Health advice I can live by: Eat Your Ice Cream
They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but this one certainly caught my eye.
I love ice cream, and I love simple rules for a long and healthy life…and this was advice from a medical doctor…so it was kind of a no-brainer. I was going to read it.
If you want to get the full benefit of Dr. Emanuel’s wisdom, you’ll have to read the book for yourself, but here are the headlines.
Six simple rules for a long and healthy life
- Don’t be a schmuck: avoiding self-destructive risks
- Talk to people: cultivating family, friends, and other social relations
- Expand your mind: staying mentally sharp
- Eat your ice cream: consuming healthy food and drink
- Move it! Exercising well and regularly
- Sleep like a baby: getting the rest you need
The most important rule
Of course, all six of these rules are vital, but according to Dr. Emanuel, one stands out as making the biggest difference both in longevity and quality of life…and that is cultivating social relations.
“No amount of kale or number of steps or hours of sleep can replace the importance of building and maintaining good relationships for wellness and longevity.”
~Ezekiel J. Emanuel, M.D.
The book cites two large studies that took place over decades…one in the United States and one in China…that showed a strong association between participating in social activities and a longer lifespan. The Chinese study also found “a strong association between increased social activities and diminished risk of developing functional impairments, such as needing help with dressing, walking indoors, and bathing.”
But how does social interaction extend health and life? It appears that social interactions change our physiology by influencing the sympathetic nervous system, inflammation, and the immune system. I won’t try to quote all the scientific explanations or studies, but suffice it to say, social interaction has a real, measurable effect on our physical health.
And, as an added bonus for the philanthropic among us, just think, spending time with your friends and family isn’t just good for you, it’s helping them too. In Dr. Emanuel’s words, “You can become a lifesaver just by spending time with other people.”
Why “Eat Your Ice Cream?”
My primary purpose in writing this blog post was to underscore the importance of social interactions for our health and longevity, but I can’t leave a discussion of a book called “Eat Your Ice Cream” without addressing the title. Here’s what Dr. Emanuel has to say about eating ice cream.
While ice cream would seem to be a poor choice nutritionally, considering how high it is in calories, saturated fat, cholesterol and sugar, some researchers have found that ice cream can be associated with weight loss and reduced risk of diabetes and heart disease. The reasons are not clear, but there may be something healthy about the fat globules in dairy.
Dr. Emanuel’s advice? Choose the premium stuff for an occasional guilt-free treat. And bonus points if you go out for that ice cream with friends or family.
Which brings me to my final point. Wellness is not any single choice or action. It’s not even about maximizing any single behavior. It is the culmination of years of the right lifestyle…not the perfect lifestyle, just a good-enough one.
None of these six rules for healthy living stands on its own. To get the most bang for your buck, combine the physical activities with the social wherever you can. Go for a walk with your neighbor. Sit down with friends or family over a nutritious home-cooked meal. Participate in a language class or join a book club.
“Wellness is really a lifestyle made up of overlapping patterns of behavior, all of which reinforce each other and together create forward momentum toward a long, fulfilling life.”
~Ezekial J. Emanuel, M.D.
Book details
Title: Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life
Author: Ezekiel J. Emanuel, M.D.
ISBN: 978-1-324-11753-7
Copyright: 2026 by Ezekiel J. Emanuel, all rights reserved, First Edition
Your turn
- What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
- What was the last wellness-related book you read? Do you recommend it?
- What else is on your mind? Anything at all; I just love to hear from you.
I would have had a hard time passing by that book without picking it up too! I love ice cream. My favorite flavor is one called Maine Black Bear; it’s a vanilla ice cream base with black raspberry swirls and tiny little raspberry filled chocolate cups.
I do love ice cream, Joanne and the Maine Black Bear flavor sounds heavenly. I’m going to have to do some searching to see if I can get it around here. Thanks for the tip!
Hi Christie – I really like all six of his points – I think a long healthy life is all about balance – and I remind myself about the benefits of social interaction when I feel like I’d rather be at home. The secret for me is to do it in small bites (just like eating treats!)… small groups, small amount of time, and small drain on my social battery (avoiding those who drain me). x
I agree with you, Leanne, about good health being a balance. The author does address introverts and says the benefits of socializing are even greater for them. He does acknowledge that even brief pleasant encounters with other people contribute to the overall benefits to our health, so I think your small bites of social interactions are just right for you.
I think this book is onto something! Anything that says ice cream (in moderation) is a good thing is a winner for me. I don’t believe in depravation diets. I’ve done enough of them to know they don’t work because those are the things you really begin to crave. The studies on socialization are very interesting. I can definitely believe it because, after a day at the museum, interacting with all kinds of people, I come home energized, happy, and less stressed. The old saying, no man is an island, sounds like it’s true even if that may not have been its original intent.
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
I’ve tried a few deprivation diets in my time too, Marsha. They definitely do not work. I spent a chunk of my young adulthood getting ready to go on a diet (binging) or suffering through a new diet. It seems that your work at the museum is benefitting multiple areas of your wellbeing. That’s wonderful.
Christie, these are all good points. For me, a rich, full life involves balance in all aspects of mind, body, and spirit. I respect the part about ‘connections’, but I also believe there are many levels of friendships, and simple/brief interactions can be as satisfying and beneficial as long-term relationships. As an introvert, I like people, but ‘arms-length’ relationships, that don’t get too personal or too needy, work best for me. Yes to ice cream. Haagan -Dazs Dulce de leche is my favorite. I don’t typically read wellness books, but this one sounds interesting.
I love a well-rounded approach to wellness that includes mind, body, and spirit. Dr. Emanuel actually addresses the fact that even brief positive interactions contribute to the social benefits to our health. He suggests striking up conversations with the people you interact with in your daily activities…store clerks, baristas, strangers in line, etc. He also discusses socializing and introverts. It seems us introverts actually receive the most benefit from socializing more…even if it’s in small doses. And yes to Dulce de leche ice cream!
Which ice cream flavor is my favorite tends to change with my mood. Right now I’m loving Tillamook brownie batter, but I often choose good old vanilla!
The last self help book I read was LET THEM by Mel Robbins. I like her but the book was just ok to me. Maybe I thought it would transform my life… 😂
The book you read sounded good.
Brownie batter ice cream sounds yummy, Cindy. Like you, I choose different flavors depending on my mood. I do love a good Moose Trax though.
I keep forgetting to ask you about Let Them. I know you were looking forward to reading it. I’m sorry it didn’t live up to the expectation. I also like Mel Robbins and listen to some of her YouTube videos.
Thanks Christie, this all sounds very doable and small bites at a time works for me!
Yes, Debbie, small doses are my favorite way of socializing…as well as most other health-related things.
Finally some good news!! We have begun indulging in ice cream about once a week or every 10 days. Our ice cream of choice is a DQ blizzard. But I love ice cream in any flavor and from anywhere. So I am thrilled to read that I can enjoy it without (much) guilt.
I agree that longevity and living our best life comes from doing all six of the things you listed from the book. I recently read that a 10-30 minute daily nap can add 6 years to your life. My mom was a faithful nap-taker and she lived to be 95. Going to see about incorporating a cat nap in my daily routine.
I love DQ blizzards, Leslie! They are a once-in-a-while treat, but boy do I savor them! I too love ice cream of all types.
Because I have trouble sleeping at night, I don’t often nap in the day. Back when I was working, I loved a Sunday afternoon nap.