Welcome to Living Well with MS, where we are pleased to welcome Shannon Harvey as our guest! Shannon is an Australian journalist and filmmaker specialising in wellness, mental health, and optimising wellbeing for those with chronic conditions.

Watch this episode on YouTube here. Keep reading for the key episode takeaways and Shannon’s bio.

03:17 Can you tell us about your film ‘The Connection: Mind Your Body’?

05:22 In your film ‘The Connection’ you interview some of the top scholars on mindfulness and the mind-body connection including Jon Kabat-Zinn and Dr. Herbert Benson. Can you tell us a bit about their work and what you learned from them?

08:05 You mentioned that for your project ‘My Year of Living Mindfully’ (both a film and book) you tried out the science on yourself. How did that go?

10:01 Is there a big difference between doing mindfulness rigorously every day and doing it three or four times a week?

11:21 You've also written a book, ‘The Whole Health Life’, and have interviewed dozens of scientists and patients about living a healthy life with an autoimmune disease. So, what are the takeaways from writing that?

12:55 You count Professor George Jelinek as a personal hero of yours. Could you tell us about what it was like to meet George?

15:44 Could you tell us about your latest project called ‘What if mental illness was preventable’?

18:38 How can listeners find out more about your work and watch your films?

Making lifelong changes is hard but worth it.

12:19 “‘The Whole Health Life’ is broken up into very practical things that the Overcoming MS community is already [doing]. Things like making sure I regularly exercise, get enough sleep, have meaningful connections with the people that I love, and [how to] nurture those relationships. Then, [it] talks about the fact that making these lifelong changes is really, really hard. The book is also about how we can apply the science of behaviour change to actually make [these] changes [so] that we can actually stick to [them].”

Professor George Jelinek shows that people can live well with chronic conditions.

13:04 “I met George (Jelinek) when I was first shooting ‘The Connection’. It was very much the beginning of my understanding of the many things that we can do for ourselves in order to live well with a chronic illness. He blew me away the first time I met him, because he was really well, despite everything. Despite his family history, despite his prognosis, he was just so well, and meeting him was quite inspirational because I thought to myself, ‘well, if, if he can do it, then he's like a living case study for me to show that I can do it, too.’”

Shannon’s next project asks, “What if mental illness was preventable?”  

16:53 “While I was making ‘My Year of Living Mindfully’, I learned that so much of mental illness actually begins before the age of 20 or 22, I think it is. If you develop a mental illness at a young age, you are significantly more likely to develop it again later in life. If you've developed it a second time, it greatly increases your chances of developing it a third time. So, I'm really personally interested in this idea of prevention.”

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Shannon Harvey is the multi-award-winning director of two internationally acclaimed documentaries, The Connection: Mind Your Body and My Year of Living Mindfully.

She’s currently working on a new film project while balancing her life as the mother of two adventurous boys.

Shannon was the recipient of the National Press Club of Australia’s “Health Journalist of The Year” award for her first book, The Whole Health Life, which is about finding good health after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.

Shannon has worked as a news and current affairs journalist for leading news organisations such as ABC, Nine Network and Fairfax and her latest book, My Year of Living Mindfully is published by Hachette.

In this episode, we are sharing the highlights from our webinar 'Women’s Health' with Dr. Jonathan White and Professor Helen Reese Leahy. Dr. Jonathan White is an Obstetrician and Gynecologist, and the Overcoming MS Medical Advisor. Helen lives with primary progressive MS and follows the Overcoming MS Program. They discuss how MS impacts women’s health and how the Overcoming MS Program can best support women’s health.

This webinar was recorded as part of our Finding Hope with Overcoming MS webinar series. You can watch the whole webinar here or the podcast highlights on YouTube here.

Keep reading for the key episode takeaways and bio information.

00:56 The history of MS research with women (Helen)

08:15 Reproductive health and MS (Jonathan)

26:14 The Overcoming MS Program supports every aspect of women’s health (Helen)

34:51 Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) (Jonathan)

47:41 Bladder issues with MS and menopause (Jonathan and Helen)

More research is needed to understand menopause’s effect on MS

Inflammation can worsen as we age

Is HRT beneficial if you have MS?

