How to Eat with Awareness and Purpose (w/ Sean Sherman)

How to Eat with Awareness and Purpose (w/ Sean Sherman)

Author: TED November 24, 2025 Duration: 33:13

If you remove ingredients like dairy, wheat, flour, cane sugar, beef, pork, and chicken from your diet—then what do you eat? For Sioux chef Sean Sherman, excluding colonial ingredients from his cuisines gives him the opportunity to spotlight indigenous produce and uplift local communities. Sean is the owner of the James Beard Award-winning restaurant Owamni in Minneapolis. Sean joins Chris to discuss the philosophy behind his indigenous restaurant, where he thinks the American education system falls short, and how he is using food to reclaim indigenous history.


This episode is part of a series of bonus videos from "How to Be a Better Human." You can watch the extended video companion on the TED YouTube Channel and the extended interview on the TED Audio Collective YouTube Channel.


Watch

Sean cooking Indigenous foods: https://youtu.be/p0IpMqUZKbs

Chris extended interview: https://youtu.be/n6_bat26dmQ


Follow

Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | https://chrisduffycomedy.com/)

Guests:

Sean Sherman (Instagram: @the_sioux_chef and @siouxchef | https://seansherman.com/)  

Linda Black Elk (Instagram: @linda.black.elk)


Links

Humor Me by Chris Duffy (https://t.ted.com/ZGuYfcL)

Instagram: @owamni | Facebook: @Owamni - By The Sioux Chef | https://owamni.com/

Instagram: @natifs_org | Facebook: @NATIFSorg | https://natifs.org/


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For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts


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You might find yourself wondering how small shifts in thinking or action could ripple out into your daily life, and that's precisely the space this How to Be a Better Human podcast occupies. Hosted by Chris Duffy, each episode is built from conversations with a range of insightful guests, including past speakers, who share practical wisdom that goes beyond typical advice. The discussions are grounded in real-world application, focusing on how we can all improve in tangible ways-not through grand gestures, but in the nuances of our interactions at work, within our families, and in our own internal dialogues. This isn't about abstract theory; it's about hearing specific stories and strategies that offer clear takeaways you can actually use. The How to Be a Better Human podcast, from TED, digs into those unexpected corners of life where genuine growth happens, exploring how we show up for others and ourselves with more intention. Listeners will find a thoughtful mix of humor, vulnerability, and sharp insights that challenge conventional self-improvement tropes, making the journey toward being better feel accessible and deeply human.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

How to Be a Better Human
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