Real Food, Better Ingredients & Cooking With Intention: Chef Mark Tarbell on Making Healthy Food Taste Amazing | E194

Show by Aaron Hartman, MD

🎒 Back-to-school season brings changing routines, new exposures, and added demands on the whole family. Support your family’s health this season with Richmond Integrative & Functional Medicine’s Back-to-School 2026 resources.Back-to-School 2026:https://richmondfunctionalmedicine.com/lp/back-to-school-2026/In this episode of Made for Health, Dr. Aaron Hartman sits down with Iron Chef winner Mark Tarbell, an award-winning chef, restaurateur, and longtime Arizona culinary figure, for a conversation about something deceptively simple:How do you make healthy, real food taste incredible?Mark shares the journey that took him from washing dishes in a small New Hampshire town to culinary training in Amsterdam and Paris, Michelin-level restaurant experience, and ultimately opening Tarbell’s in Phoenix. Along the way, he developed a philosophy centered on great sourcing, simple preparation, quality fats, local relationships, and food that leaves people feeling good after they eat it.The conversation explores seed oils, beef tallow, olive oil, ingredient sourcing, sugar, wine, fermentation, local food, stress, slow meals, restaurant culture, and why healthy eating does not have to mean bland eating.And at the end, Mark gives three practical pieces of advice anyone can use at home:Cook with love. Keep it simple. Stay curious.Key Topics CoveredMark Tarbell’s journey from dishwasher to Iron ChefCulinary apprenticeship in AmsterdamTraining in Paris and Michelin-level kitchensThe discipline and precision of classical culinary trainingWhy Tarbell’s moved away from seed oilsCooking with beef tallow, olive oil, coconut oil, and other fatsWhy flavor and health do not have to competeThe difference between real food and highly processed ingredientsHow restaurant sourcing affects food qualityWhy knowing your farmer or producer mattersOrganic certification versus actual farming practicesSustainable sourcingFarm-to-table cookingHidden sugar in restaurant foodHigh-fructose corn syrupWhy Mark minimizes sugar in his own cookingSlow meals, stress, walking, and the dining experienceWhy food may feel different when traveling in EuropeWine quality, farming, fermentation, and additivesNative yeast versus controlled fermentationCommodity wine versus craft wineSourdough and traditional fermentationEating local and seasonal foodWhy cooking at home may matter beyond the nutrientsHow to start cooking better food without making it complicatedIn This Episode, You Will Learn✅ Why Mark believes quality food starts with sourcing✅ How his classical culinary training shaped his approach to ingredients and precision✅ Why Tarbell’s transitioned away from conventional frying oils✅ Why Mark prefers fats such as beef tallow, olive oil, and coconut oil for different uses✅ How changing cooking fats affected flavor, texture, and even kitchen cleanup✅ Why “organic” does not automatically mean best✅ Why knowing the farmer, rancher, fishmonger, or producer can matter more than a label✅ How hidden sugar ends up in foods people would never expect✅ Why slow meals, good company, lower stress, and walking may be part of the health equation✅ How traditional winemaking differs from highly manufactured wine production✅ Why simple home-cooked food can be more meaningful than complicated recipes✅ Mark Tarbell’s three recommendations for families who want to eat betterResources & Links:🌐 Dr. Aaron Hartman – Richmond Functional Medicine: richmondfunctionalmedicine.com🌐 LinkedIn – Dr. Aaron Hartman: Connect Here📺 YouTube – Richmond Functional Medicine: Watch Here🎒 Back-to-School 2026: Back-to-School BundleConnect With Mark Tarbell🌐 Tarbell’s:https://www.tarbells.com/👨‍🍳 Team & Bio:https://www.tarbells.com/teamMentioned in this episode:25% Off Back to School Support for ParentsBack to school asks a lot of parents, too. Support your body through the season with three physician-reviewed, foundation-first essentials: Twice Daily Multi, Quercetin + Nettles, and NAC. For a limited time, save 25% on the Back to School Support Bundle. Visit the link below ⬇️ Shop the Back to School SaleBack to School Support for Parents25% Off Back to School Support for ParentsBack to school asks a lot of parents, too. Support your body through the season with three physician-reviewed, foundation-first essentials: Twice Daily Multi, Quercetin + Nettles, and NAC. For a limited time, save 25% on the Back to School Support Bundle. Visit the link below ⬇️ Shop the Back to School SaleBack to School Support for Parents

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