Longevity Made Simple with Dr. Shad Marvasti
From Next Level Health with Dr. Melinda Ring by The Osher Center for Integrative Health at Northwestern University
February 23, 2026 · 38 min
About this episode
Dr. Melinda Ring discusses with Dr. Shad Marvasti how everyday habits can influence long-term health and longevity.
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. https://youtu.be/VtlfKtfpq0o 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
People in this episode
Host: Dr. Melinda Ring
Guest: Dr. Shad Marvasti
Topics covered
- longevity
- health habits
- DRESS Code
- epigenetics
- lifestyle factors
- integrative medicine
Keywords
- longevity
- health
- DRESS Code
- epigenetics
- lifestyle
- diet
- exercise
- stress
- sleep
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Osher Center for Integrative Health at Northwestern University
Books & works: Longevity Made Simple
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