Baroness Geeta Nargund is a British medical professor and reproductive medicine pioneer, who is widely recognised for her work making fertility care safer and more accessible through mild IVF.
Over her 30 years working as a consultant, she has come across every reproductive myth under the sun. She is dedicated to furthering education and access to knowledge about fertility and reproduction and was named a Labour life peer in March this year.
Her message is clear: “Reproductive health is general health. Fertility treatments, including IVF, are healthcare. What I don’t want is people to be hearing these myths around IVF and fertility treatment and doing something unnecessarily expensive, unnecessarily invasive, or unnecessarily high dose.”
How to be more grateful for daily life in five easy steps
The world feels like a difficult place at the moment, and it can feel very hard sometimes to find things to be thankful for; when we are overwhelmed, we have less capacity to notice and reflect on the good things. Yet, ironically, proactively cultivating gratitude is one of the things that can actually help us feel less stressed.
NHS GP dR RADHA
The science
Research has shown that feeling or expressing thanks can actually alter our brain.
- The balance of neurotransmitters change; more serotonin and dopamine (feel good chemicals) are produced.
- This can be long lasting if we make gratitude a regular habit.
- We also get a decrease in our cortisol (stress hormone) levels which helps lower anxiety.
- Being grateful can strengthen the nerve pathways which triggers positive emotion.
How can we build gratitude?
Change your words
Instead of seeing something as a problem, try to see the opportunities within it.
Our brains are very receptive and what we read or write can alter our emotional system.
Express it
This will not only make you feel good, but you will also get a positive response from others.
How can we build gratitude?
Notice more
Throughout your day, try to notice all the things that are going well; has someone opened a door for you, or smiled?
The basics
By being thankful for the small things every day, we are far more likely to be and stay healthy so that we can enjoy them.
What to do
Gratitude can lead to feelings of optimism, lower our blood pressure, and improve sleep quality.
- Write down what potential good aspects there are to the things you don’t feel like doing, or even what could be worse about it.
- Spend a few minutes writing down three things that you are looking forward to that day, or the good things that have happened to you that day.
- Say thank you to yourself for the things you have achieved, or managed to get through and changed that day.
Sales of battery
electric vehicles hit a record high last year.
Starts at £22,995 for the smaller battery
Available with either a 40kWh battery or a larger 52kWh pack, that offers almost 255 miles, the latest, retro-inspired Renault 5 is both a joy to behold and a hoot to drive.
The interior has been lavished with a level of detail that’s typically reserved for more expensive cars.
4 min read
A champion of EV efficiency
It offers a remarkable 491 mile range on a single charge from the 85kWh battery.
It is a technological masterclass inside with the ability to option screens that span the entire width of the dashboard, including an optional display for the front passenger.
Priced from £37,400
2 min read
It’s a lot of money to part with, but this is arguably all the car you will ever need.
The £89,000 Macan is a premium SUV that somehow manages to blend Porsche’s reputation for dynamics and sporty driving with everyday practicality.
The 95kWh batteries can go from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 21 minutes from the fastest public charging outlets.
With the business class-style six seat configuration costing a staggering £76,995, it is by far the most expensive Kia ever made, but it backs up its financial demands with a suite of genuinely useful and impressive onboard technology.
It’s fast, goes a long way between stops and charges relatively quickly but the interior is bland, the onboard technology is infuriating and the experience is devoid of emotion.
All of its gadgetry can’t disguise the fact that performance is weak, even for a typically zippy EV, the ride is fussy at slower speeds and it’s not in the least bit enjoyable to drive on a country road.
- While good value (prices start at £17,935) for the 200-mile max range, there are more interesting options from Hyundai, Citroen and Renault for similar money.
- It attempts to wow with tech, much of which hinders, rather than helps.
- There’s no tangible benefit over mounting your phone to the dash.
- Simply an average driving experience, adequate range and slow charging speeds.
2 min read
The kitchen gadgets under £25
Victorinox paring knife
It’s comfortable to hold, with a point sharp enough for scoring pastry.
ProCook cast iron pan
For unbeatable searing and heat-retention, cast iron is the top choice.
