Weekly Vlog: Is Cheese Addictive?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 มิ.ย. 2024
- Today’s vlog topic comes courtesy of Michael, who writes: I am shocked that you don’t mention dairy, especially cheese, when you talk about food addiction. Studies have shown that cheese is the most addictive food there is, as it releases the most dopamine. When I went to a whole-food, plant-based diet, it wasn’t sugar or refined grains I had a hard time giving up, it was cheese. And of the three-sugar, processed grains, and cheese-cheese is the worst. Not only is it mostly saturated fat, but it is high in calories, salt, and cholesterol and contains casein proteins, which have been linked to cancer. Why isn’t cheese at the top of the food addiction villain list? Is the dairy industry a sponsor of yours? I’m VERY serious!
You make a very good point, Michael! Research does show that cheese can have addictive qualities. Cheese and other dairy products have casein in them. Caseins break down into casomorphins, which bind to opiate receptors in the brain, which then release dopamine.
So it’s true: cheese can be addictive.
No, the dairy industry is not a sponsor of Bright Line Eating. And if they were they’d be very grumpy with me because I talk all the time about how dairy isn’t healthy and there are way better options. But whether cheese should be allowed on the plan is another thing entirely.
First of all, I am not a nutritionist. I’m a brain scientist. You’re welcome to go to other people to learn about nutrition. I’m going to teach you about psychology, food addiction, and weight loss.
The Bright Line program is not a health-focused plan-it’s a starter food plan for people to be able to eat the widest variety of food while quelching their food addiction and losing their excess weight.
Many people go down a path that allows them to optimize their food plan for health. But we don’t insist on that at BLE. It’s important to allow the widest possible variety of foods because we would be excluding a lot of people from the transformation we deliver if we partnered with a specific nutritional approach. We stay agnostic about that while allowing people to have their needs, preferences, and opinions honored.
We allow people to eat hot dogs, sausage, prime rib-things that are not healthy-if you weigh or measure your serving and avoid eating it with sugar and flour. It’s a very different thing to eat melted cheese on pizza versus a two-ounce hunk of cheese, sitting separately on your plate, with your baby carrots and your apple.
We want the entry door to Bright Line eating to be as broad as possible. So no matter where you’re coming from, you can wrap your head around weighing and measuring and are not constrained any more than is necessary. If you want to have a steak for dinner, have a steak for dinner. Or if you want a hunk of cheese for your protein, then have it.
Why doesn’t cheese trigger addiction? I have a true but possibly unsatisfying answer: cheese works in the food plan because it works. When BLE was founded, there were already 54 years of experience with 12-step programs, beginning in 1960 when Overeaters Anonymous was founded. What the data showed from actual people living these programs was that those who tried to keep artificial sweeteners in their plan were chronic relapsers. Same with whole wheat flour, honey, and non-dairy creamer. But the people who weighed and measured cheese did fine.
So there was no reason to exclude cheese from BLE because it wasn’t triggering people. There may have been a few people who went crazy over cheese, nuts, or other foods-but the percentage is minimal, and all these things fall into the category of “individual binge foods”-meaning that you are responsible for noting what lights you up and avoiding it.
Let me give two examples: cheese and white rice. In the wrong context, both are profoundly triggering. I recall a woman whose #1 binge food was a pot of rice with a stick of butter melted in it. When her sponsor told her to add rice back to her maintenance diet, she didn’t think she could do it. But when she ate four ounces, with no butter, she did fine. Without the sexy sauces, she was fine.
Same with cheese. Weighed and measured, no possibility of more-it’s fine. If it’s not for you, then don’t eat it. If you’re vegan, don’t eat it. And if it offends your sensibilities that it’s available to others, I can understand that, because it has those casomorphins and does seem like it should be problematic. And for some small percentage of people, it is.
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Very impressive response. I’m new to BLE, and I was sort of expecting Dr. Peirce-Thompson to adopt at some point a salty tone to match his, but she never did. That was like a life lesson about how to deal with vinegary folks alongside the education/information about the rationale for why cheese is permissible.
