Wits Guts Grit is inspired by the many what-if questions acclaimed science writer and mother of two Jena Pincott asked herself as research on how the invisible forces that shape our minds and health has emerged and grown over the past decade.

What if we identify the microbes that support stress resilience, find ways to expose our kids to them, and then test them?What if we reintroduce the mineral magnesium, deficient in almost every child’s diet? Would it reduce anxiety and increase bounce-back, as the science now suggests?What if memory and learning could improve measurably after eating certain foods—such as blueberries—high in plant chemicals called flavonols?What if primal ways of moving the body strengthen kids’ working memory and mental flexibility? What if receiving the right types of touch translates into better emotional control and self-regulation?

These and many more questions led Pincott to simple, all-natural “biohacks”—or experiments inspired by current research and theory—complete with instructions on how to undertake them to help your own children strengthen their wits, guts, and grit. Explaining the science and her own experimentation with her two gung-ho daughters in a lively, humorous, accessible way, Pincott guides parents to learn how the underlying ingredients of the traits we all want for our kids—resilience, focus, perseverance, working memory, and more—may be all around us in the natural world, ready to be harnessed.