Tesco chopping board
Priced at just £22, I’ve yet to find another board that matches it for sheer value and quality.
The kitchen gadgets under £25
Pyrex jug
It is the perfect vessel for blending smooth sauces, melting butter, or warming stock. It won’t stain like plastic and the red measurements never fade.
Salter scales
“I’ve had my slim little set of Salter Disc Scales for over a decade, and I’m delighted to see they are still made to exactly the same reliable design today.”
Microplane grater
It uses photo-etched stainless steel teeth that stay razor-sharp for a decade, something the lookalike copycats simply can’t match.
Braun hand-held blender
It’s an essential for everything from making velvety soup to getting the lumps out of white sauce.
Bodum cafetiere
As well as delivering great results, cafetieres are easy to clean and there’s no ongoing filter paper costs or pod recycling to deal with.
5 min read
The kitchen gadgets under £25
Oxo peeler
What truly sets it apart is the chunky, rubberised handle that absorbs pressure and stays completely non-slip, even if your hands are wet. It is inexpensive and incredibly durable.
Falcon pie dish
Made by fusing porcelain onto heavy-gauge steel for smooth durability, it is dishwasher, freezer, hob, air-fryer and oven-safe.
The golden rules for a happy, secure relationship
Psychiatrist and neuroscientist Dr Amir Levine, author of bestselling book , explains why we behave the way we do in love.
Golden rules for happy relationships
Start with your own behaviours
The foundation of a secure, connected life is being what I call CARRP: that means being consistent, available, responsive, reliable and predictable. All of these qualities can be enacted in small gestures every day.
Express your needs
People need consistency and connection to feel safe. This is not, ‘You hurt my feelings by never replying to me’, it’s more ‘this is the kind of contact that helps me feel secure’.
Golden rules for happy relationships
The appendix ‘inflammation’ rule
If a relationship repeatedly inflames your nervous system, you need to disengage and deprioritise it.
Lean on community
You don’t need hundreds of friends. You need people and places that regularly remind you that you belong.
Stop blaming childhood
Humans are much more complicated than: ‘this happened to you, therefore you are doomed to be anxious’.
Reach for a
secure script
When something unsettles you in a relationship, your first reaction is not always the most accurate one.
If you’re anxious, your brain may jump very quickly to: ‘this is the beginning of the end’. If you’re avoidant, your brain may say: ‘this person wants too much from me, I need to get away’. So one very practical thing you can always do is pause and ask: ‘What would a secure person do here?’
Loneliness elsewhere
When people talk about loneliness, they often assume it means you don’t have enough people in your life. But you can be surrounded by people and still feel lonely if those relationships leave you feeling excluded, ignored or disconnected.
What to do
- Build a community that works for your temperament and gives you regular, reliable moments of connection.
- You can still be kind to people while not treating them as someone who belongs in your inner circle.
- Explain what you need. Sometimes people simply don’t realise how you are experiencing them.
- Check in with people: does this person actually feel that I’m reliable? Do they experience me as predictable? That’s the only way that you can start to become more secure.
Do some foods leave
you feeling hungry rather than satiated? Experts say there are…
Foods that leave you hungrier
A bowl of cereal and glass of orange juice
More refined cereals are digested quickly, and fruit juice, whilst one of your five-a-day, contains less fibre than whole fruit. This might mean you find yourself hungry again within 1-2 hours of eating this breakfast.
Swap the orange juice for a whole orange, the cereal for oats and milk or serve it with Greek yoghurt or a boiled egg. This would increase the fibre and protein content; two nutrients strongly linked with fullness.
Foods that leave you hungrier
These pastries are made primarily from refined flour and butter, and are relatively low in protein and fibre.
Toast and jam
Shop-bought packs can contain a lot of white rice, which is digested quickly, and the protein content is often modest.
Foods that leave you hungrier
Vegetable soup
On its own, it is often very low in protein and calories, so hunger can return quickly.
Unless it’s loaded with veggies, it’s probably pretty low in fibre.
Liquids are generally less filling as they require little chewing which may not trigger satiety signals.
