A woman who had been a vegetarian her entire life tried meat for the first time at the age of 36 - and says it "felt incredible."

Taliah Tsunis was born and raised vegetarian by her mother, a passionate animal rights advocate, who instilled the lifestyle in both Taliah and her sister Athena Rogers, 32, from day one.

But Taliah recently began experiencing what she describes as a "primal craving," particularly for red meat during to a trip to California."

Despite never having tasted it before, she gave in to the urge two weeks ago and ordered a double smash burger from The WinDow, a popular burger joint in Los Angeles.

Taliah, an entrepreneur from Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica, said: "I had this overwhelming, undeniable and inexplicable craving for red meat. "

"I was terrified. "

"I thought I would be sick but I felt incredible."

Taliah was born vegetarian and never had meat before aside from a single bite of steak at age five that made her vomit.

She even became vegan for seven years after reading Skinny Bitch, a book that she says opened her eyes to animal cruelty.

In recent years, Taliah has struggled with thyroid issues, insulin resistance and fatigue that left her feeling "lethargic." "

After seeking help from a naturopath, she was advised to eliminate her go-to vegetarian protein sources including beans, lentils, yogurt and seeds.

Taliah said: "I felt like my options were shrinking. "

"Then the craving hit and it was like my body was demanding something I'd never even had before."

Taliah woke up one morning, while on a trip in Los Angles, with the urge to eat meat.

She went to burger joint The WinDow and ordered a double smash burger, saying she was too afraid to overthink the decision.

She said: " It just happened. I saw it, I went in and I ordered the burger."

"I wasn't craving chicken or turkey or fish, just red meat."

"I felt nourished and full of energy like I had finally given my body what it was asking for."

" It wasn't a shock to my taste buds because it reminded me of the fake meats like Beyond or Impossible burgers that I'd had for years."

The next morning, Taliah jumped on a treadmill and ran - something she hadn't had the energy to do in months.

Since that first burger, Taliah has documented her journey on TikTok, trying sushi, shrimp, more burgers, a seafood boil and brisket.

Taliah says she working her way up to steak, which she says she's "still scared of."

While most of the food she tried has gone down well, Taliah says she didn't enjoy Chick-fil-A, calling it "gross" and found lobster tail and branzino too chewy."

Taliah said: "I've always been a rebel. "

"After a lifetime of restriction, it's fun and freeing to explore this whole new world."

Taliah says she's still struggling with the ethical conflict of eating meat after being raised with strong animal welfare values and admits her mom would prefer she stuck to vegetarianism.

She said: "I definitely feel that conflict. "

"But I also feel like this is a new chapter, a new identity and I'm listening to my body more than I ever have."

Despite the guilt, she says her family and friends have been surprisingly supportive - even her sister has joined in on the fun.

She said: "My sister is getting a kick out of it. "

"I even got her to try a crab cake."

"And my friends -"

everyone just wants to feed me."