Living Well with Multiple Sclerosis

In conversation with Associate Professor Michelle O’Donoghue |S5E3

Welcome to Living Well with MS, the Overcoming MS podcast where we explore all topics relating to living well with multiple sclerosis (MS). In this episode, we are pleased to welcome Dr Michelle O’Donoghue, OMSer (someone following the Overcoming MS Program) and co-editor of the Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis Handbook, as our guest.  Keep reading for the key episode takeaways and Michelle’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.  Michelle’s bio:  Career  Dr Michelle O’Donoghue is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a practicing physician in the Cardiovascular Division at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. She is the inaugural recipient of the McGillycuddy-Logue Distinguished Chair in Cardiology.   Dr O’Donoghue earned her medical degree at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. She subsequently completed a Master’s in public health degree at the Harvard School of Public Health.   MS diagnosis and Overcoming MS  Dr O’Donoghue was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2010 and adopted the Overcoming MS Program (diet and lifestyle changes) shortly thereafter. She has lived free from clinical relapses since that time.  In 2022, Dr O’Donoghue, Professor George Jelinek and Associate Professor Sandra Neate published the Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis Handbook that they co-edited together which provides an accessible overview of the Overcoming MS Program created by Professor Jelinek, including empowering community stories.   Selected Key Takeaways  Overcoming MS offers hope and a way to change the trajectory of MS   “I think that when people first get a diagnosis [of MS], they envision that it is a course towards progressive deterioration, and progressive symptoms, and then that course can't be modified. And so, for me, it was so exciting, and it gave me so much hope, to feel like there was some ability that I might have to change that trajectory and that's a big part of why I adopted the Overcoming MS plan.”  It can take time to come to terms with an MS diagnosis and it may take time to fully embrace the Overcoming MS program   “I came across Professor Jelinek's book about Overcoming MS and the first time that I read the book, it didn't initially resonate with me as much as it did when I picked it up several months later. When I look back, I think to myself, ‘why was it that I didn't initially embrace his suggestions?’ I think that there are many reasons for that. One of which was, I was still just in an initial denial in general about my diagnosis and I was going through the different phases of grief really to cope with that, and my initial reaction was denial.”  Following the Overcoming MS Program will improve your overall health   “Professor Jelinek appropriately emphasizes that all elements of the program are equally important. I try to remind myself of that on a regular basis. At the end of the day, I think that [for] anyone who's considering the Overcoming MS program, I would encourage them to recognise that it's a win-win. Following a predominantly whole food plant-based diet, adopting stress management strategies, and making sure that you deal with any mental struggles that you may have, face those demons. I think it leads you to a better place overall.”  Related Links:   Read the Overcoming MS Handbook: Roadmap to Good Health: https://overcomingms.org/overcoming-multiple-sclerosis-handbook-roadmap-good-health Read the Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis book: https://overcomingms.org/resources/overcoming-multiple-sclerosis-book Find out more about Roy Swank’s research on a low saturated fat diet for people with MS https://overcomingms.org/latest/swanks-paper-looking-effect-low-saturated-fat-diet-ms 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. 

Webinar highlights from The Overcoming MS Handbook: Roadmap to Good Health | S5E2

Welcome to Living Well with MS, the Overcoming MS podcast where we explore all topics relating to living well with multiple sclerosis (MS). In this episode, we are taking you back to the launch of the ‘Overcoming MS Handbook: Roadmap to Good Health’ with Professor George Jelinek, Dr Jonathan White and Dr Phil Startin. Together they discussed how the new book was created, the highlights from the book and answered questions from the community. We were excited by the arrival of the new book, as it provides an engaging overview of the Overcoming MS Program combined with stories from the community. This webinar was recorded in February 2022 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 George, Jonathan and Phil’s bios. Make sure you sign up to our newsletter to hear our latest tips and news about living a full and happy life with multiple sclerosis. And if you’re new to Overcoming MS, visit our introductory page to find out more about how we support people with MS. Professor George Jelinek’s 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 and assess 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 MS Program, which he detailed in his book Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis. The new book in this podcast episode is a newly launched accessible overview of his findings. George has remained free of further relapses, as have many people who follow the Overcoming MS Program. Dr. Jonathan White’s 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. He contributed to the new book in this podcast episode. 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. 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. Selected Key Takeaways The new book gives different perspectives from the Overcoming MS community Professor George Jelinek said: “After what seems like quite a long time of bringing this message to people, I’m hearing the message come back to me through the filter of all of these different people's lives and experiences, joys and sorrows. It's just a wonderful read for me to sit down and say that all this has been happening in our community and that people have worked out ways of adopting and maintaining this program, many of which I've really never considered given that I've got only my own particular view of the world.” Overcoming MS supports the use of medications alongside lifestyle changes Dr Jonathan White said: “I think sometimes the medical community thinks it’s “us or them” [with] lifestyle or medication and that could never be further from the truth. I personally have always chosen to use medication as part of my way of managing MS and I wouldn't change that. But nor would I change using lifestyle to manage my MS. Undoubtedly for many people medication has many benefits and is a huge part of your armor and protection against this disease. But why ignore the underlying things that caused the problem in the first place, you know, stress, lack of exercise, low vitamin D levels, poor diet and processed and altered fats and animal fats in your diet?” The Overcoming MS program is relevant for both relapsing and progressive forms of MS Dr Phil Startin said: “By following the Overcoming MS program, you absolutely can make a difference [to your MS], you can change the trajectory of that condition, and you can improve your quality of life. Through neuroplasticity, you can even recover some functions. The Overcoming MS program is just as relevant for us with a progressive form of the condition as it is for those with those newly diagnosed and with a relapsing form, possibly even more.” Related Links: Overcoming MS Handbook: Roadmap to Good Health Watch the original webinar 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.

