Living Well with Multiple Sclerosis

Webinar Highlights: the evidence behind diet and MS – foods to eat and avoid | S8E8

What role can diet play in supporting brain health and living well with multiple sclerosis?
In this episode of Living Well with MS, we explore the evidence behind the Overcoming MS diet recommendations and how small, consistent changes to the way we eat can support long-term health. Overcoming MS Program Facilitator and nutritionist Karen Lee explains the research linking diet quality with MS outcomes and introduces the principles behind the Overcoming MS dietary approach.
Karen is joined by fellow Program Facilitator and health coach Ingrid Adelsberger, who shares her personal experience of following the program for over a decade. Ingrid reflects on the practical realities of adapting to a new way of eating, from navigating label reading and meal planning to finding family-friendly recipes that make the diet sustainable.
Together, they explore why the Mediterranean-style dietary pattern underpins the Overcoming MS diet, how reducing saturated fat may support brain health, and why consistency matters more than perfection when making lifestyle changes.
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.
00:00 Introduction to the Overcoming MS diet01:34 Overview of the Overcoming MS Program and lifestyle pillars05:35 Why diet matters in MS and the research behind diet and multiple sclerosis16:02 What a brain-healthy Mediterranean-style diet looks like23:54 Ingrid’s journey and creating the Overcoming MS cookbook31:58 Q&A: common questions about the Overcoming MS diet33:27 Whole grains, gluten and choosing healthier options35:27 Managing weight and getting enough calories on a plant-based diet37:30 Flaxseed oil, omega-3s and possible alternatives39:29 Supporting bone health and osteoporosis with diet and lifestyle42:45 Diet research in primary progressive MS44:12 Processed vs ultra-processed foods
Check out the Overcoming MS cookbook
Discover hundreds of Overcoming MS friendly recipes
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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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.

Working with multiple sclerosis: fatigue, disclosure and finding balance | S8E7

How do you build a sustainable career with multiple sclerosis? In this episode of Living Well with MS, Heather Carrasco shares how her diagnosis reshaped her relationship with work, rest and self-advocacy.
Diagnosed with relapsing remitting MS in 2023 – though her symptoms likely began years earlier – Heather reflects on navigating the US healthcare system, learning to manage fatigue at work, and deciding whether to disclose her diagnosis professionally.
She also shares how discovering the Overcoming MS Program and finding community helped her move beyond denial and make sustainable lifestyle changes.
This episode will resonate with anyone adjusting to life after an MS diagnosis, managing invisible symptoms like fatigue, or trying to create a healthier balance between career and wellbeing.
Keep reading for the key episode takeaways and Heather’s bio.
02:12 Early symptoms, delayed diagnosis and navigating healthcare in the US06:18 Explaining MS to others – invisible symptoms and describing fatigue08:28 Discovering Overcoming MS and deciding to attend a retreat09:51 The Overcoming MS retreat experience and finding community12:02 Work–life balance, rest and putting yourself first15:13 Diet, sustainable change and mindset shifts16:28 Mental health, therapy and mindfulness17:57 Support systems, disclosure at work and psychological safety21:59 Advice for the newly diagnosed
Register your interest in an Overcoming MS retreat
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

Bonus from the archives: A Guide to the Fasting Mimicking Diet | S8 Bonus

We are pleased to welcome Dr Valter Longo to this episode of Living Well with MS. Dr Longo is the scientist behind the Fasting Mimicking Diet. He is a bio-gerontologist and cell biologist serves as a professor at the USC Davis School of Gerontology and as the director of the USC Longevity Institute. He is the creator of the fasting-mimicking diet, a program that claims to mimic the effects of periodic fasting. To read Dr Longo’s full bio, click here. 
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.
02:08 Today’s rising fascination with fasting diets 
03:50 Main differences between the fasting-mimicking diet and other fasting diets 
05:03 Diving into blue zones, where a higher percentage of the population lives to 100 
06:55 The correlation between the centenarians and people who are fasting  
11:04 Does fast mimicking help people with MS live better and longer? 
14:03 The different types of fast-mimicking diets including 5:2, 16:8 and occasional water fasting 
24:54 What should we eat between fasts? 
29:28 What is the ProLon diet, and for those on a budget, how can peopel get some of the benefits on their own? 

