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.

It’s a jungle in there… well, really more like a rain forest

Have you noticed that scientists like using a computer as an analogy when describing our minds?  They make statements like our brains are ‘wired’ and process information in parallel and series circuits, with gears churning through thoughts until the pieces fit. Their descriptions bring across a point, though it feels a bit too dry and orderly to me.

I prefer to view the inner region between our ears as a wet, vibrant, and wild rain forest, with our creative inspirations stampeding like elephants, our repetitive thoughts calling back to us like Myna birds, and our confused notions swirling and swinging like monkeys across the canopy, searching for a point on which to land. I also prefer this analogy because just like the rain forest, our brains need a lot of water to thrive.

Did you know:

• Our brain cells are about 85% water?

• Water is directly connected to brain function and is used to make neurotransmitters, including serotonin (helps with depression) and melatonin (which improves attention span)?

• Headaches, forgetfulness and dizziness are symptoms of dehydration?

• A lack of water in the body - chronic dehydration - has been shown to be the root cause of many painful diseases, asthma, allergies, hypertension (high blood pressure), excess body weight, and some emotional problems including depression.* 

How much water do we need to thrive?

One of the first assignments I give my students is to drink more water. It’s simple and it helps. Doctors advise that to be properly hydrated, we need to drink the equivalent of ½ our body weight in ounces of water every day. For example, a child weighing 100 lbs would shoot for the goal of 50 ounces of water a day. For my teenage and adult students, it amounts to 2 to 3 quarts a day.  Most people are surprised to learn that they need that much water. Don’t worry; you don’t have to drink all of it. If every day you eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, you can subtract one quart. That leaves 2 quarts a day to drink. 

Rule of thumb: drink about 2 quarts of water a day.

Now, I’m talking water - not soda, not juice, not milk, or coffee, and definitely not energy drinks. Your body and brain uses the water to clean out toxins. Consider how taking a shower in juice would feel compared to taking a shower in water? Just not the same. If you choose to drink something caffeinated then you need to add more water; 8oz coke = another 8 oz glass of water. If you decide to drink something with alcohol, then you need to double the amount of water; 4 oz glass of wine = 8 oz glass of water.

Fresh, clean, filtered water is essential to our health in so many ways. Relating to our brains, water provides the medium necessary for optimum communication between the neurons in our brain and throughout our nervous system. 

So, get out your water bottle, fill it up with filtered water and say “cheers” to the rain forest between your ears!


*This information is presented in the book 
Your Body's Many Cries for Water by F. Batmanghelidj, M.D.

The Blossoming Mind - The Body Side of the Nourishment Pyramid

Henry captured my heart from the moment he walked through the door. He had a warm, sweet smile, a gentle disposition and an ease about him. He told me he wanted to feel better though he didn't know what to do. Henry explained that he usually has no appetite, has trouble sleeping, gets angry easily, and is struggling in school. Henry is sixteen years old and didn’t realize that he was drinking one pound of sugar every day.  He wasn’t aware of the affects what he was eating and drinking had on his body or that it could easily lead to future problems like Type 2 diabetes. I sensed that Henry felt I was overreacting to his situation. Sadly, Henry is one of many teens who believes what he hears in advertising and that health warnings are for the "other guy".

Henry didn’t know that:

• Emergency rooms are seeing a rise in teenagers with heart palpitations and seizures. This increase is being related to the popularity and increased use of energy drinks.
• Pediatricians are finding correlations between lack of sleep and water intake and episodes of depression and hyperactivity.
• Children who skip breakfast are less able to distinguish among similar images, show increased errors, and have slower memory recall.
• Children experiencing hunger and thirst are more likely to be hyperactive, absent and tardy, in addition to having behavioral and attention problems.
• Children and teens require 10 hours of sleep a day. Besides cell repair and growth, deep sleep coincides with the release of growth hormone in children and young adults.

