ABOUT THIS EPISODE
When heart disease, cancer or diabetes runs in your family, it can feel like your health story is already written — but it doesn't have to be. In this episode of Next Level Health, Dr. Melinda Ring talks with integrative and culinary medicine physician Dr. Shad Marvasti, author of Longevity Made Simple, about how everyday habits can shape long-term health. Dr. Marvasti explains his DRESS Code framework — Diet, Relationships, Exercise, Stress, and Sleep — and how these five lifestyle factors influence how our genes behave and how we age.
00:00 Lifestyle vs genetics: What really determines health
00:56 The DRESS Code for longevity
02:07 Epigenetics explained simply
05:34 Can lifestyle increase longevity?
09:11 The role of diet in aging well
10:17 Real food vs processed food
16:44 Resetting your taste buds in 28 days
20:29 Easy cooking strategies for better health
22:23 Why relationships affect longevity
26:35 Exercise, stress, and sleep explained
27:34 Healthy stress vs chronic stress
32:31 The future of whole health medicine
36:49 Final advice for living longer
