 I have a problem. It's called pagophagia. I'm a compulsive ice eater. While some people may crave chocolate and others can't function without coffee, my vice is ice. I'm not alone. Recently, I was in the CNN cafeteria filling four (count 'em, four) 32-ounce cups chock full of ice (my morning ice run). A woman approached me and said, "Ah! Someone else who's crazy about ice!" She then pointed to a co-worker at the salad bar and said, "We meet up here each day to get our ice together." Kumbaya! I had found more of my people, and we bonded over the ice machine. Dr. Bruce Raphael, a hematologist at NYU Langone Medical Center says it's well-documented that people with severe iron deficiencies have strange cravings. But why ice? "To my knowledge, there is no answer as to why this is the case," Raphael admits. My ice obsession set me on a mission to find out more about the transformation of ice from delicacy to commercial product to artisanal food. A Chunk of Ice History Until the early 1800's, ice was usually "harvested" from lakes, but considered primarily as something associated with the winter season. Small, family-owned ice-cutting businesses surfaced, with the initial "ice men" typically carving 300 pound blocks out of northern lakes, packing the ice in sawdust and transporting it via rail. Ice was primarily used for refrigeration, stored underground and retrieved for cooling hospitals and luxury hotels. John Gorrie, an early ice innovator, was a physician and inventor, living in Apalachicola, Florida in the early 1800's. Gorrie's concern for patients suffering from yellow fever motivated him to, "invent a method for cooling their rooms," according to experts at the John Gorrie Museum State Park. He invented a machine that made ice, and in 1851 he finally, received the first U.S. patent for mechanical refrigeration. Today, he is thought of as "the father of refrigeration and air conditioning." But despite Gorrie's good intentions, it was a man named Frederic Tudor from Boston, whose determination as a businessman crowned him the "Ice King." Tudor is given credit for "changing the way the world's population consumed beverages." He's described in proceedings passed along through the Massachusetts Historical Society as a man with the "ability to harness the New England climate to serve the needs of man." By 1835, despite landing in a debtor's prison multiple times, Tudor managed to ship nearly 200 tons of ice halfway around the world, all while traveling the country convincing barkeeps and drinkers alike that once they tasted their drinks with ice, there was no going back. By the turn of the 20th century, iceboxes had become commonplace in restaurants, grocery stores and homes. Ice had become a staple in the United States, with people posting signs in their windows letting the ice man know how much should be delivered. Some in the industry recount a long-standing rumor that during World War I, while many husbands were off at war, wives became perhaps too friendly with the accommodating ice man. They say the tremendous success of the home refrigerator was spurred by returning service men anxious to replace the icebox, and thus the ice man who delivered it. John Gorrie and Frederic Tudor are just a few of the people who cracked the ice conundrum, but they are legend among those in the business of ice making today. These days, the ice industry typically brings in about 2.5-3 billion dollars a year. They were certainly on to something. Ice Is Food Remember that fad diet known as "The Ice Diet" in which people claimed eating ice actually helped you lose weight? (The theory being, your body would use extra energy to heat the ice you'd digested.) Although most nutritionists, doctors and physicists say that diet doesn't work, I've still come to think of ice as a key part of my diet. At the very least, I'm taking a healthy amount of water into my system every day. Not only does it quench my thirst, it fills my stomach for a while. Reddy Ice bills itself as the largest manufacturer and distributor of packaged ice products in the United States, supplying 3.2 billion pounds of ice per year. Their slogan: "Ice is food." Angie Wallander, Reddy Ice's Chief Administrative Officer says when supplying thousands of customers coast to coast, they take that slogan seriously. For those who may question that slogan, the Food and Drug Administration has regulated ice as a food. Wallander says the most popular format of ice they sell is cubes, although during the summer season she says they get plenty of requests for 50-pound blocks of ice that people want to throw into their pools to cool the pools down. (Note: Wallander says they no longer supply this, as it can pose a danger to someone diving into the pool.) Ice industry experts and mixologists point to some basic ice forms, and say knowing when to use them makes all the difference in your ice experience. These include: - Block ice - Ice cubes - Cracked ice - Shaved, flaked or crushed ice On a personal note, these are also my favorite types of ice, as they're the most gentle on the teeth, not to mention they make for great water ice or snow cones. This, along with small pellet, tubular or nugget shaped ice is so