Background

When Nathan wrote in the tagline that I've "always had a thing for fruits and vegetables", he means since around the time he met me, about 2 1/2 years ago. I grew up never thinking about what I ate, which was pretty much a standard American diet. In college I didn't know how to cook and don't even remember what I ate, but it had to be mostly pre-packaged. I remember being amazed when I studied abroad in Budapest and my Israeli roommates effortlessly made spaghetti sauce from scratch - they were amazed that I would ever buy it in a jar. Up until recently I had only a vague idea what kale was.

There's no point when I drastically changed my diet, it happened over time after reading numerous articles about the benefits of eating whole, unprocessed foods, and realizing that I don't want unpronounceable crap made in a lab going into my body.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no food elitist. I don't like strict rules. I love egg and cheese sandwiches. I believe a strong whiskey manhattan is a cure for pretty much anything. More than a few people have heard me rave about White Castle's chicken sandwiches (especially after a long night at the Otter). We're real people with normal desk jobs who are just ready for a change and hopefully a fun and beneficial month long experiment.

p.s. these pics of us were taken May 2007 at an incredibly yummy cafe in Germany.

Before meeting Kelly, I was a 30-something law student who considered Burger King comfort food. I've always been fairly active: I worked as a firefighter for a number of years, and I lift weights periodically. Now, I'm a 34 y/o desk-jockied attorney who is sucking in his stomach in photos for the first time.

I love beer (Surly Furious) and I'm always willing to prove it. I prefer motorcycling to bicycling. I eat whatever is available. It's a mere coincidence that Kelly happens to stock our fridge with things that don't come with warning labels.

I get that all of this is a problem for a guy who is going through that next great bodily tranformation that occurs 20 years after puberty. If I let things head where they are trending, I'm not sure I'll be able to stop the gelatinous inertia. Let's just say I'm in the sort of neurotic physiological mindset that leaves me more open than usual to major lifestyle changes.

This raw food diet was her idea, but I like what I'm reading, and I'm optimistic. She wants me to live longer, and I want to leave as attractive a corpse as possible. So, here we go. Gentlemen, start your blenders.