When we first started Keto, then migrated to Carni, we used to eat cheese regularly, daily probably. I have always loved cheese, and would very often find myself heading to the fridge, even when I wasn’t hungry. At that point, I was happy with that, as milk is from a cow, sheep or goat, so therefore it was “allowed” within our chosen lifestyle.

What I wasn’t considering was the reason that drove this behaviour. I knew I liked cheese, a lot, but I had no idea of casein, and its impact on my body and mind. Casein is naturally occurring in animal milk, and constitutes 80% of the protein found within milk. It is natural, not an additive. When the cheese we eat is digested, the casein breaks down into casomorphins. It is these casomorphins that trigger opioid receptors in the brain, which means they are mildly addictive. When I learned this, my intense love of cheese suddenly made so much more sense.

I have talked before of my fairly recent understanding of my own food addiction, specifically sugar and processed foods. So I know I have the capacity to find foods addictive, and have managed to remove the sugars which kept that part of my brain constantly firing, searching for sugar. Now I find that cheese was having a similar, but lesser, impact on me.

This is why our attitude to cheese is different now. We still eat it, but I eat it intentionally, not when I’m feeling bored, or when my brain tells me I “need” it. I have it as part of a meal, maybe once a week, or less frequently. We most often use cheese in a Carnivore crustless quiche, which is great to have cold on days when you are travelling; as it can save you from having a fast food drive through when the hunger pangs kick in. You can find our recipe here.

As ever, none of this is any advice, it is just what I have learned from my own experiences and research.

Jen x