Live Life Better

What your signature scent? Smell is important to all of us, as Melissa Hemsley finds out from this week’s guests. Joining her in the studio this week are Lizzie Ostrom, an author and perfume expert, Niko, Earl of East, a multi-sensorial lifestyle brand, and Annee de Mamieel, an acupuncturist, aromatherapist and skincare expert.

Are you a hugger or a handshaker? Touch is important to all of us, as Melissa Hemsley finds out from this week’s guests. Joining her in the studio are Alice Vincent, author of How to Grow Stuff, who has been gardening from her balcony in London over the last few years, and Tony Riddle, The Natural Life-Stylist, who has spent 18 years developing a way of life based on the principles of a natural lifestyle. Melissa also spoke to Adrienne LDN, a fitness and wellness influencer, about embracing touch.

We all have a favourite song, or an album that we turn to when we need a boost. But how do the music we listen to and the sounds that we hear affect our everyday wellbeing? Melissa Hemsley finds out from three sound experts: Dr Kelly Snook, former NASA scientist who is now reimagining the solar system as an immersive musical instrument, Nick Ryan, multi-award winning composer, sound designer, artist and audio specialist, and Trevor Cox, author of Sonic Wonderland and Now You’re Talking, and one-time holder of the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest whoopee cushion, share their insights on a world of sound. 

We’ve all had a first sip of a drink or a bite of a meal which transports us to a different location, another time or a familiar emotion. But how can we harness the power of taste to open up different experiences and improve our lives? Melissa Hemsley invites three food and drink experts into the studio to find out some answers. Vegan cook and author Rachel Ama, chartered psychologist and Great British Bake Off finalist Kimberley Wilson and ‘king of the cocktails’ Ryan Chetiyawardana - aka Mr Lyan - provide us with unique insights and unforgettable flavours for you to try out.

How can the visual world make our lives better? This week we explore the power of colours, light and how immersing our eyes in new experiences can lead to a happier, healthier and more fulfilled existence.Melissa Hemsley is joined Nina Ryner, founder of ChromaYoga – a new approach to yoga combining light and colour therapy techniques, innovative photographer Vicki King and Karl Ryberg – architect, psychologist and the author of Light Your Life, a book that explores the art of using light to promote health and happiness.

On this preview edition of Live Life Better series three Melissa Hemsley is joined in the studio by a true sensory guru, Sam Bompas, one half of the highly acclaimed multi-sensory design and experience studio Bompas & Parr. The pair take us on a whistle-stop tour of our senses, explaining how we can stimulate each one of them in a unique and fulfilling way in 2019.

Feeling lethargic? A little sluggish even? Perhaps you wish you were fitter, but those trainers only surface when popping to the shops – If so, join us, in this last episode of the season, where Melissa asks how physical fitness can be used to shape our bodies and minds alike. Psychotherapist William Pullen (Run for Your Life) demonstrates how running with purpose can be used to exercise our inner demons, whilst tennis coach and author Judy Murray (Knowing the Score) shares her thoughts on cultivating resilience through sport. Plus, we hear from Ruby Wax, a monk and a neuroscientist, who think that the mental and physical stresses of body and brain are one in the same – and that mindfulness holds the key to overall contentment.

Late night yesterday? Feeling sleepy? Turning to the caffeine? Stop and listen up! In this episode of Live.Life.Better., Melissa is joined by the only Professor of Sleep Science in the whole world, Jason Ellis. Together with the life-style writing extraordinaire, Kate Faithfull-Williams, they explore the mysterious world of sleep. With extracts from the best selling book by Matthew Walker - Why We Sleep - the show looks at why sleep is so important to our health and how we can regulate our night-time rhythms to combat the challenges of insomnia, restless babies and late nights.