Living Well with Multiple Sclerosis

Building resilience with Dr Rachael Hunter | S4E34

  Welcome to Living Well with MS. In this episode, Geoff catches up with Overcoming MS facilitator, Dr Rachael Hunter, a clinical psychologist and senior lecturer in clinical and health psychology at Swansea University. Rachael talks to Geoff about the meaning of resilience and looking after your psychological health. Keep reading for the key episode takeaways and Rachael’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. Rachael’s bio: Dr Rachael Hunter is a clinical academic who works as a Clinical Psychologist in the NHS, and as a Senior Lecturer in Clinical and Health Psychology at Swansea University. She is an active researcher and has been involved with a number of projects relating to MS as well as other physical and mental health conditions.   Rachael has been following the Overcoming MS program since she was diagnosed with MS in 2012. She remains relapse free with recent MRI scans confirming ‘no evidence of disease activity.' Rachael says that she feels very lucky to have found Overcoming MS during diagnosis and to have such a supportive family who share her positive outlook. Since finding Overcoming MS, Rachael has felt compelled to raise awareness of the Overcoming MS Program and lifestyle approaches to living well, through her work. Rachael is a mum of two, slightly obsessed with the beach, and describes herself as a ‘realistic optimist.’  Selected Key Takeaways Our mental and physical health are linked “As a psychologist, my whole framework of clinical work is based on the idea that our physical health and our psychological health are intertwined. They absolutely affect each other. I knew that if I was struggling with my mental health, that was going to affect my physical health.” The definition of resiliency “Resiliency is the ability to accept one's experiences without avoidance. That you can continue to try and live your life and pursue your goals, despite that adversity. So what does that really mean? Well, it's basically talking about a capacity to respond positively to adverse situations.” Self-care is different for each person “Self-care is integral to what we need to be practicing all the time. I think making it a part of any framework is really important. I have quite a broad definition of self-care and that's going to be very individual for each person. I always encourage people to really think broadly about what self-care could be.” Related Links: Read Rachael’s Chapter in the Overcoming MS Handbook here  Buy a copy of the Overcoming MS Handbook, launched at the end of 2021 Watch Rachael’s talk ‘Promoting Resilience’ here Read the 2022 Global Resilience report here PTSD stats: https://www.ptsduk.org/ptsd-stats/ Follow Rachael on social media: IG @racch_hh Twitter @drrachhunter FB https://www.facebook.com/rachael.hunter.908 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 podcast@overcomingms.org. 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.

Disrupt Move and Transform with Kathy Chester | S4E33

Welcome to Living Well with MS. In this episode, Geoff meets with Kathy Chester, a certified fitness trainer and podcaster with MS.   Keep reading for the key episode takeaways and Kathy’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.  Bio:  Kathy Chester hosts the Move it or Lose it Podcast and leads Women Who Disrupt MS, a support group facilitated through the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation (MSF). She is the owner and lead trainer of Disrupt Fitness Gym.  Fitness has always played a big role in her life. She became an aerobics and boot camp coach and went on to manage various studios. In 2015, she established Disrupt Fitness Gym: a program combining circuit and interval training to create the most efficient workout.  Kathy was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis more than 20 years ago. Her MS symptoms began with numb hands and feet, migraines, and cognitive issues. The DMT’s and MS treatments she has tried include Avonex, steroids, chemotherapy, Tysabri, and now, Ocrevus. Taking these medications further confirmed her belief that movement and exercise is crucial for optimal health, strength, and mobility.  Her expertise has allowed her to train people with MS all over the world. She developed a new program called DMAT (Disrupt Move and Transform). DMAT targets joints and muscles to slow down advancement of the disease. The program is based on a one-on-one or group session. Both standing and seated moves are demonstrated and trained in real-time. The results are increased strength and confidence in everyday movements which leads to more independence, and therefore, a better quality of life.  Selected Key Takeaways  Understanding exercise to improve MS symptoms  As the MS changed, and as I grew in my knowledge and more certifications, then I was able to understand what moves needed to be done to strengthen our bodies, our legs, the foot drop, keeping the MS hug away, and things like that. So I started working with the MS and the autoimmune world.  The benefits of live exercise classes – giving feedback I also do it [exercise classes] via Zoom, where there could be seven to 10 people, and I'm showing seated moves and standing moves. I'm able to watch and say 'Hold on. Stop that. Let's do this instead.' So I can watch [and] ask, 'Is it cool enough where you are? Do you have water?' And I think that's a personal touch that I'm able to give.  Producing a podcast   I wanted to do a podcast for a long time. The gym just took so much of me. I listened to several different podcasts for years and tried to get my [own] idea of what I wanted it to be. I decided I wanted to have guests on with autoimmune diseases, a lot of them have MS. And then to get something that is inspirational, something that they do, and then have a doctor come on and really talk about the issue.  Related Links:  Try an Overcoming MS exercise video  Find out more about Kathy’s Disrupt Move and Transform exercise program   Listen to Kathy’s podcast Move It or Lose It   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 podcast@overcomingms.org.  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. 

