Welcome to Living Well with MS, the podcast that empowers you to take control of your health and wellbeing. Today we are pleased to welcome community member George Mckinty as our guest! George is a bodybuilder from Wales who follows the Overcoming MS Program. He speaks with Geoff about adopting the Overcoming MS lifestyle, the unique aspects of being a man diagnosed with MS and exercise tips if you live with daily MS symptoms.

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

01:15 George’s MS diagnosis and how he discovered Overcoming MS

04:00 Optic neuritis

05:20 Family history and genetic predisposition to MS

05:56 Adopting the Overcoming MS Program

08:27 Being a man diagnosed with MS

10:33 Accepting the diagnosis

12:02 Symptom management

13:34 Working out with MS symptoms

16:40 The 300 Challenge to support the Overcoming MS Charity

19:10 Positive outcomes from being diagnosed with MS

23:16 Tips for those just starting to adopt lifestyle changes

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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.

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 empowers you to take control of your health and wellbeing. Today we’re talking to Denise Iordache, a Cognitive Behavioral Hypnotherapist, who specialises in sleep and stress reduction. Because addressing sleep disturbances is important for overall health and managing MS symptoms, Denise and Geoff discuss ways to fall asleep, stay asleep and quickly fall back to sleep should you wake up in the night.

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

01:05 Denise’s career and expertise

02:57 The mechanics of sleep and why it’s important

06:13 How much sleep do we really need?

10:00 The circadian rhythm, light exposure and the internal body clock

15:02 Sleep hygiene and the optimal bedroom setup

18:00 How to set up a bedtime routine

20:55 How to prevent waking in the night and how to fall back asleep if you do

25:15 Mindfulness and sleep

29:30 Keeping a sleep journal

32:26 Assign worry time during the day

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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.

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 empowers you to take control of your health and wellbeing. Today we’re sharing highlights from our webinar with Sam Josephs, a registered Nutritional Therapist and Overcoming MS facilitator. Sam’s husband was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2002 which has shaped the direction of Sam’s career and gives her the compassion and unique hands-on knowledge to support so many others with the condition. Sam gave us a brilliant breakdown of the diet pillar of the Overcoming MS Program and some great meal and snack ideas.

This past webinar was recorded as part of our Refresh with OMS webinar series. Watch this episode on YouTube here. Keep reading for the key episode takeaways.

01:26 Find out about Sam’s background and qualifications

02:40 What is the Overcoming MS Program?

03:59 Diving into the Overcoming MS diet pillar

09:59 How can you feed your microbiome for optimal health?

08:43 The importance of fibre

10:54 What is a wholefood?

12:23 Cooking techniques compatible with the Overcoming MS Program

14:38 Easy and healthy snack ideas

16:34 Batch cooking Overcoming MS friendly meals

19:06 The immune benefits of drinking tea

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 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.

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 empowers you to take control of your health and wellbeing.  We are pleased to welcome Jack McNulty as our guest! Jack is a professional cook and a longtime follower of the Overcoming MS Program. In this episode, he answers questions from the community about fermented foods.

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

01:35 What is fermentation and how does it fit with the Overcoming MS diet?

04:17 What do you need to begin fermenting at home?

08:07 Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

11:33 Dairy-free yogurt and kefir

18:07 Making kombucha

20:33 Homemade sourdough bread from a starter

28:23 Pickling vegetables

33:28 Koji, a cultured mold to make miso and soy sauce

37:45 Making apple cider vinegar

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

• Try Jack’s recipes for fermented foods here:

• Facebook

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.

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 empowers you to take control of your health and wellbeing. Today we’re thrilled to welcome back Dr Aaron Boster as our guest! Dr Boster is a board-certified Neurologist specialising in Multiple Sclerosis. He is a frequent guest on Living Well with MS and in this episode he’s here to talk about Medication, one of the pillars of the Overcoming MS Program. Specifically, Aaron goes into detail on a wide range of disease modifying therapies (DMTs) for MS, as well as discussing when people should start taking DMT’s, and what they should consider before they do so. There’s lots of useful information in this episode about many different DMT options – we hope you find it useful in making the right decisions for you. Let us know what you think!

