Skills to be Learned Part 2

The first skill I initially chose for my “Skills to be Learned” blog post was integrating sources. Over the span of this course, I can definitely say that I have had my fair share of doing so. In each part of my rhetorical analysis paper, multiple sources were necessary to add credibility to my argument. This is a process I was not very familiar and comfortable with before this class, and I know that it will come in handy in future research papers for my other college classes. The next thing I wanted to learn was how to outline and organize my thoughts in order to create a logical and understandable paper. This is something I am now very confident in, and having a formula for each of the assignments really helped with this. Being able to have a strong foundation that you can branch out on has made all the difference in my papers, as opposed to my typical freestyle-type writing. I also have struggled with reaching the minimum paper length without dragging it out unnecessarily. Initially, even reaching 350 words for a blog post was a challenge, and incredibly time consuming. With the past few assignments, I have had no problem reaching the word count of 900, and the only time consuming part was the research. Especially because of the topic I chose, there is a plethora of information for me to use, and it wasn’t necessary to try to stretch my papers out. If anything, I had to be very conscious to carefully stick to the points I was trying to make, so not to confuse the reader on the already complicated subject. Getting stuck really hasn’t been as much of an issue as I expected it to be, mostly because of my interest in what I have been arguing. If at any point I felt stuck, I learned ways to get past it and when it is necessary to take breaks. I would say the revision has been more difficult than the writing itself. The last skill I chose was reading college level sources, which I believe I did through my weeding of articles and all of the assigned close readings. Overall, I am leaving more confident in my writing and conveying of thoughts than when I started.
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You Have Scarred Me for Life

The process of this class has definitely made me more aware of current nutritional issues in our society. From the presentations, to the assigned reading, to the in-class discussions, a lot of things have been brought up that I have never considered before. For example, the issue of bottled water is not something that I have previously worried about, but I will now be more conscious of it. Learning the nutritional effect of different foods is partially terrifying, because I think sometimes we’d rather remain in the dark about what we are consuming. Ignorance can be bliss, but only a very temporary bliss before our lifestyle and habits, if allowed, kill us. So while it would be more comfortable to remain unaware, the knowledge is essential to living a healthy, long life. One of the main things the class has brought to light for me is people’s (including my own) desire for instant gratification, particularly in our culture. With things like fast food chains being placed all around college campuses, it gives people the access to revolve their dietary choices around time, ease and money, as opposed to health and nutrients. I have been left with a lingering question of what we can do to improve the current conditions of our unhealthy diets, and what truly is healthy. I want to be more educated on the subject, broad as it may be. I think I already have a better grasp of health, especially on the particular topic of neurological health. There is a lot of misconception as to what is “healthy”, and far too often people only focus on the weight-loss aspect of dieting, and as a whole, we would be a lot better off if we made our choices based on the nourishing of our bodies. There is a lot of controversy in the health and nutrition world, which has made this an incredibly interesting topic. I know I for one am curious about my fellow classmates arguments, and the different areas they each are focusing on. Because of this class, I definitely have an increased interest in diet, and feel as though my knowledge of it has become greater. There are a lot of things that I know will stick with me long term, especially through my own expansive research. 
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The Final Draft

For my final two drafts of my researched argument, my biggest concern is being able to accurately articulate my argument, and narrow in on the topic in discussion. The first part of the researched argument wasn’t difficult because I had a pretty clear understanding of what I wanted to say, and the points I wanted to make, but part two, the history part, was a bit more difficult. I started out thinking I had plenty of research, but by the time I finished my outline, I realized I had gaps in it, and had to find more and learn how to connect all of them together in a way that makes sense to the reader. It was a struggle to keep the flow going in it, and expound on the points enough to be informative, but short enough to keep it concise. My hope for these upcoming two parts is that because of the knowledge I have obtained over the course of my studies, I will able to easily write them so they flow and feel natural, and will meet the required length without feeling over-stretched. I am slightly concerned about being able to convey the opposing argument in a way that relates to my argument. While I see their relation, the opposing view is not directed at some of the specific points I am making. Most of the opposing argument sources are broader and directed more toward the benefit of carbohydrates, and I wish that I could find more that would directly say it about the neurological system. Nonetheless, there is definitely still an argument there, and I have confidence that I will be able to clearly state it in a way that ties to my argument.