Coffee Break with Community Member Dave Jackman | S4E32

Welcome to Living Well with MS coffee break #37, where we are pleased to welcome OMSer and Ambassador, Dave Jackman, as our guest!  Watch this episode on our YouTube channel here. Keep reading for Dave’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. Bio: Dave Jackman is a Scot living in the historical village of Falkland in Fife with his wife, Rae and their Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Dexter (named after the serial killer!) They have three children, two of whom live locally, while one lives in California. Dave was diagnosed with primary progressive MS (PPMS) in October 2011 and started following the Overcoming MS Program shortly afterwards. He is now retired from teaching and has led several Overcoming MS Retreat Reunions and Overcoming MS workshops while running a successful Airbnb studio with his wife. He is also an Overcoming MS Ambassador for Scotland – Fife. Prior to diagnosis, he was a keen runner and played cricket for over 40 years. His interests now include computers, cricket, dogs, music, home exchanging and travel. 3 key things about Dave: Exercise I have always been sporty and loved the exercise involved in playing all the various sports I have participated in. I played cricket for over 40 years and in my youth played a lot of volleyball, culminating in representing Scotland at university level. Pursuing the exercise arm of Overcoming MS for me has not been difficult. After diagnosis, I consulted a physiotherapist who worked out a specific schedule of exercises for me and I also made use of the MS Gym online so that I was constantly exercising, particularly those bits of my body which were starting to deteriorate. These days, even though walking is becoming more tiring, I walk our dog every day and love travelling and exploring new places. Nowadays, even if I can’t go out for my exercise, I make use of an exercise bike and can still manage to ‘cycle' 5 miles a day. I feel it is really important that no matter your disability with MS, to manage whatever exercise you are capable of and pursue it regularly. Mindfulness Meditation and mindfulness were areas I really struggled with initially. However, I slowly got to grips with them. I joined Headspace online and have followed that for years. I feel it is really important to do your meditation. It does not have to be a long session, but it does have to be regular. Once a day suits me. I have also become much better at incorporating mindfulness into my day-to-day life. Home Exchanging My wife, Rae, and I have home exchanged for over 25 years. Initially, we saw it as a great, inexpensive and environmentally friendly way to explore the world with our three children. We love meeting the people involved and this has led us to do dog sitting whilst people were on holiday. In the past few years we have converted our garage into an Airbnb studio which has been very successful, so if you fancy a cheap few days break in Scotland... Related links  If you have been on an Overcoming MS retreat and are interested in attending the May 2023 Retreat Reunion email: davejackman@sky.com Read the progressive MS chapter of the Overcoming MS Handbook that Dave contributed to. Watch Dave’s Story of Hope: https://overcomingms.org/resources/stories-of-hope/dave Read Judy Graham’s book: Managing Multiple Sclerosis Naturally Find out more about the Thermomix cooking appliance 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 podcast@overcomingms.org. Make sure you sign up for 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.