When I first meet with a student, I am very interested in their diet, sleep habits, and water intake. The quickest and easiest way I have found to help students like Henry is to add three things to their life: more sleep, more water, and more exercise. The next step is to remove a few items from their diet and reduce the amount of time they spend in front of a flat screen (tv, computer, or hand held).

 The picture below is the dietary guideline I use:

Nourishment Pyramid – The body side

Eating nutritional food is the first step. The body then needs to properly digest the food and absorb the nutrients. As well as learning challenges, my students usually also experience digestive problems, diarrhea, constipation, food allergies, or are picky eaters. I interpret these ailments as as indication of an imbalance to the health and integrity of the flora in their gut (intestines). The gut flora can be damaged by antibiotics, steroids, other drugs, a diet high in processed and sugary carbohydrates and low in fresh fruit and vegetables, and other stress factors. If this is the case, I suggest a particular diet with supplements to help heal their gut. The results have been amazing.

Henry agreed that his diet was high in sugar and that it might be causing some of his difficulties. He just wasn’t ready to make the changes I recommended. He joked, as teenagers do, believing that he would be the exception and live free of any complications. I hope he is right or he changes his mind before his challenges become more serious.

Next blog we'll focus on the need for water and fat. 

The Blossoming Mind Part 2 - Nutrition and Learning

The first time I met Charlie, he was like a human pinball. I grew dizzy tracking him as he bounced from one side of the room to the other. During our session I realized that I had raised my voice to ask him questions, possibly thinking that volume would slow his pace. It didn’t. His mom courteously interrupted saying that Charlie had good days and bad days and that today was not a good one. That was my first clue, and a big one. 

Years ago, as a systems engineer, I was trained to uncover causes for changes. If it was an improvement, we wanted to repeat it, if not, I was to find the reason and eliminate it. At times I felt like “The Terminator”, though without the accent. My ears still perk up when a problem is described as intermittent. Reflexes kick in and I start searching for anything that varies along with the problem. My first clue came at snack time. Charlie only like certain foods and would eat those foods in large quantities. 

When investigating food allergies or interactions, the first place to start is with food we crave. If we “can’t live without” it, then it’s probably affecting us in one way or another. In my work the affect usually means trouble. I could suggest a dozen ways to improve Charlie’s learning environment, though our success would be limited if something he was eating or drinking was placing his brain under stress. For Charlie, it ended up being gluten, dairy, and peanut butter. Once they were eliminated from his diet, he could sit with me and chat for 20 minutes. It was amazing and a new, happier life for Charlie and his family.

  What a child consumes and breathes can have an astounding affect on their ability to control their behavior. Because of this, I begin my work with a look at NUTRITION and nourishment. 

You may be familiar with the food pyramid. Personally, I’ve always wondered why the FDA refers to it as a pyramid, when it is obviously a triangle. I’m thinking that it started out as a pyramid, a Nourishment Pyramid™, describing how to feed a whole person; body, mind, and spirit. Maybe in translation, or due to budget cuts, they decided to keep one side but forgot to change pyramid to triangle.  We’re ditching the food pyramid and replacing it with the Nourishment Pyramid™.

The four sides of the Nourishment Pyramid™ are:       

1. Body - health through nourishing food choices, activity and sleep
2. Mind - health through activity, sleep, a positive approach to challenges, support, pride, and self-esteem
3.  Spirit - health through sleep, joy, laughter, and a peace that comes with feeling connected and fulfilled
4. Learning - is unique to each person and directly affected by the other three sides.

Next we’ll focus on the Body side of the Nourishment Pyramid™.

A Blossoming Mind - part 1

“Well,” the Lily said turning to Zo, “what are your conditions, Blossom?” 

“I…I don’t have any conditions, ” Zo replied.

“Hah!”Bracken barked.

“You have to have conditions, otherwise you’d be dead” Louise said. “What are your conditions to grow? You know, do you need full sun, shade, moist roots, lots of space,…?”

“Or are you like fungi” Bracken interjected, “and grow in the dark with crap?”

“Now don’t you mind Bracken,” Lily said. “His soil is a little on the acidic side this morning.”

