Vegetarianism remains a popular yet sometimes misunderstood lifestyle, experiencing a slight decline in adherents over the past decade despite a growing market for vegetarian products. Different classifications of vegetarians include lacto-ovo, ovo, lacto, vegan, and semi-vegetarians, each with varying dietary restrictions. While adhering to a vegetarian diet can present nutritional challenges, proper education can help manage these and reduce health risks associated with red meat consumption.

1. Being a vegetarian is still something of a conversation killer even in today's health conscious society. "What do you eat then?" is muttered
quietly whilst images of the gourmet meat pies and turkey pinwheel sandwiches are tossed aside for green salads at the next dinner party.
Vegetarianism has actually shown a slight decline over the last decade although statistics have shown that many people have been a
vegetarian at one period in their life. But overall, the vegetarian lifestyle is still as popular as ever as shown by the ever increasing range of
vegetarian products and meat substitutes entering the market.
Whilst the vegetarian terms may seem confusing at first - the concept behind the terms are actually quiet easy to follow.
Lacto-Ovo - Most people when they hear the term vegetarian would think of a lacto-ovo. The term refers to people who do not eat any fish or
meat but who do eat dairy products and eggs.
Ovo - This term refers to vegetarians who will eat eggs but will not eat any dairy products in their diet.
Lacto - Refers to a person who will not eat any meat or eggs in their diet but who will eat dairy products.
Vegan - Vegans are the strictest form of vegetarians as they do not eat any form of animal product or by-product.
Semi - The term semi-vegetarian has become increasingly popular with the rise of the so called "fad diet". This category is set aside for people
who want to try the vegetarian lifestyle but who still enjoy the occasional hamburger.
Many vegetarians choose this lifestyle not only for the health benefits associated with it but also for their belief against animal cruelty and
associations such as PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) now champion animal rights.
Vegetarians can run the risk of suffering from a lack of iron, protein, Vitamin B and calcium if they do not balance their diets. But a little bit of
education and knowledge of vegetarian sources should ensure that this does not occur. Protein can easily be found by eating nuts, seeds, tofu,
veggie burgers and grains. Vitamin B2 can be found by eating leafy green vegetables, almonds and mushrooms and many vegetarian products
are now fortified with Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D as an aid against any deficiency which may occur. Calcium can be found in tofu, leafy green
vegetables, dried fruit, watercress and many of the soy milks found on the markets are calcium fortified.
The upside about being a vegetarian is that you do not have to worry about raising cholesterol levels by eating too much red meat. Research
has also shown that many vegetarians suffer less from obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, type II diabetes, diet related cancers,
constipation and gall stones.
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