much of a favorite of mine that I was full-on ready to go into childbirth, knowing that I'd be permitted to eat ice to my heart's desire. The Ice Storm Seasonality is key in the sale of ice, with summer, not surprisingly, being the biggest season. Michael Busch, VP of Sales and Marketing at Arctic Glacier, an ice company based in Canada, says in the summertime they sell about 60 percent of the product that they'll sell all year. "Much like a squirrel, the goal is to produce as much as you can during the winter and store it, and then have it ready to go in the volume that's needed," Busch says. A heat wave, he adds, takes demand to another level. On average, in the month of August, Busch says they sell about 5 times as much ice as in the month of February. During a heat wave that number could jump to ten times as much. July 2012 was declared the hottest month on record for the United States according to NOAA. In summer months like this, "The challenge is having the infrastructure, the trucks, and the manpower and being ready," Busch says. William Daraino is known at his New York ice distribution company by both employees and customers as "Chilly Willy." For him, and his brother "Cool Carl," it's been a busy summer season. "When the weather hits over 90 degrees on five consecutive days it gets out of control," Daraino says. "When you're dying of thirst, who wants a warm drink? When you're walking the streets of Manhattan with a hand truck of ice, everyone looking at you tells you they think it's a cool job. Meanwhile, you're sweating bricks." "We also deal with a lot of caterers. In the summer, everyone's blood pressure goes sky high until the ice gets there–then they smother it with a cold cocktail," Daraino says. "Ice is generally the forgotten food," according to Michael Busch. Arctic Glacier, specializes in packaged ice for "human consumption," and packaged ice products for commercial use. For example, it's also used as an ingredient in bakery products containing yeast (like bread) where the ice chills the water used in the dough, helping to control the rate at which the dough rises. About six percent of Arctic Glacier's business is industrial use. For example, ice is used to help cement obtain a certain temperature to avoid cracking when it cools. Busch says he's glad to see the industry increasingly adhering to food company standards. Arctic Glacier's ice must meet standards for FDA and National Safety Foundation inspections, among others. But Busch warns that even still, a portion of ice sold in the U.S. is hand-bagged and doesn't necessarily meet standards. "It needs to be made clean, with purified water." The International Packaged Ice Association (IPIA) works with companies and individuals with the primary focus of promoting food safety and good health through the sale of ice. Ice that has not been properly handled has been shown to contain e-coli and other bacteria. Another growing trend in ice Busch refers to as, "boutique premium beverage ice," which is ice created just for consumption. He describes this as generally a "nice cube shaped for a highball (or special cocktail)." Clear cubes are what folks are looking for, he says. "Ice typically isn't a very sexy item, but we think it is." Wallender agrees, saying Reddy Ice works to produce "perfect cubes," describing them as dense, with fewer or no air bubbles. Ice Is an Ingredient Richard Boccato owns Dutch Kills, a bar in Long Island City, and is a founding partner of Hundredweight Ice. To him, ice is a key ingredient. Boccato is considered a trend setter in the world of specialized classic cocktails, in part due to their "Ice Program." In Boccato's career background as a bartender, he says he used to spend two to three hours a day cutting ice for use in different styles of drinks. He used larger format pieces of ice that served alternative needs in various drinks, and quickly learned what styles were more beneficial to the drinks he was serving. "We don't disparage ice machines; this is just our way. We manipulate frozen water to make for a superior cocktail experience." Artisanal Ice When Boccato opened Dutch Kills along with Sasha Petraske (both had already collaborated on other successful establishments), the goal was to open an 1890's-style salon that served classic cocktails, and to keep the tradition of cutting ice by hand. But at the same time, when it came to ice, he also wanted to go a step further by also working with some ice block machines. He first went to Okamoto Studio, an ice sculpting studio where Boccato was introduced to master ice makers and sculptors and their ice makers - including the Clinebell ice block machine. Physics and Proportions The state-of-the-art Clinebell CB300X2 ice block maker, freezes ice much in the way ice freezes in nature - only in reverse proportions (from bottom up instead of top down like in a lake). The water is constantly agitated to free it from impurities, bubbles and fissures. As a result, the ice is also crystal clear. The machines produce 300-pound blocks over a two to three day cycle. "We'll always have a stockpile so we're never out of ice, and we average between 300 and 600 pounds per week," Boccato says. But for those