Change Your Brain Every Day
Episode: This is the #1 Strategy to Raising Mentally Strong Kids
Hosts: Dr. Daniel Amen & Tana Amen
Date: December 19, 2025
Episode Overview
In this episode, Dr. Daniel Amen dives deep into the core strategy for raising mentally strong kids, emphasizing that "brain health is foundational to mental strength." The conversation combines scientific insights, practical advice, and true stories from Dr. Amen’s clinical experience, focusing on the importance of understanding and optimizing children's brain health as the key to resilience, good decision making, and lifelong mental wellness.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Foundation: Brain Health Equals Mental Strength
- Dr. Amen states: "When your brain works right, you work right. This applies to kids and adults of all ages." (02:21)
- Dr. Amen shares his clinic’s experience with over 250,000 brain SPECT scans, emphasizing that most psychiatric problems are brain health issues, not just 'mental health' problems.
- Shifting from blame on parenting to focusing on the child's brain as the root issue.
“If a child has a problem, our society and even many therapists blame the parents. But what if they are missing something much more foundational? What if they are missing a brain that is in trouble? Blame the brain.” (05:11)
2. Case Study: Chris’s Story
- Chris, diagnosed with ADHD at 6, experienced aggression, failed treatments, and received the blame for his behavior.
- Dr. Amen recounts:
"I felt like he was testing me ... But what I was going to do ... was scan his little brain to find out why he acted the way he did." (08:50)
- Chris’s scan revealed low activity in areas linked to impulse control and aggression.
- Customized interventions (GABA and dopamine supplements, brain-healthy diet) produced dramatic improvements:
“Within weeks, Chris was a different child. He was happier, did better in school, and the aggressive outbursts stopped. His mother no longer looked like she was the problem.” (12:58)
- Six years later, Chris is thriving and out of crisis:
“What do you think would have happened to Chris if I hadn’t mapped and balanced his brain? ... You cannot parent your way out of a child's troubled brain.” (14:14)
3. The “Three Primary Strategies” for Brain Health
- Simple core steps:
- Love your brain – “It makes you who you are.”
- Avoid anything that hurts your brain.
- Engage in regular brain healthy habits. (15:09)
- Dr. Amen recommends starting these conversations early.
“Starting the brain health conversation is easy with kids. Make a game of it.” (16:10)
4. Making Brain Health Fun: "Chloe’s Game"
- Describes a playful way to engage his daughter, Chloe, in learning what’s good or bad for the brain.
- Examples from their game:
- Avocados: “Two thumbs up, God’s butter.”
- Blueberries: "Two thumbs up, God’s candy," but only if they're organic.
- Hitting a soccer ball with your head: “Thumbs down. No way.”
- Highlights the importance of diet and environment in the developing brain, and teaching kids to make informed choices. (17:45)
5. Addressing Subtle Brain Health Risks
- Warns honestly about effects of sugar, toxins, vaping, alcohol, and marijuana:
“Don’t believe the marketing hype. Vaping is not a healthier form of smoking, alcohol is not a health food, and marijuana is not innocuous.” (19:58)
- Describes his published study showing “every area of the brain was lower in activity from childhood all the way into your mid-20s” with marijuana use. (21:11)
- Uses metaphor: “Think of brain development as a vibrant city under construction … Using substances is like flooding the streets with toxic chemicals or taking wrecking balls to the new roads and buildings.” (22:15)
- Digital risks: excessive screen time and social media are highlighted as new toxins. (24:20)
6. Technology, Social Media, and Kids’ Brains
- Social media mimics casino addiction strategies.
“If you aren’t paying for a product, then you are the product. Social media companies manipulate kids … leading to toxic levels of being self absorbed. Self absorbed kids are unhappy kids.” (25:31)
- Three or more hours on social media doubles the risk for anxiety and depression.
- Advice: Delay cell phones, social media, and video games as long as possible, and actively supervise their use. (27:10)
7. Final Practical Strategies
- Building a healthy brain for life:
- Prioritize healthy food, regular exercise (especially coordination-based sports), targeted supplements, and sleep.
- Exercises like tennis and dancing stimulate critical brain regions for development.
“Exercise is a critical brain health habit, especially coordination exercises which stimulate the cerebellum in the back bottom part of the brain.” (29:33)
- Supplement recommendations: multivitamins, omega-3s, probiotics, and especially saffron for mood and focus. (31:07)
- Tana Amen’s new cookbook for kids: accessible, brain-healthy recipes families can make together.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- "You cannot parent your way out of a child's troubled brain. But there is advanced technology now to understand and help their brains. Brain first." — Dr. Amen (14:40)
- “If you want your children to be responsible, confident, happy, kind, and resilient … it starts by talking to them about having a healthy brain.” (03:55)
- "Some things are obviously bad for the brain, such as head injuries, poor sleep, poor quality food, and toxins like drugs, nicotine and alcohol." (19:12)
- “Tech companies use the same strategy that casinos use to addict unsuspecting youngsters who start to crave more time on the free programs.” (24:38)
Key Timestamps
- 02:21 — The foundational importance of brain health
- 05:11 — Challenging the blame game in parenting
- 08:50–13:30 — Chris’s journey: from crisis to thriving
- 15:09 — The three brain health rules for kids
- 17:45 — Chloe’s Game: making brain health fun and understandable
- 19:58–22:15 — Dangers of substances during brain development
- 24:20–27:10 — The risks of screen time, social media, and how kids get addicted
- 29:33 — The power of exercise (and what ruins it)
- 31:07 — Supplements and Tana Amen’s kid-friendly cookbook
Podcast Tone
- Direct, encouraging, and practical
- Warm, personal anecdotes mixed with clear, science-backed advice
- Unapologetically focused on shifting the conversation from blame and shame to actionable brain-based strategies for stronger, happier kids
Summary:
This episode gives a game-changing, actionable framework for parents, educators, and caregivers: Mentally strong kids are built on the foundation of brain health. Dr. Amen urges listeners to make the brain the primary focus in understanding behavior, to foster open discussions about what helps and hurts the brain, and to use brain scans and practical strategies to guide interventions. His stories, metaphors, and tools—like "Chloe's Game"—offer ways to start the conversation at any age. The message is clear: You can’t parent your way out of a troubled brain, but you can help your child thrive by making their brain (and yours) as healthy as possible.