Kevin_Amen_Clinic — Brain Health Protocol

THE FRAMEWORK

The Three Pillars

Every optimization below fits into one of three domains. Master all three.

FOUNDATION

Test. Measure. Baseline. You cannot optimize what you do not track.

DAILY INPUTS

Food, supplements, sleep, movement — the compounding daily deposits.

SUPERCHARGE

Sauna, HBOT, vagal stimulation, toxin defense — the accelerators.

01 · FUEL

Feed the machine that runs everything.

Stick To

Wild-caught fish
Grass-fed meat
Organic greens
Protein: 1.5 g per kg body weight daily

Minimize

Pasta, rice, wheat, white potatoes (fast carbs)

Avoid

Sugar
Processed foods
Seed oils

Cook With

Labeled "glyphosate residue free"

Avocado oil
Butter
Ghee
Beef tallow
MCT oil

Protocol

18:6 intermittent fasting window

The 8 × 8 Rule

Eight 8-ounce glasses daily. About 2 liters. Half a gallon.

Water source: Mineral water or reverse osmosis only. Tap water carries arsenic, fluoride, forever chemicals, microplastics, atrazine, hormones, antibiotics, and lead.

Shop Hydroviv Filters

02 · STACK

The Supplement Protocol.

Screen every supplement quality first.

Verify at Supp.co

If you follow this protocol, you can stop your standard multivitamin.

Morning Stack (once daily)

Supplement	Dose	Order
Brain and Body Power Max	1 packet	BrainMD
Astaxanthin	12 mg	Sports Research
C15:0	100–200 mg daily	Fatty15
Vitamin D3 + K2	5000 IU (125 mcg) + 100 mcg K2	Thorne D/K2
Nattokinase	2000 SU	Swanson

Morning + Afternoon Stack (twice daily)

Supplement	Dose	Order
Creatine*	5 g	BrainMD Smart Creatine or Create Gummies (NSF)
Liposomal NAD+	Per label	Rho Nutrition
Phytosomal Curcumin (Meriva)	1000 mg	Thorne
Omega-3 Power	1 softgel (~750 mg EPA+DHA)	BrainMD
NAC	1200 mg	BrainMD
Lithium Orotate	10 mg	Swanson or BrainMD
L-Theanine	400 mg	Thorne
Tyrosine (Joyli gummies)	1000 mg	Joyli
Sulforaphane	1 cap	Thorne

*Creatine — only take if your last blood test shows GFR > 59.

Night Stack

Supplement	Dose	Order
Stress Relief Sleep	3 caps	BrainMD

03 · RESTORE

Sleep is when the brain cleans itself.

Sleep Architecture

Target: 7.5 hours = 5 sleep cycles × 90 minutes.

Position: Sleep on your non-dominant side (improves glymphatic clearance).

Reference: Sleep position & dementia risk

Last Meal Rules

Eat ~2 hours before bed.
Minimize fast carbs and sugars.

Good choices: Protein + slow carbs — sweet potatoes, carrots, avocado, banana, kiwi, asparagus, fish, kefir, sauerkraut.

Wind-Down (starts 9 PM, out of bed)

Dim all lights
Blue-light blocking glasses — Swannies · Ra Optics · TrueDark
No screens, no gadgets, no stimulating content
Scheduled worry time + to-do list (get it out of your head)
Warm shower or sauna
Boring reading only

NSDR / Calming Protocols

2–3× daily ideally

Yoga Nidra 10-min: Watch
Yoga Nidra 30-min: Watch
Physiological Sighing: Regular inhale → short second inhale → long slow exhale. Demo

Sleep Schedule Anchor

10:00 PM or later: Only get in bed when sleepy.

5:30 AM: FIXED wake time. Alarm on. Get out of bed immediately.

04 · MOVE

22 minutes. That's all.