I was one of those people who also believed I could never be WFPB because I wouldn't be able to live without cheese. If I was cutting into a block, I was eating as much of it as I could before I put whatever remained, if anything, back into the refrigerator. I have been in BLE for over 2 years, maintaining my weight for 18+ months and have never once overeaten cheese. I eat it melted on food all the time and it has never once triggered me like that little bit of cheese left in the grater does. But it's fine, because I know that little bit of cheese in the grater is not my food, because it's not weighed/measured and wasn't written on my plan.
We appreciate you sharing your experience with us 🥰
Such a wise and thoughtful response. I was impressed.
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Allowing the WIDEST choice possible is important -
you cannot eliminate everything from the diet all at once.
Giving up sugar and flour is #1! And the HARDEST!!!!
Going cold turkey sometimes causes you to binge.
So you do need to GRADUALLY change your diet
Love love Susanne Peirce Thompson! Watching her Vlogs is my favourite thing to do! She is so informative and love her energy! I am not BLE as I am very low on the susceptibility scale but I do follow what she says about no sugar, no flour ! Thank you for that information always so informative.
Great answer Susan - cheese without the rewarding bread is not what people would choose
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We eat cheese in this house like it’s our job. No bread to be found 🤣😂
Cheese has always been very addictive for me. Having given up sugar and flour since last September, I find I don’t crave it as much as before. Brightline eating has been the solution I’ve been looking for my whole adult life. My body and brain thank you!
We're so glad you know this about yourself and are happy you are here 🧡⭐💗
I personally am very thankful for the “sexy foods”. I had been weighing and measuring them and using them quite successfully. When I saw the vlog on sexy food, I became very concerned and started deleting them. As a result, my eating became quite messed up. I put them back in, including cheese, the way I had been successful and I’m doing fine. The one food which I find very interesting that I will not eat is white rice. To me that’s nothing but empty calories. It’s great that we can personalize this way of eating to make it work for us.
Yes! Personalizing is the path to longevity! 🧡🧡
I tried last week to reintroduce cheese and dairy in my meals.
That was satisfying and it didn't trigger any binging because now I am no longer looking for big portions.
My cravings went away completely with the carnivore diet.
I haven't been eating any carbs at all since a few months, so no flour or sugar for me.
I've seen so many testimonial about people that reversed their diabetes and other health problems, and weight losses with that way of eating in that Facebook group of more than 42 000 members.
I was sceptic with that when I was ketogenic and decided to test it for 3 months.
Never felt better in my life.
What I like about BLE is that I understand now why I was binging regularly when I was younger and now I am confident that I will succeed with my maintenance when I will reach my weight goal.
I am trying now to transition to ketovore and see if I can manage to continue to lose weight or not.
Thank you for what you bring with your loving and caring way of sharing with such authenticity, simplicity and clarity.
I am a big fan of yours since I discovered your vlog and your book a few days ago 🙏🌹❤️
Thank you for taking the time to comment on our vlog! 🧡🧡
Thank you so much for clarifying that. Not so much about cheese but that your program isn't "healthy" food based. I wondered why some things were allowed and now I understand. This was a very informative vlog for me. I did notice that you can make it as healthy as you want with your choices. I prefer to eat healthier foods but have found that if I eat bread or sweets I have a tendency to binge later in the day which causes me to yoyo with 10 lbs which I won't be able to keep off if I don't abstain from those foods. It feels awful. I continue to try.
I don’t care what anyone else eats - policing my own self keeps me plenty busy! 😂
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I had never heard about Not melting cheese. I've been in BLE for 7years.
Thank you so much ❤️ for this information
I do not remember reading in the Brightline Eating book you couldn't melt cheese? I followed, more or less, the Brightline eating program and lost 40 lbs.👍 I would melt cheese on my vegetables as my protein. I do really appreciate the principles that I learned from the book. I realized sugar was breaking my brain. I realized the power of patterns to help with willpower.