One of the things I am most excited about is seeing all of my work and research coming together. This process has definitely been a challenge, but I know that it will be rewarding in the end. I think the easiest part will probably be the conclusion, in which I state the way that we can improve the issue. With my argument being that carbohydrates negatively affect the neurological system, I plan to conclude that a diet free of complex carbohydrates can help treat neurological disorders, such as autism and ADHD. These upcoming parts will be a lot of work, and a good bit more of research, but I have a good direction in where I am taking this and can’t wait to have the finished product.

Writing After 1020

    After writing an annotated bibliography, rhetorical analysis, paper proposal and starting my researched argument, I feel much more prepared for college papers. At the beginning of this semester, I honestly did not have a good understanding of how to properly execute a college level paper. I felt very lost and was not confident in my writing at all. Not only has my confidence level gone up immensely, but I’ve also gotten substantially faster at writing. I am getting over my fears that I had at the beginning of the semester, and now knowing how to brainstorm, outline, properly structure the paper, edit, revise etc. will help in any future classes I have that require me to write papers. As far as research goes, I really had minimal experience in it from high school, and no experience using college level sources like journals. I now know how to navigate the journals and libraries, and use the adequate, credible sources that will be required for future research papers. Things definitely started out very difficult, as English has always been one of my least favorite subjects, but this class has given me a much better understanding of it, and I’ve actually learned how to enjoy the process of writing. I also am so happy to have had the chance to research and learn more about a topic that I was already interested in, and while writing the first part of my researched argument, I realized my passion for the subject. This class has not only prepared me for my upcoming literature class, or just writing papers, but how to properly research. It also made me look forward to my science classes and I am considering taking a nutrition course as well. So on top of teaching me how to better compose papers, it also sparked interests in things that I didn't know I cared about. I know that everything I have learned will be beneficial in ways that I haven’t even seen yet. Overall, this has been a wonderful experience, and I know that I will leave this class far better prepared for college level writing and research than before. 
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Writing Reflection: Researched Argument Part 1

After writing the first few part of my researched argument, I feel much more comfortable with my subject matter. Breaking down and defining the terms really helped me have a better idea of what I am arguing and I feel like I have a solid understanding of it. I am very passionate about the topic I am addressing, and that made writing it much easier and more enjoyable. Our previous assignments definitely helped in preparing me for it too, and I didn’t feel lacking in any of the necessary information. Getting it to the required page length wasn’t an issue, especially with all the terms I had to define. I have had to dig through a lot of research to decide what was relevant, but I have a book called “Breaking the Vicious Cycle” that is about my topic, and in addition to providing a plethora of information, it also has outside resources that are helpful. The book is actually what initially triggered my interest in the gut-brain connection and the carbohydrates effecting the neurological system, so through this process I have read most of the book, and it has definitely sparked a desire to learn more about the subject. I do struggle with the actual writing, like being able to articulate what I am trying to argue and present the information in a way that makes sense to the reader. Connecting all of the variables is definitely a challenge, but I think through editing and rewriting I will be able to get the appropriate information through. As far as the argumentative aspect of my paper, it is a bit of a trial to find definitive opposing arguments. There are a lot of indirect arguments that I am using as sources, but it is not specifically about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet I am examining, it normally applies more to a general healthy diet relating to neurological disorders. It is still applicable to my argument, it just takes a thorough explanation of how it connects. I also have to bring more of the carbohydrate aspect in to it. I am not lacking any information, my struggle is more in the connecting of it all and making a concise argument that flows naturally. Through all of this, I definitely feel like I am much more able to take on and execute this argument.

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Food & Culture Presentation Review

    After hearing most of the food and culture presentations, I can definitely say I have been surprised by the numerous odd traditions and habits of other countries. One that stuck out to me was Rachel’s presentation of Germany. Learning about things like Oktoberfest is fascinating, and it’s really interesting to see what unites people in different places (like beer, for example.). While other countries traditions seem odd to us, for them it is what they’ve known and been raised with, like Thanksgiving or Halloween for us. It is also very interesting to see the crazy food that different cultures eat, things that sound appauling to us are the norm for them. While Houston and I were putting together our presentation, we had the opportunity to get a taste of the Peruvian culture. We definitely learned a few shocking things, like about the consumption of guinea pigs and alpacas, which would seem so bizarre here. Another one I found interesting was Thailand, and the way they set their meals up. I think it’s funny that it’s only encouraged to eat sweets for breakfast there, where here, dessert is normally for after dinner. Also their frequent snacking and large lunches with light dinners makes me question our own countries set up of meals. Through seeing the presentations, I also learned a lot about the different cultural and geographical influences of each countries diet. The videos of people trying  the foods from a certain country made me laugh, and shows the difference in preferences culturally.

