I remember the last hot dog I ate. I barfed afterwards.

Having been vegan now for going on 6 years, I sometimes wonder why it took me so long to give up eating dead animal flesh. I know why. Meat embodies the values of the consumer culture I grew up in. As much I like to think I'm a nonconformist and free thinker, when it came to meat, I was with the in crowd.

Through college, I had "vegetarian tendencies." I liked the idea of being of vegetarian, but I also wanted to be an elite athlete. How could I get my protein? I bought the myth that meat and protein meant strength and power. It's those values that made the hunk of cooked cow muscle at the end of my fork palatable for me. New research confirms this theory.

Have you ever heard someone say, "I like the taste of meat"? The satisfaction may have less to do with what their taste buds tell them, and more to do with what the food symbolizes. According to researchers Michael W. Allen (University of Sydney), Richa Gupta (University of Nashville), and Arnaud Monnier (National Engineer School for Food Industries and Management, France), found that the symbolic meanings of food and beverage can influence a person's taste based on their social values.

Fortunately, I gave up eating meat and dairy. I feel better for it. And I have strength and power without it. In fact, I'm probably more better to preserve my lean muscle by eating my fruits and vegetables, according to (would you believe it?) the USDA.