Life On The Perimeter

photo by Alexander Maasch The Cheese Trap Do you have cheese on the brain?  No, it's not your imagination.  Let's just say, la fromage is a bit habit forming. Cheese contains the protein casein which turns into casomorphins. As our bodies digest casein, casomorphins latch onto opiate receptors in the brain causing a mild or not so mild addiction to cheese. Downfalls of La Fromage What's so bad about being a cheese-head you might ask? Not surprisingly, it's a major form of saturated fat closely rivaling the best marbled steak. For the same reason people avoid gluten, they should avoid casein. Studies have shown that gluten sensitive folks can be sensitive to cheese as well. Many are not even aware of an intolerance to lactose since the signs can be as subtle as indigestion. Unfortunately, cheese equals mucus which will make you unpopular at parties.  What's the Good News?   It's trial and error finding a replacement for the ooey gooey richness of the real thing.