‘It doesn’t need to be a setback’: how elite athletes return from pregnancy

Serena Williams says she does not want to be pregnant again as an athlete – she got back to the top before but it can take its toll

Vegetarian women more likely to fracture hips in later life, study shows

Research suggests some vegetarians may not get sufficient nutrients for good bone and muscle health

Being cheerful on the outside can help you – and others – feel it on the inside

Cheerfulness can boost your energy levels, even in tough times – as philosophers and writers have long recognised, writes Donna Ferguson

Sensorimotor training: could the answer to back pain lie in reprogramming our brains?

Resetting the way brain and body communicate with each other appears to bring real relief for sufferers – just don’t say it’s all in the mind

My youngest brother is a famous rockstar. I used to worry for him, but now I just feel so proud

We both loved music growing up but when he sent me his demo CD I was afraid he would be mocked. Now Interpol is my favourite band – and we’re the best of friends

Want to stop feeling hurt when someone says no? Take the rejection therapy challenge

It’s easy to inure yourself to fear of rejection, all you have to do is be rejected every single day. By Andrew Lloyd

I wanted to know how to increase my life expectancy. Do I really have to avoid everything?

The advice was to limit alcohol, avoid high-sugar foods and decrease saturated fats – but warnings like this are just going to encourage me, writes Annie Macmanus

‘I’m lovingly angry’: Marianne Levy on why mothers are expected to suffer in silence

A new memoir brings humour to the everyday pain of pregnancy and motherhood. By Emma Beddington

Am I Normal? by Sarah Chaney review – it’s OK to be strange

An examination of the 200-year-old history of the notion of ‘normal’ and its power to alienate and oppress

Can taking a pill really stop you getting a hangover? There’s one way to find out …

Even at £30 a packet, the Myrkl ‘pre-drinking’ pill sold out before its UK launch. I spent four days finding out if it does indeed reduce the effects of alcohol