of heroin and morphine.
http://www.corepsychblog.com/2007/08/ce ... es-op.html

This link explains how some gluten and casein intolerant people can go into actual physical withdrawal when they stop these substances, even though they react negatively to their ingestion.

Same practical effect ... I just thought we should be clear on the mechanism. Of course, if I am wrong, please point that out too. :D
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts. --
Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan
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