Something Better, The Restaurant of the Future: GW Chew at TEDxBentonville
The speaker, Chef Chu, argues that human health is directly linked to the quality of food consumed, asserting that we are what we chew and emphasizing that plant-based, whole foods sourced from the soil are necessary to prevent lifestyle diseases. He illustrates this by contrasting nutrient-poor pastries with mangoes, and proposes the "Fe formula" (Flavor, Familiarity, Encouragement, Education) to encourage dietary change.
## Speakers & Context
- **Chef Chu** — Owner of Something Better Foods International.
- Delivered presentation in an unspecified location, possibly associated with promoting healthy eating.
- Speaking on behalf of his company, which specializes in "giving healthy gromet food and also lifestyle education."
## Theses & Positions
- Humans are what they chew; what we eat makes the blood that forms our cells, including those in our brain.
- The human body's chemical components are found inside the soil, making soil-sourced plants vital for nutrition.
- Choosing highly palatable but nutrient-poor foods (like pastries) leads to malnutrition and a "junk brain."
- A plant-based diet is scientifically proven to be able to reverse lifestyle diseases like heart disease and diabetes.
- The primary responsibility for poor nutrition lies with parents/caregivers, not the child.
- A challenge is issued: "take one day out of the week and become an herbivore."
## Concepts & Definitions
- **"We are what we chew"** — Core philosophical statement linking diet to physical makeup.
- **"Junk food crisis"** — The state where consumed foods compromise the brain's development.
- **"Healthy eating Ambassador"** — A role where individuals encourage others to adopt better eating habits.
- **"Fe formula"** — The framework for encouraging dietary change:
- **F (Flavor):** The healthy food must taste great.
- **F (Familiarity):** The healthy food must look and feel like something familiar.
- **E (Encouragement):** Excitement, fun, and motivation are necessary to begin the change.
- **E (Education):** Showing the *why* and *how* gives people a reason to live a healthy lifestyle.
- **F (Found):** Implies the underlying source/foundation (plant-based).
## Mechanisms & Processes
- **Human body composition:** Made up of about 66 chemical elements (Boron, Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Hydrogen, Oxygen).
- **Nutrient source:** All the chemical elements that make up the human body are found inside the soil.
- **Blood formation:** Food consumption leads to the production of blood, which in turn forms cells, including neurons in the brain.
- **Plant-based food production:** Products like vegan "steaks" and "chicken" are made from beans, garbanzo beans, brown rice, and soybeans.
- **Revitalization:** Healthy, whole foods provide the body with necessary elements to build and maintain organs like the brain.
## Timeline & Sequence
- **Present:** Current discussion; the immediate action is to start chewing with the mouth.
- **Recent Trend:** National statistics show that over **37%** of children in Arkansas are overweight or obese (national rate is **18%**).
- **Immediate Future:** The speaker's first son, Caleb, is due in approximately **120 days**.
- **Imminent Threat:** Within the time frame of the baby's birth, **175,000 people** will die from heart disease, **40,000** from a stroke, and **20,000** from diabetes—all preventable and lifestyle-related.
## Named Entities
- **Caleb** — The speaker's forthcoming son.
- **Northwest Arkansas** — Location where the speaker operates and teaches.
- **Jamaican Islands** — Origin of the mango example.
- **France** — Origin of the pastry example.
## Numbers & Data
- Average American food consumption: **1,000 pounds** of food per year.
- Average annual food expenditure: **$3,000 to $5,000**.
- Number of chemical elements in the human body: **66**.
- Arkansas obesity rate: **over 37%** of children are overweight or obese.
- National obesity rate: **18%** of children are overweight or obese.
- Time until first son's birth: **120 days**.
- Estimated deaths in the same timeframe: **175,000** (heart disease), **40,000** (stroke), **20,000** (diabetes).
## Examples & Cases
- **The Choice Dilemma:** Choosing between a mango (natural, soil-grown) and a pastry (processed, sugary/floury).
- **Vegan/Plant-Based Substitutions:**
- Fake steak made from **Beans**.
- "My barbue sauce" used to enhance wraps, pizzas, and stir-fries.
- Better than chicken made from **garbanzo beans** or **brown rice**.
- "Friess chicken" made from **garbanzo beans**.
- Cheese made from **cashews and carrots**.
- **The Community Workshop:** Teaching individuals at Ozok Natural Foods and Health Food Store how to make cheese from cashews and carrots.
- **Granola making:** A child is shown mixing ingredients (Makh, granola, sea salt, raisins, nuts, oats) as an example of healthy activity.
## Tools, Tech & Products
- **Something Better Foods International** — The speaker's company.
- **Fake steak** — Product made from beans, designed to look and taste like steak.
- **"My barbue sauce"** — Sauce developed to make meals healthy (wraps, pizzas, stir-fries).
- **Better than chicken** — Plant-based chicken alternative.
- **Friess chicken** — Plant-based chicken alternative made from garbanzo beans.
## References Cited
- None cited.
## Counterarguments & Caveats
- Some people are unfamiliar with basic fruits and vegetables (e.g., they don't know what a mango or avocado is).
- The process of changing diet is difficult, requiring a formula (Fe formula) to overcome resistance to new textures and tastes.
- The speaker admits the presentation is utilizing "encouraging slogans" and "encouraging names."
## Methodology
- **The Fe formula:** A structured approach to guiding dietary change based on sensory and emotional cues (Flavor, Familiarity, Encouragement, Education).
- **Demonstration:** Utilizing visual examples and product displays to illustrate plant-based alternatives.
- **Community Education:** Hosting classes, such as making cheese from cashews and carrots, for the public.
## Conclusions & Recommendations
- Everyone should become a "healthy eating Ambassador."
- Participants are challenged to "take one day out of the week and become an herbivore."
- The goal is to "choose life" by giving bodies what they need through more plant-based and whole foods.
## Implications & Consequences
- Lifestyle diseases (heart disease, stroke, diabetes) are largely preventable through dietary change.
- Poor diet is responsible for the decline in health that will manifest within a short time frame (e.g., death rates within the time frame of a new baby's birth).
## Verbatim Moments
- *"I want everybody here to start chewing with your mouth if you can just start chewing all right now."*
- *"I was adopted at Birth into a family that had this last name cheu."*
- *"an average American eats about 1,000 pounds of food every single year."*
- *"the human body is made up of about 66 chemical elements"*
- *"the sad reality is that we probably some of us may not even know what fruits and vegetables are"*
- *"I call it a junk brain."*
- *"let's eat to live so fruits and Grains and vegetables nuts and seeds is all I need it tastes so good so good to me"*
- *"I'm actually a a vegan"*
- *"I call it the Fe formula"*
- *"the first F stands for Flavor"*
- *"the second F is familiarity"*
- *"the first e we say encouragement"*
- *"lastly the found I like to say is education"*
- *"We make it from Beans"*
- *"I'm making encouraging slogans encouraging names but giving people again a reason to want to eat this way"*
- *"the fault lies with the parent and the one who was feeding that child"*
- *"I want each person here to become a healthy eating Ambassador"*
- *"let's choose life"*