Whole Foods

When I think of Whole Foods, one thing comes to mind “healthy.” I have been to the store a few times before, never to actually shop there but to visit the restaurant side of the store. I knew that Whole Foods was a place that many of the environment friendly and also health conscience people shop. The reason I have never shopped for groceries there is because I had heard that the prices were quite a bit higher which I found out was true while walking around. The argument that I found while shopping at Whole Foods was that it was important to eat only organic and all-natural products; however, it would come at a higher price.

After reading the article by Michael Pollen, it made me think about eating healthier, organic, and all-natural foods. Reading the article actually made me think about going to Whole Foods and trying to shop there because I want to put good things in my body. However, I think like most people to shop for all of my groceries there would be a bit ridiculous. The prices are about twice as much as a normal supermarket. Is it really worth twice or three times as much for a jar of peanut butter? Most people, including me would say no. I know that with the health craze going on that places like Whole Foods are becoming more and more popular and I would love to be able to shop there. The main thing is that for most people, it is simply too expensive. It is nearly impossible to find one item at Whole Foods that is cheaper than at the Supermarket. For some people it is just not possible to afford this “healthy” lifestyle.

There were a few items that I would go to Whole Foods for such as milk, meat, and a few others. I believe that others that also can not afford to exclusively shop at places like Whole Foods, go there to buy the few organic or natural things that they like and that is it. When you look at the people walking around the store, most of them have their own bags and are completely into this environmentally healthy approach. Some people will swear by organic and all-natural food items, but those people usually have quite a bit more money than others. I wish I could shop at Whole Foods because it really is better for you. However, for me it is not worth doubling my grocery bill.

What to Eat

Being a tennis player, I am told what I should and should not eat. I am told to eat this because it will give me more energy before a match, or to drink this because it will help re-hydrate my body faster. I am told this to help me perform at my highest level. Before reading Everything’s an Argument, I never thought about how an argument on what to eat was being made towards me. I realized that arguments are made toward me on a daily basis not just by my trainers and coaches but also by television commercials and nutrition books. All of these arguments are presented to me in different methods, all of which have an impact on what I decide to eat.

Pathos, ethos, logos are the common ways that an argument is presented to me on what to eat. When my coach tells me a story about how she did not drink enough water and Gatorade before a match and ended up losing the match because she started to cramp, she is using pathos to make an argument toward me. Hearing her say that strikes something in me when she goes on about how she let her team down. I know right then, that I am going to drink and drink to make sure that it does not happen to me. When Dwayne Wade is shown on a commercial drinking Gatorade, he is making an argument toward me using ethos. He uses his position, one of the best basketball players in the world, to make me want to drink Gatorade. I believe that since it is good enough for him that it has to be good enough for me and who knows maybe it will make me better. Commercials of athletes and other stars are shown over and over again to make an argument to people. However, these stars and athletes are not experts in nutrition. They are just endorsing a product so people(like me) will want to buy it. The experts in nutrition are nutritionists and trainers. When the nutritionist comes to talk to us during the year, she uses both ethos and logos to make her argument. The nutritionist that talks to us has a fancy degree and studies what athletes should eat for a living. This makes her argument an ethos one. However, she also gives us a chart with facts and numbers of what the body needs and what is lost when you work out. This makes her argument not only ethos but also logos. She has credibility and the facts that make me believe every word she says. All of these arguments make an impact on the food I choose to eat daily, it is only now that I realize the nature of the arguments being made.