who buy from Hundredweight, Boccato says they're buying the kind of "high-end, customized ice I'd expect to find in custom cocktails." By May 2012, Dutch Kills had two Clinebell machines installed. Boccato says ice must be cut to "maximize the surface area, and reduce the dilution rate to the lowest common denominator for the duration of the life of the cocktail while it's in front of the guest," emphasizing that properly cut ice keeps the drink colder for longer. He says it generally takes a bartender between two to two-and-a-half hours to cut all the ice for service in an evening - and they do this seven days a week. He points to other establishments who've modernized the tradition of using block ice behind the bar-including Manhattan's 21 Club, Commander's Palace in New Orleans, and Bar Basso in Milan, Italy. "It's about the relationship between the surface area of the cube, the liquid volume of the glass-all those things contribute to the life of the drink. We want to maintain the ultimate integrity for the drink," Boccato says. I asked Boccato what he thought about the concept of the ice man of the past versus now. Of the shift, he says, "Initially, a lot of people who couldn't afford fridges relied on the ice man; he was a fixture in the community who was considered a minor hero of sorts." Asked if he too had heard the stories about the their alleged involvement with housewives during the first World War, Boccato simply laughed. "I can assure you, that as modern day 'ice men,' we engage in no such behavior." But it's a cool story to chew on. |
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Yes, I went through a seven-year stage of ice-chewing. I vividly recall the panic I felt when one glass was almost empty and a nearby source of ice for a refill had not yet been identified. I vividly recall the guilt I felt for the agony I put others through. When a problem with fibroids was taken care of, my iron levels restored, and the compulsion went away almost overnight.
Undeniably consider that which you stated. Your favourite justification seemed to be on the net the easiest factor to have in mind of. I say to you, I certainly get irked whilst folks think about issues that they just don't know about. You controlled to hit the nail upon the top as well as outlined out the entire thing with no need side effect , other folks can take a signal. Will probably be again to get more. Thank you
I worked at Sonic for 8 years. The "ice ladies" were a common, core customer to our day. One of our "ice ladies" would come at least three times a day and order 4 Large cups of ice (32 ounces) every time. Her car was literally full of unused straws and cup carriers that she didn't use. She finally stopped coming as often, and told us she was having to "ween" herself off of the ice. She also told us that she had been diagnosed as anemic. We did have other customers though that would come and order soft drinks with extra ice "packed full!" they would say. These customers would drink their small cmount of liquid and then chew on the ice for the rest of the day. Some customers would just order bags of ice, and eat it from the bag all day. Some would order cups of it and request a spoon to eat it with. Either way, we were always selling tons of ice, and when our ice machine couldn't keep up with all of the drinks we were selling the complaints would start rolling in. In all, I had a great 8 years serving these customers, and will always remember the "ice ladies".
I used to chew ice until I cracked a molar. My mother chews ice all day (she's anemic, has leukemia and aslew of blood disorders before that). Since she has dentures, she just keeps the Super Glue handy! =)
I started eating ice one day, and before long HAD to have it. I was eating all of the ice from 2 ice makers at home, plus buying a bag every day. The worst ice is the crescent shaped that most home refrigerators make. I have a super powerful Jenn Air blender and can make snow with it – that's the very, very best. My favorite restaurant for ice is the Varsity in Atlanta. My least favorite ice to buy is Reddy Ice – it's too big to chew very easily. Love, love, love the ice from Twice the Ice machines. As soon as my ice consumption got to be so huge, my doctor tested and confirmed iron-deficient anemia. Once I started on iron supplements, my ice craving was gone. Any time I start feeling like I NEED ice, I start taking iron again. The really bad news is that I am still having dental work as a result of several cracked teeth – thousands of dollars so far. If you're going to eat ice, I highly recommend crushing it to snow – but good luck finding a machine powerful enough.
Sometimes chew, but rarely due to dental work. I do like to chew the finely crushed ice found in Sonic beverages.
I used to chew ice CUBES compulsively. Then the doctor put me on an iron supplement and the compulsion was gone in a few days. Strangely, I still have some teeth.
I, too went thru the addiction to ice for many years – soft, crushed ice was my preference. I was severely anemic, almost at the point of needing a transfusion. I began taking the iron my Dr. recommended & within a couple of weeks, I no longer had the craving.
