Wits Guts Grit: All-Natural Biohacks for Raising Smart, Resilient Kids

Science writer Pincott (Do Chocolate Lovers Have Sweeter Babies??) looks at natural biohacks to help kids adapt to a changing world. She takes on the concept of grit, the ability to keep pursuing one's goals even after setbacks and against all odds, popularized by psychologist Angela Duckworth in her book of the same name and one of two traits said to be more predictive of success than IQ (the other is self-control). Drawing on existing research and her own experimentation, Pincott asks, what if memory and learning could be improved after eating certain foods, what if we use nature itself to shape the minds and health of our children by harnessing products available in the natural world? In addition to citing numerous scientific journal studies on subjects such as getting fresh air to increase focus and creativity and consuming more dietary fiber to help with childhood anxiety, Pincott discusses experiments incorporated into her own household. Whether allowing her daughters' poop to be swabbed for American Gut, an initiative that sequences and compares microbiota of people across the country, or eating homemade yogurt twice a day and monitoring their cortisol levels, personal accounts leaven this fascinating glimpse into how the natural world can bolster children's growth.