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

01:21 What are the medication choices for people with MS and how have they improved?

02:39  When should I start a DMT?

04:30  What should I consider when choosing a drug?

07:08  Alemtuzumab (Lemtrada)

11:14  Cladribine (Mavenclad)

15:05  Fingolimod (Gilenya)

17:13  Mitoxantrone (Novantrone)

18:39  Natalizumab (Tysabri)

21:42  Ofatumumab (Kesimpta)

25:01  Ocrelizumab (Ocrevus)

28:58  Ozanimod (Zeposia)

30:35  Rituximab (Rituxan, MabThera, and Truxima)

32:34  Siponimod (Mayzent)

34:59  Avonex/ Betaferon/ Refib/ Extavia

37:49  Glatiramer Acetate (Copaxone)

40:07  Dimethyl Fumarate (Tecfidera)

42:38  Diroximel Fumarate (Vumerity)

43:46  Plegridy

44:45  Ponesimod (ponvory)

45:41  Teriflunomide (Aubagio)

50:14  Low-dose Naltrexone

52:07  BTK inhibitors

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• Dr Boster was on six previous Living Well with MS episodes:

• S1E11: Making the Right Medication Choices

• Facebook

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.

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 empowers you to take control of your health and wellbeing. Today we’re sharing the highlights from our webinar with the incredible Dr Phil Startin! Phil is an Overcoming MS facilitator who lives with progressive MS. He’s an expert in meditation and mindfulness and teaches Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction courses for people with MS. Phil gave us some brilliant information and really useful tips on how to meditate – it’s a fascinating listen whether you are a regular meditator or are just getting started with your practice. Let us know what you think!

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

01:22 Phil’s background in meditation and mindfulness

03:33 The fight or flight response

04:49 How stress dysregulates our immune system

08:47 Meditation is clinically proven to help people cope with stress

10:41 Mini meditations to try throughout the day

13:49 Guided meditation

20:06 A definition of mindfulness

23:50 The benefits of awareness, including increased resilience

28:02 Mental health tips for your daily routine

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

• Phil Startin has been on two other Living Well with MS episodes:

• S5E19 Webinar highlights: Progressive MS with Phil Startin and Helen Rees Leahy

• S5E13 Meditation tips with Professor Craig Hassed

• Facebook

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.

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 empowers you to take control of your health and wellbeing. Today we’re thrilled to welcome Yvette Sargood as our guest! Yvette is an Overcoming MS facilitator and a meditation teacher who lives with MS and follows the Overcoming MS program. In this fascinating episode, Yvette talks to Geoff about meditation and mindfulness, as well as her personal journey with the MS Program, including disclosing her diagnosis to her employer and how she overcame her chocolate cravings! There’s lots of useful information and tips in this episode (including a discussion on chocolate replacements!) We hope you enjoy it – let us know what you think!

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

01:18 Yvette’s MS and Overcoming MS journey

07:05 The progress made on DMTs and discrimination since the 1990s

09:01 The benefits to starting the Overcoming MS program even long after diagnosis

11:26 The decision to start a disease modifying therapy

14:59 Her difficulties in adopting the Overcoming MS program

16:27 Overcoming her chocolate cravings and chocolate replacements

18:51 Maintaining a healthy weight on the Overcoming MS program

20:23 The benefits of following the Overcoming MS program

22:54 Disclosing a multiple sclerosis diagnosis to your employer

26:01 Becoming an Overcoming MS facilitator

27:46 What is mindfulness and why is it important for people with MS?

32:53 Misconceptions about meditation and stress reduction

35:42 Tips for people new to the Overcoming MS program

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

• Download the Headspace app for meditation

• Facebook

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.