Bladder issues are common with MS and menopause

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Career:

Jonathan went to the University of Glasgow Medical School, graduating in 2008 (MBChB). He completed a further five years of training in Obstetrics and Gynecology and is a member of the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (MRCOG). He works at the Causeway Hospital, Coleraine and has a special interest in early pregnancy and recurrent pregnancy loss.

In April 2022, Jonathan was awarded “Doctor of the Year” at the inaugural Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Awards. He contributed to the ‘Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis Handbook: Roadmap to Good Health’, by writing the chapter about medication.

Overcoming MS and personal life:

Jonathan was diagnosed with RRMS in October 2015 and has been following the Overcoming MS Program ever since.  Dr. White assists Overcoming MS as a medical advisor and event facilitator.

He lives on the North Coast of Northern Ireland, is married to Jenny and father to Angus and Struan. His interests include the great outdoors, cycling and running (reluctantly), reading, rugby, film and spending time with his family.

MS and Overcoming MS

Helen was diagnosed with Primary Progressive MS in 1997 when she was 37 years old. Being ineligible for any Disease Modifying Treatment (DMT) within the UK National Health Service, she began to explore holistic approaches to managing her condition.

She discovered Overcoming MS in 2008 and has followed the Program ever since. She was previously a Trustee for Overcoming MS.

Personal life and career

Helen lives in Conwy, a small, medieval town in North Wales. In 2017, she took medical retirement from the University of Manchester where she was a Professor in the Department of Art History and Cultural Practice. As an Emerita Professor, Helen continues to research and teach doctoral students. She also spends time hand-weaving and learning Welsh, the language of her ancestors.

Welcome to Living Well with MS, where we are delighted to welcome MS Nurse, Phil King, as our guest! Phil offers a great perspective: as a Multiple Sclerosis nurse who also has MS himself, he has been following the Overcoming MS Program for more than a decade. 

Watch this episode on YouTube here. Keep reading for the key episode takeaways and Phil’s bio. 

00:54 Can you tell us about your personal MS journey and professional MS journey?

05:35 Did you become an MS nurse before or after your diagnosis?

11:36 Do you recommend Overcoming MS to your patients?

17:09 Would you say that your patients are typically keen to add in lifestyle modifications?

20:41 How does smoking affect MS? 

25:06 Medication is a pillar in the Overcoming MS Program.

26:07 How does having MS yourself help you in your role as an MS nurse?

29:43 What are your tips for us as patients for interacting with nurses and neurologists?

38:48 Meditation can take on many different forms. 

40:15 If you could give some advice to someone recently diagnosed or just starting the Overcoming MS program, what would it be?

Be honest with your nurse about your symptoms, even if you think they are embarrassing.

32:19 “I'll be honest, I've had bladder issues before. If I'm talking to a patient and they say, ‘I'm having to get up two or three times a night, and it's embarrassing. Sometimes I don’t make it to the toilet in time. I don't really want to speak to a nurse about it, and I don't want to go into the bladder and bowel clinic about it,’ I say, ‘Well, why not? I've been [to the clinic].’”

Work with your healthcare team to manage your condition for life.

37:25 “[MS is] not a condition that is going to end your life very quickly. This is a condition for life. We're now seeing that people with MS have a near-to-normal lifespan, [just like] any other person. So, it's about managing your condition, [and] it's about being honest with your nurse. If your nurse or neurologist asks you to keep a diary [of] how often these symptoms occur, it's really helpful to us because we want you to live the best life that you possibly can.”

You can live a very good life with MS.

43:17 "MS is frightening when you're newly diagnosed, but it does settle down, and there is hope. There is a life to be lived with MS. You can live a very good life. I would say that I look at MS as a gift, which I never thought I'd say. It’s shown me so many different things, different ways of living, [and] different friend groups. If I was told tomorrow, 'Phil, we've made a big mistake. You haven't got MS,' I wouldn't change my lifestyle at all."

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Phil King has been following the Overcoming MS program for 11 years. He discovered Overcoming MS through Rebecca Hoover’s site An Intelligent Person’s Guide to Beating MS while he was scouring the internet for help just before diagnosis. 