I can only say I more or less followed the principles because I cannot completely wrap my mind around portion sizes. For instance a serving of beans was more like 150 maybe 200 calories where as a serving of meat or chicken would be like 300 calories. Milks, vegan milks varied in calories greatly, as did fruit. For example a half cup of unsweetened almond milk would be 15 calories versus 50 to 75 calories of milk, at least the brand that I buy. Depending on your food choices you could eat like 1000 or 1500 calories. Just didn't make sense completely to me. I also don't see how almond flour is worse than almond butter. Almond flour is less processed because it's ground up and not blended to the point of being a butter. I also use/used stevia all the time. I never felt there was anything wrong with using stevia. I never felt the same kind of addictive or unsatisfied pull I did with sugar. I was also unwilling to give up whole wheat flour. However, I limit this to one serving and make my own bread, biscuit... I also don't believe or question why I can't eat Whole Foods instead of all the protein 3 times a day in this diet program. I believe in eating whole grains would be healthier. I do not want to eat beans three times a day. Anyway, I decided I am only willing to go so far or limit my food to a certain extent because I want the flavors and I want to feel like I can have something sweet (with stevia) or tasty. I don't want to eat meat or beans three times a day. I am really grateful for the principles of the Brightline eating program, the patterns and the no sugar. They are a great takeaway and have been a superbenefit to me🙂. I am using them to formulate a plan for myself that makes more sense and fair to me calorie wise. I am still really appreciative of what I learned from your book. Thank you!
I would like to add my two cents; I am a food addict. On my plan I have chosen to omit cheese as a “hunk of cheese”. I only allow an occasional sprinkle of Parmesan or shredded. Cheese was a triggering binge food for me. And I am a quantities girl. 4oz of meat is more then 2 oz of cheese… give me the 4oz of meat.. or better yet 6oz of beans?!! I enjoyed this vlog. Thank you!!
We appreciate you sharing! 💗🧡
When i eat lot of cheese i feel sleepy and it reduces my desire for other foods.However since its calory densed,releases more IGF-1,its hard to give up
This was fantastic - I would love to hear more about why nut butters are such a huge trigger for some people (I am one of these) - I've been doing BLE for nearly three years now, and still haven't been able to add nut butters back in to my life. I think I've come to understand that I will - one day at a time - enjoy all of the other delicious foods available to me and leave nut butters for others to enjoy. As I already say about sugar, flour and alcohol - "I've had my share for this lifetime, I just packed it all into the first half!" Lol! And for me, I don't eat dairy anymore, not because it is a big trigger for me, but because it doesn't sit well in my system. The longer I eat according to BLE principles, the more attuned I become to what actually works for my body and what does not. What a gift!
Your response makes a lot of sense. Thank you!
You're so welcome! 🧡🧡
While SPT has mentioned this in her vlogs, "melted cheese" is not part of the bright lines. I personally love cheese, and gained a great appreciation for many cheeses after kicking sugar and flour (super super super sharp cheddar on a microwaved sweet potato- yep, melted- is fantastic). But I have never been driven to binge on cheese, unlike every sweetener out there. I did eventually eliminate dairy (except ghee) because after doing an elimination diet I found it made my joints hurt. But it is 100% NOT part of my bright lines- just a thing my body does not do well eating. An addition I made to my bright lines was grains- ALL grains- because I can for sure binge on any grain, in any form. I also added deep fried foods, which are way too compelling for me. YMMV.
my doctor suggested I read the book "The cheese trap" to educate myself on why cheese should be eliminated from my diet. I hope this helps 😊
Thank you! 🧡
Loved your response.
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Thank you 🥰 also for mentioning fruit…my brain goes crazy on fruit. And cheese 😊I really like the way you explain these issues.
So glad you found this helpful! ⭐🧡
Fantastic answer! I love cheese myself but am able to eat it in moderation!