Yes, I did chew ice and then I was diagnosed with anemia caused by uterine fibroids, uterine polyps & a cyst. Following surgery the cravings stopped. BTW, it took five years and several doctors to get the diagnosis. Had I mentioed the ice chewing from the start it may have caused the doctors to take a look further instead of telling me that my symptoms were part of the aging process. I was in my late 30's when it began.
I used to chew ice all the time, until I broke my second tooth due to the habit. Didn't learn the first time...
I didn't just chew ice; I was addicted to it! I had to have it all the time and would regularly pay for several huge drinks then only get the cups full of ice! I got to know all the best places to get the various kinds – the small flat rectangular shaped ones were my favorite. The constant crunching drove my friends and family crazy but, at that point, I just couldn’t stop (and really didn’t want to).
I was told many times it could stem from being anemic but I always quickly dismissed that notion because I was eating a well-balanced diet and never felt tired or lethargic (like they say you should when you’re anemic). In fact, I was very active and working out a lot (many hours on end) during that time. I was full of energy and had never felt better.
It turns out my ice addiction absolutely was caused by an iron deficiency. I was extremely anemic but I had no idea and showed no symptoms (besides the ice cravings). My iron was so low, my doctor wanted to send me directly from his office to the hospital for a blood transfusion. I convinced him to let me take the iron pills instead and see how things went with that first. Luckily, my iron levels went back to normal. I don’t remember how long it took but the intense ice cravings went away too. I found all this out rather accidentally. I went to donate blood, which I had often done, but this time I was rejected. The drop of blood they put in the solution showed that something was wrong. That’s what got me to go to the doctor in the first place. At the time, I was young and healthy and had always avoided doctors like the plague.
A few years later, I became anemic again. This time it was caused by undetected internal bleeding that eventually got so bad I passed out and had to have emergency surgery so they could identify the source of the bleeding and close it up. I had lost a lot of blood and did have to be given extra pints of blood. As I recuperated, the ice cravings returned but were not as severe as they had been. I was eating a lot of steaks and spinach (doctor’s orders) but had to also take iron supplements again. This is when I learned the best way to absorb more iron is to take/have it with vitamin C. This made a big difference.
That time the ice cravings didn’t go away immediately. I satisfied my urges and got my ice fix with sugar free popsicles. I had them constantly, several at a time even during the coldest, snowiest winter we’d had in years. I would have them sometimes instead of meals and bought so many I had to go to different stores because the stores couldn’t restock them as fast as I was buying them. I ended up losing a lot of weight but eventually, the cravings were gone and so were the popsicles. Nowadays, I still enjoy an occasional slushie but the addiction to ice is definitely gone and if it ever returns, I’ll know what I need to do.
By the way, my mom, who has had issues with anemia from childhood used to eat and crave the kind of starch people use to stiffen laundered clothing. It comes in blocks and powder form. She ate it so often we used to ask for it ourselves as children – thinking it was a snack. My point is I believe all this is a form of pica and it may run in families.
Luv Luv Luv it.....Have issues with my stomach and cannot drink water like I used to. Ice is the best way to get my water requirements, feel refreshed and it seems to calm the upset stomach. Of course, crushed or finely chopped is better on the teeth. And think of the possibilities, not just plain water ice, but flavored water, tea, coffee, even soda. Yum
The sound of someone chewing ice is horrible to me – it's like nails on a chalk board! Ugh! I absolutely cannot stand the sound of it. I
I chewed ice like crazy when I was pregnant – I'm sure I drove my husband crazy. The harder and faster I could crunch it, the more satisfying it felt. Maybe I was iron deficient. Now that I've had my baby, I don't have the desire to chew ice anymore.
I LOVE ICE!!!! What a great article – I totally could have written it! I also have certain favorite ice types – I'm like a connoisseur of ice!
However, I do know I am very anemic and iron pills always make me feel sick. I wonder if I could get my doc to give me IV iron infusions – if anything at least I would have more energy!!!
I've never heard of such a thing. Our bodies sure do some bizarre things. Sometimes I eat ice during the summer but it's not a craving in the least. I hate doing it, but it's a cheap, quick and easy way to cool down and I hate being hot.
I use to crave and chew ice all the time. When tooth fractures showed up on my dental x-rays, I did some research and found that most people who crave ice actually have an iron deficiency. I bought some iron tablets and started taking them, and my cravings went away. Too much iron can cause problems as well, so you might want to verify with a doctor before taking an iron supplement.
