Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me This?

Joyce Harper

Season 4 Joyce Harper is Professor of Reproductive Science at the Institute for Women’s Health, University College London, author, public speaker, scientist and host of the podcast Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me This? Together with expert guests and people with lived experience, this podcast offers practical tools to help you build a life of good health and happiness. www.joyceharper.com Instagram, TikTok: @profjoyceharper Facebook: Global Women Connected

  1. 3D AGO

    Season 4, #5: Joe Baynham: Relax and Reset: Breath Work, Cold Plunges and Saunas

    Joe is a breathwork teacher, Wim Hof Method Certified Instructor and assistant freediving coach. He is the founder of the Coggeshall Cold Water Dippers; a community group passionate about the benefits that cold water immersion can bring, whether that is out dipping in nature or in ice baths. In addition to teaching breathwork and guiding ice baths, Joe also runs a mobile “Finnish style” sauna which hosts weekly contrast therapy sessions.  Instagram: @a.matter.of.ice.and.breath  In this episode, Joyce speaks with Joe about three practical reset tools that can support mental health and day-to-day stress: breathwork, cold exposure (including cold water dipping/ice baths), and sauna. They explore how these practices can help you shift out of overwhelm, feel calmer in your body, and build resilience over time. Joe describes breathwork as a spectrum, from gentle awareness and slow belly breathing to more structured techniques such as box breathing. He explains that breath work is a simple, accessible tool you can use anywhere to help settle the nervous system. When getting into cold water, focusing on deep, steady breathing can also help regulate the body and ease the initial shock. Joe explains why sauna and cold dips complement each other, and why there is no set routine.  The conversation highlights consistency, safety, and enjoyment, as well as the underestimated value of doing these practices with others: community, connection, and a sense of play can be part of what makes the reset so powerful.  Here is a link to the guided walking meditation that Joe suggests: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4aXWW2_zv4

    1h 29m

  2. FEB 11

    Season 4, #4: Petra Coveney: Yoga for women’s health

    Petra is a qualified Yoga Therapist, Senior Teacher and Trainer for the British Wheel of Yoga and Yoga Alliance Professionals and Yoga Australia and has been a member of the British Menopause Society for health practitioners since 2017. She lives in the UK but trains teachers and supports women worldwide in her weekly public classes and monthly courses. Petra is the founder and creator of Menopause YogaTM, the world's first specific style of yoga practice and teacher training course to support women and people on their journey from perimenopause to postmenopause.  She is the author of two books: Petra Coveney, Menopause Yoga: A Holistic Guide to Supporting Women on Their Menopause Journey. Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2021. Petra Coveney, Menopause Yoga™ and Wellbeing: A Daily Practice Guide for Perimenopause to Second Spring - a practical practice guide for daily wellbeing through perimenopause to post-menopause. Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2025.  Instagram: @menopause_yoga https://www.menopause-yoga.com/  This is the first episode in the mini-series on way to look after our mental health. Joyce and Petra explore what yoga really is, its origins as a practice designed to prepare the body for meditation, and how breathwork and yoga can calm the nervous system and help us manage modern-day stress. Petra explains how yoga becomes a practical, adaptable tool for women throughout their lives, supporting mental wellbeing, easing physical symptoms, and helping us stay strong, balanced, and connected to ourselves, from adolescence and pregnancy to perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause. They also discuss the importance of community, including women’s circles that reduce isolation, rebuild confidence, and offer a sense of grounding. The episode ends with reflections on ageing, purpose, and Petra’s advice to her younger self: trust yourself, and put yourself first more often.

    1h 12m

  3. FEB 6

    Season 4, #3: International Women’s Day Special: The Big Swim: Why women swim: Nicky Chisholm, Dr Heather Massey, Jo Moseley, Tash Sones and Professor Joyce Harper