We hear you! Glad this resonated with you! 🧡
I cannot have cheese any more, it's a huge trigger for me. 😢
SPT have you seen the Netflix series-YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT-a twin experiment? There is an assertion about cheese being addictive made there. How do we know there is real science behind the assertions made in a series like this?
Thanks so much for your comment! We cannot speak to the content of this Netflix show. However, Susan does state in this vlog: "Research does show that cheese has addictive properties... Cheese and other dairy products have casein in them. That's the predominant form of protein in cow's milk, dairy, and those caseins break down into all manner of forms of casomorphins. Casomorphins, which do bind to opiate receptors in the brain. Those are the same receptors that heroin and other opiates bind to, which releases some dopamine. So, cheese is a bit addictive. It's true. It is absolutely true." ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I find cheese very addictive and I think that it has caused me issues staying BLE bright. I have tried the little chunks and they still are triggering. So, I am not sure that I buy your argument - at least not for everyone - and a couple people in my mastermind group agree. I think that cheese causes me to be chronic relapser just as much as nut butters for others. You might want to give stronger warnings to your boot campers.
I think she did acknowledge that if you are one of the people it triggers, don’t eat it.
We hear you! While there are folks within our community who can eat cheese, nuts, and nut butter without issue, there are others for whom it messes with their peace. You can certainly decide to draw a Bright Line around it and keep it out of their program. Using the Four Questions (PHEW) and working with one of our coaches, a trusted BLE buddy, or your Mastermind group can help you determine which approach is right for you. 🧡🧡🧡
This was my first video. Thanks for such a science -based response. I think some people need to chill... Didn't like the accusations made. Pretty ridiculous.
Welcome! We're so glad you're here 😄😄
I too have overeaten cheese in my past life, but have not found it to be a problem in the BLE food plan. I love it but know it is only an occasional protein for me on the plan.
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yup. Pizza is my #1 addictive food. Not that interested in cheese now that I don't eat flour.
I have discovered that I am SO addicted to cheese EXCEPT for parmesan. So guess what I allow myself to eat? No other cheese is brought into my house.
So glad you have learned this about yourself! 😍😍
Cheese is a processed food and I think it is the presence of salt that makes it taste good.
That is quite possible! 🧀
Hard cheese is a binge food for me. All on its own. :-(
You know your self well. 💗💗💗
It’s true. Once you quiet the beast (silence the addiction) it opens the door to focusing on nutrition.
I have to cling to certain comfort foods as I learned to let go of others. One year later I am exploring tofu, butternut squash, lentils and a wide variety of vegetables…who am I!?
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I didn’t know we are not supposed to have melted cheese
Hard cheeses are extremely healthy and saturated fat in dairy should not be avoided, HOWEVER most soft cheeses contain chemical agents used in their production to obtain that creamy texture and therefore can potentially be harmful, especially where ingredients are not listed.
For me, even vegan cheese is addictive! It's not just those caso-morophines in dairy cheese. It's the fact that cheese is saturated fat + salt + bacteria + flavors. That combo is somehow triggering for me. I am just not able to weigh/measure it and stopping at that.
Nmf commercials keep showing up while I’m watching these 😂😅😢
Wow bacon now allowed on BLE?
Except cheese is incredibly healthy. It's just also high calorie.
Cheese and peanut butter… 3 and 4 breaks are always with these 2 items
Both pretty addictive! 🧀🥜
I don't think we have good enough data or just enough data period to actually support that cheese is addictive though.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. '🧡
Thank YOU for all the information and videos.
My guess is that cheese is addictive! Looking forward to more studies.@@Brightlineeating
Don't you love the science?
Even vegan cheese doesn't cut it....
Cheese is delicious and not addictive.
So glad you know that about yourself 🧡🧡🧡
Cheese 🤢
Cheese is addictive? Lol. It is not.
While there are folks within our community who can eat cheese, nuts, and nut butter without issue, there are others for whom it messes with their peace. We hope you have a Bright day 🧡