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Jay Shetty PodcastDO THIS Everyday To Completely Heal Your BODY & MIND | Dr. Daniel Amen & Jay Shetty
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CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 4:55
Introduction to Dr. Amen and You, Happier
Jay Shetty introduces Dr. Daniel Amen, his background, the Amen Clinics scan database, and his new book You, Happier. The two trade warm opening remarks, including the story of Jay's "cheat day" and the brain scan Dr. Amen did for him.
- •Dr. Amen is the first guest to appear three times
- •Amen Clinics holds more than 200,000 SPECT scans from 155 countries
- •The book is You, Happier: The 7 Neuroscience Secrets of Feeling Good Based on Your Brain Type
- •Dr. Amen says happiness is a daily practice
- •Seeing your own brain scan builds a relationship with your brain
- 4:55 – 7:55
A Healthy Mind Starts with a Healthy Brain
Jay asks what the brain is and how it relates to the mind. Dr. Amen says the physical functioning of the brain creates the mind, and describes scanning convicted felons and murderers and what he saw in their damaged brains.
- •Brain function moment by moment creates the mind
- •Alzheimer's shows how a damaged brain changes behavior
- •Dr. Amen has scanned over 1,000 convicted felons and over 100 murderers
- •He argues rehabilitating damaged brains is better than calling people bad
- •He describes his shift in thinking on the death penalty
- 7:55 – 12:03
What Damages the Brain
Jay asks which habits damage the brain from birth on. Dr. Amen covers prenatal marijuana exposure, the standard American diet, and the BRIGHT MINDS mnemonic, and names mild traumatic brain injury as the most important finding from his scans.
- •Babies born with marijuana in their bodies are up 1700%
- •Pop-Tarts and school lunches harm blood sugar, weight and the brain
- •Low blood flow is the top imaging predictor of Alzheimer's
- •Mild traumatic brain injuries are the key finding from 210,000 scans
- •There are 3 million new concussions a year in the US
- 12:03 – 17:33
Daily Brain Habits: Chloe's Game and "What Went Well?"
Asked what someone could do tomorrow, Dr. Amen describes tiny daily habits: asking whether something is good or bad for your brain, declaring each day will be great, and reviewing what went well at night. He shares how he used the practice the night his father died.
- •Brain and mental health are a daily practice, like physical health
- •Chloe's game asks if something is good or bad for the brain, and takes three seconds
- •Unwrapping sugar from its fiber, as in juice, makes it toxic
- •Say "today is going to be a great day" when your feet hit the floor
- •Looking for micro moments at night helped him when his father died
- 17:33 – 23:26
Accurate Thinking vs. Positive Thinking
Jay asks about the difference between accurate and positive thinking. Dr. Amen cites the Terman study and says the right dose of anxiety protects health. He also says to question your thoughts with "Is it true?" and watch inputs like news and music.
- •The "don't worry, be happy" group in the Terman study died earliest from accidents and preventable illness
- •The right dose of anxiety protects you
- •"Is it true?" is a habit for not believing every thought
- •Thoughts come from ancestors, family, news and music
- •His memory study found heavy metal worst and classical best, with country second
- 23:26 – 28:09
Love Food That Loves You Back and Drip Dopamine
Jay notes that what is good for you often doesn't feel good at first. Dr. Amen answers with secret four, loving food that loves you back, and warns that hedonism wears out the brain's pleasure centers. He says fame does the same and to drip dopamine rather than dump it.
- •Love food that loves you back
- •Want to feel good now and later, not just now
- •Hedonism wears out dopamine pleasure centers
- •Fame wears out pleasure centers, as with viral video views
- •Ask "does it fit?" against your values and goals
- 28:09 – 32:23
Micro Moments and Targeted Nutrients for Mood
Asked how to drip dopamine in practice, Dr. Amen points to micro moments of presence, sunlight, pumpkin seeds and omega-3s. He explains EPA versus DHA and why vegans may struggle to get EPA. Jay adds that many people treat a physical brain issue as a motivation problem.
- •Micro moments mean being present and noticing what you like
- •Sunlight, pumpkin seeds and omega-3s drip dopamine
- •EPA and DHA are both essential and the body doesn't make them
- •Omega-3s make up fats in 25% of nerve cell membranes
- •Brain hardware needs to be right for the software of goals and thoughts to run
- 32:23 – 34:44
Why We're the Unhappiest Generation
Dr. Amen says we should speak of brain health rather than mental illness, because calling someone mental shames them. He cites depression tripling in 2020, rising teen suicide and medication use, and 337 million antidepressant prescriptions last year.
