Change Your Brain Every Day

"Flip or Flop" star Tarek El Moussa seemed to have it all—hit TV shows, fame, fortune—but behind the scenes, his life was falling apart. In this deeply revealing episode, Tarek opens up to Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen about the hidden brain struggles that shaped his life: birth trauma, multiple mental health diagnoses, alcoholism, cancer, toxic self-talk, and a near breakdown at the height of his career. After a revealing brain scan and emotional conversation, he begins to understand why he's struggled for so long—and what he can do to finally heal. This is a relatable story of turning pain into passion and rebuilding from within.

00:00 Intro

00:44 Sponsor

01:08 Chance Encounter

05:45 Why I Am the Way I Am

08:13 Your Brain is Hurt

13:23 Coming Off of Meds

16:09 Turning Pain into Fuel

18:03 The Birth of the "Flip" Empire

24:04 The Brain's Rejection of Success

26:06 The Last Day as a Family

31:46 Self-Medication

34:32 Tarek's Brain SPECT Scan (Surface)

36:30 Neuropsychological Testing

42:04 Mental Hygiene

48:48 Parents/Self-Talk

51:33 The Plan

57:48 Sponsor

58:36 Wrap Up

Heather Rae El Moussa has spent years in the public eye—becoming a star on Selling Sunset and launching a successful beauty brand. But after giving birth to her son, Heather faced a new set of challenges: crashing energy, mood swings, and a worsening thyroid condition that left her feeling like she was dying. In this deeply personal episode, Heather joins Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen to share how motherhood reshaped her body, brain, and priorities. She opens up about being diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease, the toll stress and hormones took on her mental health, and why she turned to brain imaging to understand what was really going on inside. Find out what her brain reveals and what she's doing to stay sharp, centered, and thriving. If you've ever felt off after a major life shift, this episode is a must-listen.

00:00 Intro

00:44 Sponsor

01:08 Chance Encounter

05:45 Why I Am the Way I Am

08:13 Your Brain is Hurt

13:23 Coming Off of Meds

16:09 Turning Pain into Fuel

18:03 The Birth of the "Flip" Empire

24:04 The Brain's Rejection of Success

26:06 The Last Day as a Family

31:46 Self-Medication

34:32 Tarek's Brain SPECT Scan (Surface)

36:30 Neuropsychological Testing

42:04 Mental Hygiene

48:48 Parents/Self-Talk

51:33 The Plan

57:48 Sponsor

58:36 Wrap Up

What if the key to becoming your best self… is already inside you—waiting to be activated? In this inspiring episode, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen talk with performance coach and bestselling author Todd Herman about the proven mental strategies used by Olympic athletes, Super Bowl champions, and top executives to crush self-doubt and perform at the highest level. Drawing on decades of coaching experience and insights from his bestselling book The Alter Ego Effect, Todd shares how stepping into a powerful identity—like Kobe Bryant's "Black Mamba" or Beyoncé's "Sasha Fierce"—can help you overcome fear, unlock confidence, and tap into your hidden strengths. Whether you're chasing a big goal or trying to heal from past pain, this episode will show you how to bridge the gap between who you are and who you need to be.

00:00 Intro

00:45 Sponsor

02:11 The Alter Ego Effect

04:37 Origin Story

09:09 Olympic Redemption

12:30 Creating an Alter Ego

17:57 Death of a Persona

22:17 The 5 Steps to Create an Alter Ego

26:12 Positive vs Negative Motivation

31:05 Defining the Conditions

41:57 The Uniform

45:30 Todd's Work

54:38 Sponsor

55:52 Wrap Up

For more on Todd's work:

https://alteregoeffect.com

Strength isn't just for looks—it's protection for your brain, body, and longevity. In this episode, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen reveal why building muscle is one of the best ways to prevent dementia, depression, and frailty. Learn how strength training boosts memory, mood, and focus—and why it's your body's insurance policy against life's unexpected setbacks. Tana shares her personal story of trauma and healing through fitness, and the science behind real brain-healthy enhancers like creatine, protein, and sleep. Whether you're recovering from injury or just want to stay sharp, this episode will inspire you to get stronger—inside and out.

00:00 Intro

01:10 The Connection Between the Physical Strength & the Brain

03:56 Clearing the Cobwebs

06:31 What Robs Your Strength?

08:21 Strength Enhancing Fakers

13:38 Healthy Ways to Build Strength

14:06 Sponsor

14:46 Diet & Lifestyle

16:37 Creatine

23:01 Brain & Body Reserve

27:07 Wrap Up

Smart Creatine, Brain T-Max, and other brain-healthy supplements:

https://brainmd.com

Feeling stuck in low moods, negativity, or the never-ending "blahs"? It's not just in your head—it's in your brain. Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen expose the hidden biological, psychological, social, and spiritual mood stealers that quietly hijack your happiness. Tana opens up about how a cancer diagnosis—and the wrong antidepressant—sent her spiraling into darkness, and the life-saving strategies that helped her fight her way back. Plus, find out how an everyday spice—saffron—could work as well as antidepressant medication, backed by decades of research.

00:00 Intro

00:57 Mood is a Brain Function

02:45 Your Physical Brain Function Affects Your Mood

05:48 The Physical Causes of Mood Disorders

09:00 Taking the Wrong Medication

11:50 Psychological/Social/Spiritual Factors

13:46 Mood Robbers

17:49 Sponsor

18:30 Mood Enhancing Fakers

24:53 Saffron

31:53 TMG/SAMe

35:16 Wrap Up

https://brainmd.com

If you're tired of being tired, this episode is for you. Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen break down the three biggest categories that affect your energy: what steals it, what fakes it, and what truly enhances it. From toxic people (known as "energy vampires") to tech overload, caffeine crashes to clean supplements, you'll learn what's draining your spark and the best ways to boost lasting energy—without burning out.

