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It may not sound like a New Year’s resolution, but Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel has some unusual advice as we kick off 2026: Eat ice cream. “Ice cream makes you happy, which is very important,” he explains.
I asked, “Why do I live longer eating ice cream?”
“Ice cream is a great dairy product; it has protein, and the saturated fat is in globular form, so it doesn’t affect you as much as the saturated fat in meat and other things,” he says. “Plus, you’re usually socializing with other people. You know, happiness is a really important part of longevity.”
“I feel like you saying ‘eat your ice cream’ is like ‘don’t bring too much stress into your life. Be more social,'” I said.
“We only have 75, 85, 90 years here. You have to make life enjoyable. You have to make it fulfilling,” he said.
cbs news 
The renowned oncologist and health policy expert takes a different approach in his new health book, “Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long, Healthy Life” (to be published Tuesday by WW Norton & Co.). “
WW Norton Company 
The Doctor’s Health Handbook does include the basics of what to eat, how to exercise, and the most important reminder: sleep is the foundation of good health. But it’s much more than that, it’s also about “Don’t be a jerk.”
“I think one of the core takeaways from the book is, stop doing things that are unhealthy,” Emanuel said. “‘Don’t be stupid’ is what my dad used to say to us when we were stupid. So there are a lot of things we do as humans that can be stupid: smoking, vaping, taking drugs, not getting vaccinated. I disagree with the current administration, they are dead wrong on this.”
Also on the list of so-called fools: alcohol.
I asked, “Here’s the question everyone wants to know: To drink in moderation or not to drink at all?”
“There’s a lot of research on alcohol, so my approach to distillation is this: The safest level is probably zero. There are some studies, and we should be clear, half a cup a day, three cups a week,” Emanuel said.
“Nobody drinks half a glass of wine,” I said.
“So, you drink it every other day,” Emanuel said. “On the other hand, 60, 65 percent of the public drinks. You’re not going to go from 65 percent to zero. So, you have to give people sound advice. Sound advice is, first of all, don’t overeat, that’s really bad for you. Don’t drink alone. That’s really bad for you. If you use alcohol as a lubricant for social interaction, which a lot of people do, that’s probably a good thing; you’re going to get some benefit from the social interaction.”
Social interaction is a consistent theme for Emanuel, something he learned as a child growing up with Hollywood superagent Ali and his other brother Rahm, a former Chicago mayor and ambassador who may run for U.S. president.
I asked, “What did your parents teach you that made you incredibly successful?”
“Now you’re going to make me cry,” Emanuel said, “because every time I talk about my parents and us growing up, I cry. They taught us how to socialize and interact with people. They also taught us how to be responsible. One of the things my mom did when she was raising us was, you know, get out of the house. , to do things on our own. Ram and I went to school, I was in first grade, six years old, and he was in kindergarten. I had to pick him up from school, walk two blocks across a busy street, get on the bus, pay the fare, and get off at the right spot, and I learned a huge responsibility to take care of my brother.
“I think another thing they did that was really important to us was we all slept in the same bedroom. We were a unit. Yeah, we argued endlessly. You know, I like to joke with people that because of all the arguing, we didn’t go to bed until we bled. You know, but we were also each other’s best friends.”
His conclusion: Relationships matter.
Emanuel also listed lifestyle choices he considers “anti-health” such as chronic stress, fast food diets, social media and eating alone.
“I think people would agree with all of this except dining alone,” I said. “A lot of people go to restaurants or come home from get off work and eat alone.”
Emanuel says it should be an occasional thing: “Don’t do it every day. And you know, if you find yourself eating alone, what you should do is call a friend. If you’re sitting at a bar, right, and you’re eating there, ask the person next to you, you know, ‘Have you been to this restaurant before? What do you do? Why are you here?’ Yeah, start a conversation. We underestimate these casual conversations and how important they are to us.”
His book also discusses retirement: “Retirement causes people to decline cognitively faster. I say to people, don’t retire. If you’re going to retire, you have to plan your retirement well so that you stay busy and keep your mind sharp. It doesn’t mean, ‘Well, you know, one day I’m going to try to play the saxophone.'”
“But Dr. Emanuel, a lot of retired people like to buy books and read Sunday Morning,” I said.
“Well, if they’re buying books and staying mentally engaged in that way, if they’re going to volunteer, or they’re talking to friends, or they’re getting serious about taking up a new hobby, all of those are great and highly recognized,” he responded.
“Meaning don’t retire your thoughts, or your social activities?”
“Yes, it’s very important and you have to think it through. You can’t just let things take their course.”
So, what’s his biggest piece of advice for us in 2026? “Build your social connections,” he said. “This is absolutely the most important thing for lasting health and happiness.”
Read the excerpt: Eat Your Ice Cream, by Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD
Web Exclusive: Extended Interview – Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel (Video)
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Story by Julie Morse. Editor: Lauren Panelo.