- •"Mental illness" shames people while brain health elevates them
- •Depression tripled from February to August 2020
- •Antidepressant and anti-anxiety prescriptions rose 20% in teenagers
- •He says more than half of people taking medicine don't need it
- •Medicine is never the first thing he thinks about
- 34:44 – 38:37
Childhood Trauma and the ACE Test
Jay asks how to help someone who is struggling. Dr. Amen introduces the ACE test on adverse childhood experiences, shares scores in his family, and explains how high scores raise health risks. He says healing trauma is part of being happy.
- •The ACE test has 10 yes/no questions and takes about three minutes
- •A score of four or more raises risk for seven of the top 10 causes of death
- •A score of six or more brings a 1200% increased suicide risk
- •His wife scored eight and his daughter one, and he wants to end the cycle
- •NPR has a free online version
- 38:37 – 45:52
EMDR and Healing Trauma
Dr. Amen explains EMDR as an eight-step therapy done with a trained therapist, using eye movements or tapping to help the brain integrate trauma. He cites his study of police officers and his own experience, and says he is wary of psychedelics.
- •EMDR targets the worst traumas along with their negative and positive beliefs
- •Eye movements help the brain integrate memories from an adult perspective
- •His study of eight police officers found they all returned to work after about eight sessions
- •He prefers EMDR over psychedelics because it has no side effects
- •Habits still matter, and racket sports are linked to longer life
- 45:52 – 48:12
Saffron, Theanine and Supplements
Jay asks about the targeted nutrients that boost happiness. Dr. Amen discusses theanine from green tea, then saffron and the 24 randomized trials comparing it with antidepressants, noting benefits for memory, mood and sexual function.
- •Theanine from green tea calms and focuses, and offsets caffeine's effects
- •Green tea catechins are another good substance for the brain
- •24 randomized controlled trials show saffron equally effective to antidepressants for mood
- •Saffron has been shown to enhance memory and sexual function
- •He takes his Happy Saffron blend every day
- 48:12 – 54:19
Brain Types and Personalized Happiness
Dr. Amen explains secret two: what makes some people happy makes others miserable. He describes the five brain types and how his imaging work revealed multiple types of depression and ADD. He gives examples of how diet and communication should fit the type, including the effect of carbs.
- •There are five brain types: balanced, spontaneous, persistent, sensitive and cautious
- •There are seven types of depression and seven of ADD, so Ritalin varies in effect
- •He talks to his oppositional daughters by asking the opposite of what he wants
- •Persistent types get depressed and angry on a ketogenic diet
- •Restaurants give bread and alcohol because both lower frontal lobe control
- 54:19 – 56:09
Happiness as a Moral Obligation
Jay says the things that make us happy aren't always what we want to do at first. Dr. Amen agrees that this changes over time and says happiness is a moral obligation because of how it affects others. He says to seek it in the context of health.
- •Habits that serve you feel unpleasant initially, until they switch
- •Happiness is a moral obligation, not fluff
- •Unhappy parents, spouses and children affect the people around them
- •Seek happiness in the context of health
- 56:09 – 1:02:44
Final Five: Brain Advice and Why Moderation Misleads
In the Final Five, Dr. Amen gives his best brain advice, "Is this good for my brain or bad for it?", and calls "everything in moderation" the worst. A tangent on marijuana follows, covering its effects on the brain, breathing, and killing ANTs as non-toxic alternatives.
- •Best advice is to ask daily if something is good or bad for the brain
- •"Everything in moderation" is an excuse for comfort habits
- •His marijuana imaging study found lower activity in every brain area
- •Diaphragmatic breathing can break a panic attack in about two minutes
- •Write down automatic negative thoughts and ask if they're true
- 1:02:44 – 1:09:46
Purpose, Brain Envy and What Makes Him Happier
Dr. Amen shares his current purpose and the upcoming End of Mental Illness gala. He describes scanning his own brain in 1991 and developing brain envy, discusses diet soda and sweeteners, and says being with loved ones and making a difference makes him happier.
- •His purpose is to end the concept of mental illness and start a revolution in brain health
- •The gala on December 7th raises money for research, education and first responders
- •His scan at 37 looked worse than his 60-year-old mother's, prompting brain envy
- •A new study found Splenda dropped learning and memory while stevia showed no effect
- •Being with loved ones and making a difference makes him happier
