Living Well with Multiple Sclerosis

In this episode of Living Well with MS -- where we explore topics relating to living a full and healthy life with multiple sclerosis -- we are pleased to welcome Laura Crowder as our guest! Laura is a health coach and Overcoming MS facilitator. In this webinar replay she unpacks the psychological impact of an MS diagnosis and practical strategies for improving mental wellbeing.  
Watch this episode on YouTube. Keep reading for the topics, timestamps, and our guest’s bio
01:06 Introduction to Living with MS
01:07 Mental Health Strategies for MS
02:14 Understanding the Psychological Impact of MS
07:15 Navigating Emotions After Diagnosis
11:26 Understanding Multiple Sclerosis
13:05 Mind-Body Connection and Its Importance
20:49 Practical Strategies for Mental Wellbeing
28:41 Community Support and Resources
36:06 Q&A Session and Closing Remarks
Check out other episodes featuring Laura
New to Overcoming MS? Learn why lifestyle matters in MS - begin your journey at our 'Get started' page
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An MS diagnosis can bring fear, uncertainty and difficult questions about the future. 
In this episode of Living Well with MS, Geoff Allix speaks with Patrick Bevan, who spent 16 years hiding from his multiple sclerosis diagnosis before embracing a lifestyle approach that transformed how he thinks about living with MS. 
Patrick shares how fear, anxiety and denial shaped his decisions for years, why a relapse became the catalyst for change, and how exercise, healthy eating, community and self-compassion helped him regain a sense of control. 
They also discuss living with ADHD alongside MS, the challenges of building sustainable habits, and why connecting with others can make such a difference after diagnosis. 
Whether you're newly diagnosed with MS or have been living with it for many years, Patrick's honest reflections offer hope, practical encouragement and a reminder that a diagnosis does not define your future. 
Keep reading for the key episode takeaways and Patrick’s bio.  
00:00 Patrick's MS diagnosis and the beginning of his journey 
03:34 Living with hidden fear for sixteen years 
05:18 Why fear delayed lifestyle changes and treatment 
07:02 The turning point that changed everything 
10:19 Challenging public perceptions of living with MS 
11:39 How fear shaped work, confidence and relationships 
13:18 Living with both ADHD and multiple sclerosis 
15:00 Finding motivation through the Overcoming MS Exercise Circle 
18:03 Which lifestyle changes were easiest—and hardest—to sustain 
21:11 Balancing entrepreneurship with protecting long-term health 
25:02 Patrick's advice for anyone newly diagnosed with MS 
Connect with Patrick on LinkedIn 
Learn more about Change Alchemy 
New to Overcoming MS? Learn why lifestyle matters in MS - begin your journey at our 'Get started' page
Connect with others following Overcoming MS on the Live Well Hub
Visit the Overcoming MS website
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Don’t miss out:
Subscribe to this podcast and never miss an episode. Listen to our archive of Living Well with MS here.
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Support us:
If you enjoy this podcast and want to help us continue creating future podcasts, please leave a donation here.
Feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.
If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review.

Supporting someone with MS can be rewarding, but it also brings challenges. In this episode of Living Well with MS, Geoff Allix speaks with physiotherapist, mindfulness teacher, coach and Overcoming MS Program Facilitator-in-training Susan Czyzo about supporting people living with multiple sclerosis while also looking after your own wellbeing.
Drawing on both her professional experience and her personal perspective as a family supporter, Susan explores why sustainable lifestyle habits matter, how coaching can help people make lasting changes, and why movement, mindfulness and self-compassion all have a place in living well with MS.
They also discuss the growing evidence for lifestyle approaches alongside MS treatment, the importance of personalised care, and why healthcare professionals should remain open to conversations about healthy lifestyle choices.
Whether you're living with MS yourself or supporting someone who is, this episode offers thoughtful, practical insights into building resilience, hope and wellbeing over the long term.
Watch this episode on YouTube. Keep reading for the topics, timestamps, and our guest’s bio.
01:49 Meet Susan and her holistic approach to wellbeing
06:25 Why the Overcoming MS programme stood out
08:29 Lessons from becoming an Overcoming MS Program Facilitator
11:16 Lifestyle, evidence and conversations with healthcare professionals
12:21 Moving beyond fixing towards empowering people
16:15 How coaching helps people create lasting healthy habits
19:50 Supporting a loved one through an MS diagnosis
23:09 What living well with MS really means
27:50 Looking ahead as part of the Overcoming MS community
Listen to Stories of Hope from the Overcoming MS community
New to Overcoming MS? Learn why lifestyle matters in MS - begin your journey at our 'Get started' page
Connect with others following Overcoming MS on the Live Well Hub
Visit the Overcoming MS website
Follow us on social media:
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Don’t miss out:
Subscribe to this podcast and never miss an episode. Listen to our archive of Living Well with MS here.
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 help us continue creating future podcasts, please leave a donation here.
Feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.
If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review.

