he stereotypes are very telling - we're hippies, wimps, can't hold a job, wear funny looking clothes, ugly shoes, have pasty skin, are scary PETA activists, angry, wirey grey-haired, cultish and trying to push our animal loving religion down the throats of everyone else and treehugger. Really? Is this the vegetarian / vegan you know? Or has the stereotype taken over the reality?

I came to realize that the vegetarians I know are really beautiful people - inside and out. Yes, we love our dogs and cats, sure. But don't we all? We do things that other people think we don't - color our hair, get pedicures and manicures, eat french fries, drink coffee and can even cohabitate with omnivores. The truth is, we may do all of these things and more, but we try our best to do them conscientiously. Color our hair with less harmful chemicals, use vegan nail polishes, drink organic/fair market coffees and teas, eat homemade french fries (usually baked, not fried) and typically improve (not change) the diets of the people we live with and love - such as our spouses and children. Trying to live conscientiously - that's all.

Evolving Humans
Truth is, according to Vegetarian Resource Group (among others), current-day humans have evolved to the point to we are meant to be omnivores, due to our ability to digest meat. Now don't get me wrong, it is believed that we did not start out that way. In the beginning, we were vegetarians. We have blunt teeth and long intestinal tracts - all signs of our vegetarian origins. However, we are survivors. During the some huge environmental changes that occurred 3-4 million years ago, our forests and jungles were depleted, our need to survive taught us to hunt and kill for nourishment. Thus, came our evolution to current-day omnivores.

Why the Stereotypes Don't Work:
There are too many of us. In the U.S., there are 7.3 million vegetarians, about 3.2 %. Throughout the world, the number is much different, it is closer to more than 50%. Several religions practice vegetarianism - Hinduism, Rastafaris, Hare Krishnas, some Buddhists, some Sikhs, Seventh Day Adventists, to name a few. There are millions of people who don't eat flesh of any sort every day, due to religious reasons alone. Mahayana Buddism encourages vegetarianism as beneficial for developing compassion.

Taking the Stereotypes to the Mat. Let's get clearer picture of one of the fastest growing segments of the world (according to Wikipedia) - The Vegetarian.:

We're Wimps:
One famous vegetarian, Clint Eastwood, might disagree with you on that. There's no way he could have gotten away with that smokey glare when he would dare you to make his day, if he was considered a wimp, due to the stereotype of being vegetarian.

We're Hippies:
I really don't think that Pamela Anderson is a hippy, do you? She has a mold all her own as one of PETA's most outspoken celebrities. I am an all-natural kind of woman, and Pamela Anderson makes me proud. That should say something.

Can't Hold a Job:
Goodness! That one is harsh. I have been the president of my own company for more than 12 years. I have been in the same industry for 16 years. We are considered veterans in the Internet industry. And, we're small-fry. There are so many famous, well-known vegetarians that prove this totally wrong - how about: Paul McCartney? A decades-long vegetarian. Surely, he would be considered gainfully employed. Russell Simmons, Dustin Hoffman, Jamie Lee Curtis - all veterans of their craft.

Wear Funny Looking Clothes:
There are so many beautiful, well-dressed vegetarians out there, so many that I am only going to name a few, but how's Carrie Underwood, Alec Baldwin, Alicia Silverstone and fashion designer, Stella McCartney? Posh veggies, for sure.

Wear Ugly Shoes:
I personally have never worn a pair of Birkenstocks in my life. I won't. I really like pretty shoes. I know I am not the only one. Ana Brett, Kundalini Yoga teacher, fellow veggie and DVD star, has offered shoes she can't live with out on her website, raviana.com. Boots, high-top tennis and strappy sandals reign. Not a sensible shoe in the lot. Also check out fashionably heeled veggie stars - Natalie Portman, Janet Jackson and Shania Twain

Have Pasty Skin:
Sometimes we need some additional help in this area via vitamin supplements. I take occasional iron and daily B-12 to keep the skin a-glowing. If you ever think that veggies look pasty - check out the healthy glows of athletes Chris Evert, Prince Fielder, Carl Lewis, Tony Gonzalez and Desmond Howard.

Are Scary PETA Activists:
Granted, PETA has gotten a very bad rap for being negative, but they really do have a good message. Their new spokespeople are giving them a new lease on a positive life. Some of their new ads star Eva Mendes, Perez Hilton and Joaquin Phoenix. What's not to love about that?

Angry:
This stereotype is the easiest to knock down. Two famous vegetarians: Mahatma Ghandi and His Holiness the Dali Lama. Enough said.

Wirey Grey-Haired:
Joe Namath, B.B. King and Bob Barker, Brigitte Bardot, Dyan Cannon, Yoko Ono, Valerie Harper - all going strong and looking fabulous!

Cultish and trying to push our animal loving religion down the throats of everyone else:
According to Vegetarian Times, a large percentage of vegetarians surveyed turned to a plant-based diet for health reasons - to improve their health, as a natural approach to wellness, because of food-safety concerns, to maintain a healthy weight and even to weigh less. A smaller percentage became vegetarians for environmental concerns and animal welfare. The larger percentage would indicate that Health-Nuts would be the Cult to resist.

Are Treehuggers:
Rajendra Pachauri, Chairman, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, puts it best, "The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has estimated that direct emissions from meat production account for about 18% of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions. So I want to highlight the fact that among options for mitigating climate change, changing diets is something one should consider. "   I guess, this is one stereotype that might stick...

Ana Lewis

Resources:
Wikipedia.com
Peta.org
Vegetarian Starter Kit by PETA