Introduction to Overcoming MS with Dr. Jonathan White (webinar highlights) | S4E31

Welcome to Living Well with MS. In this episode, we are taking you back to one of our particularly popular webinars, ‘Introduction to Overcoming MS’ with Dr. Jonathan White. Whether you are new to Overcoming MS or have followed the Program for years, this episode will be a well-worthy listen as Jonathan guides you through each step and the evidence behind it. This webinar was recorded 30 June 2021 as part of our Finding Hope with Overcoming MS webinar series. You can watch the whole webinar 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. And if you’re new to Overcoming MS, visit our introductory page to find out more about how we support people with MS. Keep reading for the key episode takeaways and Jonathan’s bio. Bio: Career:Jonathan went to 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. 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. You can learn more about his background here.  Selected Key Takeaways The 7 steps of the Overcoming MS program Diet: Understanding fats and why animal fat is problematic(22:58) “Saturated fats are those that are generally solid at room temperatures such as butter or the rind on a chop. They mainly come from animals when they are incorporated into the body. They are rigid. They're sticky, they're inflammatory, and they're degenerative. None of these things are something that I want as somebody with a chronic degenerative neurological condition.” Sunlight and Vitamin D: A range of benefits for MS and other conditions(26:09) “Vitamin D has a key role in regulating the immune system and in protecting the brain. We know that there's evidence in a whole host of conditions for the benefit of vitamin D in terms of reducing depression rates, hypertension or high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, some cancers, and in my own field, pregnancy losses. There is substantial evidence, particularly for vitamin D in MS prevention and in reducing the severity of the disease.” Exercise: Start low but you can push yourself to improve(32:29) “You should start low and increase slowly. It is okay to push yourself with MS. You're not going to bring on a relapse by lifting one extra rep or swimming a little bit further or walking a bit further. It's okay to go to the point of fatigue.” Mindfulness and Meditation: Evidence they reduce stress(35:41) “Studies have shown that regular mindfulness practice increases the grey and white matter in MRI scans, it promotes neuroplasticity so that [means] rerouting of signals around damaged areas and creating new neural networks.” Medication: Part of the Overcoming MS Program(37:16) “I think in the past, there was a perception that OMS was the slightly alternative area to pursue and, if you were going to that route, you were then against medication. That was Us vs. Them. That could not be further from the truth. It should be us and them together. We know that early medical treatment can alter the disease course in MS. But there are many issues to consider when you choose a treatment and you need to take time and have the space and opportunity to address these with your doctor.” Prevention in family members: Avoid smoking to protect your family(39:23) “[Cigarette smoking] doubles your risk of developing MS in your lifetime. And you're four times more likely to develop progressive MS and on average, eight years earlier. And that's dose-dependent. The more you smoke, the more likely it is. Passive smoking around a child doubles their lifetime risk of MS. It’s vitally important that you keep children away from passive smoking.” Change your life, for life: Follow the whole Overcoming MS Program(42:11) “You are not to blame for getting MS, but you are the best person to deal with it. OMS firmly believes the best way to deal with it is: to eat a plant-based whole food diet plus seafood, if you like, with daily flax seed oil, to get enough vitamin D either through sunlight or by taking 5,000 to 10,000 units a day, to exercise for 30 minutes three to five times per week, to meditate for 30 minutes daily, to work with your doctor and take medication if it's necessary and right for you and prevention for your family members. All of the elements we've talked about are effective in their own right but they work best when they’re put together.” Related Links: The Overcoming MS Program: Where to start: New to OMS? | Overcoming MS The Overcoming MS Program: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Recovery Program - UK, USA & Australia | Overcoming MS Read the Overcoming MS books: Books by Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis | Overcoming MS Recipes, Exercise classes, meditation sessions and more: Multiple Sclerosis Books & Resources | Overcoming MS Other useful links: Film: The Connection MSGym with Trevor Wicken MSing Link with Gretchen Hawley Book: Atomic Habits by James Clear 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 favorite 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 podcast@overcomingms.org. Make sure you also 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.