    In this International Women’s Day special, Joyce Harper is joined by Big Swim organiser Nicky Chisholm, cold-water physiology researcher Dr Heather Massey, wild swimming author Tash Sones, and paddleboard author Jo Moseley to explore why women swim, what it gives them, and how community in the water can support wellbeing. They discuss the Big Swim (Brighton and Poole), a joyful, costume-filled mass dip that brings women together to celebrate International Women’s Day and raise money for Surfers Against Sewage. The group shares personal stories of how their love of water began, the sisterhood and sense of belonging that comes from swimming together, and why the sea can feel like a shortcut to deeper, more honest conversations.  Tickets for the Big Swim Brighton are available from: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-big-swim-brighton-2026-tickets-1977302107832  And The Big Swim Poole are available from: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-big-swim-2026-sandbanks-poole-celebrating-international-womens-day-tickets-1979854382755  Tickets for the Meet the Authors panel discussion in Brighton before the Big Swim: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-big-swim-meet-the-authors-tickets-1977700994914  Follow us on Instagram @pinknicky1 @ProfJoyceHarper @Natashastarseeker @Jomoseley @drheathermassey  Books: Natasha Sones: Swimming Wild in South East England by Vertebrate Publishing is available to pre-order from 10 February 2026. * Visit https://bit.ly/49LVoHX to pre-order the book from 10 February 2026, and you could win a 33L Waterproof Tote Bag from Red Equipment, worth £99.95  Jo Moseley: Stand Up Paddleboarding in Great Britain - Beautiful Places to Paddleboard in England, Scotland and Wales (2022) Shortlisted for The Great Outdoors Magazine Book/Writer of the Year 2022 Stand Up Paddleboarding in the Lake District - Beautiful Places to Paddleboard in Cumbria (2024) Winner of the Lakeland Book Awards Zeffirellis Prize for Guides and Places 2025 Adventures on the Water - the Power of Paddleboarding to Change Lives - Shortlisted for The Great Outdoors Writer/Book of the Year 2026 All with Vertebrate Publishing!  Joyce Harper: Your Fertile Years: What you need to know to make informed choices. Sheldon Press, 2021 Your Joyful Years: empowering good health and happiness beyond 50: Out on 20th March followed by a UK tour talking to women about how they can lead their best lives ever.

    44 min

  4. JAN 28

    Season 4, #2: Dr Lauren Colenso-Semple: Sifting through social media misinformation about our health

    Dr. Lauren is a researcher and science communicator specializing in female physiology, exercise, and nutrition, and a former seasoned fitness professional with extensive hands-on experience helping hundreds of women in all stages of life. She is a co-owner of the MASS Research Review, which helps bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and practical fitness strategies for coaches and trainers. Lauren works to dismantle fitness and nutrition myths perpetuated without a scientific basis by fact checking claims made by online influencers. Lauren's scientific expertise and real-world experience as a fitness professional helps practitioners provide evidence-based recommendations to women in all stages of life. If you use social media for any of your health advice, this is an episode you need to hear. Joyce and Lauren explore how health and fitness misinformation spreads online — and why, once it takes hold, it can be surprisingly hard to “unlearn”. They break down how to judge the quality of evidence, including the differences between mechanistic studies, observational research and human clinical trials, and why correlation is not the same as causation. They also tackle some of the major myths Lauren works hard to debunk: fasted training, protein obsession, weighted vests, grip strength, collagen and creatine hype, vibration plates, and the way supplements are often marketed with exaggerated claims. Throughout, Lauren explains what the evidence does (and does not) support — and why mastering the basics matters far more than chasing the latest trend.

    1h 10m

  5. JAN 14

    Season 4, #1: Professor Joyce Harper, Your Joyful Years: let’s make looking after your good health and happiness sexy

    Episode description:  S4, #1: Professor Joyce Harper, Your Joyful Years: let’s make looking after your good health and happiness sexy  Joyce is the host of this podcast, Professor of Reproductive Science at the Institute for Women’s Health, University College London, and the author of several books, including Your Fertile Years and Your Joyful Years (out 1 May 2026).  Welcome to season four of Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me This? In this opening episode, Joyce reflects on what she has been working on throughout 2025 and shares her plans for 2026. Her new book, Your Joyful Years, brings together the wisdom of 50 women over 50, exploring the five pillars of health and what truly makes us happy. Joyce hopes the book will inspire women beyond midlife and is looking forward to taking it on tour. Joyce has loved producing the podcast in 2025, covering topics such as understanding reproductive anatomy, female icons, reclaiming joy, and living with chronic health conditions. In 2026, she is excited to explore social media health misinformation with Dr Lauren Colenso-Semple, followed by a series linked to Your Joyful Years, including conversations with some of the women featured in the book. She will also be tackling gynaecological and breast cancers in upcoming episodes. Alongside the podcast, Joyce continues her research into global reproductive health education, including co-leading the InTune project, which aims to provide inclusive, evidence-based menopause education and support across the UK.  Date of episode recording: 2026-01-06Language of episode: EnglishPresenter: Professor Joyce HarperProducer: Joyce HarperMusic:  David Krysko - with thanks for the new music for my podcastTranscript link:   www.joyceharper.com/podcasts