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 empowers you to take control of your health and wellbeing. Today we’re sharing the highlights from our ‘Ask Aaron’ webinar, recorded in front of a global audience, with the incredible Dr Aaron Boster. Dr Boster is a board-certified neurologist who specialises in MS, and we’re delighted to have him answering a huge range of questions from our community! From medications to MRI’s and pregnancy to cold showers, Dr Boster gave us so many brilliantly informative answers - we hope you find this episode really useful. Let us know what you think!  

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

Topics and Timestamps: 

01:49 Defining benign MS 

05:05 How to get the most out of your time with your neurologist 

09:32 The DMTs that help with brain atrophy 

09:46 MRI’s as a way to show the rate of brain atrophy 

18:20 Aubagio for secondary progressive MS 

22:11 The future of Ocrevus dosing guidelines and becoming pregnant on ocrelizumab 

26:31 Treating MS-relating dystonia 

28:37 Treatments for MS-related bladder dysfunction  

35:15 Low-dose Naltrexone for MS 

39:00 The benefits of cold showers  

39:38 Immune reconstitution therapies  

43:22 Managing MS with diet and exercise  

To join us live for the next webinar or watch the original presentation head to our website overcomingms.org 

Dr Boster was on five previous Living Well with MS episodes:

• S1E11: Making the Right Medication Choices   

• Facebook 

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. 

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 empowers you to take control of your health and wellbeing. Today we’re thrilled to welcome Dr Robert Motl as our guest! Dr Motl is a professor of kinesiology, nutrition and rehabilitation sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He’s a top researcher in the field of exercise and physical activity for people living with MS and, in this fascinating episode, he talks to Overcoming MS facilitator Veronique Gauthier-Simmons about how much exercise is recommended for people with MS, the differences between lifestyle physical activity and structured exercise, and he explains how exercise works within the brain to slow MS progression. We learnt so much from Dr Motl, and hope it helps you kick start a new phase in your relationship with physical activity. Let us know what you think!

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

02:09 Overview of Dr Motl’s research lab and team

03:21 Dr Motl’s interest in multiple sclerosis

05:57 Key findings over the years of the benefits of exercise for people with MS

09:32 Lifestyle physical activity vs. structured exercise for people with MS

15:03 How much exercise is recommended for people with MS?

17:39 Exercise as a disease modifying behavior

20:28 What part of the disease progression does exercise help?

22:12 Exercise’s effects on the brain

25:50 Who benefits the most from exercise?

28:42 Social prescribing of exercise for people with MS

31:16 Exercise’s effects on mood for people with MS

34:54 How to participate in future studies

36:16 The benefits of a holistic approach to MS management

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• Learn more about Veronique Gauthier-Simmons

• Facebook

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.

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. Today we’re sharing the highlights from our webinar on ‘Resilience following Overcoming MS’ with the fantastic Dr Rachael Hunter. Rachael is a clinical psychologist and senior lecturer in clinical and health psychology at Swansea University. She's an OMSer herself and wrote the chapter on resilience in the Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis Handbook. She gave us so much interesting information and many helpful tips - we hope you find this really useful in bringing resilience into your own life. Let us know what you think!  

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

00:59 Dr Hunter’s professional background and an overview of the Overcoming MS Program 

04:30 What happens to the body physiologically during a stress response 

06:55 Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and the fundamentals of wellness 

09:37 Managing emotional wellbeing and scheduling “worry time”  

14:30 Managing anxiety through self-compassion and mindfulness 

17:24 The benefits of positive relationships with others 

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

• Dr Rachael Hunter was featured on S4E67: ‘Building Resilience with Dr Rachael Hunter’ 

• Follow Dr Hunter on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter 

• New to Overcoming MS? Visit our introductory page  

• Connect with others following Overcoming MS on the Live Well Hub  

• Visit the Overcoming MS website 
  

• Facebook 

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. 

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