Energy Robbers, Fakers & Enhancers: What’s Fueling Your Fatigue?

Summary

Podcast Summary: Change Your Brain Every Day

Episode Title: Energy Robbers, Fakers & Enhancers: What’s Fueling Your Fatigue?

Host/Authors: Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen
Release Date: April 21, 2025

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In this enlightening episode of Change Your Brain Every Day, New York Times bestselling authors Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen delve deep into the sources of modern-day fatigue. They dissect the various factors that deplete our energy, create illusions of vitality, and ultimately offer strategies to cultivate genuine, lasting energy. The discussion is methodically divided into three primary sections: Energy Robbers, Energy Fakers, and Energy Enhancers.

1. Energy Robbers: Identifying What Steals Your Vitality

Dr. Amen and Tana start by exploring the myriad factors that drain our energy beyond the obvious culprits like poor sleep, inadequate nutrition, and lack of exercise. They emphasize the significant role our mental landscape and environmental interactions play in energy depletion.

• Uncontrolled Negative Thoughts:
  Dr. Amen highlights the impact of automatic negative thoughts on our energy levels. He refers to these as "ants" that continuously consume our mental and physical resources.

  "Negativity and ants, they steal your energy. Your body hears, responds to every thought you have. If they're negative, scary, hopeless... it just steals your energy."
  (03:10)

  Tana concurs, noting how negative thoughts tend to be ruminated upon more than positive ones, leading to persistent energy drains.

  "When you have a negative thought... it steals your energy and your focus."
  (04:17)

• Toxic Relationships and Boundaries:
  The hosts discuss toxic people as "energy vampires" and stress the importance of setting firm boundaries to protect one's energy. Tana shares personal insights on establishing boundaries with individuals who lack them.

  "It's okay for you to draw that boundary and go, no, I actually have to go."
  (06:39)

• Poor Sleep Habits:
  Both emphasize that sleep quality is crucial, linking poor sleep to decreased heart rate variability and increased fatigue. They touch upon the interference of electronic devices and the importance of sleep discipline.

• Processed Foods and Sugar:
  The conversation shifts to diet, with Tana explaining how processed foods and sugar offer short-term energy boosts but lead to long-term crashes and inflammation.

  "Processed foods... steal your energy not only because you're not getting the nutrients, but because they boost cortisol, increase inflammation."
  (10:11)

• Chronic Stress and Inflammation:
  Chronic stress leads to sustained inflammation, which drains energy as the body constantly attempts to heal itself. They advocate for an anti-inflammatory diet and identifying triggers to maintain long-term health and energy.

2. Energy Fakers: The Illusions That Mask True Fatigue

In the second segment, Dr. Amen and Tana expose the deceptive sources of energy that provide temporary relief but ultimately exacerbate fatigue.

• Caffeine and Energy Drinks:
  Caffeine is identified as a primary energy faker. The hosts discuss its temporary benefits and the subsequent crashes it induces. Tana expresses concern over energy drinks targeting youth, impacting their brain development and increasing cortisol levels.

  "Paraxanthine... doesn't make you pee, doesn't make you anxious, and doesn't keep you up."
  (28:22)

• Adrenaline and Cortisol Addiction:
  They explore the concept of becoming addicted to adrenaline and cortisol, often a result of living in high-stress environments or constantly seeking thrilling experiences.

  "Cortisol addiction is also a thing... you become addicted to that scared feeling or that high feeling."
  (19:15)

• Social Media and Tech Overload:
  Social media is criticized for stealing attention and draining mental resources, further contributing to the illusion of productivity without genuine energy gains.

3. Energy Enhancers: Building Genuine, Lasting Vitality

The final section offers actionable strategies and solutions to reclaim and enhance true energy levels.

• Healthy Diet and Nutrition:
  Tana emphasizes the importance of a nutrient-dense breakfast, advocating for protein-rich smoothies over sugary alternatives to stabilize blood sugar and maintain energy.

