I was reading an article this morning about foods that are addictive, and it turns out that cheese is one of the most addictive foods that we crave, although other foods, such as chocolate, also create an addictive craving in people. When researchers gave test subjects a drug that blocks the body's assimilation of morphine, or other addictive pain-killers; the subjects were no longer interested in chocolate, or even in milk or cheese. Even though there is only a small amount of morphine in milk, it is enough to set up an addictive reaction, according to the article. They said that this explains part of the reason that babies bond with their mother. This makes sense to me, since they would be being held, cuddled, fed, and given a relaxing, addictive substance , all at the same time. No wonder we love a bowl of ice cream after a stressful day. http://www.pcrm.org/good-medicine/2003/summer/breaking-the-food-seduction
No wonder I have struggled to limit my cheese intake... My cholesterol level was nudging upwards last year and I was advised to cut down on cheese. Being a vegetarian, I manage to avoid all the fatty stuff in meat, but was clearly overdoing it on dairy produce. I don't eat biscuits, cakes or snack foods, so the cheese had to go (well, not all of it). Now I understand why that was such hard work.
I've never had a cheese "addiction", but, now, ice cream - well, that's a different story. I could eat it all the time. It's one of my all time favorites. Another would be ..... cheesecake, so I guess I am addicted to cheese after all, just in a more refined form. It's funny, after a good workout, I have found that a big glass of milk is refreshing and relaxing - I guess that's why!! Oh well, at least milk is good for me.
I understand being addicted to cheese. Cheese has been a real favorite of my for at least 50 years. I could easily accept a nickname like 'Cheese Foodie' and wear it well!
I've often wondered why so many people want to add the breast milk of another species to their tea and coffee or have it solidify into a substance used in cooking. Now I know why! I used to eat a lot of cheese, but for health reasons I now have to avoid dairy products. I no longer crave cheese in the way I did when I was buying it and eating it regularly. I think if I had a pizza now it might bring back that addiction.