TARGET HR = (220 − YOUR AGE) × 70–75%

Frequency: 5–7 days per week

Duration: 22 minutes per session

Benefits: Telomere lengthening, endocannabinoid boost

Options: Stationary bike · elliptical · treadmill · brisk walking (like you're running late)

PMC study on 22-min protocol

05 · SUPERCHARGE

The accelerators.

Layer these once the foundation is locked in.

Sauna

Frequency: 3× per week minimum. Work up to 5–7× for maximum protection.

Protocol

Under 170°F → 40 minutes
170°F or higher → 20 minutes

Data: 2–3×/week reduces dementia risk by 30%. 5–7×/week reduces it by 60%.

Research: Mayo Clinic Proceedings

Note: Most infrared saunas top out at 140°F. Traditional saunas hit 170–180°F (therapeutic zone).

Only infrared reaching 180°F: Sauna Pod by Pod Company

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)

Protocol: Most days of the week. 60–90 minutes per session.

Pair with: An oxygen concentrator (required for full benefit).

Research hubs

Own your machine: Summit to Sea Order Form

Vagal Nerve Stimulation

Device: Truvaga

Side: RIGHT side only

Frequency: Minimum 2 stimulations, twice daily. Up to 15/day.

Toxin Defense

Scan every personal care product with the Think Dirty app.
Review certified glyphosate-free products at Detox Project
Environmental biotoxin resources: Biotoxin

THE DAILY FLOW

One page. One day. Rinse and repeat.

5:30 AM

Wake

Alarm off. Feet on floor. No snooze.

5:35 AM

Hydrate

16 oz mineral or RO water.

5:45 AM

Move

22-min zone-2 cardio at 70–75% max HR.

6:15 AM

Recover

Sauna session (if scheduled day) OR NSDR / physiological sighing.

7:00 AM

Stack 1

Morning supplements + first AM/PM stack dose. Break fast within your 18:6 window (or hold).

12:00 PM

Fuel

First (or main) meal — protein + greens + healthy fats.

2:00 PM

Stack 2

Second AM/PM stack dose.

2:15 PM

NSDR

10–30 min yoga nidra OR 3 rounds physiological sighing.

4:00 PM

Vagal

Truvaga — right side, 2 stimulations.

6:00 PM

Last Meal

Protein + slow carbs. ~2 hours before bed.

8:00 PM

Vagal

Truvaga — right side, 2 stimulations.

9:00 PM

Wind-Down

Out of bed. Dim lights. Blue-blockers on. No screens. Boring reading.

9:45 PM

Night Stack

Stress Relief Sleep — 3 caps.

10:00 PM+

Sleep

Bed only when sleepy. Non-dominant side. Target 7.5 hours.

BASELINE

You cannot optimize what you do not measure.

Blood Panel

Pull all blood work from the last 12 months.
Send results to your practitioner's assistant before starting the protocol.
Confirm GFR > 59 before adding creatine.

Sleep Study

Book an in-lab Polysomnogram — not a home test.
Purpose: measure sleep fragmentation, NREM/REM compromise, hypopneas, UARS.
Essential if you have a history of sleep apnea, UPPP surgery, or no follow-up sleep testing in 5+ years.

Rewire Your Operating System.

The Three Pillars

FOUNDATION

DAILY INPUTS

SUPERCHARGE

Feed the machine that runs everything.

Stick To

Minimize

Avoid

Cook With

Protocol

The 8 × 8 Rule

The Supplement Protocol.

Sleep is when the brain cleans itself.

Sleep Architecture

Last Meal Rules

Wind-Down (starts 9 PM, out of bed)

NSDR / Calming Protocols

Sleep Schedule Anchor

22 minutes. That's all.

The accelerators.

Sauna

Protocol

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)

Research hubs

Vagal Nerve Stimulation

Toxin Defense

One page. One day. Rinse and repeat.

You cannot optimize what you do not measure.

Blood Panel

Sleep Study

Everything in one place.

Ready to run the protocol?