Can tapping help calm MS stress and anxiety? In this episode of Living Well with MS, host Geoff Allix speaks with Lauren Fonvielle, an Emotional Freedom Techniques, or EFT, Trainer, about tapping as a tool for stress reduction, emotional awareness and nervous system regulation. 
Lauren explains what EFT is, why it is sometimes called tapping, and how it combines gentle pressure on acupressure points with acknowledging thoughts and emotions out loud. She shares how tapping helped her manage anxiety and panic attacks, and discusses how the practice may help people feel calmer, more grounded and better able to process difficult emotions. 
The conversation also explores the science behind EFT, how it may fit into the Overcoming MS stress reduction pillar, when to seek support from a trained practitioner, and why tuning into your own words and feelings matters. 
Watch this episode on YouTube. Keep reading for the topics, timestamps, and our guest’s bio. 
01:54 Lauren and her path to EFT 03:24 What EFT tapping is, and why emotions matter 05:44 The science of tapping and calming the nervous system 08:42 Starting EFT and finding the right words 09:49 How quickly tapping may help you feel calmer 10:39 Longer-term benefits and processing past emotional experiences 12:08 Using EFT daily or in stressful moments 12:40 When to seek support from a practitioner 13:21 How tapping fits with mindfulness and meditation 14:41 EFT, physical pain and emotional contributors 16:24 Research into EFT, stress and PTSD 17:55 Client breakthroughs and emotional shifts through tapping 20:29 Lauren’s advice for anyone curious about tapping
 Read about the evidence for tapping 
Learn more about the Mindshift Community  
Connect with Lauren on Instagram 
Follow Lauren’s YouTube Channel 
New to Overcoming MS? Learn why lifestyle matters in MS - begin your journey at our 'Get started' page
Connect with others following Overcoming MS on the Live Well Hub
Visit the Overcoming MS website
Follow us on social media:
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Instagram
YouTube
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Don’t miss out:
Subscribe to this podcast and never miss an episode. Listen to our archive of Living Well with MS here.
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 help us continue creating future podcasts, please leave a donation here.
Feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.
If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review.
 

Can exercise help your brain and body adapt when you’re living with MS? In this episode of Living Well with MS, host Geoff Allix speaks with Dr Gretchen Hawley, a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Multiple Sclerosis Certified Specialist, about movement, neuroplasticity and living well with MS.
Dr Hawley explains how exercise can support strength, balance, walking and everyday confidence. She shares why movement quality, repetition and rest all matter, and how functional exercises can help with daily activities such as stairs, getting into a car or standing up from the floor.
The episode also explores fatigue, heat sensitivity and how to adapt exercise to your own symptoms and energy levels.
Originally broadcast in 2020, this episode has been edited to remove out-of-date content and reuploaded in 2026 to ensure it remains relevant and useful.

MS is not a “white person disease”. In this episode of Living Well with MS, host Geoff Allix speaks with Minnie St. Claire, a Canadian entrepreneur, digital content creator and advocate living with multiple sclerosis and bipolar disorder. 
Minnie shares her MS journey, including early symptoms, years of denial, relapse, treatment decisions and learning to take her health seriously. She also talks about managing more than one chronic condition, building resilience, using therapy tools, finding BIPOC peer support, and creating routines that protect her mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing. 
The conversation explores Canada’s disability benefits system, financial independence while receiving support, working from home with MS, meal planning, movement, hormonal changes, healthcare gaps for people of colour, and why inclusive research and representation matter. 
Minnie’s perspective is honest, practical and rooted in lived experience. 
Watch this episode on YouTube. Keep reading for the topics, timestamps, and our guest’s bio. 
01:59 Minnie’s first MS symptoms and diagnosis journey 03:00 Denial, relapse and learning to take MS seriously 06:22 Navigating Canada’s complicated disability benefits system 09:23 Managing MS, bipolar disorder and mental health needs 12:39 Choosing self-care, rest and boundaries without guilt 14:42 Why ten minutes of movement can still count 17:51 Meal planning, vegetables and making healthy food easier 20:11 Adding fish and trying new plant-based options 21:25 Therapy tools, peer support and stress management 23:40 Scheduling stillness, faith and creative self-care 24:57 Building an online business while managing MS 27:41 Turning transferable skills into flexible income streams 28:56 Hormones, mood changes, sleep and symptom tracking 31:41 Healthcare trust, race and choosing the right doctor 35:02 Why inclusive MS research and resources matter 36:57 Finding friendship, mentorship and support online 39:50 Education, confidence and advocating for your body 
Connect with Minni 
Most active on youtube.com/minnieoncam 
New to Overcoming MS? Learn why lifestyle matters in MS - begin your journey at our 'Get started' page
Connect with others following Overcoming MS on the Live Well Hub
Visit the Overcoming MS website
Follow us on social media:
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Don’t miss out:
Subscribe to this podcast and never miss an episode. Listen to our archive of Living Well with MS here.
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 help us continue creating future podcasts, please leave a donation here.
Feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.
If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review.

