Welcome to Living Well with MS – the podcast where we explore real-life experiences and practical insights on living a full and healthy life with multiple sclerosis. In this episode, we are pleased to welcome trainee Program Facilitator Hayley Baker as our guest. Hayley is an artist and educator who was first diagnosed with MS in 2019. In this open and engaging conversation, Hayley talks about the importance of honest communication, tackling sensitive topics like intimacy and taboo symptoms, and the life-changing impact of connecting with the Overcoming MS community.  

01:32 Meet Hayley and discover her MS journey. 

08:53 Becoming an Overcoming MS Program Facilitator.

10:30 The Overcoming MS Program pillars.

14:05 Hayley’s approach to the more challenging pillars. 

15:39 Her approach to the Family Health pillar.  

17:57 Opening up about taboo symptoms like bladder and bowel problems. 

25:32 The benefits of attending an Overcoming MS Retreat.  

27:11 Balancing honesty and intimacy with a partner. 

32:20 Tips for someone newly diagnosed or new to the Program. 

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Feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing [email protected]. 

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If you enjoy this podcast an and want to support the ongoing work of Overcoming MS, you can leave a donation here. 

Welcome to Living Well with MS - your go-to podcast for making informed choices to support your health and well-being with MS! In today’s episode, we’re thrilled to welcome a very special guest: comedian and MS advocate Rabiah Coon! Rabiah joins host Geoff to share her journey with MS, how she discovered Overcoming MS through a video shoot, and why she believes that laughter should be the 8th pillar of the program.

Tune in as Rabiah blends humour with honesty, offering unique insights into life with MS while highlighting the power of positivity and community. You won’t want to miss this conversation!

01:29 Meet Rabiah and hear about her journey with MS.

02:31 Finding hope: how Rabiah discovered Overcoming MS through a video shoot.

05:13 Making lifestyle changes: Rabiah shares how she has approached change.

07:15 Transcendental meditation and mindfulness tips.

10:05 Retreat reflections: what it was like to attend an Overcoming MS retreat.

13:37 How Rabiah became a stand-up comedian.

17:17 Laughter as the 8th Pillar.

21:00 Rabiah’s passion for volunteering and the importance of giving back.

26:44 Rabiah’s top tips for the newly diagnosed.

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Feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing [email protected].

If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review.

If you enjoy this podcast and want to support the ongoing work of Overcoming MS, you can leave a donation here.

In this episode of the Living Well with MS podcast we are pleased to welcome Dr Craig Hassed as our guest to demystify the practice of meditation and provide very sound reasons for why you should consider meditating for its wondrous stress-relieving effects. Dr Hassed, an expert on mindfulness-based stress reduction, will also provide some commonsense tips for successfully working meditation into your daily life. 

01:59 The scientific evidence base for mindfulness.

05:57 What happens to the body under stress? 

11:13 Is there a difference between chronic stress and acute stress? 

14:38 Practicing mindfulness. 

16:51 Should you get professional help as well as mindfulness training if you experience anxiety or depression? 

19:58 Does religious faith reduce stress? 

22:28 Should we keep a journal? 

24:53 Is mindfulness the same as meditation? 

30:35 Is it necessary to follow guided meditations? 

36:15 Free online course on mindfulness.

Want to learn more about living a full and happy life with multiple sclerosis? Sign up to our newsletter to hear our latest tips.

Feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing  [email protected].

If you enjoy this podcast and want to support the ongoing work of Overcoming MS, you can leave a donation here.

If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review.

Welcome to Living Well with MS – your go-to podcast for making informed choices to support your health and well-being with MS! In this episode we are pleased to welcome Dr Terry Wahls, a respected clinical professor of medicine, researcher, and someone with lived experience of MS. Diagnosed with secondary progressive MS, Dr Wahls has dedicated her career to exploring the impact of lifestyle interventions on MS and other progressive health conditions.

You can learn more about her work at terrywahls.com, or follow her on Instagram @drterrywahls, and on Facebook/Twitter at @TerryWahls.

01:30 Meet Dr Terry Wahls: her MS journey and the inspiration for her research.

07:35 Lifestyle and MS what the research really says about improving outcomes.

08:26 Various diets and their impacts on MS.

11:41 The role of dairy and its impact on MS.

13:22 The science of nutrition: what MS studies are missing and why it matters.

15:25 When will neurologists recommend a whole food diet as standard care?

20:16 Real results: practical symptom improvements through lifestyle changes.

