The Brainy Moms
The Brainy Moms
Dr. Amy Moore
Dopamine Magnets: How to Replace Screens, Social Media, and Junk Food with High Value Habits | Dr. Michaeleen Doucleff
59 minutes Posted Jul 7, 2026 at 6:00 am.
Welcome, Newsletter, Meet Dr. Doucleff
Dopamine: The Do-It-Again Signal
Dopamine Magnets And Environment Design
Start Tiny And Make It Permanent
Why You Must Replace Screens
Teens Need Buy-In And Brain Science
Real Adventure With Tools And Fire
Trauma And Stress Amplify Wanting
Sponsor Break: LearningRx Story
Ultra-Processed Foods Hijack Dopamine
Devaluing Snacks And Resetting Taste
One Tweak A Week With Context
Where To Find Dr. Ducleff
Closing And Newsletter Reminder
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Show notes
Dopamine gets blamed for everything from doomscrolling to snack attacks, but the real problem is that most of us were taught the wrong story. On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy chat with biochemist and best-selling author of Dopamine Kids, Dr. Michaeleen Doucleff to unpack what dopamine actually does in the brain: it drives wanting, motivation, and the powerful “do it again” loop, even when the thing we’re chasing doesn’t deliver real joy. That single shift explains...