Ask Jack - Soups | S4E30

Welcome to your next “plating” of Ask Jack, featuring the prodigious culinary talents of professional chef, writer, and OMSer Jack McNulty answering food and cooking questions from our community that inform their healthy Overcoming MS (OMS) lifestyle. You can submit your questions for Jack anytime by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org. Keep on reading for the key episode takeaways. If you’re interested in more recipes from the Overcoming MS Program, take a look at the collection on our website. We have easy, intermediate and hard recipes, so there’s something for all skill levels! Also, 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 Bio Jack McNulty has been involved in food and cooking most of his life. He’s walked many paths during his culinary journey, including transforming himself from an interested home cook to a professional chef with classical training. He has worked for talented and knowledgeable chefs in high-end restaurants in Switzerland, Italy, and France. Jack operated his own catering business and cooking school for 15 years, while also finding time to write about cooking. Jack’s current activities include operating myfreshattitude.com – a website dedicated to providing healthy vegan recipes and useful vegan cooking instruction and techniques. He also writes and distributes a weekly international newsletter - VeganWeekly – to inspire people to cook healthy vegan food. Jack has followed the Overcoming MS lifestyle since 2009. He has actively worked on providing recipes and information to the Overcoming MS website, was the contributing editor to the OMS Cookbook, and authored the ‘Eat Well’ chapter in the latest Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis Handbook.   Selected Key Takeaways Making your own veggie broth is easy and cost effective“A lot of people say, "Oh, you know, I don't have time to make my own vegetable broth." Well, vegetable broth takes all of, maybe, 30 minutes to make as you could put it together while watching a sitcom on TV in the background. It's one of those things that you can make in a large quantity, always have on hand, [and] you can freeze it easily. And it doesn't really require a huge effort. In terms of cost: probably not that much more significant than buying (stock) cubes and powder.” Use a large, heavy bottom pot to cook soup“[Thinking about the cooking pot], what I find really important is a heavy bottom. So stainless steel works really well. Thin bottom pots tend to develop hotspots and that will scorch ingredients on the bottom. That becomes very important when you're using things like lentils that like to sink to the bottom. If they grab onto one of those hotspots, they're going to scorch, they're going to burn and basically that will ruin the flavor of the entire soup.” An umami broth makes a great stew base“A stew basically is going to be the same as a soup, it just has a different amount of liquid in it. But if you wanted to make it that stick to your ribs kind of consistency, you need to have a very rich broth. And it needs to be something with color. So I make what I call an ‘umami broth’ using dried mushrooms, mushroom powder, I use some soya sauce in there, and a little bit of miso in there. And it turns out very, very dark, and actually has quite a meaty flavor to it.” Related Links: Connect with Jack on social media  https://linktr.ee/jackmcn. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's 9 Meals from Anarchy Overcoming MS compliant stock https://www.ninemealsfromanarchy.co.uk/vegetable-stock-paste/hughs-classic Recipe links mentioned in podcast: Umami Broth Vegetable Broth Brown Sauce with Mushroom Bourguignon 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 favorite podcast listening app. If you enjoy 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 podcast@overcomingms.org. If you enjoy this podcast and want to support the ongoing work of Overcoming MS, you can leave a donation here.

10 minutes with George: Learnings after following the program for years and the future | S4E29

