The Dan Buettner Podcast
Episode: New Year Refresh: Hack Your Brain for a Longer Life
Guest: Dr. Daniel Amen
Date: January 20, 2026

Main Theme and Purpose

This episode is a “refresh” focused on actionable strategies for brain health and longevity, drawing on Dr. Daniel Amen’s clinical expertise and Dan Buettner’s Blue Zone longevity research. Buettner and Amen delve into practical steps anyone can take to protect and enhance brain health, debunk common misconceptions, and discuss social, psychological, and environmental influences on cognitive vitality.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Importance of Brain Health

• Everything stems from brain health
  “If your brain isn’t sharp or if your brain isn’t working for some reason, nothing else matters much, does it?”
  (Dan Buettner, 05:02)

• Personal connection to brain health: Dr. Amen explains how seeing his own brain scan changed his approach to health, realizing that the brain—just like the heart—is an organ that needs care.
  (Amen, 07:38–09:40)

Gaining Perspective: Naming Your Mind

• Naming your mind for psychological distance:
  Dr. Amen shares his technique of naming his mind after his mischievous pet raccoon, Hermey, to gain perspective and not take every thought seriously.
  — “You don’t have to believe every stupid thing Hermey says, and it’s all going to be fine.”
  (Amen, 07:00)

Biggest Mistake Americans Make

• Not developing a relationship with the brain:
  “They don’t think about it. They never really develop a relationship with it. And it’s arguably the most important relationship you will ever have.”
  (Amen, 07:38)

• Physical brain care: Amen describes his own unhealthy habits as a young doctor and how changing them improved his mood and consistency.

Actionable Strategies for Brain Health

Avoid What Hurts:

• Key Risk Factors:
  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • Lack of new learning
  • Pro-inflammatory foods (sugar, processed foods)
  • Ignoring genetic risk
  • Head injuries (“Mild traumatic brain injury ruins people’s lives and nobody knows about it.”) (Amen, 12:41)
  • Toxic exposures (air pollution, drugs, alcohol)
  • Low vitamin D
  • Low testosterone
  • Overweight/obesity (“If you’re overweight, you have 10 of the 11 risk factors for dementia and aging. That’s 75% of Americans.”) (Amen, 15:04)
  • Poor sleep / untreated sleep apnea

Do What Helps:

• Key Protective Habits:

  • Exercise & new learning

  • Healthy fats (especially omega-3s from fish or supplement)

  • Regular risk assessment and prevention

  • Detoxification: saunas

  • Mental habits: Don’t believe every negative thought; practice psychological distance

  • Optimize vitamin D and hormones

  • Cut sugar: “One reason to avoid sugar: if you get a sugar burst, it decreases testosterone by 25%.” (Amen, 16:26)

  • Sleep as non-negotiable: “Go to bed half an hour early tonight… Sleep is so important.” (Amen, 15:13)

Putting It Together: “Brain Envy” & Bright Minds Acronym

• “You want to learn to love and care for your brain. It is the organ where size really does matter.”
  (Amen, 12:02)

• Amen's acronym “BRIGHT MINDS” covers the risk factors and can be used as a checklist.

Social and Environmental Factors

• Luxury is time, not stuff: In the Blue Zones, real luxury is time to walk, converse, and slow down—not material accumulation.
  (Buettner, 17:26)

• The power of social circles:
  “You become like the people you spend time with. Behavior is contagious.” (Amen, 33:51)
  — Doing health interventions as a group (churches, “moai” social groups) doubles success rates.

The Dangers of Head Injury

• Brain injury and how to heal:
  • SPECT scans can reveal injuries long before cognitive symptoms
  • “Head trauma is the most damaging” — early intervention with supplements (high-dose B vitamins, omega-3s, ginkgo, huperzine A, and more), sleep, and lifestyle changes can heal brains, even in NFL players.
    (Amen, 20:07–26:40)

Sugar: The Hidden Menace

• Sugar’s direct impact on cognition
  — “Is there a safe amount of sugar?”
  — “Well, it just depends how much you love yourself. ... Yes, I want the cookie, but not when I go, what do I really want? Energy, memory, independence.”
  (Amen, 29:57–30:56)

• Reframing deprivation: When you do the right thing, praise yourself—don’t let your “four-year-old self” run the show. (Amen, 31:31)

