I have worked as a cheesemonger, and for me, cheese is an essential and welcome part of my daily diet. Cheese is a great source of protein and can result in feeling full, thus eating less food in total. The calcium it contains is beneficial, too, particularly for those who live in the Seattle area like I do, and receive less light than those living in California or other sunnier regions. But even light deprived people can stay healthy and happy. Washington state is tops in the number of people at a healthy weight.
As in most things, moderation is key. I see and talk with many people in my workplace who have refrigerators full of cheese, but they are also a healthy weight and talk about their health as being good. Many of these people are also physically active.
Vegetarians also get much needed protein from including cheese in their diet. It also provides a psychological boost to be able to choose from so many different varieties of cheese, and make a more interesting and appealing diet. Don’t forget that there are lower calorie cheeses available at your market. Often some of the flavor is sacrificed, but this may not be significant if the cheese is used in cooking.
For a few however, the milk content in cheese can affect IBS symptoms, memory loss or headaches can result from aged/blue cheeses and blood pressure can rise from high levels of sodium.
From time to time, I will write a blog post regarding cheese and possibly some charcuterie meats and pates. Any comments are more than welcome.
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