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The health and wellness information put out on television, podcasts, social media, websites and elsewhere can be overwhelming, but a leading oncologist and University of Pennsylvania bioethicist argues healthy aging can be simplified into six evidence-based rules.
“Don’t be a schmuck” is the first principle offered by Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel in his book, “Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Emanuel said recently on the ZOE Science & Nutrition podcast. “This is something my father used to say to his three sons very commonly when we were doing something dumb.”
Emanuel’s brothers are former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel and powerful talent agent Ari Emanuel.
Emanuel argued that obviously dangerous activities, such as BASE jumping, climbing Mount Everest and smoking and vaping are examples of being a schmuck because they carry a high risk of death.
His other principles for living longer and reducing disease risk include prioritizing an active social life, staying mentally active with new hobbies and opportunities to learn, limiting processed and sugary foods and drinks without being overly restrictive, engaging in moderate exercise and getting proper sleep.
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“Our entire brain is constructed around social interactions, and it does way more for us,” Emanuel said. “We know that if you’re lonely, socially isolated, you dramatically increase your risks of mortality.
“More than three million people worldwide have been enrolled in studies about social interaction and longevity,” he went on. “And the socially isolated, people who have zero or one friends, don’t see friends a lot, those people are much more likely to die in the next few years.”
According to Emanuel, being socially isolated or lonely “is the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes a day.”
Both close relationships and casual social interactions contribute to well-being, he said.
Emanuel explained why he thinks much of society’s obsession with wellness is toxic and what he labels as “the wellness industrial complex” gets wrong.
“You should not be obsessed about wellness,” Emanuel said on the podcast. “You should be obsessed about living a meaningful life. That’s really what’s important, and wellness is only a means to an end.”
Much of the wellness industry focuses on self-denial, which is misguided, said Emanuel.
“Biology for humans is about homeostasis, the balance between one extreme and another,” he said.
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Society’s current obsession with wellness is nothing new, he added.
“Wellness is a response to a topsy-turvy world, a lot of uncertainty about what the future’s bringing, people feeling like their life’s out of control,” he said. “And so wellness is a response. This is something I can control, what I eat, the vaccines I get, the exercise, and I think that’s what we have today. This is a lot about self-control transmuted into wellness as the outlet.”
The body thrives when it doesn’t take dieting or exercising to extremes, Emanuel said. He is a teetotaler himself, but his wife enjoys cocktails, and when they have a dinner party, they serve alcohol.
Don’t drink alone or use alcohol to drown out your sorrows or avoid dealing with them, Emanuel advised.
The ZOE podcast asked Emanuel to advise listeners who aren’t following any of his six rules what to try first.
“Dinner parties,” he said. “You cook, and you both have good, healthy food because you’ve cooked it, and you’ve challenged your mind ‘cause you’re adding a new recipe, and you’re figuring out how to do it right.
“You have people over, so you’ve got social connections,” he continued. “You’re challenging your mind with a good conversation. And when it’s all over, you go out for a walk, so you get some physical activity. This is like you’ve done almost everything in wellness. All of those elements are key to wellness, and it’s the kind of thing you can do, you know, once a weekend or… And you’ll be happier.”
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