Phil still runs, cycles and lift weights (he admits, “I’ll never be Mr. Muscle but I’m working on it!”) 

Phil has only had 1 relapse since diagnosis and follows the Overcoming MS program strictly. He works as a multiple sclerosis nurse for England’s National Health Service and contributed his story to the Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis Handbook.

Welcome to Living Well with MS, where we are pleased to welcome Dr Michael Greger as our guest! Dr Greger is a physician, New York Times bestselling author, and internationally recognised speaker on nutrition, food safety, and public health issues. He speaks to Geoff about gluten and MS, how to get enough iron from food and how to ensure you don’t get a leaky gut.

Keep reading for the key episode takeaways and Dr Greger’s bio.

Make sure you sign up to our newsletter to hear our latest tips and news about living a full and happy life with MS. And if you’re new to Overcoming MS, visit our introductory page to find out more about how we support people with MS.

Fibre from whole intact grains and legumes will decrease intestinal permeability AKA “Leaky Gut”

There are many health benefits to eating ground flaxseeds

Vitamin C improves the absorption of plant-based iron sources

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A founding member and Fellow of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, Michael Greger, M.D., is a physician and internationally recognised speaker on nutrition. He is a graduate of Cornell University School of Agriculture and Tufts University School of Medicine.

Dr Greger’s career

Dr Greger is a sought-after lecturer and has presented at the Conference on World Affairs and the World Bank, testified before Congress, and was invited as an expert witness in Oprah Winfrey’s defence in the infamous “meat defamation” trial.

Dr Greger’s books

In this episode, we are sharing the highlights from our webinar ‘Living Well with Progressive MS’ with Dr Phil Startin and Professor Helen Reese Leahy. Both Phil and Helen have progressive MS and follow the Overcoming MS Program. They discuss what progressive MS is and how the Overcoming MS Program can benefit people with progressive MS.

This webinar was recorded in July 2021 as part of our Finding Hope with Overcoming MS webinar series. You can watch the whole webinar here or the podcast highlights on YouTube here.

Keep reading for the key episode takeaways and bio information.

Make sure you sign up to our newsletter to hear our latest tips and news about living a full and happy life with MS. And if you’re new to Overcoming MS, visit our introductory page to find out more about how we support people with MS.

Overcoming MS is for every type of MS

Exercise is still important with progressive MS but be gentle and kind with yourself

Think of the Overcoming MS Program as a toolkit rather than a set of rules

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Career and Overcoming MS:

MS and Overcoming MS:

She discovered Overcoming MS in 2008 and has followed the Program ever since. She was previously a Trustee for Overcoming MS.

Personal life and career:

In this episode of Living Well with MS, Dr Jonathan White, Overcoming MS Medical Advisor who is living well with MS, welcomes Dr Jonny Acheson as our guest. Jonny Acheson is a physician who lives with Parkinson’s Disease. They chat about Dr Acheson’s diagnosis, the cross-over between MS and Parkinson’s and the importance of healthy lifestyle to manage symptoms for neurological conditions.  

Watch this episode on YouTube here. Keep reading for the key episode takeaways, which include great tips and advice for people living with MS and other neurological conditions.

02:54 Could you start by just giving us an introduction about yourself, your background, your personal background and what you do for a living?

05:48 What was it that initially brought you to that first consultation?

09:41 Was your consultation done any differently because of the fact that you're a doctor?

18:09 Can you explain what Parkinson's disease is?

20:44 Most people with MS are diagnosed between around the ages of 20 and 40. It's maybe slightly later in Parkinson's disease normally, is that right?

21:37 Does everybody with Parkinson's end up taking Levodo?

25:09 I know for you, exercise has become a really important part of how you manage your Parkinson's. Can you tell us about that side of things?

29:59 How has work changed for you since your diagnosis?

33:12 Do you think that Parkinson's has changed the way you are a doctor in any way?

36:06 When and how do you disclose your diagnosis to your patients?

38:52 The cross over between MS and Parkinson’s lifestyle changes.

41:49 Environmental factors linked to chronic conditions.

45:33 The role of stress and how that affects you.