“What would I like my conditions to be...?” Zo thought aloud.

“Oh Seedlet, it’s not something you think about or choose, it’s your true nature.”
                                          ~ from Zo and the Knowbuddies (unpublished, still hopeful)

It seemed fitting that on Valentine’s Day I present you with a flower.


 

This particular one is a drawing compilation of my work, or you could say the ‘fruit’ of my research. (pun intended) 

At first, I approached my research a bit like a construction worker- looking to build bridges between educational theories and neuroscience - and create a structure for learners to follow. Some 30 years later, I find myself more as a unique gardener: curiously working with an organic process, sifting through the expectations, weeding out negative thoughts, and sowing supportive learning behaviors.

I help cultivate this new ground by leading my students in a playful exploration of their unique characteristics. Through conversations, questions, and simple activities, we discover how to create the places and spaces that support how they think and learn, and help them flourish and bloom.

I have come to understand that the areas depicted on the petals are intertwined in every learning experience. At times, an area may branch out and shine as genius. At other times that same area may get in the way and create a distraction or roadblock.

We will look at each petal with more detail in future posts with the same title: 

A Blossoming Mind.

Ellery Queen and the Diva

I am an Ellery Queen fan. Solving cases with Mr. Queen felt like teamwork. Sherlock Holmes had interesting cases and his attention to detail was surpassed by no one. Though I found he kept secrets, making it impossible for the reader to solve the case alongside him. Columbo was only amusing to watch. Knowing who the culprit was from the opening scene left nothing for anyone else to do but watch him drop cigar ashes and forget questions.

I imagine my office as having an Ellery Queen flavor with a dash of ‘Guy Noir - Private Investigator’. When my phone rings, I take the call knowing that somewhere, something isn’t right.

“Hello,” I say.

“Hello, I am hoping you can help me,” is the usual reply. The troubled voice on the other end of the line introduces themselves as a parent and begins to relay their concerns, which have grown into a problem. I listen as they introduce me to their child’s struggle with math or reading, or school grades, or a behavior that has been interpreted by someone as a lack of caring. After gathering details on the challenges they are facing, I ask one of the most important questions I know: 

“What does your child do well?”

“What do you mean?” they typically respond.

“What does he like to do? How does he spend his free time or what hobbies does he have?” I continue knowing that the person on the other end of the line isn’t stumped, they just need a moment to find the answers that, like the calendar on my desk, have been buried under a pile of less useful information.

After we have listed hobbies, talents, and behaviors that show up before they are invited, I explain my methods. Together we will search and discover the clues that will lead us to how we can set a path to our goal. In this regards, I see myself like the 90’s TV character MacGyver. MacGyver has this uncanny ability to use what is around him to reach his goals. By using a stick of gum, a sweat sock and a battery , MacGyver could create a device that would save himself, and his guest star, from bombs, run-a-way trains, and burning buildings.

For those of you who have yet to see an episode of MacGyver, let’s try this: pretend it’s Wednesday evening and you and I need to make dinner. As we chat about the menu, I search the kitchen for ideas.

“Well, we don’t have any tomatoes, eggs, zucchini, or cream of mushroom soup and it looks like we’re out of ranch dressing too.” I state. “ What would you like to make?” 

“That’s no help.” You’d politely reply. “Can you tell me what we do have?” 

The easiest way to make a meal is by knowing what ingredients you have work with. Similarly, the best place to start to rediscover genius is with what naturally wants to happen.

In my years of detective work, I have found Genius to be a performer. A diva who, if asked to remain quiet for too long, will read others lines from the script and make a stage entrance uninvited. When this happens, she receives bad reviews and her audience is distracted from her true talents. I work to revive Genius’s career by finding the roles that highlight her attributes and remind her audience how she naturally shines.