Parenting with MS: advocacy, resilience and raising children with honesty | S8E6

What does it really mean to parent with multiple sclerosis, and how do you talk to your children about something so unpredictable?
In this episode of Living Well with MS, we’re joined by Julie Stamm – MS advocate, author and mother – for an honest and uplifting conversation about raising a child while living with MS.
Diagnosed in 2007, Julie turned her experience into advocacy, determined to be open with her son about her condition in ways that are truthful but age-appropriate. She shares how parenting reshaped her perspective on resilience, how listening to children can ease the guilt many parents carry, and why adapting as a family is a sign of strength, not failure.
We explore storytelling as a tool for empowerment, the importance of peer support and community, and why the outlook for people newly diagnosed today is more hopeful than ever. Julie also reflects on her children’s book Some Days and her work to promote inclusion and diverse abilities through advocacy and education.
This episode will resonate with anyone parenting with MS, considering starting a family, supporting a loved one with MS, or looking to turn lived experience into meaningful advocacy.
Keep reading for the key episode takeaways and Julie’s bio.
00:00 Introduction and Julie’s diagnosis journey01:23 Why honesty with children matters02:26 Sharing your story and the power of lived experience03:37 Parenting guilt, resilience and writing Some Days04:42 How MS affects the whole family06:40 Adjusting to change and adapting over time08:39 Becoming an MS advocate and finding your niche10:02 Gratitude, grief and staying hopeful11:23 The importance of peer support and community13:52 Research advances and hope for the future14:58 Advice for newly diagnosed parents
 
Learn more at Julie’s website www.iamstamm.com
Follow Julie on Instagram at @iamstamm
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.

Webinar Highlights - Experts Insights - Change your life for life with Laura Crowder and Hayley Baker | S8E5

If you’ve ever felt stuck between knowing what could help you live well with MS and actually making it stick, this conversation is for you.
In this episode of Living Well with MS, Overcoming MS Program Facilitator Laura Crowder explores the ‘change your life for life’ pillar, the inner work that helps make lifestyle changes feel sustainable rather than overwhelming. Laura is joined by Overcoming MS Program Facilitator Hayley Baker, who shares her personal experience of building confidence, resilience and self-compassion while following the Overcoming MS Program.
Together, they reflect on why mindset matters, how hope and empowerment can support wellbeing, and what to do when life inevitably knocks you off track.
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 the full webinar on  YouTube. Keep reading for the topics, timestamps, and our guest’s bio.
00:58 Exploring the pillar: Change your life for life 
04:36 Choice, autonomy and taking control after diagnosis 
09:56 The role of hope in living well with MS 
12:37 Awareness, acceptance and managing difficult days 
16:02 The power of language in habit formation 
21:13 Empowerment and making lifestyle change sustainable 
22:45 Community support and shared experience 
25:36 Hayley’s personal journey with MS 
35:01 Advice for people new to the Program 
37:50 Q&A: common challenges, motivation and self-compassion 
Read the Overcoming MS books
Learn more about the “Change your life, for life” pillar
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.

Developing Tailored Mental Health support for people with MS with Eva Fragkiadaki | S8E4

How can mental health support be better tailored to the real, lived experiences of people with MS? In this episode of Living Well with MS, we’re joined by Dr Eva Fragkiadaki, counselling psychologist and Senior Lecturer in Counselling Psychology at the University of the West of England. Her whose work focuses on developing personalised, evidence-based mental health interventions for people living with MS.
Eva shares insights from her research into group-based psychological support, including her co-designed MyMS-Ally intervention. Together, we explore why traditional mental health approaches don’t always work for people with MS, the power of peer connection, and how concepts like identity, self-compassion and visibility of disability shape emotional wellbeing.
This conversation will be especially valuable for anyone living with MS, supporting someone with MS, or interested in how mental health care can become more person-centred, inclusive and accessible.
Keep reading for the key episode takeaways and Eva’s bio.
00:00 Introducing psychosocial interventions for MS
03:38 Researching group therapy and therapeutic change
06:07 Gender, representation and inclusion in MS research
08:19 What kinds of mental health support help in MS?
10:30 Why group interventions matter
12:47 Peer support, safety and community connection
15:10 Integrative and personalised therapy approaches
17:29 Visible and invisible disability in MS
20:15 Self-compassion and identity
22:23 Future directions for mental health care in MS
 
Learn more about Eva and her work
Learn more about Eva’s research on mental health and MS
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.

Bonus from the Archives: Lifestyle Choices for MS with Dr Aaron Boster | S8 bonus

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. 
In this episode of the Living Well with MS podcast, and we are pleased to welcome Dr Aaron Boster, an Ohio-based board-certified clinical neuroimmunologist specializing in MS. Given we are surrounded by temptations – from that delicious pint of ice cream to the lure of sleeping in instead of hitting the gym – we are happy to tap his expertise to help us understand how lifestyle choices impact MS and our overall health. 

