Some fruitarians will eat only what falls (or would fall) naturally from a plant, that is foods that can be harvested without killing the plant. These foods consist primarily of culinary fruits, nuts, and seeds. Some do not eat grains, believing it is unnatural to do so, and some fruitarians feel that it is improper for humans to eat seeds. Others believe they should eat only plants that spread seeds when the plant is eaten. Others eat seeds and some cooked foods.

Some fruitarians use the botanical definitions of fruits and consume pulses, such as many beans and peas, while others include green leafy vegetables and/or root vegetables in their diet.

Some fruitarians believe fruitarianism was the original diet of mankind in the form of Adam and Eve based on Genesis 1:29. They believe that a return to an Eden-like paradise will require simple living and a holistic approach to health and diet. Some fruitarians wish to avoid killing in all its forms, including plants.

Some fruitarians say that eating some types of fruit does the parent plant a favor and that fleshy fruit has evolved to be eaten by animals, to achieve seed dispersal.

The word ‘vegan’ was originally derived from ‘vegetarian’ in 1944 when Elsie Shrigley and Donald Watson, frustrated that the term ‘vegetarianism’ had come to include the eating of dairy products, founded the Vegan Society. They combined the first three and last two letters of vegetarian to form ‘vegan’, which they saw as ‘the beginning and end of vegetarian’.

The Vegan Society defines veganism in this way:

The word ‘veganism’ denotes a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as possible and practical, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals and the environment. In dietary terms, it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.

Vegetarianism is the practice of a diet that excludes meat (including game and slaughter by-products, fish, shellfish and other sea animals and poultry). There are several variants of the diet, some of which also exclude eggs and/or some products produced from animal labor such as dairy products and honey.

Most vegetarians consume dairy products, and many eat eggs. Lacto-vegetarianism includes dairy products but excludes eggs, ovo-vegetarianism includes eggs but not dairy, and lacto-ovo vegetarianism includes both eggs and dairy products.

Semi-vegetarianism consists of a diet largely of vegetarian foods, but may include fish and sometimes poultry, as well as dairy products and eggs. The association of semi-vegetarianism with vegetarianism in popular vernacular, particularly pescetarianism (also called pesco-vegetarianism and described as a ‘vegetarian’ diet that includes fish, has led to what vegetarian groups cite as improper categorization of these diets as vegetarian. The Vegetarian Society, which initiated popular usage of the term vegetarian as early as 1847, condemns the association of semi-vegetarian diets as valid vegetarianism. The organization points out that the consumption of fish is not vegetarian.

The reasons for choosing vegetarianism may be related to one or more of the following: morality, religion, culture, ethics, aesthetics, environment, society, economy, politics, taste, or health. A generic term for both vegetarianism and veganism, as well as for similar diets, is ‘plant-based diets’. Properly planned vegetarian diets have been found to satisfy the nutritional needs for all stages of life, and large-scale studies have shown vegetarianism to significantly lower risks of cancer, ischemic heart disease, and other diseases.

The 10/80/10 Principle, which is: 10% of all people are innovators, 80% are maintainers, and 10% are inhibitors.

Innovators are always looking for a new way, a better way, an easier way, a more efficient way, a cheaper way, a more ergonomic way, etc. Inventors, entrepreneurs, problem solvers, most engineers and most business CEOs belong to this group.

Maintainers will change if you give them enough reason to do so. They are the steady, dependable, workhorse type that our society relies on.

Inhibitors are at all costs opposed to change. They would rather see the doors close than see change. If management is comprised of inhibitors, that organization is doomed, be it a factory, a business, a church or the local Elks Club.

This principle is about your attitude toward change, not change itself, because not all change is good.

These numbers represent an important benchmark that takes some understanding to grasp. 80/10/10 represents a fuel mixture, a ratio between the three nutrients in which we derive calories from. The three nutrients represented by 80/10/10 are carbohydrates, proteins and fat, respectively. When people eat, they primarily do so to fuel themselves, if you will. After doing twenty years of dietary analysis for his clients, Dr. Graham found that typical Americans eat 42% of their diet's calories from carbs, 16% from protein, and 42% from fat. The target 80/10/10 represents a high carbohydrate, low protein, low fat diet where one eats, at minimum, 80% of his or her calories from sugar (predominantly found in sweet fruits), and a maximum of 10% of their calories each from protein and fat. According to Dr. Graham's research, this is the macronutrient ratio that nature has designed humans to thrive on. By teaching us how to use the percentage of calories model, Dr. Graham helps us to discuss and compare appropriate carbohydrate, protein, and fat consumption, despite our personal differences like gender, activity levels and weight, for instance.

By TTS Cofounder Botanical Chef Omid Jaffari