To offer us some much-needed guidance and perspective, and to kick off the third season of the Living Well with MS podcast, we are pleased to welcome back Dr Jonathan White. Dr. White will help us understand how COVID-19 has impacted people with MS and the challenges that remain. He also provides understanding of the implications of the vaccine for people with MS. 

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

Topics and Timestamps:

01:40 What just happened in reference to 2020? Can you put it all in context from a personal health and wellness perspective?  

03:50 What’s your take on the main ways COVID-19 has impacted the community of people with MS?  

07:11 There have been some pronounced fumbles in the way the pandemic was managed in the UK and US; do you think these nations have righted the ship, and if so, how?  

09:06 What’s your take on positive changes 2021 will bring in terms of eradicating COVID-19?  

11:52 Are there any implications for people with MS getting vaccinated?  

13:49 What’s the difference between the main approved vaccines? Do you recommend people with MS try to get one over another?  

19:30 From an Overcoming MS program perspective, what would you suggest people with MS can do to stay healthy while awaiting vaccination? 

23:40 Are you concerned that developing a COVID-19 vaccine has slowed progress on MS research?  

24:56 Are there any positive by products in terms of MS research that have come from COVID-19-related efforts?  

27:19 Are you concerned about potential mutations that could then blunt the effectiveness of a vaccine? 

31:01 What are you most hopeful about for 2021, personally and professionally?    

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More info and links:        

• Association of British Neurologists Guidance on Vaccination for COVID-19 and Neurological Conditions 

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Welcome to the Living Well with MS podcast, where we are joined by Rachel Changer. Rachel is a Pilates instructor and neurological physiotherapist with a master’s diploma in neurological rehabilitation. 

01:05 Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, your background, and your experience working with people with MS? 

03:03 What is Pilates? And what are the differences between Pilates and other practices? 

08:49 What are the benefits of Pilates for people with MS? 

13:11 What are the downsides? 

14:17 How do you choose the right Pilates instructor or class? Can you do it on your own? 

17:17 How can you modify Pilates for all levels of ability? 

20:23 Does Pilates work as an online activity? Can you do it without much equipment? 

29:35 Do you have any other thoughts to encourage or inspire people for their fitness and exercise regime for people with MS? 

32:04 When following an exercise regime, when do you think that you should also check in with a medical provider, if you’ve got any symptoms that might be exercise related? 

34:32 Can you share a final thought with our audience on what motivates or inspires you as a human being?  

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

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.

Welcome to the Living Well with MS Coffee Break, where we welcome Alexandra Storey as our guest! Alex lives with relapsing MS and is a fundraiser for the Overcoming MS charity.  

01:20 Can you tell us a little about yourself, your family, and your life?  

01:58 When were you diagnosed with MS and how long have you been following the Overcoming MS Program?  

10:14 Can you share a little about your culinary pastime, what it means to you, how it’s helped with MS and Overcoming MS? 

15:48 How else have you had to adapt your daily healthy habits to the new realities imposed by Covid-19?  

20:29 What are the reasons you’re helping drive giving to Overcoming MS for Giving Tuesday? 

21:42 Do you have any other tips or tricks you can share with our audience that might help them on their own health journeys?  

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

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.

Welcome to the Living Well with MS podcast, where we are joined by Helen Rees Leahy. Helen lives with Primary Progressive MS and follows the Overcoming MS Program.  

01:47 Can you tell us a bit about yourself, where you’re from, and what you do? 

03:37 When were you diagnosed with MS and how did you initially handle it? 

07:49 Can you shed some light on what PPMS is and what life is like with that specific type of MS? 

09:58 When did you discover Overcoming MS and decide to follow the program? 

15:47 How does the Overcoming MS program fit into the realities of someone with PPMS? 

18:48 What are the biggest obstacles to someone with PPMS adopting the program? 

31:41 In your own experience with both PPMS and Overcoming MS, how do you measure progress? 

35:25 How does weaving integrate with your lifestyle and affect you? 

41:38 As someone with PPMS, what can you share with others that have PPMS that motivates or inspires you?

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

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.

Welcome to the Living Well with MS Coffee Break, where we welcome fellow podcast host and producer Bron Webster as our guest! Bron was diagnosed with MS in 1996 and works as a patient advocate. 

01:28 Can you tell us a little about yourself, your family, and your life? 

02:16 Can you describe your MS journey? 

04:41 What do you feel has made the biggest positive impact to your MS symptoms? 

06:55 What is your greatest challenge with MS? And how did you overcome that? 

09:16 I know you’re quite active in the MS community. Can you tell us how being part of this community has helped your journey? 

15:28 How have you had to adapt your daily habits to match the realities imposed by COVID-19? 