A lifechanging Diagnosis

11:07 “I was totally blindsided. I thought I had Multiple Sclerosis. I thought I had Motor Neuron Disease. I thought I had I had a brain tumor. So, for him [the doctor] to say those words [you have Idiopathic Parkinson’s disease], it was life changing news, but I think he was quite sensible. He said, "take four weeks off." I think he was wise and doing that - I needed time to get my head around it. Now you don't get your head around it in four weeks, but at least you start to educate yourself about it and some things started to make sense.”

Taking time off when possible to process and learn about a diagnosis can benefit your wellbeing

16:31 “There are the invisible symptoms that you don't see: the anxiety, the apathy, the problems sleeping. All that stuff is very difficult for people to understand because they don't see it. The four weeks off really helped me, and I think it taught me two things. One, this disease wasn't going to kill me. Well, not directly anyway. And secondly, that high intensity exercise of two and a half hours a week, may slow progression, and it'll certainly help you feel better and reduce your symptoms.”

Find an exercise that you enjoy, that is easy and accessible to keep you motivated

27:50 “I think the difficulty is that the general population has difficulty exercising and motivating themselves to exercise. I think if you're living with a long-term neurological condition, it's so important to keep the motivation. That is really quite a challenge. I think it's about finding something that you enjoy doing. It's finding something that you'll stick at, it's something that you know that is easy, and accessible.”

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Jonny Acheson is an Emergency Medicine Consultant in Leicester who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2016 when he was 41. Originally from Northern Ireland, he moved to England in 2004 to continue his medical training. He uses his art to educate people about Parkinson’s and he has recently taken up the post as Director of Engagement at the Parkinson’s Excellence Network.

He advocates about the importance of exercise in managing Parkinson’s and is presently running a campaign to ensure people in hospital with Parkinson’s get their time critical medication when they need it.

He is married to Heather, and they have two children Ben (17) and Anna (12). He enjoys watching Leicester City and playing golf.

Welcome to Living Well with MS. In this episode we are delighted to welcome Associate Professor Sandra Neate as our guest! Sandra is from the Neuroepidemiology Unit (NEU) at the University of Melbourne where she researches lifestyle modification and diet quality for people with MS.

This webinar was recorded in September 2022 as part of our 'Finding Hope with Overcoming MS - 10th-anniversary edition' webinar series. You can watch the whole webinar here or the podcast highlights on YouTube here.

Keep reading for the key episode takeaways and bio. 

Make sure you sign up to our newsletter to hear our latest tips and news about living a full and happy life with MS. And if you’re new to Overcoming MS, visit our introductory page to find out more about how we support people with MS.

Evidence shows there are benefits to regular meditation

(28:57) “The most compelling result was that meditation resulted in reduced depression, and increased feelings of mastery. It's about the feeling that one's life is under one's own control and not controlled by external forces, feelings of empowerment, that sort of thing. The interesting finding was that those who were meditating even as little as once weekly for 20 minutes were still experiencing a benefit.”

Sticking to the Overcoming MS diet can lead to improved health outcomes

(21:34) “We've conducted two studies that have looked at sticking with an MS-specific diet. Now some of these are named MS diets, like the Swank diet, the Overcoming MS diet, the Wahls style, etc. One of our studies looked at whether following an MS-specific diet led to improved health outcomes. It found that persistent adherence to the Overcoming MS diet led to lower fatigue, disability and depression than both non-adherence and ceased adherence to the diet. So, your ability to stick with the diet is a very important thing.”

The Neuroepidemiology Unit wants to provide the tools for people with MS to take control of their health

(45:15) “We're trying to build a picture of what lifestyle modification can do in MS. By doing that we hope to help people with MS find confidence and empowerment through the knowledge they've gained. We hope to provide people with MS with the tools to self-manage because the principles are fairly simple. The practicalities may not be so simple, but the tools are there. We hope that people will live with hope, based on the evidence that we've provided.”

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Sandra’s career

NEU research

Welcome to Living Well with MS, where we are pleased to welcome the Ambassador of the Overcoming MS Toronto Circle, Jesse Mirsky, as our guest! He chats to Geoff about how he felt after being diagnosed with MS, how he adapted to the Overcoming MS Program and why he became an Ambassador.

