Cheese, the dairy free conundrum! Whenever I mention to someone that I do not eat dairy (not suggesting that they should follow suit), they often interrupt to profess their extreme passion for cheese and proclaim that they could never give it up! You may think this is an exaggeration, but in a study that placed 59 overweight post-menopausal women on a strict vegan diet, the food most missed was not milk, chicken, or even ice cream, it was cheese. For those of you with this obsession for curdled milk, we have a few approaches:

Do it for Your Health: Let’s keep something in mind, although cheese has become a very mainstream food, most doctors and nutritionists would not recommend it for a healthy diet, dairy free or not. Cheese is typically loaded with saturated fat, and is a very dense milk protein source (high allergen). Most diets that support some dairy consumption, still recommend eating only nonfat and low-fat cheeses, yuck! Cheese does not provide you with any out of the ordinary nutrients, but it sure can help you pack on the pounds.

Select Your Naturally Cheese-Free Favorites: Start with those foods and recipes you enjoy in which cheese is not an essential ingredient. Spaghetti, Fried Rice, Grilled Chicken Salad, Chili, Vegetarian Stir Fry, Steak with Potatoes, the list goes on…just head to our Menu Suggestions and Recipes for more easy ideas.

Look for a Replacement Before Taking the Plunge: Although there are no identical substitutes, there are many cheese alternatives on the market and simple recipes for homemade “cheese” that can give you that flavor boost. Try them out first, and pick one or two that you like before sampling our challenge. Take a look at our Cheese Substitutes section for some recommendations.

If All Else Fails, Check Your Addiction Level: If you are absolutely sure that giving up cheese would be the biggest torture you could imagine, then you may actually have a “food addiction”. No, we are not joking. Food addiction has been a heavily researched issue. Strong and consistent cravings for a particular food are not considered healthy, and are often compared to the behavior of drug addiction, on a much smaller scale of course.

Addictions to caffeine, sugar, and chocolate have been shown in studies, and now theories are circulating about milk and grain addictions. Casein, the primary protein in milk, is broken down in our digestive system and produces casomorphins, otherwise known as opioid peptides. This part is well proven. The controversy comes in on what happens next. Some believe that the opiate effect is neutralized, while others state that these peptides can pass to the brain and various other organs to elicit an opiate effect. Scientists believe that mother’s milk (cow’s are mothers as well when they are producing milk) possesses this opiate effect in order to heighten the mother-baby bond, calming the baby, and often resulting in them falling off to sleep following feeding. Cheese contains a high concentration of casein, and therefore is under scrutiny for this opioid related “food addiction”.

So why would we bring this up if the science is not yet proven? Personal experiences. Many people who have felt this strong “addiction” to certain milk products find that they actually have a very mild allergy or general reaction to casein. Removal of the milk products for a certain length of time (varies by individual) usually eliminates the cravings altogether along with the symptoms or side effects (migraines, stomach pain, etc.). For some people it may just be a couple of weeks before the cravings and symptoms subside, for others it may take a few months.

Are we suggesting that all cheese lovers are addicts who must give up milk, by all means no! If you feel it is impossible to take a short break from any particular food, it is time to do a reality check. Particularly if you have symptoms that could be the result of food reactions.

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