Whether it’s getting a high school gymnast to see how “x” walks the balance beam “=” (equal sign) to the other side, or the teenage scientist to associate his foggy thinking during a test with dropping a bowling ball into a tub of flour, giving Genius a spotlight will change the show.

erasing with snow

I love February and her clear, sunny, snow covered days. February snow is different from the other winter months. In November and December the snow is wetter and temporary, teasing skiers and angel makers. When snow falls in February, it glistens, and blankets the landscape, calming and quieting  neighborhoods. In the silence I can hear myself. I'm reminded of how much I need silence to be able to sift through the layers of my thoughts and reach the source of my creativity.

Over the years, I have learned to give myself the time to pause and let those who I am in conversation with know that I am processing. I joke with my students how it would be nice if we could have some sort of icon pop up above our head, like the hour glass symbol on a computer screen, to indicate that even though it may look like we’re just sitting here, we're actually working on a solution.

I do see resemblances of that icon when a student scrunches their nose, taps their pencil, sighs with a drawn out 'hmmm', or bounces their leg (or their entire body). For others I sense a pause when they meet the challenge and determine their strategy, searching for the motivation and path to move forward. I feel like a detective of sorts, looking for the clues; how quickly did they pick up their pencil to work on the problem, did the rhythm in their breathing change, did they rub their brow or look in a certain direction? Like a dance, I wait for the right moment to interject my question and interrupt with guidance. How long I wait depends on several key things; one being how they erase.

Over the past several years I’ve seen the two basic erasing techniques, with variations in-between. They are the "grunt and attack" method and the “sigh and dust” approach. The “grunt and attack” method conveys the frustration with getting all the way to the end of the problem and needing to start all over again. It’s an all or nothing thinking approach to the problem with the process needing to be correct every step of the way or else it isn’t as clear. Their work is like creating a sandwich and if they add the wrong condiment they’ll need to start all over or they just won’t be able to digest it. With these students I choose to interject right after they have made a mistake. I interrupt with, “Take a look at this step” or “I’m not sure you wrote what you are thinking”. They don’t mind the disruption and prefer to catch the mistake before they carry it forward.

The “sigh and dust” approach is typical of a student who views the problem as a whole. They can compartmentalize their problem solving, keeping each step separate from the one before. Their work is like a puzzle and they are able to take out what doesn’t fit and replace it with what does. Afterward, when directed to a mistake, they sigh, gently erase only what was wrong and plug in the correct values. My part is to patiently wait until they have either moved away from the paper or set their pencil down. Then I begin by telling them what they have done right and pointing out what step needs to be reviewed asking them to take a moment and refocus.

Taking time to reflect and refocus can have a different rhythm for each learner. Having that time in silence, like on this snow covered February day, is a key to the heart of learning.

Alice and the not-so-Mad-Hatter share tea

Speaking of having friends for tea (my last post), I did actually have a tea party "Get to know you" meeting.  A student's mother suggested it since she knew her daughter would run from any meeting about school, but would skip to a tea party. I smiled at the brilliant idea and felt the seeds of how to create a more relaxed first session plant themselves in my imagination. How would I search for clues in this new setting?  I saw myself  a bit like the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland bringing up my easy-to-answer though random questions during a chit-chat about the weather, American Girl dolls, and Disney on Ice.

I practiced in my head..."What a beautiful snowy day. What season do you like?" No, that wouldn't work. Maybe, "...American Girl dolls are so cool, do you like to read the books or just look at the catalogs?"  Now that sounded just plain weird.

I decided to let the process lead us and look for the signs of learning struggles within our conversation. Soon I found hints of learning stresses sprinkled within the crumbs of oatmeal-butterscotch cookies and reflecting off the pitcher of lemonade. Floating in and out of ideas and stories, we found our way to talking about school work, learning, and the frustrations in reading and math. Moments later we were out of our chairs doing a few activities, glad to be working off the chocolate covered pretzels and gingersnaps.  Amongst paper, crayons, and multi-colored plastic gems, we laid a path to lighten her load while learning.  Feeling refreshed, we said our goodbyes and a few hours later I received a phone call which was the best gift of my afternoon.  An excited mother repeated that on their way home her smiling daughter had said  "Mommy, I think I'm going to start liking school now." Now that's my cup of tea.