  "A really healthy protein shake... balances your blood sugar, stabilizes your energy, and helps you focus."
  (20:25)

• Supplements and Brain Health Products:
  Dr. Amen introduces their award-winning supplement, Peak Energy, highlighting its benefits over traditional caffeine. He shares personal anecdotes about its effectiveness in enhancing focus and maintaining steady energy without the drawbacks of caffeine.

  "Peak Energy... improves focus and cognitive performance, less sleep disruption, it enhances physical performance."
  (29:28)

  Tana adds her positive experiences, noting how it helped her niece reduce reliance on unhealthy energy drinks.

  "She got me to stop drinking energy drinks because I stay up all night doing schoolwork."
  (31:43)

• Lifestyle Practices:
  The hosts advocate for incorporating bright light therapy and cold plunges into daily routines. Bright light therapy is shown to reset circadian rhythms and enhance mood, while cold plunges help regulate cortisol levels and invigorate the body.

  "Cold plunge... resets that cortisol. You get that big spike from doing the cold plunge and then it drops down to a normal level."
  (25:39)

• Setting Boundaries:
  Reiterating the importance of personal boundaries, they stress that saying "no" more often is essential for energy protection and overall well-being.

  "Boundaries are energy protection."
  (27:04)

Notable Quotes

• Dr. Daniel Amen:

  "Every day you are making your brain better or you are making it worse. Stay with us to learn how you can change your brain for the better every day."
  (00:47)

• Tana Amen:

  "An anti-inflammatory diet and figuring out what's causing you to react to certain things is really important for long term health and energy."
  (12:42)

Conclusion

Dr. Daniel and Tana Amen conclude the episode by reiterating the importance of identifying and eliminating energy robbers, being cautious of energy fakers, and adopting practices and products that genuinely enhance energy. They encourage listeners to take proactive steps towards better brain and body health, emphasizing that small changes can lead to significant improvements in vitality and overall well-being.

For more insights and to explore their award-winning products like Peak Energy, visit BrainMD. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and engage with the community to continue your journey toward a healthier, more energized life.

Transcript

[A]

What I learned is very helpful towards the whole podcast. When someone calls and I know they don't have good boundaries, I start the conversation with, I only have a minute. I have another appointment. And the appointment may only be with me. I have an appointment with me to, like, finish the chapter or.

[B]

Have you ever noticed that sometimes people still, you could say that four or five times. I have to go. And they still, like, I have another meeting, I have another appointment, and they still, oh, just one more thing and they'll keep going. And I've always thought in the past, like, oh, it's rude for me to cut them off. No, it's actually rude for people to do that. So it's okay for you to draw that boundary and go, No, I actually have to go.

[A]

Every day you are making your brain better or you are making it worse. Stay with us to learn how you can change your brain for the better every day.

[B]

Welcome to Change youe Brain Every Day. Today's episode, we're going to talk about energy. Why so many people feel exhausted, overwhelmed and stuck and what you can do about it.

[A]

So, you know, whenever people go, oh, do you really not drink? Or he really doesn't drink sugar. And it's like, how can you have any fun? And I always go to them, what do you really want? And now that I'm 70, but quite frankly, I wanted the same thing at 40 or 50 or 60. I want energy, I want memory, I want clarity, I want passion. I'm married to you. I want good decisions, but I always start with energy. Because if you don't have energy, you can't accomplish what you want for your life. So we're going to break this podcast into three parts. We're going to talk about the energy robbers, the energy fakers, and the energy enhancers. We're going to talk about what steals it, what gives you the illusion of energy but crashes you later and. And how to build true, lasting brain boosting energy. And then we're going to tell you we're so excited about this, how one of our bestselling products got the Grammy Award in the supplement industry for the best nextie product.

[B]

Let's talk about energy robbers. First, your energy isn't just about sleep or food or exercise. It's about all of those things. But it's also about how your brain handles everything that's going on in your life. Like, energy robbers can be things like alcohol, marijuana, late night television, or not having blue blockers on your phone and staying on your phone too long. But also things like Uncontrolled thoughts. So talk more about that.