    The main thing I discovered through these cultural influences presentations is that food truly does unite people. Even though in each country, they have their own specific and different traditions and ways of eating, the common denominator is that food is associated with celebration everywhere. Whether it’s rice soaked in alcohol, guinea pig or beer, food and drink brings people together. There are festivals and carnivals in almost every country celebrating that. The bottom line is that wherever you go, whatever the traditions and cultures, people love food. Something that we commonly take for granted and don’t take notice of plays a significant role in everyones life, far beyond the nourishment of our bodies. 
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Writing Reflection- Paper Proposal

If I had the time to go back over my paper proposal, I would be more concise with my points. I would also be sure that I didn’t repeat myself, especially with word choice. Reading it again, I see more improvements that could be made and ways that I could have articulated my thoughts better. Even though this was the longest paper we’ve had to write thus far, it was probably the one I struggled with the least. The initial outline really helped a lot, and then I just had to expound on my points. Being able to write it in first person also made it easier to get my thoughts out in a more fluent way. I would say the thing I struggled with the most is making it the appropriate length without repeating myself. This is something that I always have a hard time with, and could definitely use to improve on. I did think the writing on my proposal helped me have a better grasp of where I am going with my final researched argument. It also showed me where I need more research and what I am lacking in. Seeing that I was able to write a 5 page paper just discussing what I’m going to write about, and with relative ease, I have more confidence in my ability to write the final 12 page paper. With my breakdown of the definitions, in addition to covering all the different aspects of the topic, I don’t see reaching the full 12 pages being a problem. If anything, I realized how broad of a topic this is and all the different routes I can take it, and can see how it might be difficult to keep it within a certain page length. The topic I am covering is a relatively difficult one, and I see that now more than ever, but this paper proposal helped me get a better understanding of it and where I want to take it. It showed me the areas I need to improve on and the topics I need to narrow in on, and it got me thinking about where I can further my research.

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Ted Talk Analysis: "What’s Wrong With Our Food System?” by Birke Baehr

    For my TED Talk analysis, I will be looking at “What’s Wrong With Our Food System?” by Birke Baehr. Baehr’s passion for this topic is very apparent, and equally impressive, considering the fact that he is only 11 years old. He effectively uses pathos, which is emotional persuasion, as his main rhetorical appeal. He starts out the presentation by talking about the way that marketing and advertisements for unhealthy foods are directed at children by their bright packaging. Seeing a kid talk about the way that it directly affects him and his siblings makes you stop and think about the effect it actually has. Birke uses humor about his age to get the crowd laughing. Seeing a young person so passionate about making a change is encouraging and refreshing for viewers to see. The effect the video seems to have is that if an 11 year-old cares so much and can make a change, then so can the audience. It leaves people feeling empowered and motivated to make better health-conscious decisions.  Instead of just addressing the issue, he shows ways that we can help make a difference, such as purchasing from local farmers markets and eating organic food. Baehr has a very innocent charm about him, and by telling stories about his life and family, he creates a connection between him and the audience. He also uses logos, the logical form of persuasion, as an appeal to the viewer. By displaying a practical/non-time consuming way to live a healthier lifestyle, it leaves little room for excuses for poor eating. He addresses the argument of healthy eating being too expensive, and says “It seems to me that we can either pay the farmer, or we can pay the hospital.” His point is very logical, and sheds a new light on healthy eating. As far as ethos, the use of credibility and authority, I would definitely not consider it to be one of his means of persuasion. Being the young age he is, he doesn’t have experience on his side. With that being said, it does not negatively affect his argument because of the fact that people are not expecting credibility from him. Using emotional and logical persuasion, he got his point across very clearly and left a positive effect on the audience.
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Review of Rhetorical Appeals

There are three rhetorical appeals. The first is Ethos, which relies on the credibility/authority of the author. You would do this in a fashion similar to this: “Because I have a PHD from Harvard University and am a doctor at the worlds most renowned nutritional center, you can trust me when I say that you just need to eat an apple a day to maintain your health.”

The next is Pathos. It makes its appeal by playing on emotion. For example, pathos would be saying “If you really loved and cared about helpless animals all over the world, you would donate 10 cents a day to fund our organization that helps save abandoned kittens.”

Logos uses logic to reason with the reader. An example of this would be: “If the grass is green,  then the sky must be blue.”