Foods that leave you hungrier
Snack bars
They are ideal for a quick pick-me-up, but if reducing hunger is what you’re after, it’d be better to swap it out.
Low-fat yoghurt
A full-fat plain Greek yoghurt with berries and seeds tends to be much more filling due to the protein, fat and fibre.
On an empty stomach, it can actually increase your appetite.
What to eat instead
Instead of thinking about avoiding foods, think about what you can add to them.
- Add beans, lentils or shredded chicken to your vegetable soup and pasta.
- Thicken your smoothies with Greek yoghurt, chia seeds and oats.
- Apple slices with peanut butter, yogurt with berries and hummus with oat biscuits are better snack options than a pre-made snack bar.
- Have alcohol alongside a balanced meal containing protein and fibre.
How to age well
without pain
Will Harlow, a physiotherapist
for the over-50s and author of Independence for Life, shares
the key signs you’re ageing
badly – and what to do about it.
How to know
Ageing well is maintaining the ability to do what you want you want for as long as you want without needing help. Everyone is talking about longevity but what’s the point in living longer if the last decade is painful and you’re [totally] reliant on people?”
The signs to look out for
- The most obvious early warning sign of bad ageing is pain says Harlow.
- Another is losing confidence in doing daily tasks, which can quickly lead to a lack of independence.
- One call Harlow often receives is people calling after having a fall and struggling to get up.
4 min read
How to age without pain
Not just stopping
When people retire, they often put their feet up and stop. Your body really is use it or lose it.
Throughout our entire lives, Harlow says we need between seven and nine hours of sleep.
Social isolation
The lack of connection can increase the risk of premature death by
as much as 29 per cent.
Strength training
It really is the proxy for
overall independence.
The more muscle mass you have, the less chance of heart disease, diabetes, falls and even anxiety, depression and dementia.
The brain can be linked to muscle mass too, Harlow says. It’s not just about being able to lift things. It gives you more energy, better sleep and you’ll look and feel better.
How to age without pain
Daily habits
Do short bursts of exercise, between 30 and 60 seconds, in otherwise dead time during the day.
Stretch in bed
Take joints through a full range of motion for five minutes to loosen it before getting up.
Don’t crash diet
How to age without pain
Harlow advises 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight to stop muscle loss alongside resistance training.
Don’t wait
Harlow finds that many patients put off making a change to their lifestyle until their lives are consumed by pain.
For most people, it’s about reducing the number of times per week you’re exercising, not reducing intensity.
The three ageing tests to do
- Lie completely flat on the floor and get back up to a standing position using any technique. This should take less than 10 seconds.
See how many times you can sit on the chair and stand back up again in 30 seconds. Men should be aiming for more than 14 times and women 12.
The single-leg stand, which involves standing on one leg and balancing for 10 seconds. Everyone should be able to do that and for those under 65, Harlow asks them to do it with their eyes closed.
Despite the job market hiring fewer entry-level roles, employers are still looking for grads…
But you should be prepared to keep an open mind.
We’ve compiled the sectors hiring graduate roles, what degree is required, and what they pay.
The degrees to choose for a career
Hiring in the UK could
finally be on the up
47%
of employers offered entry-level
positions from July.
That is up nearly 15 per cent from the same period last year.
700,000
But graduate unemployment rose to six per cent in 2025 and 700,000 jobless graduates were claiming benefits.
Finance and insurance
- Around 42 per cent of UK finance and insurance employers say they will be open to graduate roles this summer.
- Business loan company Portman Finance Group has taken on 50 graduates over the past four years.
Portman graduates start on £36,000 for the two-year programme and the education you need to apply is a minimum “ABB” of A-levels, and a 2:1 or above university degree. But not in a specific subject.
Trade and logistics
What makes it particularly rewarding is that there’s always something to learn.
Nearly half (47 per cent) of trade and logistics companies will be giving graduates a go this year.
Salaries start at £30,000 with an uncapped bonus, rising to £50,000 plus a company car as a senior account partner.
Technology and IT
More than half (52 per cent) of UK tech and IT firms are actively looking for graduates.
Successful entry-level candidates can earn a basic salary of up to £35,000, with the opportunity to triple that within their first three years of working.
