24-Year-Old Says Her Compassionate Diet Improved Her Health
For Immediate Release:
May 3, 2012
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
Sartell, Minn. -- The competition to be named PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian Next Door is heating up, and 24-year-old Sartell resident Cara Held just may take home the grand prize. She has beaten out hundreds of other entrants from across the U.S. to become one of 10 female contestants to advance to the final round in PETA's contest. Two lucky winners (one female and one male) will each receive a free trip to Hawaii, courtesy of the PETA Member Advantage Program.
"On average, vegetarians are slimmer and healthier than meat-eaters are—and they save more than 100 animals a year from the violence of factory farms, slaughterhouses, and fishing nets," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "One look at our radiant finalists proves that there's nothing sexier than kindness."
Held originally went vegetarian—and then vegan—to improve her overall health. Sure enough, she feels that her skin and hair became more radiant, and she noticed a big boost in energy. Since then, she has strengthened her resolve to stay vegan after watching films about the plight of animals raised for food and reading the best-selling pro-vegan weight-loss book Skinny Bitch. Held works as a cook at a restaurant, where she strives to introduce customers to delicious meatless dishes, and her friends love her vegan cookies. Held—who enjoys working out at the gym, painting, singing, zombie movies, and tattoos—recently married her high school sweetheart. They share their home with two adopted (and "fixed") cats, Miles and Wendy. Her biggest turnoff is what she calls "meat breath."
To see photos of Held and the other sexy vegetarian finalists, please click here. The voting—which can be done on PETA's website and by texting—ends on May 14, and the two winners will be announced on May 21.
For more information and to vote in the contest, please visit PETA.org or click here.
Three factors will be considered when PETA chooses the winners: the number of votes received from the public, the enthusiasm demonstrated by the entrants in living and promoting a vegetarian lifestyle, and PETA's assessment of the entrants' attractiveness.