Starr,

I think it's important to note that a plant-based diet is not just "giving up" something and eating only vegetables. You will still need protein, fat, etc. -- you just will get them from plants instead of animal sources. So you probably will end up eating a lot more legumes, nuts, whole grains, etc.

What I learned at the Nedley clinic is that when you are craving a food, your body probably needs a nutrient that you associate with that food. For example, people who are depressed often crave chocolate, which stimulates the release of serotonin in the brain. They actually need the serotonin, and they associate it with that food. If their body is supplied with serotonin in another way, the craving disappears.

Shortly before going to the Nedley clinic, I started craving salmon (although I have been a vegetarian for nearly 20 years). When he started talking about the role of Omega-3s in brain health, I understood why. I was able to increase my intake of omega-3s through plant-based sources such as flax seed, and the craving for salmon disappeared.

So, you might have to do some detective work to figure out more specifically what it is that your body needs from the foods you have been craving. Is it iron? Tryptophan? Protein? A certain type of amino acid? If you can find another way to meet that need, the craving almost certainly will disappear.