Ice chewing is an obnoxious habit and can get on others nerves with the crunching and trying to talk with ice in your mouth.
Agreed. It's very obnoxious.
Dentists love ice chewers...because new crowns for broken teeth have huge profit margins.
A compulsion to chew ice can be a sign of iron deficiency.
Used to eat a lot of ice. My favorite was the slightly frothy type or ice cubes if I couldn't get the other (bugged the bejeesus out of my father; I counted it as an extra benefit from the ice eating). It was all related to how anemic I was. The worse the anemia, the more ice I ate. That and during summers in north Texas, the ice did help me stay cooler and hydrated. Once I figured out the connection between the two, I would start in on iron supplements when the ice eating increased. Not such a problem any more.
Obama sent federal agents wearing masks into San Diego to terrorize law-abiding cancer patients and shut down all state sanctioned medical marijuana dispensaries and gave assault rifles to drug cartels. Obama is a thug.
i used to chew ice, until i heard that it destroys your teeth. now all i can think of when i see someone eating ice is cracking teeth.
Sarah Palin is a POS.
I've been chewing ice for years – I live in the South – and I'm often in my truck – I don't want one soft drink after another with the sugar and calories – thus I chew ice – and it helps with the habit of smoking. I'm slender, do not have an iron or B-12 deficiency, very healthy eater. I'll have to see what the SONIC ice is all about! On a hot day down here in Georgia, believe it – chewing on some ice is just the ticket!!!!
Used to crave it compulsively, until I had my iron checked, discovered I was somewhat anemic and took iron pills. One dose of pills (45 days) and the cravings were gone completely.
I chewed ice compulsively for years until I changed my diet and began to eat more foods that are natural sources of iron, and then the craving stopped abruptly. I never eat it now, unless it's in a snow cone.
I used to chew ice compulsively, until I got a couple of iron infusion treatments for severe iron deficiency anemia. Now I don't eat ice at all. I was amazed at how quickly after the treatments I stopped craving ice.
Me too! I had a thyroid disorder....once that was controled I stopped wanting ice.....I also cracked several teeth with the chewing....not good.
I am not anemic and I have normal or good iron in my blood. I do not ever want to chew ice. I drink my ice water with ice, but I don't chew. My son loves to chew ice. I wonder if he is anemic. He has never been diagnosed as being anemic. He is an adult child of mine, so I am not in charge of his health as I once was. He just ran a triathalon, so I can see he is a healthy athlete. I will ask him if he is anemic, now. If not, he just loves to chew ice.
Wow! I didn't know this was a problem!
Chewing gum is a problem for some. Don't sweat it.
I have been craving and eating ice all my life. Yes I'm anemic and take iron infusions and B12 insufficient and take monthly shots but I still love ice. I can totally trick my body into thinking I have eaten a bag of potato chips and have lost weight as a result.
Gee, thanks for the in-depth discussion of different kinds of ice. I've been confused for more than five decades about the difference between shaved and cubed ice. Why are you people writing and posting such slobber? I can't wait for the insightful front page piece that informs me that I have ten fingers or that the sky is blue! Hello! And you get PAID for this?
Yet here you are; not only a reader but a commentator.
I used to chew ice *all the time* until I started taking regular iron supplements. Some people think chewing ice is a form of pica, some thinks it's related to OCD. Either way, taking iron supplements daily was the cure for me.
I knew this was you Eden when I saw the headline! Ha!
You caught me "ice" handed! Hah!
what a ridiculous waste of time, why are there more and more stories on internet news sites like this? This is BS CNN, if you can't fill your pages with real news don't bother!
And yet, you found valuable time in which to comment.
Not every article has to apply directly to you in order to be useful to others, you know.
Here is a suggestion. If you read an article on CNN which does not interest you, you don't have to comment.
I Have A Huge Craving For Ice Everyday. When I Eat It I Get A Horrible Pain In My Left Shoulder. I Have Been Tested For Anemia And I'm Not And I'm Not Lacking Any Other Mineral Or Vitamin. It Really Annoys My Girlfriend To No End While I Am Crunching Away At Ice. My Dentist Told Me It Was Fine To Eat Ice. He Didn't See Any Damage To My Teeth From The Years That I Have Been Chewing It. He Did However Suggest That I Stay Away From Cubes And Stay With Crushed And Shaved Ice.