Watch this episode on YouTube here. Keep reading for the key episode takeaways and Jesse’s bio.

00:50 Could you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about where you live and what you do?

02:03 Can you tell us a bit about your MS journey and how you found out about Overcoming MS?

02:57 Why did Overcoming MS resonate as something to follow?

03:39 Has your perspective changed at all since diagnosis and finding Overcoming MS?

06:51 How did you find quitting smoking? Did you just stop instantly? And what would be your tips for someone who is a smoker and has MS?

09:50 What aspects of the Overcoming MS Program do you like most and have found most straightforward to implement?

12:45 You're the ambassador for the Toronto area. What's the value of being the ambassador for Overcoming MS?

15:03 Could you tell us a bit about your volunteer work with MS Canada?

19:37 If you were to give advice to yourself as a newly diagnosed person, what would that advice be?

The Overcoming MS Program empowers and informs people to make positive lifestyle changes

03:02 “[Professor] Jelinek's voice really spoke to me like I'm a relatively intelligent adult. It was the first time I heard ideas like ‘follow this very healthy evidence-based lifestyle program, and still take your DMT with your neurologist’s guidance, if that's a good fit for you.’ It was also the first time I felt like I had a say in my health, in my approach to my MS.”

Grieving your former self can be an important step in making healthy changes

04:02 “I discovered the concept of grieving for the loss of my former self and finding the new me. That concept really resonated with me. In a lot of ways, I actually saw it as a really positive thing. Through that I embraced dietary, exercise and mindfulness initiatives fully. Through the process of discovering who this new me is, I made a lot of decisions to cut out toxic elements from my life, whether that's food and lifestyle related, people, or even something like social media. Overcoming MS was a major factor in helping all this.”

Find the method that works for you to quit smoking

07:40 “I really struggled for about two years with smoking. Whereas [with] my drinking, getting that under control was actually almost easy and immediate in comparison. It feels like I tried everything to quit before I got a handle on it, which included things like tracking every time I smoked, and then trying to reduce the number of times each day, going cold turkey, reading about how horrible smoking is for your health, the scare tactics, etc. All those things. At the end of the day, I actually found Allen Carr's ‘Easy Way to Stop Smoking.’ That book really worked for me.”

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Jesse’s Bio:

Jesse volunteers for Overcoming MS and MS Canada, Canada’s national MS-focused charity.

As an ambassador with Overcoming MS, he facilitates the Greater Toronto Area online Circle support group. He is also a member of the Overcoming MS Communications Advisory Group.

At MS Canada, he facilitates a support group for people who are newly diagnosed with the disease and gets to work with the charity’s education team on webinars and events, too.

A major turning point in coming to terms with his diagnosis was discovering Overcoming MS. The program has helped him to change his perspective, offered him access to a community of others who can relate and has reinforced a positive outlook that he can always come back to for inspiration and hope.

Welcome to Living Well with MS, where we are pleased to welcome Molly Meng as our guest! Molly has been following the Overcoming MS Program since 2020 and is an artist with a passion for storytelling. She chats to Geoff about how she adapted to the Overcoming MS Program, how she has found ways to manage stress and how her MS diagnosis has led her to build connections with others living with MS.

Watch this episode on our YouTube here. Keep reading for the key episode takeaways and Molly's bio. Make sure you sign up to our newsletter to hear our latest tips and news about living a full and happy life with MS. And if you’re new to Overcoming MS, visit our introductory page to find out more about how we support people with MS.

World MS Day

Tuesday 30th May is World MS Day, this year we're joining charities all over the world to share stories of connection using #MSConnections. Join the global campaign to make a difference to people with MS here: overcomingms.org/worldmsday

Key Takeaways: 

Understanding how diet affects your health can help you make changes

“I was such a dairy hound. I was not only raised on dairy, but if you asked me one thing that I love having in my life ever it was dairy cream. Didn't have to be ice cream, just cream, milk, butter. I loved dairy so much that I thought, ’how will I ever give it up?’ But the moment I read [the research on] the Overcoming MS website, I walked into my kitchen, and I just emptied out my fridge.”

