Women’s health is about far more than hormones and HRT. In this episode, I’m joined by scientist and researcher Dr Gayathri Delanerolle, whose experience of endometriosis, pregnancy loss and medically induced menopause helped shape the questions she now asks in her research.

Gayathri shares what it was like to live with severe symptoms for years, why finally seeing the extent of her endometriosis brought both relief and difficult questions about fertility, and how those experiences led her to develop the Marie Project.

We talk about gaps in women’s health research, the experiences that conventional menopause discussions can miss, and what Gayathri is learning by listening to women across different countries and cultures. It’s a conversation about asking better questions—and making room for the answers women actually give.

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Andy Ward, a GP working with people experiencing homelessness in Leicester, and Kyra Biddle from Dear Albert’s Stairway Project, who brings her own lived experience of homelessness, addiction and recovery.

Kyra shares what happened when her family lost their home when she was just 14, how alcohol became a way of coping, and what it really means to live in survival mode.

We talk about the barriers people experiencing homelessness can face when trying to access healthcare, why appointments, medication and even apparently simple health advice can become almost impossible to navigate when you don’t have somewhere safe to live, and how stigma can destroy trust.

Andy explains how working in homeless healthcare changed the way he practises medicine, and why behaviour that can look “difficult” makes much more sense when you understand what someone may be living through.

But this is also a conversation about recovery. Kyra is now more than four years into her own recovery and uses her experience to support others. We talk about what helped her, why being listened to and treated as a human being matters, and how sometimes the beginning of recovery can be as simple as a cup of tea, a Hobnob and somewhere you feel welcome.

A conversation about homelessness, addiction, healthcare, recovery — and the importance of seeing the person in front of you.

You can contact Dear Albert here: https://www.dearalbert.co.uk

See the fantastic work of Inclusion Healthcare here: https://www.inclusionhealthcare.co.uk

We all know exercise is good for our heart — but most people still think that means cardio.

In this episode, I’m joined by Emily McGrath, Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation, to talk about why strength training deserves a place in the conversation about cardiovascular health.

Emily shares some of the most common worries she hears from people after a heart diagnosis, from palpitations and medication to the fear of exercising again. We talk about why a heart problem can completely change the way you see your body — and why people can end up treating themselves as far more fragile than they really are.

We also talk about the evidence for strength training and heart health, including its effects on blood pressure, and why getting stronger can make everyday life easier as we age.

Emily shares her own experience of starting strength training, despite initially feeling intimidated by it, and we discuss how to begin without needing to become a gym person, lift enormous weights or completely overhaul your life.

Finally, we talk about the British Heart Foundation’s Strong Woman Challenge, a free 31-day challenge designed to help women try strength training at home and build confidence with it.

Because cardio is excellent for your heart. But it doesn’t have to do all the work.

In this episode:

• Why people can feel frightened of exercise after a cardiac diagnosis
• Palpitations, smart watches and health anxiety
• Why strength training is still overlooked in heart health
• The effect resistance training can have on blood pressure
• Starting strength training when you feel intimidated or unsure
• Why our bodies are often less fragile than we imagine
• Strength, function and maintaining independence as we age
• Cutting through the noise about strength training in midlife
• The BHF Strong Woman Challenge

Join the October challenge here www.bhf.org.uk/strongwoman