I find it fascinating that your post capitalizes each and every word. That must take a large amount of effort.
I can't stand it. Some noises I can ignore, chewing ice isn't one of them. It's not as bad as scraping a chalkboard, but it's in the ballpark.
If people want to do it, they should step outside.
You should never ever chew ice. It can break your teeth. I've seen it many many times ...I've worked in dentistry for over 30 years. Terrible habit!
Well, I've been chewing ice for over 40 years and I have perfectly good teeth – I've never broken them. That sounds like there's some problem other than the ice, for a person to break their teeth. After all, teeth are made to chew things – both soft and hard.
B12 deficiency. When it was really bad, I craved ice and munched it – I loved the chipped ice out of the drinks machine. Nowadays, I take my B12 regularly and never chew ice except for the occasional absent-minded moment.
My mom used to send me walking two miles in the middle do Florida summer heat for as much ice as I could carry from a pizza place that had this soft small chunky ice. She was pregnant and it's all she craved.
I would like to eat ice if I could, but i have had chipped teeth in the past & the dental bills deters me.
I craved ice, like ate it continuously for 3-4 months while going to my doctor. Iron deficiency anemia was my reason, was started on oral iron tables, but it did not help, then Vitamin B12 shots for a few weeks, that helped my energy level, but still craved ice, finally my doctor was like guess we'll have to do the IV iron, so I had 4 doses of IV Venofer (IV iron), corrected my iron levels and the ice cravings went away. I still eat ice just not like I was doing when I was iron deficient.
So anyone that craves ice and eats it continuously should have their B12 levels and iron levels drawn.
Chewed ice compulsively for years. Finally diagnosed with pernicious anemia. Got 6 months of iron IV treatments. It went away when I got enough iron in my blood
Obama sent federal agents wearing masks into San Diego to terrorize law-abiding cancer patients and shut down all state sanctioned medical marijuana dispensaries. Obama is a thug.
And this has to do with this article because...???
I didn't think so.
Obozo looks like a "sissy " wearing that Janet Napolitano mask--Pelosi might have been a better choice.
Craved it and ate it continuously for over 30 years. Drove my family nuts. Any time I was away from home, I would rush to find the source of my next "fix" of ice. I was amazed when six months into menopause, the craving left me. Gone. Totally went away. Life is much easier now that I do not have to troll for ice!
I used to chew ice all the time in college – would get cups full all day long. I was anemic then, but after I fixed that problem, the craving for ice disappeared. Now I'll chew a little ice if it is yummy ice like from Sonic, but otherwise I don't chew any ice.
I was so addicted when I was a vegetarian that my mouth would water when I passed the frozen section of the grocery store and saw crushed ice! I would eat a whole tray of ice cubes crushed in a clean dish rag as if the pieces were potato chips! when I went back to eating meat the cravings went away instantly. I lived 3 years like that and I'm sure glad it's over.
It appears that chronic ice-chewing can be related to several physical issues. Is there a study on this somewhere?
Been eating ice daily for the past 30 years, and my teeth are fine. And if you want good chewin' ice, a quick stop at Sonic will do the trick.
The second I get off a plane or out of a car in the South, I head to Sonic. I come for the cherry limeade. I stay for the ice.
I craved and inhaled crushed ice when I was pregnant. I was anemic too. The cravings are gone now. Weird.
I developed a sudden ravenous craving for it and was eating it with a bowl and spoon for almost a year. My husband called me an "ice expert" because I was fanatical about certain textures of ice (loved those nuggets!) I went on a diet via a nutritionist at my doctor's office that limited me to 1/2C of grains a day and poof! Craving instantly gone. It was the weirdest thing. I will chew it now in a drink, but I definitely lost the jones overnight.
I used to crave ice, but stopped "over night" when I had heart surgery. I was severly anemic when I went into the hospital - that was corrected as well as my heart. When I came out of surgery - no more ice cravings. that was 9 years ago.
What drives me nuts is that my friend chews ice while we're talking on the phone, so I hear crunch-crunch-crunch nonstop for an hour. Yes, she's anemic, but she says she can't afford iron pills. Ice is free. I think for Christmas I'll send her a case of iron pills and see if she stops.
