Will "Alternative" Foods Go Mainstream?

Since Whole Foods built a new store in Highland Park in 2001, I have been a regular at the store. Despite higher prices, I was attracted to a much higher level of cleanliness, a thorough description of food content and the option of no and low fat foods. In the meantime, I watched Tom Thumb close down a recently remodeled store and asked myself, "why don't they sell some of those Whole Food products?"

The recent purchase of 84% of Tom's of Maine by Colgate-Palmolive (stock symbol:CL and founded in 1806) for $100 million points to movement in that direction. Tom's of Maine was started in 1970 by Tom Chappell as a "natural" product category company with deodorants and toothpastes. Last year sales were about $50 million. In light of Tom's high profit margins, it doesn't appear that CL overpaid. Rather, Tom's will get heavyweight distribution and CL will begin to get that product line that Tom Thumb lacked. Winners all around?

Not likely. It looks like Whole Foods may be the ultimate loser through franchise erosion. As production and distribution gets more efficient for Tom's through CL's efforts, other food chains will have the ability to carry such products. While Whole Foods may argue that Tom's should not diminish its brand by selling through inorganic, animal-haters, CL will logically argue that if Tom's is good for the world, why limit its distribution?

My First Prayer - a genuine "placebo"?

While taking my family on a trip through central Europe, I was stricken by the enormous energy peoples had put into defining their relationship with God - buildings built, armies launched and societies structured. This experience caused me to think about how my relationship with God started: my first prayer.

I was 8 years old and staying at my grandparents' home in rural Minnesota. It was summer and I had been riding an oversized bicycle. I lost control of it and landed with my crotch on the handlebars. I was in severe pain. I ran inside their home to lie down on the living room couch. Over the couch hung two large religious paintings. I looked up and prayed a 100% earnest prayer - "Please help me. I will be good."

Suddenly, the pain completely went away. I looked around nervously. I did not know what to do. Clearly the pain was gone and that was good. But I was uneasy about my situation. Had the pain gone away by itself? Had I imagined that God had helped me? Or had I really reached into the realm of God and been helped? Was I helped because I asked? Or was it because I had said that I would be good?

Since that time, I have read about pain management and been impressed by the "placebo" effect. "Placebo" is from the Latin word meaning "I shall be pleasing." The body has inherent pain relief mechanisms that can be triggered. Religious approaches have proven effect - as do fake medicines. Is it possible that this is what occurred in my sincere attempt to be pleasing? Is this impetus the underlying drive for these enormous social commitments I observed in Europe?