Life Matters - Full program podcast

There's lots of ways to protect the environment around us, marine parks are one. But if fishing is one of the ways you enjoy our coastal waters, these big protective measures can be less welcome. Plus, how one family restored a rainforest, and what honey can tell us about the environment.

Inflammation can be a force for good in our bodies, as well as a cause of illness, as it tries to regenerate us after injuries. Plus, learn about the ways in which stretching, which we usually think about as a way to prevent injuries, actually works for us mentally too. And can having a sound bath make you feel better?

Some in the field of longevity research are now saying we could live to 150, or beyond. We look at how much ageing-related decline is under our control. And we hear from a centenarian about the key to his very long life.

Older people share what it's like getting to 70, 80, 90 and the certain perspective that comes from weathering decades of life's storms. One developed the ability to deadlift more than their own bodyweight, and another two started making books together. Plus a nonagenarian on what it means to her to 'age well' and live a fulfilling life. 

When it comes to clutter -- are you a keeper or a chucker? What's your approach to sorting through the stuff of life? Do you need some help? Plus in the Too Hard Basket, the late apology from the estranged relative.

Writing your own life story is one way to to approach understanding yourself and your past in a way that's helpful. We'll explore that and how to handle the feelings it might bring up for you. Plus former athlete now doctor, Jana Pittman on how she learned to accept that who she is, is enough.

As we discover more about the importance of keeping our brains functioning well into later life, we'll hear the latest on what we should and shouldn't eat, to keep our brains healthy. Plus, what does writing by hand, and listening to live music, do for our brains?

Chat GPT technology is super-charging relationship chatbots, so what are the implications of this for our relationships with other humans? Plus,  how one author's coming out as polyamorous led to an examination about attitudes held in wider society, towards love and sex. And we learn about the many and varied ways that autistic people experience love.

Rachael Coopes explains why she left behind her stable life and her soul mate to study for a year with the French master clown Philippe Gaulier. And a couple move their entire young family to France, and get more than they bargained for. 

Have you heard of ethical non-monogamy? It's when people in a relationship have more than one partner at a time, but everybody involved is aware and enthusiastically consenting. What are the challenges and how are people making it work? Plus in the Too Hard Basket, what do you do when your friend's partner super-likes you on Tinder?