- Cat whisperer
- +5 “ape-index” (i.e. ridiculous wingspan, great for sports and hugs)
- Seriously considered becoming a professional cuddler (still might happen…)
- Seinfeld fan (I think we need the show to come back to address cell phone etiquette)
- Will try any food at least twice
- Enjoy guerilla cooking in other people’s kitchens, exploring mystery ingredients, and making something gourmet out of seemingly no options
- Constantly contemplating the zombie apocalypse
- Smarter than I look
- Cannibal curious
- Never married (close once), no kids
- Unfamiliar with most cultural references after the 90’s
- Favorite music is still 90’s R&B and Rock
- Sun-worshipper, heatseeker, big-laugher, and huge-hugger
- ¼ Ginger (hence the red hairs and freckles)
WHO IS RAJ?
I’m one of the few single men in the food blogging community. Tall, dark, some say handsome, and I can make an omelette out of almost anything. You might think that women would be throwing themselves at me in the street – but not the case. Is it because I can’t remember names? Because I’m a nerd? Who knows. But thankfully, that allows me the time to put into The Primal Desire.
WHAT’S HIS STORY?
When I was 30, I was on the path I was “supposed” to be on. I had gone to university, traveled to Fiji to see where Dad had grown up, went back to school for a meaningful career as a pharmacist. I was about to get engaged, buy a house, and have babies. Just like you’re supposed to do to “succeed” at life.
A few years later, after a few events including a trip to Thailand, questioning the traditional path, and being rear-ended in a car crash, my life trajectory was completely different. What I wanted from life and my priorities were quickly changed.
How the hell had I started off on the traditional path in the first place?! Why hadn’t I questioned what I wanted sooner? Mostly, because I had no idea what I wanted, and societal norms were the easy answer. And it wasn’t until I was minutes away from getting it all and wondering what was next, that the questions started coming out.
I could see why I chose pharmacy: I wanted to help people, I was interested in science, I could support a family and live a comfortable lifestyle, blah, blah, blah. I’m still driven to help people, etc., but the car accident ended my career. Not to mention left me with chronic pain and limited my physical activities.
Questioning food and health, as a result of seeing chronic health conditions become more and more prevalent even within my group of friends, seemed like a natural direction for me to turn my attention. Due to my own experiences with food and after connecting with Holley, The Primal Desire was born.
Now, I get to connect with people who actually care about their health and making positive lifestyle changes and taking control of their health.
HEALTH
I love food (thinking about it, eating it, learning about it, creating it, finding out how other people do it, and sharing it)! Even though I’m “foodie first, paleo second”, the role food has in my healthy lifestyle is crucial.
I’m passionate about promoting healthy lifestyle choices (have you checked out our recipe book, “I’m Hungry! What Should I Snack On?”, designed to help people make positive eating changes and succeed with their challenge?). Part of this comes from my past as a healthcare professional (prior to an injury caused by a car accident, I was a pharmacist who was interested in educating patients on how lifestyle changes could reduce/prevent their need for medications – btw, are you familiar with Beautycounter?), which emphasized how critical it is for us human beings to make smart healthy decisions, and food- well, food is everything.
I still enjoy being as active as possible, but now recognize the importance of listening to your body when too much is too much. The only marathons that I complete are Netflix marathons. I love kayaking, working out in the gym, snowshoeing, scuba diving, and anything in clear blue tropical waters (I’m pretty sure I was a merman in a past life. Maybe a shark.).
ADVENTURE
I’m playful and curious. I want to travel more. I crave the freedom to explore other cultures and their foods, while touring the beauty of our planet and meeting other like-minded explorers is one of my favorite things.
I’ve only been on a couple extended backpacking trips for a month or more, but all my travels have shaped my life. A few months in the South Pacific including 2 months examining my dad’s old stomping grounds in Fiji, and month in Thailand helped shape who I am and the priorities I have in life.
PHILOSOPHER & SCIENTIST
…a.k.a. Geek and nerd: I love science and life-long learning. Two B.Sc.s were just the start. I consider myself a “student of life”, and think I ask more questions now than I did as a child. I want to understand everything and everyone. An impossible task, but that’s no reason not to continue to strive for it. When I win the big lotto, I’ll spend most of my time traveling and schooling.
I love throwing around philosophical discussions about religion, spirituality, the purpose of life, etc. I also find talking about food philosophies is a lot like talking about religion.
In this world of uncertainty, which I’m sure will soon be giving way to an apocalypse (I’m banking on zombies), I am trying to be a beacon of light. Shining with a positive outlook, and spreading the love.
Which reminds me, are you aware of the 5 Love Languages? My primary language is physical touch. Something I used to think I should be ashamed of, but now better understanding the importance of speaking the right language when trying to connect with people makes all the difference. If only I knew more spoken languages….
ARTIST & CREATOR
To balance things out, I’ve always been artistic. As a kid, I drew a lot. Now my creative energy is spent creating recipes, improving food photography, and contemplating other business ideas (I have new ideas every day, but need an army of people to make them all come to be).
In my “spare time”, I am constantly brainstorming ideas to conquer the world and make lives better, causing endless laughter, traveling, eating all the things, contemplating new ways to get avocados into recipes, and planning for the zombie apocalypse.
Was I supposed to say something about enjoying long walks along the beach, or something, somewhere?