Send her a box of dry ice.
an hour on the phone????? THAT is part of YOUR problem.
Good idea. I buy 100 pills of 65 mg for $4 at the local big-box store and take one a day. It's not super expensive for most people
Costco in Escondido, CA has two kinds of ice at its restaurant, chewable ice and regular ice. I've never seen that in northern CA Costco stores. I assume that all the Costco stores in Southern CA have chewable ice.
I craved chewing ice until I was diagnosed as anemic due to celiac disease. As soon as I switched to a gluten-free diet, my cravings for chewing ice ended.
I, too, was an obsessive ice chewer. So much so that one boss was actually very rude to me about it. He acted as if I was doing it on purpose or to bug him. This started in year 2005 when I was bleeding continually (don't know why). I always have bled a lot during menses, too.
In summer of 2010, I went to the VA clinic for an unrelated issue. I hadn't been in over 10 years. Good ole VA...since they hadn't seen me in a while, they made me take blood tests. The female MD I had looked at me very seriously and said, "You are definitely anemic."
So, I started taking iron pills and the VERY NEXT DAY I stopped chewing ice. It just didn't taste good anymore. I really think my body craved whatever minerals were in the tap-water ice I was drinking. When my body chemistry changed, I didn't crave it at all.
It was like an unexpected miracle. I hadn't told my MD that I was an obsessive ice chewer.
Also, within 2-3 days I thought, "Wow, I don't feel like I want to take an afternoon nap. I still have energy." Honestly, I was a 41 year old woman and thought, "I can't make it through a full day's work anymore." Now? I'm ready to go.
I look back and look at my life and heavy menses (come, menopause, come) and realize that I have had so many signs of anemia since high school, when I would have a 2 1/2 week menses. I had cracked mouth sores (not cold sores) and was terribly tired many days. Because I was still a good athlete, no one thought to check my blood.
To mothers and fathers of adolescent girls, I say this: Please take your girls for a yearly checkup, that includes blood testing. I had a father who was a cheap-stake and wouldn't take me to the doctor even after really bad ankle sprains (that I found out a decade later were bone breaks, via xray). it's really important for all child-bearing-aged women, especially growing girls, to make sure their iron levels are fine.
I have had to replace or fix 2 teeth because of my obsessive ice chewing. My chewing began to cause pain to my teeth but I kept doing it.
Remember: A day after starting iron supplement pills, over 2 years ago, I stopped chewing ice and have never done it again! Amazing.
I used to chew ice constantly and even continued to do so after chipping/cracking several molar teeth. My dentist told me that I would have to get more crowns in the future, as my teeth had micro fractures throughout and would eventually chip. Only after hearing that did I stop. I try not to chew it at all now.. it's hard. I do however wait now until it has melted some so even if i do chew it the ice won't break any teeth.
Became severely anemic when a uterine fibroid left me bleeding all day, every day. Luckily my office was right next door to the cafeteria. I ate cup after cup for 8 hours, then had to speed to the nearest corner market and buy the largest cup they had on the way home (and my drive was less than 5 minutes.) I would go back to the store several times a night. This happened for about 3 months and then I had a hysterectomy, which solved the problem. Once my iron returned to normal, the cravings went away. I will occasionally chew the ice in my water glass but it definitely lacks the magic that it had before. I can't describe it to someone who has never experienced it, but it had like a "sparkle" or something, it is what I imagine being addicted to drugs is like. It was painful to not have it.
Loved ice, chewed whenever I could. Then I was diagnosed with anemia, started iron supplements, after two weeks or so, I no longer craved it. But I do miss how it felt.
LOL Tonya! Totally understand the "sparkle"! Never before had ice provided so much immense satisfaction as it did for me this summer....I knew something had to be wrong with that picture! It was the iron and I am now taking the pills (oh joy!) :/ When I do have ice now, it's just not the same......
getting older and still chewing ice dentist love it
I have been a compulsive ice chewer since childhood. During my adulthood my craving has come and gone seemingly without explanation. About 2 years ago I was filling huge cups with ice to carry with me anytime I left home. My dentist suggested I get my iron checked and it was very low. This was very interesting because I have battled low iron all my life. Sometimes my iron level is okay and other times it has been very low. My doctor gave me two iron infusions and the cravings went away the same day. I now have my iron checked regularly and I work to keep it within normal range. No more ice chewing for me.
my ice chewing used to drive my friends and family crazy, I couldn't help myself. my dentist warned me that my ice chewing was destroying my teeth I tried to stop but to no avail. After a physical my doctor told me I was seriously low in iron and told me that I needed to take iron supplements which I did, my ice cravings stopped almost immediately. now I prefer no ice in any of my drinks.
