Fourth Post

When I found out that one of our English 1102 assignments was to create a blog, I thought it was such an interesting idea. To incorporate technology in a new way to the English curriculum was very creative. It was also exciting for me because my senior graduation product was a blog I created on this same site, Blogger. The experience I gained working on that blog came in handy for my college English blog.

I have learned a great deal from the research part of this assignment. Research is an area of writing where I have always struggled. Sitting down and searching through books, articles and internet websites has been an area where I tend to procrastinate. I see it as an overwhelming part of an even bigger project. With this research assignment, I saw it differently. I had to break down the overall assignment of writing a research paper into smaller parts than I had been previously asked in other English classes. With this being required of me, I was able to focus on small details and give lots of attention without rushing through the project.

Another helpful tool was receiving instruction from Donna on how to use the library catelog. I am thankful that our class was able to go to the library to learn this helpful information. I know in the future, I will be using the library more and more so this is something that I can use years from now.

In terms of the writing process, I learned it is never ending. More can always be done to enhance the quality of a paper or annotated bib. More research can be found, more detail can be added and better resources can be found. Even when we think a piece of writing is complete, it can still be revised and edited numerous times.

Lastly, I learned that when choosing a research topic I shouldn't go in with a decided thesis. Previously I was taught to have a thesis made before I began researching. In this case, my thesis was not written beforehand. Next time I complete a research paper I will keep this in mind. I think it will help lead me to better research topics.

 

 

Third Post

My audience will appeal to those interested in changing their diet. Most who eat healthy understand the (good and bad) affects food has on our bodies and moods but those who are wanting change will be searching for answers. The answers they find in their research will lead them to either changing their eating habits or keeping their current eating habits. Another possible reader could be health professionals. These health professionals may be looking into finding research and opinions of everyday people and other experts.
My topic is timely because of America's great lack of maintaining health as a whole. Today so many suffer from mental and physical illnesses. If we can find a way to lower these high statistics then we can have a better quality of life.
I care about my topic because of my recent change in eating habits. I have began to eat less fried foods and more greens. I am curious as to if our food selection will make us feel and act better. High school teachers taught me to write objectively so that when others read my writing, they can form their own opinions based off of the facts I have presented. Being able to look at things objectively and rationally is important to learn in order to make wise choices.
Some different viewpoints I see are:
-food doesn't affect moods, it is only made up in our minds
-food controls our moods completely
-food affects the chemicals released in our brians
One thing I learned about my topic is how the brain releases chemicals and neurotransmitters in our brains. I think this is interesting and gives reasoning behind why certain emotions occur. I have also learned that I need to research into many other perspectives and point of views of my topic.

I commented on Lisa Grosselius' blog about weather.

Second Post

I found an internet article to be the most interesting. It was titled 'How Food Affects Your Moods' by the author Elaine Magee, a registered dietitian. I found this article the most interesting of my sources because it gives you a different view on how food impacts the body. The article gives you a perspective through the scientific view of the affects food has on your body. I personally liked reading about what chemicals are released when certain foods are eaten which eventually impact the mind physically and mentally.
As I have been researching, my topic has remained the same. I am finding information that I can apply to my own eating habits which is very beneficial to me.
The main challenge I am facing is finding research that believes food does not greatly impact a person's mood. I have found a few sources but I plan to address this by narrowing my searches down. I think narrowing my searches will give me better results.

How does food affect our mental state?

My research topic involves food and how it affects one’s mood. Food is an essential part of everyone’s daily life so what we eat has a huge and lasting impact on not only our bodies but on our minds as well.

I settled on this topic to research because of my recent eating habit change from an unhealthy diet to a healthy one. I have noticed a huge difference in not only my physical state but my mental clarity as well. I want to know if eating healthy has some impact on everyone’s mental state/overall mood.

I feel this is a timely topic because of America's increasing number of overweight and obese citizens due to the lack of proper nutrition. If we do not change our eating habits now and maintain our health then it will eventually catch up to us in later years.

I expect to find research results that show what everyone chooses to eat has a huge impact on their bodies and minds. Within my preliminary research, I have found that there are many myths as to how different foods affect your mental state such as sugar. Some claim sugar does not cause people to become anxious while others say it does. As for now, I believe food has a dramatic impact on us mentally but my continued research my change my opinion.