Welcome to Living Well with MS. We are pleased to welcome Professor George Jelinek as part of a short series, '10 minutes with George’. These special episodes with the creator of the Overcoming MS Program mark the 10th anniversary of our charity, Overcoming MS.  In this final episode, George explains his learnings after many years on the program and his hopes for the future. You can also watch it here.   Keep reading for the key episode takeaways and Professor Jelinek’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  This is the fifth instalment of a five-part series. Listen to parts one, two, three and four.      Bio: Professor George Jelinek developed the Overcoming MS Program and founded the Neuroepidemiology Unit at the University of Melbourne's School of Population and Global Health which continues to research its benefits.  George’s Story When George was diagnosed with MS in 1999, he was determined to do something. His mother had died as a consequence of her MS, which spurred him on to sort through the medical literature on MS. His career as a Professor in Emergency Medicine and his background as Editor-in-Chief of a major medical journal gave him the tools to do this.  It became clear to George that remaining well after a diagnosis of MS is more than just a possibility. He found that with commitment to the right lifestyle changes, there is the real probability that many people with MS can live long, healthy lives, relatively free of the usual problems associated with the illness. These lifestyle recommendations are now referred to as the Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis (OMS) Program, which he detailed in his book Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis.  George has remained free of further relapses, as have many people who follow the OMS Program.    Selected Key Takeaways:   The Overcoming MS Program can improve your mental health, even if you don’t physically get better. (4:25) “Some of the best things I've seen have been in people who didn't physically get better. A good example is someone who came to the program very early on when I first started running the retreats, who was using a wheelchair and had had MS for 25 years and was very disabled and was very depressed…. I saw her again, some months and then years later, and she was still using a wheelchair to get around and she still clearly was very disabled. But for me, there was this sort of radiance coming from her…. And I thought, now there's an outcome worth celebrating, even though it doesn't quite fit into some of the preconceived ideas we might have about overcoming [MS] or recovering.”    As evidence accumulates, the program evolves. Cryotherapy is one potential example.(10:36) “There's stuff in the literature now about cryotherapy – about regular exposure to cold – and some people have already adopted that. But these things are in their infancy, really, and we aren't at the point where I think it's sensible to adopt it as a mainstream recommendation in the program. But like all evidence-based programs, as the evidence keeps accumulating, the program will keep evolving, and that's how it should be.”  The key elements in the OMS Program involve modifying the factors which cause the illness to progress. (12:24) “There's no guarantee, but if you can modify the risks, (and there's a good science on which factors cause the illness to progress)... then you give yourself every chance of having the best possible outcome. And these are generally diet, exercise, stress, sunlight and vitamin D. They're really the key planks [of the Overcoming MS Program].”    Related Links:   Overview of the OMS program  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 enjoy 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 podcast@overcomingms.org.  If you enjoy this podcast and want to support the ongoing work of Overcoming MS, you can leave a donation here.

10 mins with George Jelinek: Defining ‘overcoming’ MS and ‘recovery’ | S4E28

Welcome to Living Well with MS. We are pleased to welcome Professor George Jelinek as part of a short series, '10 minutes with George’. These special episodes with the creator of the Overcoming MS Program mark the 10th anniversary of our charity, Overcoming MS. In this fourth episode, George explains how he uses and defines “overcoming” MS and “recovery”. You can also watch it here.  Keep reading for the key episode takeaways and Professor Jelinek’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. This is the fourth instalment of a five-part series. Listen to parts one, two and three. Bio: Professor George Jelinek developed the Overcoming MS Program and founded the Neuroepidemiology Unit at the University of Melbourne's School of Population and Global Health which continues to research its benefits. George’s Story When George was diagnosed with MS in 1999, he was determined to do something. His mother had died as a consequence of her MS, which spurred him on to sort through the medical literature on MS. His career as a Professor in Emergency Medicine and his background as Editor-in-Chief of a major medical journal gave him the tools to do this. It became clear to George that remaining well after a diagnosis of MS is more than just a possibility. He found that with commitment to the right lifestyle changes, there is the real probability that many people with MS can live long, healthy lives, relatively free of the usual problems associated with the illness. These lifestyle recommendations are now referred to as the Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis (OMS) Program, which he detailed in his book Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis. George has remained free of further relapses, as have many people who follow the OMS Program.  Selected Key Takeaways: “Overcoming MS” can mean stabilizing rather than deteriorating(4:06) “My own health started to more than stabilize. And that was a surprise to me. In that I started to not only not deteriorate, but I started to feel better than I did before.” For us as a charity, “Overcoming MS” means living a full and happy life after a diagnosis. Although there is currently no cure, depending on your starting point, the Overcoming MS program may lead to improvements in your physical and mental health, reducing the impact of your MS symptoms, slowing or preventing its progression. Some people recover function and, most importantly, you can lead a full and happy life with MS. For George, “recovering from MS” is an ongoing process rather than an outcome(7:10) “I'd say I'm recovering from MS. [But] it's a process, not an outcome. In my view, we're not looking for a final destination. In life, the only final destination is death. I'm not trying to get somewhere, it's the process of how I'm living every day that constitutes recovering from MS.” For us as a charity, we look at a range of uses of the word recovery: recovering lost function, recovering mental strength and recovering quality of life. These different outcomes are possible depending on your starting point and personal situation.  The Overcoming MS program manages symptoms, it’s not a cure(9:00) “A cure has never been part of this. It would be ridiculous to say that living a really healthy life like this cures MS. Because I know if I was to return to my former bad habits, that there'd be every chance that I'd get a flare up of some sort.” Related Links: OMS Blog: How to Stick with OMS OMS Blog: Latest NEU Paper Shows Diet Quality Predicts Long-Term Quality of Life in MS OMS: What are the next Steps? 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 favorite podcast listening app. If you enjoy 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 podcast@overcomingms.org. If you enjoy this podcast and want to support the ongoing work of Overcoming MS, you can leave a donation here