24:42 MS in families: understanding risk and tips for reducing it.

27:46 Good stress: and how to harness it to live a longer, healthier life.

31:33 Hope in action: small powerful steps to lifestyle change.

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Feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing [email protected].

If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review.

If you enjoy this podcast and want to support the ongoing work of Overcoming MS, you can leave a donation here.

This is a "Bonus: From the archive" episode of the Living Well with MS podcast.

Many experts believe that vitamin D is a key regulator of the incidence and severity of MS, and this is one of the reasons why ensuring sufficient intake of this critical natural resource is one of the pillars of the Overcoming MS Program. So, it’s timely that this episode of Living Well with MS picks the topic apart with a guest well-versed in his own right on the topic, Dr. Conor Kerley.  

For more information on the latest vitamin D research and advice check out our webpage: MS & Vitamin D Deficiency | Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis

Topics and Timestamps:   

01:29 General importance of Vitamin D 

02:18 Why is Vitamin D especially important if you have MS? 

02:44 Could MS cause low vitamin D rather than the other way around? 

06:01 How to measure your Vitamin D level?  

08:43 What’s a healthy level of Vitamin D to have?   

11:38 What type of vitamin D should I take? 

12:41 Balancing the benefits of getting Vitamin D from the sun with the risks of too much UV exposure 

22:22 How often do I check my Vitamin D levels? 

23:12 Anything else we should know about Vitamin D?  

26:12 Are there any other supplements someone with MS should consider taking? 

31:52 Is taking a multivitamin tablet better than individual vitamins? 

35:14 What minerals should be considered? 

37:51 Any future or current research into supplements? 

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  Don’t miss out: 

Feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing [email protected].

If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review.

If you enjoy this podcast and want to support the ongoing work of Overcoming MS, you can leave a donation here.

Welcome to Living Well with MS – your go-to podcast for making informed choices to support your health and well-being! In this episode, we’re diving into the fascinating world of gut health with Dr. Emma Short, a leading gastroenterologist. She joins Overcoming MS Facilitator and Nutritional Therapist Sam Josephs to explore the gut microbiome and its impact on MS, discover healthy habits for better digestion and overall health and untangle the role of pre-, pro-, and post-biotics in gut health.

01:43 Introduction to gastroenterology and Dr. Short’s groundbreaking work

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Feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing [email protected].

If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review.

If you enjoy this podcast and want to support the ongoing work of Overcoming MS, you can leave a donation here.

Welcome to Living Well with MS, the podcast that helps you make informed choices to support your health and wellbeing with MS. This week we delve into stress management and mental health with insights from Overcoming MS facilitators Yasmin Neves and Dr Phil Startin. They are joined by community members Melanie Lown and Bill Morgan, who share their personal experiences.

Meditation has been shown to improve quality of life in people with MS but it’s not always easy to get going. As Phil shares, "When we run Overcoming MS retreats or events, often one of the first questions we ask the group is 'which steps in Overcoming MS do you find the hardest to adopt?' And it's always meditation."

If this resonates with you, tune in to gain valuable perspectives and practical tips to help you manage stress.

Personal experiences with stress management 

00:56 Yasmin introduces herself and dives into the stress management pillar—and why it's key to thriving with MS.

05:26 Phil shares his journey as an Overcoming MS facilitator & meditation teacher and how mindfulness transformed his life.

15:36 Melanie opens up about her Overcoming MS journey and the importance of being kind to yourself while adopting the program.

21:53 Bill reflects on how his MS diagnosis led him to meditation—and why it became a game-changer for his well-being.

Example practices

29:13 Yasmin explores the benefits of gratitude and heart-centered breathing for emotional resilience.

31:02 Phil discusses how slowing down during stressful times can help you regain clarity and balance.

31:47 Melanie shares her top tips for shifting out of “fight or flight” mode and finding calm.

33:59 Bill explains the power of deep breathing and how it can support both mind and body.

Want to learn more about living a full and happy life with multiple sclerosis?  Sign up to our newsletter to hear our latest tips.

Subscribe to this podcast and never miss an episode. Listen to our archive of Living Well with MS here. 

If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review. Feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing [email protected]

Make sure you sign up to our newsletter to hear our latest tips and news about living a full and happy life with MS.

If you enjoy this podcast and want to support the ongoing work of Overcoming MS, you can leave a donation here.

This is a "Bonus: From the archive" episode of the Living Well with MS podcast.