4 min read
Public sector, health
and social services
46 per cent of public sector, health and social services organisations are also ready to take graduates, according to a survey by Manpower.
- For example, Police Now runs a graduate programme into policing. They recruit graduates from any degree field, as long as they achieve a 2:2 or above. Starting salaries range from £31,164 to £42,210 depending on location and rising each year.
Can we treat guests without blowing our budget?
According to Waitrose, a dinner party revival is underway led by younger people trying to reduce the cost of getting together.
Always have bread
People will feast on the
ELLA RISBRIDGER, AUTHOR OF THE KITCHEN BOOK – GOOD FOOD FOR EVERY DAY
bread, and then need less fish/steak/expensive whatever. All small plates restaurants know this: this is why the first thing on the menu is always artisan bread and butter.
Use vegetables as centrepieces
Add pantry items
Graham’s recipes include a braised cabbage with a preserved lemon sauce, a roast cauliflower with saffron, and harrisa roast carrots with mango labneh.
How to host on a budget
Improve the everyday
Guests will always appreciate a stellar interpretation of the ordinary. Think lasagna or curry.
Cooking dinner for your guests is spoiling them – you’re being generous with your time, your effort, and your home. So don’t feel the need to go overboard elsewhere.
Ask for help
Ask friends to bring a contribution, be it a nibble or a pudding.
Big platter energy
[Presentation] can be the key to elevating something . Spaghetti and tomato sauce suddenly looks like a feast when tumbled on a lovely big plate, dressed with olive oil and parmesan and placed in the middle of the table.
Food writer and editor Eleanor Steafel
How to host on a budget
Taco party
Have one expensive filling, like shredded chicken, and two cheaper options, like refried beans, says Ella Risbridger.
Shop-bought ice cream is so easily zhuzhed up with the help of handy toppings, says Eleanor Steafel.
Here, Baroness Nargund debunks the most common myths about both fertility and IVF.
There is no ‘fertility cliff’, but age does matter
This idea of a cliff edge is scary and not literal. Your fertility does decline with age, but it is gradual, so it is important to identify the other factors affecting your fertility as soon as you can, otherwise you can end up sleepwalking into infertility or early menopause.
A detailed medical history gives you a clearer understanding of your trajectory: things like thyroid problems, endometriosis, a family history of early menopause, your medication all have an impact alongside your age.
When celebrities talk about having a baby in their late forties or early fifties, it gives a misleading impression that women can have babies that late. I’ve been a consultant for more than 30 years and I’ve had highly educated, high-achieving women come to my clinics in their late thirties and mid-forties and say they delayed it because they saw some celebrities have babies late in life. But these celebrities are likely to be using donor eggs or their own eggs that they froze years ago.
Of course, there can be natural conception and births in women in their late forties, but those cases are extremely rare. So, the phrase “fertility cliff” may be frightening and inaccurate, but it doesn’t mean we should be complacent.
I only need to worry about menopause from my mid-forties
I’ve seen so many women who have been caught out. I had one woman aged 33, a real high flyer who was travelling a lot for work, come into my clinic. She hadn’t had her period in six months and thought it was because of all the flights. I did a scan and various tests and I knew she was menopausal. She assumed she had everything under control and was completely shocked.
I asked her if she’d ever spoken to her mum about the menopause and she said it wasn’t something they talked about. It turned out her mother had gone through it at 34. The daughter had no idea that her family history would directly affect her own age of menopause. It’s so important that women are aware of their family history and have these conversations!
Men can have children at any age
Men have long been missing from the conversation around fertility. Age has a direct impact on them too – it just happens a bit differently. It’s true that it doesn’t affect men as early as women; it hits more in the forties when sperm count and quality both begin to decline. But what is often missed is that there is also an effect of paternal age on the health of the offspring, particularly to do with certain neurodevelopmental conditions like ADHD and autism. Research shows that there is an increased incidence of these conditions in children if the father’s age is 45 or above at the time of conception.
Fertility treatments are always intense
The impression people have is that IVF means very high-dose hormone injections, taking injections for a long time, and the more eggs retrieved the better. That is not true.