[A]

Well, you know, we always talk about the ants, the automatic negative thoughts that steal your happiness. And we did an episode recently. If you haven't heard it, go back and listen to it on negativity and negativity bias. But negativity and ants, they steal your energy. Your body hears, responds to every thought you have. And if the they're negative, if they're scary, if they're hopeless, helpless, worthless, demeaning, it just steals your energy.

[B]

Well, have you ever noticed that when you have a negative thought, you tend to spin on it a lot as opposed to when you have a happy thought? We don't tend to spin on happy thoughts Right. As much. It's like, oh, we'll have a happy thought, and that makes us happy. But when you have a negative thought, if you're mad at someone, it's. It'll just keep playing over and over and over. That person might have done it one time, but you do it a thousand times.

[A]

And it steals your energy and your focus and yeah, it doesn't use your calories. Would it be nice it used your calories? So uncontrolled negative thinking and then toxic people. And so we often call them energy vampires. You have any examples that you want to share?

[B]

So I often say that boundaries are critical if you grow up and crazy like I did. So the phrase I love you and I will miss you is one of my favorite phrases because of this very reason. Energy vampires. So if you've got people in your life who don't have boundaries or you grew up in chronic stress and chronic chaos, you know what I'm talking about here. When you grow up in a family like I did, where there's so much addiction and so much chaos and police are being called because people are fighting all the time, this is something you have to learn how to draw boundaries with because that is those are energy vampires. So I love you and I will miss you, or I love you from a distance. Those are things I've learned how to say in my life.

[A]

So let me give you a secret that I learned early in my career. There are some people, they just, like you said, they have no boundaries.

[B]

They have no boundaries.

[A]

And so they'll call me late at night and they'll just want to, like, talk, talk, talk, not think at all, that I might have something to do or that I'm doing something. And what I learned is very helpful. It's worth the whole podcast is when someone calls and I know they don't have good boundaries. I start the conversation with, I only have a minute. I have another appointment. And the appointment may only be with me. I have an appointment with me to, like, finish the chapter or.

[B]

Have you ever noticed that sometimes people still. You could say that four or five times. I have to go. And they still, like, I have another meeting, I have another appointment, and they still, oh, just one more thing, and they'll keep going. And I've always thought in the past, like, oh, it's rude for me to cut them off. No, it's actually rude for people to do that. So it's okay for you to draw that boundary and go, no, I actually have to go. Like, we're gonna have to pick this up another time.

[A]

So write this down. We teach people how to treat us by what we tolerate and how we communicate. So if we allow that to happen over and over again, that's on us. Right? It's on you to be responsible. Responsible just means your ability to respond to this situation. And when people do that to me, it's like, why aren't you listening to me? Is there something about me that you don't like, that you don't respect? And. And I think just making it clear in a reasonable, kind way, because I always try to be kind, but I. Clarity is kindness.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Because otherwise you don't want to, like, you won't pick up the call from them. Right. So if you're clear and they learn, it's better. We have a good. A better relationship. Also, poor sleep habits. And sometimes you and I could get into this. And I notice because I measure my heart rate variability every day, heart rate variability is a sign of heart health that if we go to bed late, my heart rate in the morning, we.

[B]

Get into it over you wanting to go to bed at 8 and me wanting to go to bed at 9.

[A]

No, no, no, no, that's not true. I want to be in bed. Bed, getting ready to go to sleep at night.

[B]

So I might want to go to bed at 9:30 on a Saturday night instead.

[A]

It's not true. Up till 11 or no. 3 in the morning?

[B]

Till 11. That's so funny. We sound so old.

[A]

It's just. What do you really want? Energy. Heart rate variability that's not in the tank. So sleep habits. And I just know it's very clear for me, if I have good sleep discipline, I'm just better for sure.

[B]

Yeah. I think this is really important for most people. And I think some of the things, like, I know for me, sometimes it's hard to get to sleep. And I think that sometimes why I have a hard time like with the idea, okay, it's time to go to bed because I know I'm going to lay there because I have thyroid, I have this high thyroid thing. And so I've learned like certain, like cocktails that I take at night. Not that kind of cocktail, my supplement cocktail. So I take, if I take magnesium and some time release melatonin, sometimes a little gaba. It'll help me calm down enough to be able to fall asleep, asleep more quickly one day.