An advertisement using all three rhetorical appeals would look something like this:

ALL NEW!!! MUST HAVE!!!! Brand new, completely refurbished VHS player, originally from 1996! The greatest model of it’s year, with all new flashing lights! Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, just got his and states that “Buying this has been the best thing I have done this year!”. If you love your country and want to help bring our troops back, then you need to buy this! If you order within the next 3 days then we will throw in a complete collection of Mel Gibson tapes, including “Braveheart”, “Patriot” and “Pocahontas”!!! In case you need even more of a reason to buy this revolutionary product, a study was done last year that proves that watching 3 hours of TV a day on this VHS player will improve cognitive function, therefore it is an investment in your health! If you still have doubts about whether or not this is the right product for you, you clearly have not been emotionally, logically or authoritatively persuaded by this advertisement, and we want you to call us at (678) 999-8212 and tell us what reasons you have for not buying this! You do not want to miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to own such a radical, life-changing inanimate object!!!!

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Review of Annotated Bibliography

    The purpose of an annotated bibliography is to gather all of your sources of information and evaluate them for your researched argument. Knowing the history of your research is vital to have a better direction and understanding of where you want to go with your argument. Also, having sources from different perspectives on the topic will help with making unbiased assessments. After creating my annotated bibliography, I had more knowledge about the subject and a clear understanding of the point I wanted to make. It also made me examine different aspects of it that I had not considered before, creating more substance for my final paper. Annotated bibliographies are a solid foundation to build up from and are useful for anyone doing research of any kind. Having everything in one place and summarized in your own words helps you to better absorb the information. The research for the bibliography does take a substantial amount of muddling through irrelevant information in order to find the appropriate information, but through the process of it, you learn a lot about all areas of the topic. I think by doing this, you could potentially broaden the range of what you initially intended, and maybe even morph it into something completely new. It is a way to get you to delve in to your subject matter, and can serve as an inspiration for your paper. By reading through so many sources, you get a better understanding of the different ways that the authors present their arguments, and see how they articulate their points. Some are very factual and straight to the point, maybe even difficult to read, and some tend to use their words as a tool to persuade people to their side. Examining the writing methods and how they are used to connect with different types of audience helps to make more conscious decisions of who you are trying to address. The research required for the annotated bibliography also serves as a way to look at the style presentation of peoples work and what effect it has on the overall portrayal of the point they are trying to get across. When it actually comes to writing the researched argument, you will have a reference of every source you have taken from, giving you a strong base for your paper.
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Review of Sources

In searching for the material for my argumentative paper, I came up with some information that I believe will be very valid in making the points.

The source that I believe best agrees with my argument is “Breaking the Vicious Cycle:Intestinal Health Through Diet.”. Even though the title implies that is all about intestinal health, it actually makes a link between a certain way of eating and the neurological system. It recommends a diet called “The Specific Carbohydrate Diet” which is essentially a meat, vegetable and fruit based diet. It describes the way that carbohydrates break down into glucose in your body, and the way the glucose affects your nervous system, potentially increasing the symptoms of autism. My doctor gave me this book because of some neurological symptoms I was exhibiting as a child, and it has showed me the importance of a healthy mind through a healthy diet.

The source that disagrees with my argument is called “Primary Care Approaches. Diet and Child Behavior Problems: Fact or Fiction?”. In this article, the author claims that diet does not affect children with ADHD and autism, and any changes in the child are due to placebo or change in parental discipline practices. They also state that parents are looking for “magic cures” for these diseases instead of focusing on the “successful treatment [through] educational, behavioral and parental interventions.”

My favorite source is “Autism and Diet: Is There a Connection?”. The author of this article, William L. Wilson, shows different scenarios of how diet can affect autism, as either a trigger, a secondary trigger, or even an overlapping brain disorder. He assumes an unbiased stance on the subject, taking into account research from both sides of the argument and current, indefinite studies. He also looks into a study showing that there could be a common pathological process between brain disorders, including ADHD, anxiety disorders and OCD. He proposes the idea of a disease called Carbohydrate Associated Reversible Brain syndrome (CARB), claiming that our recent changes in modern diet could be triggering neurological symptoms, or in his words “Adding gas to a fire.”.

Overall, I am happy with my selection of sources, and if I end up changing any of them, it will be to narrow my argument in order to concentrate on a more specific aspect of the topic.