00:00 Intro

00:58 Energy Robbers, Fakers, & Enhancers

03:11 Uncontrolled Thoughts

04:29 Energy Vampires

07:43 Poor Sleep Habits

10:00 Processed Foods & Sugar

13:43 Decision Fatigue

16:09 Sponsor

16:56 Caffeine

18:57 Adrenaline Addiction

19:51 Social Media

20:08 Breakfast/Nutrition

25:08 Sunlight/Movement

25:39 Cold Plunges/Boundaries

27:05 Peak Energy

32:28 Wrap Up

Peak Energy and other brain-healthy supplements: https://brainmd.com

In this mind-expanding episode, Dr. Daniel Amen sits down with biohacker and Heavily Meditated author Dave Asprey to explore how meditation—and a few unexpected brain hacks—can rewire your nervous system in real time. You'll learn Dave's go-to "reset process" to calm your brain and body within seconds of being triggered, why most relationship conflicts have nothing to do with your partner, and the two emotional concepts adults dread most. Plus, discover a rapid-fire breathing technique to instantly destress, a controversial one-minute trick to reset your dopamine, and how intimacy can become one of the most transformative meditations of all.

https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated/

00:00 Intro

00:38 Sponsor

02:03 The Father of Biohacking

05:08 Training Your Brain for Meditation

07:40 Our Inner States Don't Have Words

10:40 Managing Alerts

12:21 What Meditation Does to the Brain

14:06 The Reset Process

19:19 Compassion

22:24 Joe Rogan Incident

24:52 Building Resilience

27:36 Connections/Removing Friction

32:08 Creating a Meditation Practice

33:47 Breathwork

36:18 Entrainment Methods

38:40 Gaining Control Over Your Nervous System

42:48 Conscious Loving Intimacy

45:21 Sponsor

46:35 Wrap Up

Why do some conversations feel electric while others fall flat? In this eye-opening episode, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen sit down with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author Charles Duhigg (The Power of Habit, Supercommunicators) to explore what really makes people connect. You'll learn how brain scans reveal that during powerful conversations, people's brains literally sync up. Duhigg breaks down the three types of conversations everyone has—and why knowing which one you're in can instantly improve your communication. Discover the surprising myths we believe about connection, and why asking deep, meaningful questions is the real secret to becoming a "supercommunicator."

00:00 Intro

01:24 Sponsor

01:47 Common Myths of Communication

03:38 The 3 Categories of Communication

08:04 Communication Skills

10:22 Alignment

15:03 Mismatched Conversations

18:02 Listening/Looking for Understanding

21:11 The Goals of Each Type of Communication

25:13 Connection When You Don't Agree

32:19 Close Relationships

35:29 Digital Communication

39:50 Artificial Intelligence

40:48 Where to Start?

46:28 Sponsor

47:36 Wrap Up

Super Communicators, by Charles Duhigg:

https://charlesduhigg.com/supercommunicators/

In this powerful episode, singer and former American Idol finalist Daniel Gokey reveals what he calls his "deep, dark secret"—scrupulous OCD. For the first time publicly, he shares how obsessive religious thoughts convinced him he was beyond forgiveness. Dr. Amen explains this misunderstood OCD subtype and how Gokey's brain scans uncovered the root of his terrifying thoughts—and helped chart a path to overcoming scrupulosity.

00:00 Intro

01:17 Sponsor

02:26 Daniel/Scrupulous OCD

05:22 OCD and Sin

08:36 Fear of Damnation

12:41 Compulsive Behaviors

16:14 Thought Discipline

20:40 The Concept of "Normal"

22:10 Medication & Supplements

23:55 Trauma

26:59 First Wife's Death

30:16 ADD

31:21 The 4 Circles

37:56 Daniel's SPECT Scan (Surface)

39:55 Daniel's SPECT Scan (Active Interior)

44:47 Improving Daniel's Brain

48:23 Sponsor

49:49 Wrap Up

In this must-listen episode, Dr. Amen and Tana Amen sit down with Brandon Salawich, President and CEO of Starkey, the largest U.S.-based hearing aid manufacturer, to explore the critical link between hearing and brain health. They uncover how hearing loss isn't just about missing sounds—it's a major risk factor for dementia, depression, and relationship struggles. You'll also discover surprising causes of hearing issues, including why 1 in 6 teenagers are already experiencing hearing loss. If you want to protect your brain, start by protecting your hearing—tune in to learn how.

00:00 Intro

01:01 Hearing & The Brain

01:45 Sponsor

03:03 Hearing is One of the Major Functions of the Brain

06:26 Hearing & Stigma

08:23 Can Your Brain Forget Sounds?

09:16 Overstimulation

10:08 Brandon's Story

13:31 The Impact of Hearing Loss on the Brain

14:56 Overcoming Vulnerability

17:43 The Causes of Memory Loss

19:41 Damage Elimination

21:56 The Future of Hearing Augmentation/Automatic Translation

25:30 Brands

27:05 Hearing & AI Technology

28:45 Comfort

29:57 Hearing Sound for the First Time

40:16 Superpowered Hearing

46:31 Sponsor

46:54 Wrap Up

Starkey.com

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