Dr Aaron Boster, an award-winning, board-certified MS neurologist, answers practical questions from the Overcoming MS community on symptoms, treatment and living well with multiple sclerosis. 
The conversation covers supplements, fatigue, menopause and HRT, gut health, inflammation, DMTs, stable MRI scans with worsening symptoms, weather sensitivity, bladder and bowel issues, swallowing problems, Epstein-Barr virus and cancer risks linked to MS medications. 
With warmth, clarity and energy, Dr Boster explains complex topics in a way that feels useful and reassuring, while encouraging people with MS to work closely with their healthcare team and take an active role in their care. 
This episode is a webinar highlights special – originally recorded as a live Overcoming MS webinar and now edited for the podcast to bring you the key insights, questions and takeaways in one place. 
 Watch this episode on YouTube. Keep reading for the topics, timestamps, and our guest’s bio. 
02:52 Supplements, food quality and MS health 05:42 When symptom-specific supplements may be useful 07:18 Six practical ways to reduce MS fatigue 10:06 What the Octave MS test may show 13:23 Menopause, HRT and MS progression risk 17:18 How inflammation works in multiple sclerosis 20:24 Gut health, microbiome changes and MS symptoms 24:41 Practical bowel strategies for constipation in MS 27:07 Do DMTs still help older people with MS? 27:55 Stable MRI scans but worsening MS symptoms 31:23 Objective tests neurologists can use to track MS 35:28 DMT myths, pharma concerns and clinical trials 40:35 Why heat and cold can worsen MS symptoms 43:17 Bladder symptoms and practical treatment options 43:52 Swallowing problems and when to seek help 44:20 Epstein-Barr virus and future MS prevention research 45:22 Cancer risk, Ocrevus, Mavenclad and context 
Listen to other Living Well with MS episodes featuring Dr Boster  
New to Overcoming MS? Learn why lifestyle matters in MS - begin your journey at our 'Get started' page
Connect with others following Overcoming MS on the Live Well Hub
Visit the Overcoming MS website
Follow us on social media:
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Don’t miss out:
Subscribe to this podcast and never miss an episode. Listen to our archive of Living Well with MS here.
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 help us continue creating future podcasts, please leave a donation here.
Feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.
If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review.

MRI scans are a familiar part of MS care – but what are they actually showing, and what might future scans reveal? In this episode of Living Well with MS, host Geoff Allix speaks with MRI physicist Bhavana Solanky from the Queen Square MS Centre at University College London, where she develops advanced MRI markers to better understand multiple sclerosis. 
Bhavana explains how MRI is used to diagnose and monitor MS, from spotting new lesions to helping clinicians understand disease activity over time. She also explores how different types of MRI scans work, why the same scanner can produce several kinds of images, and how advanced techniques such as sodium MRI and spectroscopy are helping researchers look beyond visible lesions. 
The conversation also covers why research volunteers are so important and how future scans could become faster and more comfortable. 
Watch this episode on YouTube. Keep reading for the topics, timestamps, and our guest’s bio. 
01:20 Meet MRI physicist Bhavana Solanky 01:57 Using MRI like a giant camera 02:46 Why MRI shows more than an x-ray 03:33 From astrophysics to MS research 05:17 How MRI scans create brain images 07:48 How active MS lesions can appear 08:25 Why MRI matters for MS diagnosis 09:50 The main MRI scans used in MS 12:35 One scanner, several different image types 13:28 Advanced MRI, sodium scans and spectroscopy 16:51 Why volunteers are vital to MS research 18:39 What sodium MRI research is finding 20:39 Why sodium MRI is not about dietary salt 22:10 Faster scans and future MS research 24:33 Why monitoring scans remain important 
Learn more about Bhavana’s work and career 
New to Overcoming MS? Learn why lifestyle matters in MS - begin your journey at our 'Get started' page
Connect with others following Overcoming MS on the Live Well Hub
Visit the Overcoming MS website
Follow us on social media:
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Don’t miss out:
Subscribe to this podcast and never miss an episode. Listen to our archive of Living Well with MS here.
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 help us continue creating future podcasts, please leave a donation here.
Feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.
If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review.