[A]

You took tmg?

[B]

Oh, yeah. I didn't know. We'll talk about that. That's a whole different thing. That's one of my favorite supplements. I didn't know you couldn't take it in in the evening. And I was like up all night.

[A]

We're going to do a mood podcast coming up and we're going to talk about trimethyl glycine or that's a whole different thing.

[B]

So you have to know the right things to take if you're going to take things to help you calm down at night. But otherwise you lay there and people end up on their phones and the more you're on your phone, the more it's. It steals that ability to go to sleep easily.

[A]

So especially if you don't have blue light blockers on your phone. Processed foods and sugar, short term fake boost, long term crash, which then leads to inflammation.

[B]

So we talk about this a lot, but people don't really understand why. I feel like it's thrown around so much and people don't really get it. Processed foods, the really cheap fats or fried fats and sugar, they, they actually really do steal your energy. Not only because you're not getting the nutrients, that's the obvious thing, but because they boost cortisol, because they increase inflammation, they actually steal your energy. So if you're not getting that high nutrient value and you're not getting, you're not keeping your blood sugar stable, that's going to definitely cause those crashes in energy.

[A]

One of, one of my patients said she usually eats really well, but they went to a play and her friend bought M&Ms. And so she had a couple and then she took home the box and ate the whole box and then just.

[B]

Fell and you feel terrible.

[A]

You want to hear something? You want to hear good news? So, you know, I sent a video to the legislature in Arizona about banning ultra processed foods and 11 artificial ingredients. And it passed, the governor signed it. I'm so excited. Right. And the ultra Processed foods are the ones that are just easy to give your kids, right? You have them in your purse and.

[B]

I wonder why they have behavioral issues.

[A]

And then, you know, they end up coming to see me. I'm so excited. This is a principle I've been thinking about science, because we know ultra processed foods leads to things like hyperactivity, behavior problems, obesity, chronic pain, and then policy based on science. And this is beginning to happen around the world. Social media is bad for kids. Australia banned it for kids under 16. It's amazing if you don't sleep. Crazy teenagers who sleep just an hour less than their peers have a higher incidence of anxiety, depression and suicide.

[B]

Amazing.

[A]

California went, can't start school before 8:00. So now science then equals good public policy. I like that so much.

[B]

So inflammation is literally the cornerstone of almost every chronic illness. So that's really interesting. So inflammation is the cornerstone of almost every chronic disease. So some inflammation is necessary. So if you cut yourself or you burn yourself like that, acute inflammation is necessary for healing. But when it gets triggered and becomes chronic, it's like a low level fire that burns in your body. And that happens from things like the food we eat, if it's not healthy, or leaky gut. Or leaky gut, or like inflammatory reactions to things like allergies. If you're, if you're having things or you have an autoimmune disorder, lots of things can cause it. So when that happens, it also causes inflammation in the brain. And these things definitely steal energy because your body's constantly trying to heal itself. So an anti inflammatory diet and figuring out what's causing you to react to certain things is really important for long term health and energy.

[A]

And then if you add modern day life from multitasking and tech overload, the constant alerts, you end up with this decision fatigue from all the mental cluster.

[B]

You mean I'm not a superstar because I can multitask?

[A]

No, you are a woman and women are better at it than men. I published a study on 46,000 scans looking at the difference between male and female brains. We should do a whole podcast on that. Anyways, women are better at it, but women are also chronically tired. And people don't talk about this, but we're now in our third generation of tired women because they're working outside the house more than ever before, right? Not like when I was growing up where, you know, maybe a half a day a week, my mom had a job. It's like 90% of the time in California, moms are working full Time out of the house. And so if you think of primary caretakers for children, women are primary caretakers for the house. And now they're working full time, they're chronically tired.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And they chronically feel guilty that they can't do everything. And.

[B]

Well, and we, you know, you get to that sandwich generation and you're taking care of children and you're taking care of parents and you're taking care of, you know about.

