The Cheese Trap

How Breaking a Surprising Addiction Will Help You Lose Weight, Gain Energy, and Get Healthy

By: Neal D Barnard, Marilu Henner - foreword

Narrated by: Joe Knezevich

Length: 6 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's Summary

New York Times best-selling author Dr. Neal Barnard reveals the shocking truth about cheese - the dangerous addiction that is harming your health - and presents a radical program to lose weight and feel great.

We've been told that dairy does a body good, but the truth is that cheese can be dangerous. Loaded with calories, fat, and cholesterol, cheese can make you gain weight and leads to a host of health problems like high blood pressure and arthritis. Worse, it contains mild opiates that make it addictive, triggering the same brain receptors as heroin and morphine. In The Cheese Trap, Dr. Neal Barnard presents a comprehensive program to help listeners break free of their cheese addiction so they can lose weight, boost energy, and improve their overall health. This easy-to-follow diet features a treasury of healthy recipes that will tame even the toughest cravings - from pizza to lasagna to ice cream and cheesecake.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2017 Neal D. Barnard (P)2017 Hachette Audio

Critic Reviews

"Our love-affair with cheese is killing us. Learning the truth about cheese may save your life." (Joel Fuhrman, MD, New York Times best-selling author of The End of Heart Disease and The End of Diabetes, among others)

" The Cheese Trap busts open the myths of cheese as a health food and provides an eye opening, mouth shutting view of the way cheese is produced and does damage." (Joel Kahn, MD, clinical professor of medicine, and author of The Whole Heart Solution)

"This informative and entertaining book clearly and compellingly lays out the reasons why cheese should not be part of our diet. I highly recommend it!" (Ted D. Barnett, MD, medical director and CEO, Rochester Lifestyle Medicine)

I love cheese, but....

As a whole-food, plant-based cook and consumer, I know cheese is not the ideal food the Dairy Council would have us believe. This book really convinced me to give up the cheddar and gouda and parm and Colby. Dr. Barnard, esteemed physician, author, and founder of the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), lays it on the line. Cheese is a dangerous food, and he hits all the right notes in his discussion. From the abominable conditions that dairy cows endure, to the unsanitary milk collection procedures, to the political wheeling and dealing, he explains the issues so that anyone can understand the bill of goods we've been sold. He also fully explains the health implications of dairy intake from the fats we consume, to the digestive issues, and the risk of life threatening diseases, including cancer. This is a MUST read if you are concerned about your health!
One major critique on his statements: The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) which vilified the use of estrogen for post menopausal women was not truly explained. This study only used one form of hormone replacement therapy (conjugated equine estrogens with synthetic progestin), and did not implicate human-identical hormones in the rise of breast cancer. The American public was not fully informed of this study!
And a note about the narrator: He needs a course on medical pronunciation! Not only did he repeatedly mispronounce "laparoscopy" but named a certain hormone as "IGF-I" when it is "IGH-1" (one, not capital I). This did decrease my enjoyment of the book. I'm surprised Dr. Barnard didn't catch these errors.
But overall, this is a great book, filled with information. I'm a Wisconsin girl, so I always say that cheese is on my DNA, but after reading this, I really don't want to consume it any longer.

Revealing the truth about what cheese does to us

Would you consider the audio edition of The Cheese Trap to be better than the print version?

Yes, there's is a downloadable PDF of the recipes so that can be printed.

What did you like best about this story?

The audiobook features many stories of people and it helped the reader identify with their situations.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The book revealed some things about the dairy industry that I did not know about. The audiobook was insightful and eye-opening.

Any additional comments?

There's an audible.com review out there labeling the audiobook as being vegan propaganda which is an absurd statement and simply not true. Using those words is only going to make people fearful. Perhaps learning how your cheese is made might be scary, but there's nothing scary about the audiobook. Cheese is loved by many which might make this audiobook unpopular to many. But if you want to know what is really going on with cheese and want to learn how to be healthier without it then you have to listen to it!

The audiobook advocates that when someone stops consuming the amount of cheese that is consumed today by average americans, they become much healthier. And when not consuming cheese at all, it reduces your risk of chronic disease and other health issues.

In this audiobook we learn that cheese is addictive and hard to let go. In my experience, removing cheese from your diet is often the final step when switching to a whole foods plant-based diet. And that's why naturally, a vegan diet comes up in this audiobook.

The audiobook presents some anecdotal evidence in the form of real life stories which is necessary to helping readers connect with people going through similar situations as a result their diet. There's enough hard evidence already in the audiobook. But this audiobook is only part of the whole idea. I recommend other books and documentaries on whole foods plant-based nutrition to learn more evidence.

The last push I needed to say goodbye to cheese

This book is just simply terrific! Though vegan for two years, I have been struggling with cheese cravings and this is just what the doctor ordered. It gives the down low of what cheese is, how it's made, what it does your body and the awful environmental and animal treatment that results from the consumption of cheese. Not to mention the recipes definitely look worth trying. Would definitely recommend to anyone who needs the push to say goodbye to cheese!

Simple and helpful

Good information with sources cited. A down to earth view for those thinking of going dairy free or Vegan.

Eye opening!

One cup of Cheddar cheese has 81 grams of fat! 2 ounces is equivalent to 8 pieces of bacon!
If you have asthma or acne this is the book for you! Or if you just want to loose weight.

Eye Opening!

Fantastic read. Lots of information. Would suggest to anyone thinking about the pain and illness that may results from eating dairy products. Also addressed the ethical concerns and horrible treatment of animals of the dairy industry. You will think twice before you buy or open your mouth to another dairy product.

One to buy instead of checking out of library

I listened twice, will listen again. I have since stopped buying cheese and very much enjoy the cheese alternatives. Now, I am gradually eliminating other dairy products; time will tell if it helps with my lifetime rhinitis, if I lose weight, if arthritis is held at bay, etc.

I was happy the story about Ann Wheat and the Millennium Restaurant was included. Some years ago, the restaurant generously sponsored a four-day class in meal demonstrations, printed material, brochures, cookbook, and personal health consultations. Ann joined us for meals, told her story and why they opened a vegan restaurant. They really wanted to get the dairy-free message out. It was a delightful introduction to vegan eating at its best, as is this audiobook.

Understanding my Cheese addiction

I gave up cheese almost two years ago. I had been vegan as a teenager, but changed to a low carb diet as an adult. After more than a decade of weight gain and bad health I decided to go back to a began diet. I wish I had read the cheese trap during my transition because cheese had such a strong hold over me. I spent so much time obsessing with how good it tasted and how much I missed it. It took me over a year for the desire to eat cheese to loose its grip on me. Listening to this book I realize now why I struggled. It was a true addiction and I have even more reason to never let it pass my lips again.

No More Struggling

I've struggled with cheese for years. Giving up other forms of dairy was easy. Thanks to The Cheese Trap, I'm now done with dairy completely! Thank You!

fantastic, educational and entertaining

eye opening, riveting listen, educational, I have listen to this many times. well worth the credit.