10 mins with George Jelinek: The importance of mindset and support | S4E27

Welcome to the third episode in our short series '10 minutes with George', with Professor George Jelinek. This series marks the 10th anniversary of the charity Overcoming MS. In this episode, George talks about the importance of mindset, mental health and support from others with MS. Keep reading for the key episode takeaways and Professor Jelinek’s bio. You can also watch it 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. And if you’re new to Overcoming MS, visit our introductory page to find out more about how we support people with MS. This is the third installment of a five-part series. Listen to parts one and two. Bio: Professor George Jelinek developed the Overcoming MS Program and founded the Neuroepidemiology Unit at the University of Melbourne's School of Population and Global Health which continues to research its benefits. George’s StoryWhen George was diagnosed with MS in 1999, he was determined to do something. His mother had died as a consequence of her MS, which spurred him to sort through the medical literature on MS. His career as a Professor in Emergency Medicine and his background as Editor-in-Chief of a major medical journal gave him the tools to do this. It became clear to George that remaining well after a diagnosis of MS is more than just a possibility. He found that with a commitment to the right lifestyle changes, there is a real probability that many people with MS can live long, healthy lives, relatively free of the usual problems associated with the illness. These lifestyle recommendations are now referred to as the Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis (OMS) Program, which he detailed in his book Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis. George has remained free of further relapses, as have many people who follow the OMS Program. Selected Key Takeaways: Take care of your mental health(6:04) “If you're going through… struggles, I would recommend talking to someone like a psychologist. Personally, when I first was diagnosed with MS, I had quite a number of sessions with a psychologist to help me understand what I was going through, what my emotions were about, and how that was playing out in the context of my life.” Others with MS are a great support(6:49) “Peer support is great for people who are struggling because, let's face it, all of us struggle with things at different times in our lives. There's nothing more helpful in many ways than someone who's been on the same journey and has worked out how to deal with it.” Health should be included in our top priorities(10:28) “I was into goal setting and things at the time that I was diagnosed. That was at the age of 45. And I looked back through a number of my goal-setting documents that I produced for myself, and I always left health blank. Now, what does that tell you? Everything else was filled in: work, leisure, finance, you name it, but health was always blank. So, it was an interesting wake-up call for me to get a serious illness.” While Overcoming MS isn’t currently holding retreats, you can find information about other events we are holding here. Related Links: The OMS Mental Health Hub Stories of Hope from other OMSers Join an OMS Circle 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 enjoy 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 podcast@overcomingms.org. If you enjoy this podcast and want to support the ongoing work of Overcoming MS, you can leave a donation here.

