Vegetarianism: Get Back to Your Roots

By Jenelle Cleary

A vegetarian is just someone who goes without a steak, right? Wrong.

It's amazing how much that perception still survives, but did you know how many different types of vegetarians are around?

We give you a run through of some of the variations on the vegetarian theme:

• Vegan - A vegan vegetarian avoids all food of animal origin
• Ovo-vegetarian - Eats eggs, but avoids dairy and all animal flesh
• Lacto-vegetarian - Eats dairy products, but avoids eggs and animal flesh
• Lacto-ovo vegetarian - Eats eggs and dairy but avoids animal flesh (mammals, poultry and fish).
• Pesco-vegetarian - eats fish, eggs, and dairy products
• Semi-vegetarian - eats dairy products and eggs, some fish and chicken
• Almost vegetarian - Eats poultry, eggs, fish and dairy products, but avoids eating mammalian flesh (red meat)

There are also Fruitarians, who eat only fruit. They eat all fruits (usually raw) and this includes tomatoes, cucumbers and olives. Some fruitarians also include grains in their diet, but the hardline fruitarians don't like this.

There are many reasons why people convert to vegetarianism, some of them obvious, some of them not. In many cases it may be because of the horror of cruelty to animals, and by not buying meat some feel this conscious decision to spurn such slaughter will reduce animal trauma.

Turning to vegetarianism can also come about from a dislike of eating red meat in particular, or even the sensation of eating any type of flesh. Others just plainly don't like the taste of meat.

Many philosophically driven vegetarians also opt to Choose Cruelty Free when it comes to purchasing everyday products, such as cosmetics and household goods.

As with any eating plan, it is vital to still ensure you are getting all the vitamins and minerals you need to keep your body healthy, and likewise enable you to live a healthy lifestyle. Consultation with a GP or nutritionist will ensure you have a balanced, stable diet and they can also monitor you to make sure that you remain healthy in the longterm.

For vegetarians of all kinds, eating out is becoming easier and there is a greater mix of recipe books available for those who want to tuck in at home.

Some famous vegetarians include: Albert Einstein, George Harrison, Brad Pitt, Claudia Schiffer, Brooke Shields, Cheyne Coates (Madison Avenue), Darren Hayes (Savage Garden), Daniel Johns (silverchair), Michael J. Fox, Dustin Hoffman, Mary Tyler Moore, Olivia Newton John, Paul and Linda McCartney, Richard Gere and Lenny Kravitz.