More kissing, less kimchi: seven surprising ways to boost your gut health

From gardening and humming to getting a dog – there’s more to boosting your gut microbiome than Greek yogurt

‘I don’t know how we would survive’: caregivers speak of fears over upcoming Medicaid cuts

Program covers low-income families, but families brace for cuts to it as part of the Trump-backed ‘one big, beautiful bill’

Experience: my babies were born seven weeks apart

After years of miscarriages, I had abandoned the prospect of giving birth. Then, as we prepared to conceive using a surrogate, the impossible happened

I’m exhausted but am surviving. How can I heal from burnout without expensive time off?

Lots of us are desperate to come off the watch, advice columnist Eleanor Gordon-Smith writes. One strategy might be to cut the corners you can

Deaf review – cinema as empathy machine as a deaf mother struggles with parenting issues

Angela’s apparently idyllic family life begins to fray when she becomes pregnant and the hearing world’s old prejudices are reawakened

The kindness of strangers: a nurse saw me crying and asked if I wanted a hug

I had cancer and I was alone in hospital when it all suddenly hit me. I have never needed a hug more in my life

‘I still want to achieve’: people living with stage 4 cancer embrace Chris Hoy charity ride

Inaugural Tour de 4 is tailored to individuals’ physical abilities and aims to challenge assumptions about stage 4 cancer

‘No place in children’s hands’: under-16s in England to be banned from buying energy drinks

Government to ban sale of energy drinks with more than 150mg of caffeine, citing concerns over obesity and lack of concentration

A meaty topic: what is the carnivore diet and why do so many influencers seem to swear by it?

Some claim eating steak and whole sticks of butter has improved their skin, cleared brain fog and even eliminated farting. Experts say an all-animal diet carries risks

The one change that worked: I got a period cup – and saved £120 a year

Ditching sanitary towels and tampons has made my period much less stressful. Crucially, it’s better for the environment too