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For my paper, I have chosen to write about the way that carbohydrates affect the neurological system. This topic interests me because I was diagnosed with a nerve disorder when I was eleven years old. I was able to control it through natural supplements and a diet my doctor put me on, called “The Specific Carbohydrate Diet”. On this diet, I was restricted from eating any complex carbohydrates and some simple carbohydrates. Over the span of a year and a half of doing this, almost all of my symptoms went away. Eventually, I was able to get off of the diet and just monitor the amount of carbohydrates that I consumed. I would like to better educate myself for the reasoning behind all of this, so I can share my experience in this area with other people who are struggling. Many doctors will just prescribe medication to people who are desperate for answers. By being educated on this issue, people will see that there are alternative solutions and be able to decide for themselves what is right. Would it be beneficial for everyone with neurological issues to take this route, or does it vary from person to person? What about other disorders? I would like to find out how carbohydrates are directly linked to the neurological system, and what other kind of factors could play a part in it. If it really is the most direct link, then I am curious as to why it is not spoken about more for people with tourettes, autism and other disorders. Although not as convenient as taking a pill, could an entire lifestyle change help manage these conditions? If this approach is as beneficial as it seems to be, the pros outweigh the cons by a longshot. As a rule, we should be focusing on how to naturally restore our body's chemical balance, instead of instinctively turning to medication that drastically alters all the chemicals in our body, leaving side-effects that can be just as bad as the initial issue. Maybe if we had this mindset we would be able to change our unhealthy living habits, when we have armed ourselves with pertinent information that will ensure our success if we persevere. 

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Skills to be Learned

    I have a lot of skills that I wish to acquire through this class, the first being how to integrate and synthesize sources. Just within these past few classes I have seen the importance of doing so, and how it can lend a voice and add credibility to your argument, when done in the correct way. I would also like to learn how to properly outline and logically organize thoughts. This has never been my strong-suit in writing, which hinders me from being able to accurately convey and present my ideas in an understandable way. This is a very important foundation in writing a convincing paper, and something that would benefit me greatly in the future. The next thing I would like to improve is being able to write longer papers. Being able to write an informative paper that doesn’t feel dragged along is a difficult task. It is a skill that requires discernment in knowing how to include enough information that leaves your readers knowledgeable about the subject, but also keeps things to the point and minimizes unnecessary details that will induce confusion. Another skill that I would like to gain is knowing what to do when I get stuck. There have been many times that I have reached a place where ideas and thoughts stop flowing. I am left trying to force words out, which results in poor quality writing that disconnects the readers from what I am trying to express. Learning how to circumvent writer’s block would help me immensely. Lastly, I want to have a better understanding of how to read college level sources and how to collect the appropriate information from them, making sure that everything is relevant to my topic. I believe writing is a skill that must be learned. I hope that the classes and the resources that I will be using will help me to organize and glean the information to make my writing become a skill in which I can express my thoughts and opinions. It is important to me that I convey ideas well enough that others will be interested enough to read what I have to say.

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Response to "How to Live to be 100" TED Talk

I watched a few different TED Talks this week, but the one that stuck out to me the most was “How to Live to be 100” by Dan Buettner. In this video, he looks at areas of the world where life expectancy is the longest, and examines what kind of lifestyle they live and the kind of food they eat, compared to how we live here in the US. One of the main differences I saw is that the people have more health oriented eating habits. They eat smaller portion sizes and stop when full, while the American lifestyle is about instant gratification, which includes fast food and very little exercise. While I wasn’t surprised to hear that the majority of the people in these other areas consumed a mostly plant-based diet, I was intrigued to see that the common denominator in all of these places is their community mindedness. They prioritize relationships with the people around them and take time to enjoy each other’s company. In a few of the studies, the population mostly consisted of religious, church-going people that took a day out of each week to fellowship, worship and enjoy nature. It makes you wonder how much our every-day, stress filled lives deplete our health. I also found it interesting that most of the people do not exercise, at least not in the way that we think of it. Instead of trying to make time for working out, they incorporate it in everything they do, whether it be harvesting crops or cooking. They do not enable laziness by trying to make their lives more convenient. In all of these places, the people seem to value hard work, and most importantly, each other.

          After watching this, I had to question what we can do to have a less-stressful lifestyle in our current society. It seems as though the whole of American life is aimed at climbing the ladder to achieve a higher social status and more wealth, which according to Dan’s study, is not conducive to a long life. My goal is now to develop better relationships with family and friends, and pursue healthier physical, mental and spiritual health.

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