[A]

Yeah, right, we both know about that. And so if you get overloaded just because of all the things that you have to do, and so if you're drinking at night to settle your brain down and then caffeinating in the morning, eating food on the run, which is generally ultra processed food, well, no wonder you're a mess. So just ask the people listening, which of these do you have? And if you have a lot, that's great news because that means as you get rid of them, you're going to feel so much better. There are days when I need to be at my best, whether it's back to back clinic sessions, long writing days, or just keeping up with life. That's when I take peak energy from Brain md. It gives me clean, steady energy without jitters or crashes. And I'm not the only one who loves it. It just won a 2025 Nextie Award, beating over 500 other supplements. If you want real energy that lasts, check it [e-mail] and use the code podcast. 20 for 20% off. Now let's talk about energy fakers.

[B]

Oh, this is an interesting one. So the obvious one I think everyone knows is caffeine. That's the obvious one. Like the coffee industry and coffee houses are everywhere. So that one I think most people know about. So, I mean, I used to think the same thing. I was a trauma nurse and I worked nights. So the pot of coffee every night and the bag of M&Ms, they were critical for my job and for me.

[A]

To get home alive.

[B]

So it was hard. You have to figure out other strategies, but that's the obvious one. But I think once you learn about what caffeine does to you, it spikes dopamine, it spikes adrenaline, and then it drops flat or you're drinking it so late at night that you stay up and then what do you have to do? You have to do something to bring yourself down and calm down and it becomes this vicious cycle.

[A]

So we're actually going to talk in a little bit. Stay with us. About a caffeine alternative that we like. Also energy drinks with Caffeine, sugar and artificial chemicals and the illusion of productivity.

[B]

This one I have a personal beef with. Because they target the youth of today. They target high school students. They're targeting, you know, middle school students and college students. And they somehow these kids think that these are healthy. It's crazy to me.

[A]

So how monster energy.

[B]

But it's jacking up their cortisol boats, right?

[A]

They sponsor the surfing events in Huntington Beach. You see these huge or Red Bull.

[B]

But do you know what that does to someone? A. A young person whose cortisol is constantly elevated? It actually affects their brain development. We know that because when children grow up in chronic stress in their home, like in traumatic environments, and they have elevated cortisol, it affects how their brain develops. Like, this is not good for you. It's not good for your nervous system. It's not good for your brain.

[A]

Also energy fakers, adrenaline addicts, people who live in drama crisis mode, they need that rush to feel alive. Whether it's extreme skiing or constantly seeking out a new relationship.

[B]

I think it's important. The word you just said, adrenaline addiction. So cortisol addiction is also a thing. So when people grow up in chronic stress and drama and trauma that actually they don't know it, but it's subconscious, but it's, it's also physical, but you become addicted to that, that like scared feeling or that high feeling or that like you almost need it to function. And so it's really important to understand.

[A]

Nice to you and consistent and reliable.

[B]

Doesn't seem normal at all.

[A]

Boring.

[B]

This isn't about us. Stop it.

[A]

Social media, right, can feel stimulating, but steals your attention and can drain your brain. And the question here, it's what's giving you a buzz that's actually burning you out? All right, so let's go to energy enhancers. Let's talk about the real stuff that brings energy back to your body, your mind and your spirit.

[B]

So I love this because, you know, I wrote Omni Diet and Brain Warriors Way and some of the cookbooks I've written, it was about this because I grew up in a really unhealthy environment. I didn't want my daughter to, and I wanted to serve my family, so. But we're busy. So one of my favorite breakfasts, because breakfast is critical, especially for kids, is I call it my, my. My fast food is my shake, my smoothie in the morning. That's my, my version of fast food because it's quick and easy, but it's power packed. Versus I'd see these kids going into school having, you know, donuts or, or bagels or whatever and then they're getting in trouble, their behavior is affected. So if you're having a really healthy protein shake with, you know, loaded with nutrition, that's going to balance your blood sugar, it's going to stabilize your energy, it's going to help you focus. So breakfast is critical. Or eggs. And here's the other thing. I think it's really important too to know how your brain works. So if you have, if you're like me and you're a little add, then it's really important. Don't look at me like that. It's really important to have protein and healthy fat for breakfast. So my favorite fast food in the morning are smoothies. And I love that I've written all these recipes and cookbooks and I trained you how to make them. But it's the best. It's the best.

