The Secrets of Healthy Weight and Longevity - Advice from Dr. Robert Marshall, Ph.D.

The Standard American Diet has a fitting acronym: SAD. The diet of the typical American is indeed “sad,” and woefully deficient. While 63% of America’s diet calories come from refined and processed foods and 25% are from animal-based foods, only 12% come from plant-based foods. In this episode of HealthLine Live Radio Show, Dr. Robert Marshall, Ph.D. and beloved co-founder of Quantum Nutrition Labs, reveals some key diet adjustments you can make in order to support ideal weight and optimal health. 

"I was researching all of the diets that have been published since the start of the 1900s,” began Dr. Marshall. “When I compared the Standard American Diet to the diet of each of eight key long-life cultures, I was stunned. The typical American’s diet was not even close to a diet that would give them a long, strong, and healthy life.” Dr. Marshall set out to extract the key elements from various diets that have been analyzed to determine, what really is the best diet? 

In his research, Dr. Marshall came across the pioneering work of the dietary recommendations of Dr. John McDougall, MD and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, MD, and drew a very important conclusion: “It is imperative to restrict or eliminate refined oil, and to restrict the eating of meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products.” Unfortunately, the Standard American Diet and American culture has gotten into the habit of eating large amounts of animal-based products and refined oils. "If you can make the effort to adopt a plant-based diet, then you will be able to effectively use it for a lifetime. What a great benefit – you can use it to quickly achieve ideal weight, and then to stay at ideal weight,” notes Dr. Marshall. 

A healthy swap of good oils for refined oils? DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid. “The oils in our diet are quite poor,” observes Dr. Marshall. “We need to eliminate the refined oils such as canola oil and soybean oil, but then bring in really good oils like DHA.” He further explains, “What I see with my clients is that after age 40, just about everyone appears to have inadequate DHA for their best brain, nerve, and kidney function … especially kidney function.”  

In Chinese medicine, Dr. Marshall points out that the kidneys are the foundation of the power of a man or a woman, so you don’t want to lose that. You can supplement with a vegetarian DHA sourced from microalgae, or one from fish oil, preferably without any molecular distillation. Dr. Marshall adds, “DHA used at levels of 1,000 milligrams or more per day has been shown to promote a healthy inflammatory response, and we know from recent studies that just one pound of excess body weight can cause chronic inflammation in the body.” 

According to Dr. Marshall, “Combined with supplementing mineral intake, and supporting proper digestion with betaine hydrochloride and pancreatic enzymes, going on a whole-foods, plant-based diet can help you make it to age 90 or more, and have good, strong, healthy years. But you’re not going to get there eating the Standard American Diet.” 

Listen to the full episode of HealthLine Live Radio Show below to hear more about the diet secrets that Dr. Marshall reveals.