I craved ice unlil I started taking iron suppliments. I felt a lot better after taking the iron, but it gave me terrible stomach cramps.
I used to chew ice all the time as a kid. I was also anemic most of my childhood and on one therapy after another to alleviate that.
I'm not anemic anymore but I wouldn't chew ice either because of the damage it could do to my molars.
I stopped chewing ice (had been doing it for over 40 years) after replacing 3 cracked molars. Gets expensive! Still do every once and a while.
Global Warning! Ha! All that sea ice, just me having cravings.
My ice cravings are from menopause. I made ice cubes out of coffee, chicken, broth, orange juice, whatever. And suck on them, not chew them. Keeps my body temperature down
i used to chew ice all the time and also had a creaving for snow in the winter. after i was diagnosed with severe anemia and was treated the cravings vanished overnight it seemed.
Ice doesn't form from the bottom up in a lake! It forms from the top down.
You're right–that should have been switched around!
I used to crave ice and would come home from school and eat ice straight from the tray (we didn't have a fridge with an ice machine). If you were looking for ice in my house, you could often find the four ice trays (empty) in my room. I used to have a favorite type of ice cube–based on how frozen the ice was. I used to get secretly upset when servers would refill my drink once I got to the ice, because I really just wanted to eat the ice. My aunt and grandfather are/were big ice eaters as well. I loved visiting my aunt because I could eat cup after cup after cup of crushed ice without judgement. I tried to donate blood for the first time my senior year of high school, and was not allowed because my iron levels were too low. At my next physical, I was diagnosed with mild anemia, and started taking multi-vitamins with 100% iron. Seven years later, I can't remember the last time I craved ice. I now even prefer my water without it. I'll still eat the ice at the bottom of a drink, but haven't craved it for many, many years. I'm sure my teeth are happy about that.
Lucky you! If I could kick this craving I would. My teeth would be happier, that's for sure! But so far, not too much luck on my end.
can we get a recipe on how to make ice?
Most people leave it to the pros because it can take up to 6 hours to make in the home kitchen.
Nice! LOL
Hee hee! Ok, now I know you're joking, but what I learned from this is that there's ice and then there's ICE. People in the industry take it very seriously. (Have you ever had ice made from water that was likely not purified or from a bad source? It tastes terrible–and at times smells...)
Chewing ice wrecks your teeth. Huge article, not one mention of this.
http://suite101.com/article/chewing-ice-bad-for-teeth–dentists-warn-not-to-chew-ice-cubes-a315535
Bill, you're absolutely right. I actually had a graph in the original about my dentist, but cut it because I didn't think folks would care about the lecture I got. And yes–it was deserved. No dentist in their right mind would condone chewing ice! (And I fully admit that doing damage to your teeth is a real possibility if you chew ice!)
I used to chew ice all through my day. If I didn't have a cup of ice at the ready, I would crave it. I, too, was anemic and figured it was a lack of iron. I chewed ice compulsively for seven years, until I was diagnosed with Celiac disease. With my diagnosis and my change in diet (no wheat, barley, rye or oats), my cravings went away.
In theory, my digestive system was no longer damaged from eating foods that were slowly killing me, so my body was now able to begin absorbing nutrients that I hadn't been able to hold onto before. Interesting stuff.
Very interesting! I'll have to look into that further. How long did it take before you no longer felt your cravings?
Not long; as soon as I made my diet change, I stopped actually wanting to chew ice but continued out of habit. I would say after the first month post-diagnosis I had stopped altogether.
Chew on ice frequently as well. Typically after I am done exercising. My body temp is so high and 16 – 24 oz of cold water is not enough to bring it down but to drink more makes me feel too bloated. So chewing on ice does the trick. Brings my body temp down without dealing with the bloat feeling that drinking too much water gives me.
Cool that you've figured that out!
I chew ice quite often, I love it. I don't see why people get annoyed with it. Losers.
Snak.
I know right?
What an ice article!