What does your gut have to do with your immune system, your brain and the way you feel day to day with MS?
In this episode of Living Well with MS, host Geoff Allix speaks with Kim Venter about gut health, the microbiome and why food may play an important role in supporting overall wellbeing with multiple sclerosis.
Kim, who lives with MS herself, is a trained teacher, professional psychological counsellor and nutritional consultant. She shares how certain foods have affected her digestion, energy and symptoms, and why gut health has become central to her approach to living well.
The conversation explores what the gut microbiome is, how diet can affect the immune system, and why people with MS may want to pay attention to digestion, food sensitivities and overall gut health. Kim also discusses practical ways to support the microbiome, from eating a wide variety of plant-based foods to trying fermented foods, prebiotics and probiotics.
Originally broadcast in 2020, this episode has been edited to remove out-of-date content and reuploaded in 2026 to ensure it remains relevant and useful.
01:53 What is the gut microbiome and why is it so important? 
03:15 How does what we eat affect our immune system?  
09:01 Is it worth keeping a food diary if you’re having GI symptoms? 
10:15 What is the low FODMAPs diet? 
11:53 What is Leaky Gut Syndrome and how does it effect people with MS? 
19:00 The gut–brain axis: does the blood-brain barrier stop foreign substances from injuring the brain?  
22:12 For people living with MS, what can be done to help the gut and keep it healthy? 
22:51 What are probiotics and prebiotics?  
27:02 What can we to increase both probiotics and prebiotics? 
30:50 How does gut health or lack thereof impact MS? 
39:01 How does intermittent fasting affect gut health? 
FODMAP Food Database App
New to Overcoming MS? Visit our introductory page 
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Don’t miss out:
Subscribe to this podcast and never miss an episode. Listen to our archive of Living Well with MS here.
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After her MS diagnosis, Betsy Mueller ran across America. In this episode of Living Well with MS, Betsy shares how she went from fear and uncertainty after her diagnosis to completing a 3,000-mile run from Santa Monica to Central Park to raise awareness of MS.
Betsy shares the early symptoms that led to her diagnosis, the emotional weight of living with invisible symptoms, and how fear and uncertainty affected her mental health. She also talks about the role of a plant-based diet, exercise, treatment decisions and community support in helping her move forward.
From training in Flagstaff to managing heat sensitivity, fatigue, DMT deliveries and long days on the road, Betsy reflects on what it took to complete her run from Santa Monica to Central Park. She also discusses Active with MS, the nonprofit she founded to help people with MS take part in races and reconnect with movement in a way that works for them.
Keep reading for the key episode takeaways and Betsy’s bio.
02:56 How plant-based eating supports Betsy’s health05:51 Invisible symptoms, fatigue and the emotional weight of MS10:46 Cognitive symptoms and the impact of poor sleep12:03 Steroids, plasma exchange and finding effective relapse support15:27 Moving from fear towards a more hopeful mindset17:30 Why Betsy decided to run across America20:49 The 3,000-mile route from California to New York24:00 RV life, logistics and support on the road26:12 How Betsy’s body adapted during the run28:48 Managing heat sensitivity and DMTs while travelling30:58 Powerful connections with people along the route33:59 Active with MS and helping others join races37:20 Betsy’s advice for people newly diagnosed with MS39:15 Why MS community support can make such a difference
Connect with Betsy on Instagram
Learn more about Betsy’s work and run
New to Overcoming MS? Learn why lifestyle matters in MS - begin your journey at our 'Get started' page
Connect with others following Overcoming MS on the Live Well Hub
Visit the Overcoming MS website
Follow us on social media:
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
Pinterest
Don’t miss out:
Subscribe to this podcast and never miss an episode. Listen to our archive of Living Well with MS here.
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 help us continue creating future podcasts, please leave a donation here.
Feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.
If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review.