16:59 Do you have any other tips or tricks that you could share with our audience that might help them on their MS journeys?  

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

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.

Welcome the Living Well with MS podcast, and we are joined by Erika North. Erika was diagnosed with MS in 2008 and is now happy to put a spotlight on the trials and tribulations her condition brings, with a trademark sense of humor listeners of the BBC will be familiar with! 

01:52 Could you tell us a bit about yourself? 

03:10 Can you tell us a bit about your own MS journey when you started to have symptoms and diagnosis? 

10:09 How does an MS diagnosis affect someone in a public-facing role?  

21:22 How is the public impression of MS changing?  

26:25 How did you discover the program and how have you found adapting your lifestyle to Overcoming MS? 

33:06 Do you think Overcoming MS is a healthy lifestyle for all? 

37:11 Do you think COVID-19 has affected how you can live healthily and affected getting hold of healthy food? 

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

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.

Welcome to the Living Well with MS Coffee Break, where we welcome Roy Bartlett as our guest! Roy is the ambassador of the Aukland, New Zeland circle and has lived with MS since 1988.  

01:16 Can you tell us a little about yourself, your family, and your life? 

03:30 When were you diagnosed with MS and how long have you been following the Overcoming MS Program? 

14:47 What is your favorite thing about the program? 

16:25 What was your greatest challenge in adopting the Overcoming MS program, and how did you overcome it? 

18:45 I know you’re quite active in the Overcoming MS community, and the ambassador of the Auckland Circle in New Zealand. Can you tell us how being a part of the community has informed your journey? 

19:42 How have you had to adapt your daily healthy habits to the new realities imposed by COVID-19? 

23:22 Do you have any other tips or tricks you can share with our audience that might help them on their journeys? 

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

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.

Welcome to the Living Well with MS podcast, where we are joined by Jack McNulty. Jack has followed the Overcoming MS lifestyle since 2009. He has actively worked on providing recipes and information to the Overcoming MS website and was the contributing editor to the Overcoming MS cookbook. Jack is currently operating his own subscription-based website providing instruction and recipes supporting a vegan life. 

02:50 Are all oils bad, or are there some beneficial and healthy ones? 

12:13 Is it okay to heat oils when cooking? 

15:37 Is it okay then to cook using flaxseed oil? 

19:10 Is it true that you should never bake higher than 180°C (350°F) if you are using oil? 

29:18 There are many recipes that call for fried veggies, such as onions. How do you substitute this with a healthier alternative? 

34:33 Why do use extra virgin olive oil? Can we use any olive oil are they effectively the same thing? 

42:14 Olive oil doesn’t have the right flavor for all recipes. Are there other oils that I can use, such as rapeseed oil or hemp oil, to capture that flavor? 

44:10 What can I use instead of butter for baking? 

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

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.

Welcome to Living Well with MS Coffee Break, where we welcome Rowan Baker as our guest! Rowan is a UK-based nurse who follows the Overcoming MS Program. She enjoys yoga and running, crafting and cooking up Overcoming MS feasts. She’s currently training towards a half marathon, on the back of a long-distance walk for an MS charity last year. She has written a number of blogs for Overcoming MS. 

01:15 Can you tell us a little about yourself, your family, and your life? 

02:17 When were you diagnosed with MS and how long have you been following the Overcoming MS Program? 

03:05 What is your favorite thing about the program? 

05:18 What was your greatest challenge in adopting the Overcoming MS program? 

07:33 Can you tell us a bit about being part of the Overcoming MS community and how that’s changed your journey? 

08:36 You also work for the NHS. Can you share a perspective on how that interconnect with your MS and experiences with Overcoming MS? 

10:45 How have you had to adapt your daily healthy habits to the new realities imposed by COVID-19? 

12:55 Do you have any other tips or tricks you can share with our audience that might help them on their journeys? 

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

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.

Welcome to  the Living Well with MS podcast, where we are joined by Trevor Wicken. Trevor is the founder of The MS Gym, the largest and most comprehensive platform for movement and mindset training for those living with MS and other neurological conditions. Since its inception, it has transformed the lives of thousands of people throughout the world. 

01:28 What is The MS Gym? 

04:45 Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, where you’re from, and the journey that brought you to launching The MS Gym? 

13:45 How is your fitness philosophy particularly tailored to people with MS? 

18:53 Is it worth getting an MS specialist approach rather than just a normal physical training instructor? 

21:10 What are the biggest obstacles to getting people – with or without MS – to adopt a regular exercise regimen? 

28:39 For the people you serve under The MS Gym umbrella, how do you measure their success or progress? 

44:06 If you could articulate one specific outcome you can say you really nailed in your work through The MS Gym, what would that be and why? 

54:53 What motivates or inspires you as a human being? 

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

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.