My scientific research has all been about making IVF what I would call gentler, softer and safer – without compromising success rates. It’s called mild IVF and it means reducing the dosage and duration of the stimulation drugs with the aim of achieving a higher quality rather than quantity of eggs, and a better quality of uterus lining for implantation.
We have demonstrated that you can get similar success rates and results with mild IVF compared with high-dose stimulation: it doesn’t compromise the success rates, it reduces complications relating to high stimulation, and it prioritises the patient’s safety.
Success and safety are two sides of the coin in an IVF cycle and you shouldn’t chase success at the cost of safety. So it’s not as simple as more injections, more eggs, more success.
If you spend more, you will have more success
When you are checking your fertility as a whole, it’s best if you can get a one-stop fertility assessment from a fertility clinic, rather than wasting money on sending off blood tests. I pioneered the “one-stop” diagnostic clinic in the early 2000s, where using advanced ultrasound technology, you can scan the womb and ovaries using Doppler (blood flow) and a 3D ultrasound scan, giving you a qualitative and comprehensive assessment, and only doing a blood test if necessary.
When it comes to interpreting fertility test results, make sure that you see a doctor to understand the information. There are all of these online tests and hormone tests that claim to give you clear answers but I’m afraid fertility is not that simple.
Watch out for IVF add-ons that claim to increase your chances of having a baby – optional, non-essential extra treatments like Time-Lapse Imaging and Endometrial Scratching. These can cost thousands and many do nothing, with some even being harmful to a woman’s health and body. Instead, refer to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority website. It explains where there is and where there is not evidence for specific add-ons.
If you have PMOS, you cannot have children
Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS, previously known as PCOS) affects one in 10 women. When I ran a very large PCOS clinic (as it was called then) at St George’s, I would hear from so many women that they were told they couldn’t have a baby because they had this condition. That is not true!
If you are overweight, losing weight can automatically help you ovulate naturally and improve your chances of pregnancy. Issues associated with PMOS, like high testosterone, can be reduced by losing weight. If weight is not the issue, there are tablets that women can take to help them ovulate and conceive naturally.
And, you do not need expensive, more intensive, more interventional treatments even with PMOS. You should always see if you can conceive naturally first. If you can’t, low interventions are preferable.
is a guarantee
Egg-freezing is advanced now and fast freezing has made a difference, but there is no guarantee that you will have a baby. I would always say to people to try naturally first. Don’t go straight for egg-freezing unless, of course, there are good reasons why you have to delay starting your family.
If you have regular periods you are fertile
Unfortunately, if you have a regular period it doesn’t mean you’re always fertile, because fertility is not just about periods. You need healthy, open fallopian tubes and a healthy womb lining.
Regular periods also don’t guarantee you always ovulate because sometimes your egg sac is ready to ovulate, but it doesn’t release the egg. Again, a full investigation with an expert ultrasound scan to get a clear picture is so important, you cannot rely on assumptions.
Stress makes you infertile
Stress is a normal part of life and something that people talk about all the time, but it’s like saying “I’m depressed” rather than “I have diagnosed depression”. Stress is when certain chemicals and hormones get released, like steroids and prolactin. That’s what it means in medical terms.
Only really extreme stress, not day-to-day stress, can have an impact on implantation and early pregnancy. So if you are a bit stressed from work and think that’s why you’re not conceiving, I’d say that’s probably not true.
If you’ve had one baby, you can easily have another
Secondary infertility can be a big problem that not enough people know about. Whether or not you can have a second child depends again on your age, you and your partner’s fertility, whether you had a difficult and complicated birth, or complications with a caesarean section. All of this can affect your chances of conceiving and therefore it’s best to speak to a qualified doctor.
Supplements can improve fertility
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority only regulates clinics, not supplements. So I will only recommend what we know is safe to take, based on peer-reviewed research: folic acid and vitamin D.
I would also advise you to be aware of and optimise your weight, don’t smoke, reduce your alcohol intake and get a family health history and your general health checked out. When all of those aspects are covered, people are welcome to explore other options, but I worry about women wasting their time for years on acupuncture or herbal remedies without knowing their baseline fertility.