[A]

Look at you laughing like I make the decaf cappuccino.

[B]

Yeah, that I wrote the recipe for.

[A]

The brain healthy hot chocolate.

[B]

Yeah, that I wrote the recipes at.

[A]

Night I make like you wouldn't want.

[B]

To, want to marry someone who wasn't smart. So anyways, this is my favorite breakfast because it's power packed, it's fast when you're in a rush and you can take it to go.

[A]

Well, I'm going to tell you a secret. I created Brain MD to get the products for me and for you and for our loved ones. And oh by the way, we sell them to the world. And our, and I like it because we, we brain healthy shake in the morning. Yeah, we make protein powder that's clean vanilla and chocolate, but it's super clean. It's very clean. And it's plant protein because you insisted on that. So from pea and rice and quinoa and chia seeds. It has inulin for fiber, it's sweetened with stevia, it has branched chain amino acids and it doesn't have anything else. It's got six carbohydrates but three dietary fibers. So basically has three net carbs. Net carbs in it. So I put the protein powder, I put a scoop of creatine and we're.

[B]

Going to talk more about that, which.

[A]

We'Re going to talk about the energy podcast and a scoop of neur greens. It just loaded with it smart collagen, which new study on cognitive benefits. Omega 3 power squeeze. A lot of people don't want it.

[B]

And I like mushrooms.

[A]

Omega 3 capsules and then something called smart mushrooms that has the active ingredients of 3 grams of Lion's mane, reishi, cor, cordyceps, turkey tail. So cordyceps is all of this into a drink. In fact, I got a text this morning from Crystal who does the same thing. Crystal helps run our east coast clinics and she goes, it just makes me feel so good. Plus Bright minds, which is our powder that has a multiple vitamin and a brain boost. So rather than all the capsules, it's your multivitamin, less than 200 calories and it nourishes your brain.

[B]

So I want to say something about the mushrooms because cordyceps really boosts. It's, it's. There are studies on it, how it boosts energy. But mushrooms in general, all those mushrooms you talked about, that's in the mushroom mix, it actually is. Those are fantastic for boosting immunity. So that's why I like this as my fast food. It's just like power packed, you know. And I know sometimes people are like, well, you know, you have to buy all these products and whatever. If you added up how much you spend on fast food when you're in a rush or stopping for lunch, I guarantee you it's way more expensive in a month.

[A]

And this is an investment in your brain. Now there are other things to help your energy, especially sunlight and movement in the morning. For those people where it's winter, our bright minds, bright light therapy lamp increases energy, also increases memory, increases focus, helps your mood and reset your circadian rhythm. So bright light in the morning can help.

[B]

So one of my favorite things is cold plunge. Absolutely love it if you do it first thing in the morning. Because as a society we're doing all these things that are bad habits that cause our cortisol to spike at the wrong times. And what cold plunge does, it's several things actually. If you do it first thing in the morning, it sort of resets that cortisol. You get that big spike from doing the cold plunge and then it drops down to a normal level, which is what should happen. But it's beyond beyond that. It actually, it is so energizing. I feel hyper caffeinated when I do cold plunge. And it helps my pain, which we're going to do a whole segment on pain and it's this mental. There's this mental. We overcome this mental thing when you do a cold plunge.

[A]

It's just when you do it, it's amazing. I hate doing it and you love watching me.

[B]

You make fun of me. I know.

[A]

I live by the motto of no long suffering.

[B]

I know. I try to get you to go in with me. And you're like, you always stand out there laughing. And I'm like, why are you laughing? Get in. You're just like, why are you laughing at me?

[A]

I've done it like, like twice. Twice.

[B]

And I'm like, no, I love it.

[A]

So amazing.

[B]

But I also, you know, like doing things like getting beat up.

[A]

And you know, we talked about this earlier, which is saying no more often, boundaries are energy protection.

[B]

Yes. Boundaries for me are critical.