    38 min

  6. 12/10/2025

    Season 3, #25 - by Professor David Nutt

    Our Favourite Drug Professor David Nutt is a psychiatrist and the Edmond J. Safra Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology in Imperial College London and Chief Research Officer of Awaknlifesciences. He is currently Founding Chair of the charity DrugScience.org.uk and has been president of the European Brain Council, the BAP, BNA, and ECNP. David has published 35 books and over 1000 research papers that define his many landmark contributions to psychopharmacology including GABA and noradrenaline receptor function in anxiety disorders, serotonin function in depression, endorphin and dopamine function in addiction and the neuroscience and clinical utility of psychedelics. Some of his research has been made into films e.g. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8661404 on Netflix and https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000w7bq on the BBC and a play https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43887749-all-you-need-is-lsd . He broadcasts widely to the general public on pharmacology and psychiatric matters, has over 60k followers on twitter and has his own very popular podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-drug-science-podcast/id1474603382 . Some of his key books are: Drugs Without the Hot Air: Minimising the Harms of Legal and Illegal Drugs Drink?: The New Science of Alcohol and Your Health Nutt Uncut Brain and Mind Made Simple Cannabis (Seeing through the Smoke): The New Science of Cannabis and Your Health Psychedelics: The Revolutionary Drugs That Could Change Your Life — A Guide from the Expert David Nutt’s landmark Lancet paper in 2010 compared 20 legal and illegal drugs across 16 types of harm and found that, overall, alcohol was the most harmful drug.  Large studies show that among people aged 15–49, alcohol is one of the leading risk factors for death and disability worldwide, and in England it is the biggest risk factor for ill health, disability and death in this age group. Yet drinking is still normalised in today’s society. There is some good news: young people are, on average, drinking less than previous generations. At the same time, older adults are now the most likely to exceed the UK low-risk guidelines. From this podcast we hope people can make more informed choices about why they drink alcohol – and feel encouraged to reduce their drinking to safer levels.  Credits: Date of episode recording: 2025-11-26 Duration: 01.22.13 Language of episode: English Presenter: Professor Joyce Harper  Guests: Professor David Nutt Producer: Joyce Harper Podcast owner: Joyce Harper

    1h 22m

  7. 11/26/2025

    Season 3, #24 - Professor Pauliina Damdimopoulou – How everyday chemicals affect our healt

    Pauliina Damdimopoulou is a Professor of Reproductive Biology at the Department of Women's and Children's Health at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. With over 15 years of experience in endocrinology, reproductive biology and toxicology, Pauliina’s team are investigating the effects of chemicals on female fertility. Her ambition is to generate evidence-based information on the risks of chemical exposures and pharmaceutical treatments to human ovaries and oocytes, and to thereby contribute to the development of a chemically safer society. She co-leads the Environmental Endocrinology Focus Area of the European Society of Endocrinology. Instagram: @damdimopoulou_lab https://ki.se/en/people/pauliina-damdimopoulou  Do you know how many untested or minimally tested chemicals there are in our environment, how they are tested, and how they can affect our health, fertility and the health of our children? Pauliina knows the answers to these questions. And it’s really worrying to hear her talk about this. She said we should be upset, we should be angry, and we need to act. Plastics are a major issue, and they’re everywhere. But it doesn’t stop there — many of the products we use daily, including make-up, perfume, clothes wash, cleaning products and much more, contain chemicals like phthalates and parabens which can affect our hormones and health. These are all around us, yet we can take steps to reduce our exposure. I hope this podcast gives you the insight and confidence to cut down the chemicals in your life and support your long-term health.  Credits: Date of episode recording: 2025-11-21 Duration: 01.08.01 Language of episode: English Presenter:Professor Joyce Harper Guests: Professor Pauliina Damdimopoulou  Producer: Joyce Harper  Names of the podcast owner: Joyce Harper

    1h 8m

  8. 11/12/2025

    Season 3, #23 - Dr Nerys Astbury Why We Gain: Understanding Obesity

    Nerys is a human nutrition scientist with a strong interest in clinical trial methodology and evidence-based medicine. Nerys has worked at the University of Manchester and the New York Obesity Research Center at Columbia University in New York City. She is currently Associate Professor in diet and obesity in the Health Behaviours Team at the University of Oxford. Her main interests are how dietary manipulations impact weight management and the regulation of energy intake. She leads a programme exploring the effect of dietary interventions and weight management before, during and after pregnancy can influence health of mothers and their children.  Nerys explains why maintaining a healthy weight is so important. Obesity is a major global health concern, increasing the risk of many chronic diseases and reducing quality of life. Yet today, we are constantly bombarded by clever marketing of unhealthy, ultra-processed foods. Perhaps it’s time to focus on eating for quality rather than quantity. Nerys also explores how a healthy weight supports fertility, pregnancy, and the health of our children, as well as the challenges of weight gain as we age — for both men and women. We discuss the many approaches people take to lose weight — from diet plans and exercise to weight-loss medications — and emphasise the importance of finding a sustainable nutrition plan that truly works for you.   Date of episode recording: 2025-11-03 Duration: 00.58.44 Language of episode: English Presenter:Professor Joyce Harper Guests: Dr Nerys Astbury Producer: Joyce Harper Podcast Owner: Joyce Harper

    59 min
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About

Season 4 Joyce Harper is Professor of Reproductive Science at the Institute for Women’s Health, University College London, author, public speaker, scientist and host of the podcast Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me This? Together with expert guests and people with lived experience, this podcast offers practical tools to help you build a life of good health and happiness. www.joyceharper.com Instagram, TikTok: @profjoyceharper Facebook: Global Women Connected

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