You Block Head! Following the Charlie Brown Diet

What Charlie Brown didn’t realize is all those times he thought Lucy was insulting him, she was actually complimenting him on his intelligence. Little did the fans of the Peanuts know, that not only was Lucy a fan of psychiatry by also of neuroscience. Lucy had studied up and knew that about 2/3rds of our brain is composed of fat and calling Charlie Brown a “Block Head”, also known as a “fathead”, was her way of letting him know she knew he had the appropriate amount of fat in his diet to help keep his brain in tip-top shape.

As Lucy would tell you, the fat in our brain is not the same fat that we crave in french fries or potato chips, but a special type of fat, Myelin, which our brain uses to keep those gears greased and free from pollution. Myelin (pronounced “ My lynn”), is a slippery, protective shield of cells that covers our brain cells and is made of 70% fat and 30% protein. So low-fat and no-fat diets are not a great idea for kids or teens; it’s about exercise and moderation.

We can follow in Charlie Brown’s footsteps and make sure our brain is getting the fat it needs, but we can’t do it on our own. Our bodies cannot self create all the fatty acids we need to build brain cells. Two of the important essential fatty acids we need to live we have to get through the food we eat; another reason to understand how to create a “balanced diet”.

When in balance, fatty acids have been shown to actually boost intelligence. So a balanced fathead creates a brainiac! An imbalance of fatty acids has been linked to hyperactivity, depression, brain allergies, and schizophrenia.  Makes me wonder if Jack Sprat, you remember the nursery rhyme character who could eat no fat, suffered from a short attention span, mood swings, depression and a bad memory. Poor guy.

Taking all this into consideration, it makes sense why a common recommendation from pediatrician and nutritionists for children struggling with depression and having difficulty concentrating, is to add Omega-3 fats to their diet. Their symptoms may be an indicator of an unbalanced diet and eating more fish and nuts (see “A bit more detail” below) could be a simple, and tasty, solution.

Lucy may have been a pioneer in brain science and nutrition. Along with her life advice for 5 cents, she could also have published the “Charlie Brown Block Head Diet Cookbook". I even think she could have gotten Snoopy to agree to be her chef.

A bit more detail…

A balanced ratio of the two fatty acid families (omega-3 and omega-6) is necessary for a healthy brain, which is structurally composed of a 1:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3. Western diets, however, tend to have at least twenty times more omega-6 fats (from meat and dairy) than omega-3 fats–an unhealthy ratio of 20:1.

This imbalance can be corrected by eating more omega-3-rich fish and flax seed oil, by eating less sugar, and by completely avoiding trans fatty acids found in partially-hydrogenated oils, margarine, and shortening.

Even more detail….

One of the most common fatty acids in myelin is oleic acid, which is also the most abundant fatty acid in human milk and olive oil as well as the oils from almonds, pecans, macadamias, peanuts, and avocados.

The first essential fatty acid you need is Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the foundation of the "omega-3" family of fatty acids. Food sources of omega-3 ALA include flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, sea vegetables (let’s here it for seaweed!), green leafy vegetables (yay spinach!), broccoli, cauliflower, winter squash, and cold water fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel, and trout.

The second essential fatty acid you need is Linoleic acid (LA). LA is the foundation of the "omega-6" family of fatty acids. Food sources of omega-6 LA include expeller cold-pressed sunflower, safflower, corn, and sesame oils, nuts, sandwich meats and nuts such as walnuts, peanut butter, and almond butter.

 Your doctor, nutritionist, or books from your local library, can give you more information on creating a balanced diet.