Self-Tracking and Support

• Weighing and daily accountability: Daily self-weighing and group support fosters success via external accountability and small dopamine rewards. (Buettner, 32:04–34:09)
  • “People get better together or they get sick together.” (Amen, 37:17)

Community, Rituals, and Longevity

• Faith-based communities add years:
  Ritual attendance (church, temple, mosque) boosts life expectancy and provides consistent social support and stress relief. (Buettner, 37:56–39:22)

Drugs and Alcohol: The Unfiltered Perspective

• No safe level of alcohol:
  “Not a week goes by where alcohol hasn't messed up someone's life and alcohol prematurely ages the brain.” (Amen, 39:53)

• Marijuana is not harmless:
  — Decreases blood flow, especially dangerous for youth; linked to increased depression, anxiety, and psychosis.
  “Every area of their brain is lower in blood flow. ... The lungs were more damaged with marijuana [than tobacco].” (Amen, 42:34–43:16)
  — Teen brains are especially vulnerable due to ongoing myelination till mid-20s.

• Adapting to Real Life:
  Both agree perfect health is rare; better to aim for healthy norms and engineered environments over guilt or zero-tolerance. (Buettner, 47:13–50:23)

National Brain Health Revolution

• Amen’s Vision:
  “Imagine if America became the world's first brain healthy nation. ... Is what I'm doing good for my brain or bad for it?” (Amen, 26:42–27:26)

Overcoming Resistance and Critics

• Amen’s struggles in the academic world:
  He faced skepticism, was called a charlatan, and felt isolated, but numerous success stories kept him going.
  — “They only try to tackle people who have the ball.” (NFL player to Amen on critics) (Amen, 58:33)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 07:38 | Amen | “They don’t think about it. They never really develop a relationship with it...” | | 12:02 | Amen | “You want to learn to love and care for your brain... It is the organ where size really matters.” | | 15:13 | Amen | “Go to bed a half an hour early tonight. Sleep is so important.” | | 16:26 | Amen | “If you get a sugar burst, it decreases testosterone by 25%.” | | 29:57 | Amen | “Well, it just depends how much you love yourself. ... What do I want? Energy, memory, independence.” | | 33:51 | Amen | “You become like the people you spend time with. ... Behavior is contagious.” | | 37:17 | Amen | “People get better together or they get sick together.” | | 39:53 | Amen | “As a psychiatrist, there is not a week that goes by where alcohol hasn't messed up someone's life...”| | 42:34 | Amen | “I published a study on a thousand marijuana users. Every area of their brain is lower in blood flow.” | | 26:42 | Amen | “I'm working on this big idea of a national brain health revolution. ... Is what I'm doing good for my brain or bad for it?” | | 58:33 | NFL Player (via Amen) | “They only try to tackle people who have the ball.” |

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:18] “You are not stuck with the brain you have.” — Dr. Amen’s core message
• [06:05] Dr. Amen on naming his mind after a raccoon, Hermey
• [07:38] Mistake: Not developing a relationship with your brain
• [12:02–16:26] Lists of what harms and helps your brain; practical steps
• [20:07–26:40] Head trauma, SPECT scanning, NFL study, reversing brain injury
• [29:57–32:04] Sugar’s impact, reframing deprivation, daily weighing and social support
• [37:45–39:22] Faith communities as a vehicle for long-term health
• [39:53–43:16] Alcohol and marijuana’s effect on the brain and society
• [47:13–50:23] Realistic civic policy on intoxicants and food
• [53:03–55:09] Improving cognitive aging—study discussion
• [56:00–58:33] Amen on facing critics and sustaining purpose

Tone and Language

The episode is practical, conversational, and evidence-based, with an engaging mix of anecdote, humor (naming the brain “Hermey”), and direct scientific authority. Dr. Amen uses approachable metaphors and clear, memorable phrasing; Buettner grounds the discussion in real-world, Blue Zones-inspired wisdom.

Concluding Insights

• Self-care and Brain Health Are Lifelong, Group-Focused Habits: Consistency, accountability, and community make health sustainable.
• Focus on What You Can Control: Avoid what hurts, do what helps, and forgive yourself occasional imperfection.
• Empowerment Over Guilt: The key to better brain health is love and awareness, not restriction or punishment.
• Take Action: “You are not stuck with the brain you have. You can make it better, and I can prove it.” (Amen, 55:52)

This episode delivers actionable, science-based advice in a friendly, motivating style—appealing equally to those new to brain health and seasoned longevity seekers.