Managing Autoimmunity with a Whole-Food Plant-Based diet with Karen Lee | S8E3

How does gut health affect MS – and what role can diet really play in supporting the immune system? In this episode of Living Well with MS, Geoff is joined by Overcoming MS Program Facilitator Karen Lee – retired intensive care nurse, nutritionist, author and recipe developer. Karen shares her MS journey and explains, in clear and accessible terms, how gut health, inflammation and diet are connected in autoimmune conditions such as MS.
They explore dysbiosis and “leaky gut”, why fibre and the microbiome matter, and how whole-food plant-based eating fits within the Overcoming MS dietary recommendations. Karen also talks about her new book Healing from the Inside Out and shares practical, fatigue-friendly tips for eating more plants – without overwhelm.
Watch this episode on YouTube. Keep reading for the topics, timestamps, and our guest’s bio.
00:56 Welcome and introduction to Karen
01:49 Karen’s MS journey: diagnosis, optic neuritis and early changes
04:46 From intensive care nursing to nutrition, writing and teaching
09:32 Understanding the Overcoming MS diet recommendations
10:36 Why diet matters for immune health: nutrients, fats, fibre and the microbiome
17:57 Dysbiosis explained – and how it relates to autoimmunity and MS
22:02 “Leaky gut”: what it means and why inflammation matters
23:16 Inside Karen’s new book Healing from the Inside Out
26:46 How whole plant foods support overall health
29:50 Protein and plant-based diets: common concerns addressed
31:39 Practical tips for eating more plants and increasing variety
37:58 Favourite recipes, sauces and simple ways to add flavour
39:41 Batch cooking and freezing for low-energy days
41:26 Running the Taunton Half Marathon and fundraising for Overcoming MS
 
Order Karen’s latest book Healing from the Inside Out: Managing Autoimmunity with a Whole-Food Plant-Based Diet
Support Karen’s fundraiser for Overcoming MS
Learn more about Karen’s work
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

Bonus from the archives: In Conversation with Caroline Clarke | S8 bonus

Host Geoff Allix speaks with Caroline Clarke, Chief Executive of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust and former trustee of Overcoming MS, about her MS journey, why she chose to follow the Overcoming MS Program, and the practical habits that help her manage stress while working in a high-pressure role. 

Highlights from the Living Well Live One day Event | S8E2

This episode of Living Well with MS was recorded at Living Well Live, Overcoming MS’s one-day event held at the University of Warwick in November 2025, with people joining both in person and online. Host Geoff Allix shares conversations with community members, speakers and guests from across the MS sector, exploring what’s new in MS lifestyle research and the practical tools people are using to live well with MS.
You’ll hear about the evolving evidence behind the Overcoming MS Program, why personalised approaches matter (including vitamin D), and the role of community connection in building confidence after diagnosis. Together, these conversations capture what makes Overcoming MS so powerful: the combination of evidence-based guidance and genuine community support. You’ll also hear how donations help fund trusted information, courses and spaces where people with MS – and those around them – can feel informed, connected and empowered.
Watch this episode on YouTube. Keep reading for the topics, timestamps, and our guest’s bio.
00:00 Geoff Allix introduces the event and Overcoming MS
03:07 Linda Bloom & Alex Holden on the origins of Overcoming MS, community and purpose
11:21 Dr Jonathan White on MS research, treatment and the role of lifestyle medicine
12:44 Lina Nielsen on elite sport, MS and training at Olympic level
14:51 Lina Nielsen on exercise, mindfulness and neuroplasticity
17:00 Tessa Miles on resilience, preparation and the power of community
22:09 Dr Rachel Hunter on the nervous system, stress and self-management
24:12 Dr Rachel Hunter on how MS self-management has evolved
28:19 Community member Maureen Haith on her top takeaways from the day
33:25 Miriam Jordan Keane on how Overcoming MS is evolving
37:56 Neil Stanley on sleep, MS and practical tips for better rest
43:22 Rabiah Coon on laughter, mental health and coping with MS
49:19 Amy Thompson from MS Together on supporting young adults living with MS
50:54 Holistic MS care – combining medication, lifestyle and community
55:13 Advice for newly diagnosed people with MS – reassurance and practical guidance
57:48 Dominic Shadbolt,The MS Guide, on AI, innovation and the future of MS care
59:43 Eleanor Bate, Shift.MS, on peer-led community support and connection
01:06:31 Sarah-Jane Elliot, MS-UK on accessing support, resources and online activities
 
Learn more about MS
Learn more about MS-UK
Learn more about MS Together
Learn more about the MS Guide
New to Overcoming MS? Visit our introductory page
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.