Why You Can't Give Up Cheese

It’s no secret, a whole food, plant-based diet is a very healthy way to eat. Yet, many people resist committing 100%, even for a week. Why?

The number one reason is the refusal to give up cheese.
“I just can’t give it up,” can often be heard by someone who knows they would benefit from a dietary change, but they LOVE cheese.

More than love, it’s addiction.

According to Dr. Neal Barnard, “The dairy industry’s marketing wizards do a good job: they sell their products, keep us coming back, and maintain a strong foothold in American homes. It’s hard to compete. They even have the U.S. government hooked. In return for $140 million, Uncle Sam works with Dairy Management Inc. to promote dairy products like cheese, which aren’t helping solve disproportionate rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease in America. Compared to those who eat cheese, people who follow a dairy-free diet have a BMI that’s two points lower, on average, the equivalent of 15 pounds.”

Full article https://nutritionstudies.org/the-cheese-trap-fighting-diabetes-with-a-dairy-free-diet/

Cheese is addictive. And like any addiction, it’s not easy to give it up. But when you think about the health benefits of a diet void of cheese, doesn’t it make sense to quit the cheese?

Cheese Causes Disease

There are plenty of studies that conclude that consuming cheese can lead to heart disease, diabetes and stroke.
The dairy industry would have us believe that cheese is a miracle food filled with magical properties, high in healthy protein and so very good for us. Just the opposite is true.

“Americans eat more than 33 pounds of cheese per person per year — three times more than they did in 1970 — and our country is more obese than ever … Cheese is a high-calorie product loaded with fat, sodium, and cholesterol. Typical cheeses are 70 percent fat. And the type of fat they contain is mainly saturated (“bad”) fat.” (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine)

Cheese is one of the worst foods to consume. It is the largest source of saturated fat for Americans. It is a major contributor to the obesity epidemic we are currently in the middle of.

In addition to unwanted, and unhealthy weight gain, cheese can cause diabetes and heart disease. Add to that the mold that cheese-makers spray on the rind, it becomes evident that this highly addictive food causes an incredible amount of harm to our health.

Add to that the increased cost of healthcare due to the many health issues people suffer from because of cheese and it seems that most logical people would immediately give it up.
Yet, logic doesn’t seem to matter when it comes to cheese.
The main consideration for anyone is quality of life.

Obviously, many people would rather have the short-term pleasure and satisfaction they derive from eating foods laden with cheese rather than the long-term benefits of a healthy diet.

When you think of all the limitations excess weight creates, isn’t it worth it to go through the short-term withdrawals that come with giving up any addictive substance to have a life filled with more vitality, health and peace of mind?

As I like to say to people who tell me they can’t give up cheese, “Is it that you can’t or you won’t?”