Following the Overcoming MS diet can get you excited to try new flavours and food combinations

“[Following the Overcoming MS Program] has changed my excitement for food. I thought I was a foodie before, but now I wake up in the morning [and] I think what kind of flavours do I want to put together? Do I want salty and sweet? What can I use to get to that flavour? Can I use dates? Can I actually use a little tahini and dill? I just love it. I now cook and make things as a relaxing hobby.”

Mindful walking can be a form of stress-reduction

“When I'm on my dog walk, I don't take a phone. I don't have conversations. On the dog walk, I just find that I'm really mindful and I'm noticing the robins and the flowers. My whole body tends to lower its adrenaline and by the time I get home from that walk, I don't find a lot of things to be stressed about.”

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Bio:

Molly Meng is a Los Angeles, California native who recently moved with her husband to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. She was diagnosed with MS in August 2020 and started following the Overcoming MS program that same month. The move from CA to NH was largely influenced by this diagnosis, in an effort to slow down and live deeper in nature.

Molly’s career as an artist

Molly is an artist, working with ephemera, vintage photos and textiles, who also teaches creative workshops throughout the year. She loves being on stage performing stand-up comedy, and storytelling. Molly finds enjoyment and ease in seeking out new people and speaking with strangers.  Her motto that “strangers are just friends you haven't met yet” has led her to meet a wide variety of others who are living well with MS.

Welcome to Living Well with MS. In this episode we are sharing the highlights from our ‘Mindfulness and Meditation with Overcoming MS’ webinar with Overcoming MS Facilitator Dr Phil Startin. Phil discusses ways to make mindfulness and meditation part of your daily life.

This popular webinar was recorded on 17 April 2022 as part of our Finding Hope with Overcoming MS - 10th anniversary edition webinar series. 

Keep reading for the key episode takeaways and bio. 

Make sure you sign up to our newsletter to hear our latest tips and news about living a full and happy life with MS. And if you’re new to Overcoming MS, visit our introductory page to find out more about how we support people with MS.

Selected Key Takeaways:

Starting a new meditation habit can be difficult

3:17 “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 you do struggle with meditation, and getting a practice going, you're definitely not alone. Of all the different steps within the Overcoming MS program to actually adopt about 34% of us really, really struggle with that.”

Give yourself permission to take time out to meditate

6:28 “We’re almost addicted to activity at times. Activity has become a measure of success, which just seems to be crazy. We're almost ‘not allowed’ to sit and do nothing. There's a phrase I really like, ‘we’re not human beings, we're human doings.’ We just spend all our time doing things. But perhaps the biggest reason why we don't meditate, or why we stop meditating is we just don't give ourselves permission.”

Keep yourself accountable for your meditation practice

10:34 “At the end of the day, you need to be accountable for actually getting yourself to start meditating. I recommend that you journal, and record every time you meditate: what was that meditation experience like for you? I did for a number of years. And I found it extremely helpful to be able to look back over my experiences, and to see how it worked. It's a great way of learning about the practice. Give yourself a little reward now and again, as well. If you manage, let's say, a week of meditating within no gaps, then reward yourself for a month of meditating.”

Related Links: 

• Watch the original webinar here

Don’t miss out: 

Subscribe to this podcast and never miss an episode. You can catch any episode of Living Well with MS here or on your favourite podcast listening app. If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune into the show. Feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing [email protected].

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Dr. Phil Startin’s bio:

Career and Overcoming MS:

After a DPhil in Quantum Physics, Phil left his academic roots for a more peripatetic career in management consulting, initially with Price Waterhouse. After years of travelling around the world for both work and pleasure, including a two-year assignment in Geneva, he was diagnosed with Primary Progressive MS (PPMS) in 2007.

Phil discovered Overcoming MS in 2011, and coupled with his earlier discovery of mindfulness meditation, it awakened a whole new area in his life. With training and supervision from Bangor University, he now teaches an eight-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) course to people with MS and to the general community on a pro-bono basis. He is also a trustee for MS-UK.

Personal life:

Phil lives in Arrochar, Scotland with his American wife, Cristina, whom he met over a weekend at the Jazz Fest in New Orleans. Phil’s completely convinced that the Overcoming MS program and mindfulness have positively affected the trajectory of his condition.