Should your longevity program include ice cream?

A doctor’s case against the longevity-industrial complex (and for dessert)

^{This newsletter is sponsored by Magnesium Breakthrough from BIOptimizers. Magnesium plays an important role in helping the nervous system relax and recover, and BIOptimizers says a lot of us don’t get enough of it through diet alone. If you want to check it out, head over to bioptimizers.com/happier and use the code HAPPIER for 15% off at checkout. As always, talk to your doctor before adding anything new to your routine.}

---

I’m a little embarrassed, honestly, when I think back at how hardcore I used to be about optimizing my health and wellness. Counting calories, avoiding carbs, tracking my steps. Wearing a special ring to monitor my sleep. Taking expensive supplements without knowing the real benefits. Meditating for two hours a day at the expense of my relationships. This metrics-driven, industrialized approach treats the self as a problem to solve. Hence the expression I always quote, the one about “the subtle aggression of self-improvement.” (Although, in my case, it wasn’t so subtle.)

So it was a genuine relief to sit down with Zeke Emanuel, who is an oncologist, bioethicist, and health policy expert who recently wrote a longevity book that is essentially a 35,000-word eye-roll at the genre. (He’s also the brother of Hollywood super-agent Ari Emanuel and politician Rahm Emanuel.) The book is titled Eat Your Ice Cream and he wrote it, in part, because Peter Attia’s Outlive made him “so pissed off” that he sat down and banged out a first draft in a fury.

Here here are three pieces of advice from the book that stuck with me:

Don’t be a schmuck. (Zeke’s term, not mine.) So much of staying healthy isn’t some heroic optimization protocol, it’s just declining to do dumb shit. Zeke says get the shingles vaccine (it may cut your dementia risk by 20%). Also: sunscreen, don’t keep a gun in the house, and don’t pay the $150,000 it costs to climb Everest for somewhere between a one and four percent chance of dying there.

Forget the protein. Worry about the fiber. This one genuinely surprised me. We’re all walking around clutching protein bars, and Zeke’s response is basically: relax, you’re fine on protein. The thing 93% of us are actually short on is fiber. Fewer expensive powders, more vegetables.

Moderation is the new discipline. This is the most radical and liberating piece of advice he offers. The wellness world runs on the assumption that if something’s good, more of it must be better. The body doesn’t work that way. It’s built to oppose extremes. The discipline isn’t in the deprivation; it’s in the not-lurching. Which brings us to the dessert. The book is called Eat Your Ice Cream for a reason. Dr. Emanuel acknowledges the dangers of eating too much sugar, but points out the data linking dairy to lower type 2 diabetes risk. More importantly, he points out that joy is part of wellness. So eat your ice cream, in moderation.

If you want the full list of longevity do’s and don’ts — and Zeke’s surprisingly persuasive case for putting your phone in another room — check out the full episode here.

---

^{Thanks to our sponsor Eight Sleep, makers of The Pod. They say The Pod is built on over a billion hours of sleep data. Their own clinical studies suggest users can get up to 34% more deep sleep, and fall asleep up to 44% faster. Use the code DANHARRIS at eightsleep.com/danharris for up to $350 off the Pod 5.}

---

Also out now is my conversation with Diego Perez aka Yung Pueblo where we talk about how to get past your past, how not to be owned by your personal history, and how doing so can have a massive impact on how you relate to other people.

And over on the 10% with Dan Harris app:

Join Teacher of the Month Pascal Auclair tomorrow (Tuesday, June 23 at 4 p.m. ET) for a live guided meditation followed by an open Q&A. You can find details and leave your questions for Pascal here.

Also, stay tuned for our brand-new Summer Sunday Live Series with legendary meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg, which premieres July 12. Every Sunday through August 30, Sharon will guide us through the Noble Eightfold Path—the Buddha’s 2,500-year-old, hyper-practical operating system for living a good life without losing your mind. Each week features a short teaching, a guided meditation, and a live Q&A with Sharon. Only in the 10% with Dan Harris app. Sign up here.

Upcoming event in person:

Tickets for the next Meditation Party are available here! Jeff Warren, Sebene Selassie, and I are doing another version of our annual retreat this Oct. 16-18. It’s at the Omega Institute in upstate NY. Think four big sessions of meditation, conversation, and Q&A—with plenty of free time to hike the 240-acre campus, play some pickleball, shoot hoops, or just relax by the lake. You can also drop into yoga or tai chi classes, and on Saturday night there’s even a dance party (totally optional, I promise).

Paid subscribers to the new 10% with Dan Harris app get:

• Guided Meditations: A library of guided sessions to help with stress, anxiety, focus, sleep, annoying people, and more.

• Meditation Challenges: Structured programs to deepen your practice with clear goals, daily guidance, and community support.

• Live Meditation and Q&A Sessions: Every week, meditate live with me and some of the best meditation teachers on earth. Ask questions. Get actual answers.

• The 10% Happier Podcast: Subscribers get access to ad-free versions of my pod. Both the new episodes and the entire archive, stretching back almost 10 years.

• Community Connection: Join conversations with thousands of other practitioners who get it. Share your struggles, celebrate wins, get support when you need it.

Join the party.