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Login Here Signup Here Signup using FacebookI’ve been pretty flexible with myself as I’ve been transitioning to raw over the past couple months, trying not to feel too guilty when I slip and have a bit of dairy here and there (I’ve been really proud of myself for having NO desire for meat), but I think I may have gotten over my dairy weakness this weekend…
I bought a dozen eggs to make my boyfriend’s birthday cake (Angel Food, his favorite, takes about a dozen egg whites) and of the dozen, 3 of them had double yolks. Now, every time I look at a piece of cheese, I can think of the amount of hormones those double-yolked-egg laying hens must be pumped up on, and remind myself that the cow providing the milk for that cheese is just as pumped.
I know there are tons of other reasons not to eat dairy and I wish I could say I was noble enough that those reasons would permanently kill my craving for animal products, but since I’m just departing not only the SAD diet but the SAD mindset that’s shaped my lifetime of eating habits, it’s occasional reminders that I can see first-hand, reminding me how bad for me these products are that really helps me kick the cravings.
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Congratulations! It’s amazing how once we show our bodies we can get nutrition elsewhere, it doesn’t want the old, not so good, junk foods we use to eat. Keep up the good work!
KathrynL Good for you! It sounds like your mind and body are guiding you to healthier eating habits. Also it is not widely known, but of all dairy products – cheese in particular does indeed have real addictive properties.
Here is a link citing The Orlando Sentinel’s coverage of reason why it can be addictive:
http://www.healthdiaries.com/blogs/vegetarianbl…
“By a fluke of nature, the enzymes that produce opiates are not confined to poppies—they also hide inside cows’ livers. So traces of morphine can pass into the animal’s bloodstream and end up in milk and milk products…
Opiates hide inside casein, the main dairy protein. As casein molecules are digested, they break apart to release tiny opiate molecules, called casomorphins. One of these compounds has about one-tenth the opiate strength of morphine. The especially addicting power of cheese may be due to the fact that the process of cheese-making removes water,lactose and whey proteins so that casein is concentrated.”
Dr. Neal Barnard MD, Nutrition researcher and President of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine also cites the morphine-like opiate compounds of cheese in his book Breaking the Food Seduction
YES, greenghost. In April or May I found out I was allergic to casein—when I cut it out of my system I had incredible withdrawl symptoms—mostly horrible headache, fever, chills, sweating. yuck. glad I’m rid of it.
cheese is the heroin of food
Babies of any mammal species are addicted to breast milk… as they should be. Milk releases opiates in the brain, which is why babies look delirioulsy drunk after breastfeeding. If they diddnt become chemically addicted, they might not eat enough to survive baby-hood. It all makes perfect sense… what does not make sense is that humans ingest milk as adults, and the milk of another species no less…
When I get cheese cravings, I picture old dairy cows literally dragged off to slaughter, and male baby calves ripped from their mommas and put in a dark damp crate for a miserable short life..
that usually snaps me out of it real quick!