Feldman's Faves: March 2, 2026

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE

In light of world events, I would like to double down on last week’s book recommendation – King of Kings – an excellent telling of the history of Iran that preceded the current (or not so current) regime.

Now back to the usual stuff….. 

Last week was an interesting one for me – I somehow came down with laryngitis, for which you can well imagine, my family was grateful.  It was also a really good way of getting out of conversations I didn’t feel like having but it also makes me question the scores of situations I had been in over the years where others have claimed that they had laryngitis….

February was another strong month for our section. Many of you are continuing to work really hard and it is appreciated. So thank you.

Please join me in wishing Melanie T a very happy birthday (celebrated yesterday).

Finally, just a reminder of our BAGEL BREAKFAST happening this morning at 9:15 am (thank you Alex). Unfortunately, there will be no ice cream served with breakfast….

That said, today’s theme is Zeke Emanuel’s new book, Eat Your Ice Cream, so it has to be great!!

EAT YOUR ICE CREAM By: Zeke Emanuel –  With Peter Attia becoming another health and fitness expert whose credibility is being questioned, the world continues to seek a new guru who can guide the sheep (like me) to follow the “right” health journey. I don’t know about all of you but being told to eat my ice cream as a way to live a good and healthy life sounds pretty freakin’ good to me (even if we later find that this can’t possibly be right).  What Zeke (older brother of Rahm and Ari) is really saying is that it is much more simple to lead a healthy lifestyle than many of the “experts” have been telling us and selling to us – do your exercise, eat your vegetables, get some sleep and make some friends. Oh, and don’t retire and be an A-hole….  A lot of what he says makes sense to me – whether it will get me to live to 150 is another story. As one reviewer notes, “If you’ve already fallen out of your new year diet routine, this book is tailor-made for you, and for anyone, who wants sensible eating-and-living advice from a physician author. The tone is set in the Introduction with this paragraph, among others: “Remember the first rule of life: We’re all going to die. You can waste all your time trying to extend your life by a few minutes, obsessing over scores of adjustments to your diet or exercise routines, or you can follow six straightforward, smart wellness behaviors and make the time you have healthier and more meaningful.” These six wellness behaviors are really about your joy and happiness, and about living better. Dr. Emanuel uses them to structure the six chapters of his book:

1. Don’t be a schmuck—avoid self-destructive risks.

2. Talk to people—cultivate family, friends, and other social relations.

3. Expand your mind—stay mentally sharp.

4. Eat your ice cream—consume healthy food and drink.

5. Move it!—exercise well and regularly.

6. Sleep like a baby—get the rest you need.

Each chapter quotes medical research studies, and other experts, includes advice about medications, gets into helpful details, points to differences in people of different ages and stages of life, and includes the author’s own experiences as well as the experiences of others whom he has counseled. It all makes for a warm, affable approach. This is a book that anyone can read, and benefit from, and that might also make a good gift for someone you know who is often caught in the hamster’s wheel of diet and lifestyle advice ups and downs. Good lifestyle books, such as this one, are really about what we call the spiritual practices of joy, being more meaningfully present, and connections. Emanuel uses a language from Judaism, albeit very lightly, throughout, including an Afterword which he titles, “Be a Mensch.” There you’ll find: “My … most important message is this: Wellness and living long are only a means to a good life. They are not, themselves, the essence of a good life, as so many influencers and wellness gurus make them out to be. An unfulfilling life, no matter how long and healthy, is not the ideal. It will cause more suffering than satisfaction. A long life is worthwhile only if it is filled with meaningful relationships and activities…. Be a mensch. Keep sight of the reasons you want to live longer. Don’t just try to accumulate years of life without appreciating their value.”  I’m heading to Dairy Queen for breakfast (lunch and dinner) and I’m with a big group. Anyone want to join me?  Here’s a good review from the NYT - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/27/books/review/books-for-new-years-resolutions.html

The Next Big Idea  - Want To Be Healthier? Follow These Six Rules – For those of you who don’t have the time or interest to read the book, this interview with Zeke sums it up quite well. Here’s an excerpt from the PODCAST itself, “Do you ever feel like you're drowning in health advice? Eat this, not that. Take this supplement, but only after popping this other one first. Here’s the good news: Most of it doesn't matter. In Eat Your Ice Cream, renowned physician Ezekiel Emanuel shares six simple rules for living longer — and gives you permission to ignore pretty much everything else.” https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-next-big-idea/id1482067226?i=1000749413276

Thank you for your ongoing engagement and participation.

And remember to stay safe, stay healthy and to docket daily.

Jon