One of my roommates once asked me how I would ever find a wife that doesn't like chocolate. Dating questions, especially ones like that one, make me feel like I have a frog in my throat. As I tried to gather my thoughts and figure out what to say, another roommate thankfully came to my rescue. "This is Mormon Guy we're talking about - not just anyone. I'm sure there are tons of girls who would give up chocolate to be with him. I know I would if I were a girl."
That saved me and put the issue to rest.
But it didn't answer the question in my mind. What would I do? My roommates didn't know the irony of their question - finding a wife in the first place was going to take a miracle. Finding one whose eating habits fit mine? Um.
I'm one of those crazy healthy people. It's been a long, circuitous journey, but right now the eating part of my lifestyle consists of these ingredients: vegan (no meat/milk/egg/fish), whole grain (no refined grains), no sugar or caloric sugar substitutes (sugar/honey/agave), extremely limited added fats (olive oil), and no fried food, with a focus on raw and cooked vegetables.
Yeah. A bit eccentric.
The other essential parts: daily exercise, 8 hours of sleep, writing each day, and trying to find ways to serve others to relieve stress.
Hence why my roommate would be concerned about my future dating life.
There are plenty of healthy, amazing women in the world. Finding someone who eats the way I do, though, isn't really what I'm looking for. I'm just looking for someone who is committed to improving every aspect of her life to serve God, and isn't too attached to any certain food to do so. Would I be willing to give up pasta sauce (one of my favorite foods) if I found that it was deeply unhealthy? Yeah. Moderately unhealthy? Yeah... I think so. Only a slight bit unhealthy - but there's always a better option? I would hope so. And that's what I'm lookin for. Have I found the ideal diet? No. I'm still searching. Would I be willing to change if I found compelling evidence counter to what I do today, along with a spiritual prompting in that direction? Definitely.
At least for me, eating is part of my worship. What I eat has a direct, immediate, and lasting effect on my brain and blood chemistry, which in turn influences my ability to hear and feel the Spirit. It's more than just food and health and taste and sociality. It's part of my relationship with God. And as long as the girl I fall in love with is okay with that, or willing to learn it for herself, we'll be good.
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