10 minutes with George Jelinek: Exceptions to following the program | S4E26

Welcome to Living Well with MS. This is the second episode with Professor George Jelinek in our short series '10 minutes with George', which marks the 10th anniversary of the charity Overcoming MS. Some people see the Overcoming MS Program, which Professor Jelinek created, as needing an 'all or nothing’ approach. George explains how and why some people make exceptions to following the program. You can also watch this episode here. Keep reading for the key episode takeaways and Professor Jelinek’s bio. Make sure you sign up for 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. You can listen to part one here. Bio: Professor George Jelinek developed the Overcoming MS Program and founded the Neuroepidemiology Unit at the University of Melbourne's School of Population and Global Health which continues to research its benefits. George’s Story: When George was diagnosed with MS in 1999, he was determined to do something. His mother had died as a consequence of her MS, which spurred him on to sort through the medical literature on MS. His career as a Professor in Emergency Medicine and his background as Editor-in-Chief of a major medical journal gave him the tools to do this. It became clear to George that remaining well after a diagnosis of MS is more than just a possibility. He found that with a commitment to the right lifestyle changes, there is a real probability that many people with MS can live long, healthy lives, relatively free of the usual problems associated with the illness. These lifestyle recommendations are now referred to as the Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis (OMS) Program, which he detailed in his book Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis. George has remained free of further relapses, as have many people who follow the OMS Program.   Selected Key Takeaways: What you do most of the time matters more than an occasional slip-up (4:50) “Your health in 20 or 30 years’ time will reflect the whole range of things you've done and your daily activities over all that time. And that's true, in general, in any illness. The occasional slip up in that context is essentially mostly irrelevant.” Look inward if you're struggling to stay on track with the Program (7:10) “If there's an inner struggle going on around [sticking to the program], then trying to get some help and understand what that struggle is about is useful... Is it related to not valuing oneself, not valuing one's health? [Or] because of perhaps the way we've been brought up? There are all sorts of different reasons why not placing yourself and your own health as important in your life would manifest in not doing everything that you can to try and stay well.” The support of a partner is crucial (9:51) “When partners came to the retreats, we would often find that their highly sceptical attitude at the beginning of the retreat was replaced with a total commitment by the end. Not only to support their partner but to do everything they could for their own health, because they would come to realise how important it is to stay well for themselves.” While Overcoming MS isn’t currently holding retreats, we do invite partners to play an active role in supporting the PwMS in their life by  adopting the Overcoming MS Program.   Related Links: Join Circles Online, OMS’s virtual support groups Sticking with the OMS program Tips and information for following the Overcoming MS diet   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 enjoy 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 podcast@overcomingms.org. If you enjoy this podcast and want to support the ongoing work of Overcoming MS, you can leave a donation here.

10 minutes with George Jelinek: Getting started with Overcoming MS | S4E25

Welcome to Living Well with MS. We are pleased to welcome Professor George Jelinek as part of a short series, '10 minutes with George’. These special episodes with the creator of the Overcoming MS Program mark the 10th anniversary of our charity, Overcoming MS. In this first episode, George explains how to get started with the Overcoming MS program.  You can also watch it here. Keep reading for the key episode takeaways and Professor Jelinek’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   Bio: Professor George Jelinek developed the Overcoming MS Program and founded the Neuroepidemiology Unit at the University of Melbourne's School of Population and Global Health which continues to research its benefits. George’s Story When George was diagnosed with MS in 1999, he was determined to do something. His mother had died as a consequence of her MS, which spurred him on to sort through the medical literature on MS. His career as a Professor in Emergency Medicine and his background as Editor-in-Chief of a major medical journal gave him the tools to do this. It became clear to George that remaining well after a diagnosis of MS is more than just a possibility. He found that with commitment to the right lifestyle changes, there is the real probability that many people with MS can live long, healthy lives, relatively free of the usual problems associated with the illness. These lifestyle recommendations are now referred to as the Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis (OMS) Program, which he detailed in his book Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis. George has remained free of further relapses, as have many people who follow the OMS Program.   Selected Key Takeaways: The Overcoming MS Program is evidence-based (04:03) “The OMS book is obviously a must-read. And that gives you the credibility and the science behind the whole program. This isn't something that has just occurred to me in the middle of the night or anything like that. It's taken quite a bit of work and a fair bit of time, and the right sort of background to understand the science to really put it together.” Overcoming MS is about choice (09:24 “The whole basis of OMS isn't to tell people what to do. We've never, never sought to give rigid guidelines for people or anything like that. This is all about providing choices for people, choices [so] that they're able to look at the range of what's on offer and choose what's most appropriate for them. For some people, that's all of the program for some people, there will be parts that don't feel appropriate for them.” Meditation can benefit all aspects of life (11:55) “Quite apart from the health benefits, there are enormous benefits to one's whole life in terms of the insight aspect that comes with meditation practice, [and] the improvement in one's inner landscape and emotional life that that comes along with that. You develop and learn the skill of tolerating difficult thoughts and situations.”   Related Links: Books: Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis and The Overcoming MS Handbook The Overcoming MS program Try a guided meditation   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 favorite podcast listening app. If you enjoy 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 podcast@overcomingms.org. If you enjoy this podcast and want to support the ongoing work of Overcoming MS, you can leave a donation here.