Wellness Is Way Too Complicated — A New Book Makes It Easy
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Rachel Uda January 8, 2026 at 3:50 AM
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Wellness Is Way Too Complicated — A New Book Makes It Easy
Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel is fed up with modern wellness. It’s become too complex, too costly, and too much about “self deprivation,” he tells us. The extreme workouts, diets, and experimental supplements — many of them are unproven, and some are downright dangerous.
That’s why the Harvard-trained oncologist and bioethicist decided to write his latest book, Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life. “What I’ve tried to do is cut through the bio-hacking noise and present a reasonable set of habits that you can adhere to for years — and that won’t make life joyless,” Dr. Emanuel says.
We spoke to Dr. Emanuel about his six key principles for longevity, the wellness trends to avoid, and the lifestyle changes that’ll help you live life to the fullest.
What made you want to write this book?
Dr. Emanuel: I get asked constantly for wellness advice. But when you search for tips, if you’re a reasonable healthcare professional, you’d be shocked by all of the extreme information out there. Not all of it’s wrong, but it’s so extreme in tone: You’ve got to get so many hours of exercise and punish yourself this way, and change your diet and get these expensive tests. It’s crazy.
Wellness should not be an obsession. We shouldn’t make it complicated, but it can’t be oversimplified, either. It’s about more than eating well, exercising, and getting good sleep. It’s also about maintaining a healthy social life, keeping mentally active, and having motivation. These are the six principles I write about, and I’ve tried to provide some reasonable approaches to wellness.
How did you come up with the six principles for longevity you discuss in the book?
It’s really a distillation of the wisdom of the ages. The importance of diet and exercise is something Hippocrates knew 2,500 years ago. Similarly with social interaction, Aristotle devotes two books in his Nicomachean Ethics talking about how man is a social animal and how we thrive in community. And Ben Franklin wrote about the importance of curiosity and always challenging yourself. So I didn’t invent any of this, but I tried to show people the data supporting these concepts and give some practical advice about how to live each one.
Are there any wellness trends out there you find particularly counterproductive?
The advice to take all these supplements is one. There are certain exceptions — pregnant women need folate and a multivitamin, vegans need B12 — but in general, for the vast majority of people, supplements are not going to help you.
Do you feel concerned about the state of the wellness industry?
Absolutely. There are so many people pushing unproven things that probably won’t make you any healthier or even add minutes to your life. I think that’s dangerous. They’re also selling an illusion. Things like “five days to brain health” or Dry January are gimmicks. Wellness is about building habits you can sustain for life, and it shouldn’t be about constantly depriving yourself.
When it comes to nutrition, what should people prioritize in 2026?
If there were two things I could get people to do, one would be to eat more fermented food, and the second is to get more fiber. Fermented foods — yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi — are really good for the gut microbiome and raising the diversity of good bacteria. Fiber is what nourishes that bacteria, but only 7 percent of Americans eat enough of it.
The other thing is I would suggest cutting back on ultra-processed food. Over the last 30 years, our consumption of packaged cakes, cookies, pretzels, and things like that has gone up to about 500 calories a day, which is about a pound a week.
What’s one thing someone can do tomorrow to kickstart the new year?
There are so many. One is to decrease their ultra-processed foods and to switch to integrating more fruits and vegetables into their diet. I’d also say, reach out to your family and friends and engage with people you come into contact with. And for exercise, just don’t be a couch potato.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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