[A]

So let's talk. I teased this earlier. So Brain MD has a brand new product called Peak Energy. It comes in both a capsule and a powder.

[B]

One of my favorite products.

[A]

And it's, it's clearly a hit.

[B]

But let me tell you why.

[A]

Expo west, the largest natural products event in the universe. I mean, there's literally 8,000 exhibitors there. And Peak Energy won the next award. What is the next big thing? And it's Peak Energy. Why? What has ATP in it, which is the molecule of energy, and paraxanthine. And I told you we're gonna, we have like a better form of caffeine or caffeine replacement. Paraxanthine is actually a metabolite of caffeine, but it's the part of the molecule that doesn't make you pee, that doesn't make you anxious, and that doesn't keep you up.

[B]

So first of all, I loved Peak Energy before Peak Energy was a star, so that should mean something. So it's not a competition before it won its Emmy. I actually, or whatever, I loved it before that. But no, what I love about it is especially if you are like me, where you have those mid afternoon sort of dips or you've got that little bit of add. Um, what I really love is it really helps with focus, but it doesn't give you the jitteriness. So I used to have, you know, like something in the afternoon I'd have, you know, like green tea. I still like my green tea, but I try not to have so much caffeine. And I don't get jittery when I do the Peak Energy and paraxanthine because I'm like, there's got to be. This can't be good for you because it feels good. Like, things that feel as good shouldn't be this good. But I actually researched it because paraxanthine, unlike caffeine, straight caffeine, caffeine restricts blood flow to the brain, and paraxanthine actually increases blood flow to the brain. So while one is bad for the brain, the other one is Actually shown to be pretty good for the brain. I just love it. It's amazing. It doesn't give you that.

[A]

It improves focus and cognitive performance, less sleep disruption, it enhances physical performance. And different than caffeine, there's no need for liver conversion because the liver converts caffeine into paraxanthin.

[B]

The other thing I love about it is it's not addictive. So like caffeine, you. It literally, your body craves more of it. This is one of those things that gives you energy and then you don't need to take it the next day if you don't feel the need.

[A]

And you won't have.

[B]

You won't feel that. Right.

[A]

Also has fewer cardiovascular effects, less of an impact on blood sugar and heart rate, and has been shown to protect dopamine neurons and is strongly protective against neurodegeneration. So I love it. My favorite story with it was actually when we released it, I had a two day executive meeting. And at the end of the executive meeting, I was taking everybody to the Laker game because I treat an NBA basketball player and he was playing in this game, and. And it's 2:00 in the afternoon, it's Tuesday, I'm tired, I'm a little bit irritable. Too many numbers, too many discussions, and I'm like, how am I ever going to make this next nine hours? Then I remembered, oh, we just released peak energy. So I took one capsule, and then I didn't think about it again until you and I were on our way home. It's quarter to 11. We're on the 405 freeway coming home from the Laker game, and I'm like, holy smokes. My energy was clean. I was so focused because, you know, if I have a player, I'm watching every, every game, every play in the game. And I'm like, whoa, that was so cool. And I use it regularly just to sort of top off the energy.

[B]

So let me tell you my favorite story. So my niece walks in the other day and she goes, oh, my gosh, I love that peak energy stuff. Do you have a bottle of it? And I go, yeah, I'm so glad you like it. And she goes, yeah, it got me to stop drinking energy drinks because I stay up all night doing schoolwork. And she goes, now my friends want to buy it from me. And I go, you know, there's so much to unpack in that sentence. I don't know where to start. I just. So glad you like it. Let's talk about the rest of that. Like, I don't know where to start with that, but. But she loves it. And it's got her doing something healthy now instead of I didn't even know she was drinking energy drinks at night to stay up all night. So she do schoolwork because she's in a pretty rigorous program. Craziness.

[A]

Energy. There are energy robbers, especially negative people. They're energy fakers. Energy drinks and their energy enhancers. What you eat, how you think, who you spend time with, and things like peak energy. So to learn more, you can go to brainmd.com and we would just dearly love if you left us a comment, a question, a review, and subscribe to this podcast because it's only going to get better.