Picasso and Hawking for tea

As a learning coach,  I've met and learned with many children and each one has surprised me in a delightful way.

On our first meeting, I ask to spend a couple hours getting to know each other before we begin our adventure in discovering how they learn. As we chat about life, I observe where their eyes move, how long they pause, if they move their hands, feet, and for a dozen signs, searching for clues to how they process information and make decisions. I've done it for years now, and fall into a quasi-meditative state during our conversations.

A few weeks ago, I was caught off guard when I met the student I loving refer to as Picasso. Actually, since my student is a she, I should change my reference to Georgia O'Keefe, though Ms. O'Keefe wasn't as avant-guarde. (Ok, so Picasso was a cubist, just walk with me here.)
As I listened to Ms. Picasso explain how she likes McDonald's lattes and Michael Jackson, I interjected with a question  about what colors she likes. (I purposely stay away from the word 'favorite' as the idea of choosing just one answer places unnecessary pressure on some people.)
"The colors I like right now?" she asked.
"Yes," I replied, thinking that she probably liked a different color when she was five or six.
"Well, since we're in winter, I like white, green, red, and gold."
"Since we're in winter..." I pondered aloud, "you mean, you like other colors in the spring?"
"Yea, in the spring I like yellow, light green, and pink and in the summer I like a fluorescent blue and...
I recorded her responses for each season as I lost my mental footing. As my mind searched for a pattern that fit her answers, I noticed we were sitting in silence.
"What animal do you like?" I asked, hoping to land my swirling thoughts and refocus.
"Right now is winter, so I like the white rabbit because it goes with the white, green, red, and gold"
Ms. Picasso continued to give a palette of answers to each question, and as I took notes I dropped mental bread crumbs to assure myself that I would be able to find my way back and toward a pattern that would connect us with her thought process. As she put on her coat to leave, I placed her answers on a canvas and knew that no "paint by number" educational process would work for her. I took my notes, dropped them into her file folder and picked up the information for my next new student.

Moments later, after greetings and introductions, I explained how we would be getting to know each other and started by asking some basic questions.
"How old are you and what do you like to do?"
"I'm 13," he answered, " and I like virology."
"Virology?", I repeated, hearing the word for the first time.
"Yes, the study of viruses. Though I also like chemistry, physics, and astronomy," he continued.
"Ah, yes. Just a moment," I added, "I'll be right back."
I stepped outside the room and, like a wet dog, shook  from head to tail.

"It's time to start over," I heard myself think, "Picasso had to leave and I think Dr. Stephen Hawking may have dropped by for a visit."

Surfing Curiosity

Tae Kwon Do is a wonderful art that meets force with force and, for me, made interesting bruises that took on a life of their own. As my belt color changed, I found that trying to force my opponent to change their direction meant pain and a "HA" yell every now and then.
As a home schooling parent, I connected this feeling to how "teaching" could follow a similar strategy. I was blocking any attempt that was not going in my chosen direction instead of looking at what was wanting to happen for learning to occur.  It was the martial art of Aikido that helped me learn how to go with the flow. Using the momentum, and learning how to help redirect a momentum towards the target, is much less painful then trying to force it towards an ambiguous target.
Curiosity is the momentum of learning. It is organic and wild and hungry. It is much easier to move a target then to harness and hogtie the momentum of curiosity. So, I have learned to "surf curiosity" and be on the edge of its powerful surge. Staying on top, most of the time, and letting its momentum take me, and the learners, where I want to go. The ride will be less direct, though it is more fun and more meaningful.

"Don't give an answer unless there's first a question."

The title of this blog is a good summary of how I approach learning and education.

Curiosity and wonder are the beginning of learning. They are the spark that lights our interest and awakens a hunger inside us to understand. Without them...the flavor of whatever we are learning is more bland; harder to digest and unfulfilling.

Whether I learn with children or adults, I believe my first step is to connect with their interest and help them connect with their passions. I start with what they are naturally curious about and bridge that to what we have been asked to learn together.