In this episode of the Living Well with MS podcast we are pleased to welcome Andy McKenna, who has been living with MS without the use of MS medication since 2007. He is the driving force behind ‘Stoked on MS’ and through this, hopes to shine a light of hope on the reality of leading a healthy, productive and active existence by adopting the Overcoming MS way of life. 

Watch this episode on YouTube here. Keep reading for the key episode takeaways.    

Topics and Timestamps  

01:39 About Andy McKenna 

03:32 Andy’s journey to becoming an avid mountain biker 

05:31 How MS changed Andy's relationship with cycling 

11:38 What limitations has your MS introduced to your active lifestyle, and how have you dealt with or overcome them? 

20:00 What is Stoked on MS?  

22:14 Discovering Overcoming MS and experience with a lifestyle approach to MS management 

33:38 A piece of wisdom or inspiration to impart to someone newly diagnosed with MS 

35:07 Professor Jelinek’s Overcoming MS book 

Want to learn more about living a full and happy life with multiple sclerosis? Sign up to our newsletter to hear our latest tips.    

More info and links:    

  Follow us on social media:

Don’t miss out: 

Subscribe to this podcast and never miss an episode. Listen to our archive of Living Well with MS episodes here. If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review.

Feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing [email protected].

Make sure you sign up to our newsletter to hear our latest tips and news about living a full and happy life with MS.

Support us: 

If you enjoy this podcast and want to support the ongoing work of Overcoming MS, we would really appreciate it if you could leave a donation here. Every donation, however small, helps us to share the podcast with more people on how to live well with MS.

Welcome to Living Well with MS, the podcast that helps you make informed choices to support your health and wellbeing. In this episode, we’re joined by Becca Mullin, a neuro physiotherapist and Pilates instructor specialising in post-partum clients with neurological conditions. Becca’s work is driven by a crucial gap she noticed while working in a busy London hospital—pregnant women with neurological conditions often lacked guidance on balancing their symptoms with the physical changes of pregnancy. Since then, Becca has dedicated her career to helping people with MS and other neurological conditions stay active—especially during pregnancy. Tune in now to learn how you can stay active and navigate pregnancy with confidence!

Watch this episode on YouTube here. Keep reading for the key episode takeaways.

01:36 Becca’s introduction

02:57 The difference between a regular and neuro physiotherapist

05:13 Pregnancy support for people with neurological conditions

08:08 The benefits of staying active during pregnancy

12:05 Key recommendations for pregnant people with MS

16:17 Barriers to activity and how to overcome them

21:01 Introducing NeuroNatal Pilates for people with neurological conditions

24:20 What is Pilates and how it can help with MS symptoms

28:12 Becca’s top tips for pregnancy with MS

Want to learn more about living a full and happy life with multiple sclerosis?  Sign up to our newsletter to hear our latest tips.

More info and links:

Subscribe to this podcast and never miss an episode. 

Listen to our archive of Living Well with MS here. 

If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review. Feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing [email protected].

Make sure you sign up to our newsletter to hear our latest tips and news about living a full and happy life with MS.

If you enjoy this podcast and want to support the ongoing work of Overcoming MS, you can leave a donation here.

Welcome to Living Well with MS, the podcast that empowers you to take control of your health and wellbeing. In this episode, we welcome back health coach and Overcoming MS facilitator Laura Crowder with other familiar faces. Joining Laura, Overcoming MS Handbook co-editor Professor Michelle O’Donoghue, Circle Ambassador Vickie Hadge, and community member Ann Halstead discuss their personal journeys with Overcoming MS. Together, they explore the challenges, triumphs, and transformative power of lifestyle changes in living a full and healthy life with MS.

Watch this episode on YouTube here. Keep reading for the key episode takeaways.

01:05 Laura Crowder’s MS journey

05:15 Professor Michelle O’Donoghue’s Overcoming MS journey

17:52 Vickie Hadge’s Overcoming MS journey

23:15 Ann Halstead’s Overcoming MS journey

28:22 The science supporting a plant-based diet for other diseases

30:32 Tips on not making two separate meals

33:00 Challenges introducing Overcoming MS to the family

Want to learn more about living a full and happy life with multiple sclerosis?  Sign up to our newsletter to hear our latest tips.

Subscribe to this podcast and never miss an episode. Listen to our archive of Living Well with MS here.

If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review. Feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing [email protected].

Make sure you sign up to our newsletter to hear our latest tips and news about living a full and happy life with MS.

If you enjoy this podcast and want to support the ongoing work of Overcoming MS, you can leave a donation here.