We’ve heard the term flexitarian, where a person approaches vegetarianism/veganism with a pinch of… animal products. Basically, it’s about being less strict regarding one’s diet. But now celebrity Lisa Rinna is calling herself a dirty vegan. What exactly does it mean?

The same thing, actually. It’s just a cooler way of saying one is flexible with one’s approach to veganism. As Rinna stated on the People website, 'I tend to call myself a dirty vegan. I’m most plant-based - but if I do need to eat some meat, I’ll have it.’

Being a flexitarian or dirty vegan might seem appealing 'cause you get what you consider to be the best of both worlds, but there are some things to consider.

Some advantages of becoming flexitarian:

1. You might not feel that you are embarking on a very strict vegan diet that you won’t be able to maintain. You could use flexitarianism as a way of easing into a full-blown vegan diet.

2. You start making positive changes in your life and the environment, such as lowering your carbon footprint by not eating as much meat as before. This could encourage you to want to make a complete switch over to veganism.

The important things to think about include:

1. If you’re not fully committed to veganism, you could slip back into your regular eating plan.

2. You might have slower progress when it comes to health or weight-loss benefits because you’re not choosing to be fully vegan.

3. There are no real rules. Just how much animal product can you consume? Are you going to be flexitarian for 80 per cent of the time, or only 40 per cent? Not having rules means that you are less likely to take it seriously.

4. If you are becoming vegan for health reasons, such as to better control your diabetes, not getting rid of animal products in the house can result in you slipping back into your old diet habits.

5. You might feel flexitarianism is doing something half-heartedly. Instead of embracing veganism completely, you're only putting in some effort. This could lead to a lack of motivation.

*Image courtesy Flickr Creative Commons