Functional Medicine with Magic Barclay | S5E1

Welcome to Season 5 of Living Well with MS, where we are pleased to welcome holistic health practitioner and expert Magic Barclay as our guest!  Keep reading for the key episode takeaways and Magic'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: Magic Barclay is the lead practitioner and founder of ‘Wholistic Natural Health Australia’, a holistic health practice. She also is a host of the podcast “A Magical Life: Health, Wealth and Weight Loss”. Magic’s life changed when she faced multiple life-threatening conditions and at the same time, found herself divorced and raising her two children alone. She decided to find the root cause of her health issues and that set her on a path of life-changing learning that affected her whole family. Magic is a Master Practitioner in immune health, mould toxicity recovery and Psycho-Neuro-Endocrine-Immunology (the study of the interaction between psychological processes and the nervous and immune systems of the human body) of trauma. She tells us that she is a “mum of two amazing humans and two gorgeous furbabies, a grower of organic food for her family and a passionate native gardener”. Magic’s mission is to help people heal naturally, reconnect to the environment and reach their own potential. She mainly works with women aged 45-65 who feel unheard or misled by mainstream medicine and anyone who wants to bring their health back to basics. Selected Key Takeaways: The purpose of functional medicine Functional medicine involves looking at the systems of the body. It looks at what each system does and how it works with the other systems. We often say, "no system works alone." We particularly look at the root cause because if you don't look at that, then other issues keep arising. Belief in yourself is a powerful part of healing If people don't believe in themselves, they're not going to get well. We see a lot of people just given diagnosis after diagnosis, label after label, and they start believing that's who they are. Magic believes that this is a really awful way to live because you're a person, you are not the label that was given to you by your doctor. You are still a person. So, what they do in functional medicine is uncover: Who is that person? And who do [they] want to be? Reduce stress by acknowledging the stressor isn’t forever If you find yourself around people that increase your stress, don't be around them or decide to be around them for five or 10 minutes. Give yourself a time cap and tell yourself after 10 minutes “I'm out of this situation and I'll be okay”. If you find you are stressed by work, a doctor's appointment or driving, either take yourself out of the situation, find an alternative, or give yourself a time limit so that you know internally it's not forever. And don't sit there thinking, “I'm so stressed,” as your body hears that and guess what? It replies, "Really? This is a low level of stress, you want to be stressed? I'll raise the bar." Related Links: Magic’s Wholistic Natural Health Find out more about PNEI and Dr. Gabor Maté https://drgabormate.com/ Make natural laundry detergent from horse chestnuts/ conkers/ buckeyes https://wastelandrebel.com/make-laundry-detergent-out-of-chestnuts/ Parkinson’s protein from gut to brain https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/tracking-spread-parkinsons-proteins-gut-brain The Blood Brain Barrier in MS https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8395058/ Th1 and Th17 response in MS https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5491887/ 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 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.

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. 
   
Watch this episode on YouTube here. Keep reading for the key episode takeaways.     
    
Topics and Timestamps:   
02:03 Can you tell us a little about your professional background and personal journey with MS and Overcoming MS? 
09:26 What is resilience? 
17:47 How would you relate resilience and having traumatic diagnosis of something like MS? 
21:45 What are the building blocks of resilience? 
25:05 You have a 3Ps framework. Could you explain what that is? 
27:53 You’ve got pleasure, purpose, and practice. How could you get more pleasure in your life? 
31:11 Moving on to purpose, how can people connect to and find their true purpose? 
34:12 And then the final one, practice. What do you mean by practice? 
36:14 So if one is trying to look into more of self-care, what would you say is self-care approach to take? 
  
Want to learn more about living a full and happy life with multiple sclerosis? Sign up to our newsletter to hear our latest tips.          
More info and links:     
Buy a copy of the latest book, the Overcoming MS Handbook, launched at the end of 2021. 
Read the 2022 Global Resilience report here. 
PTSD stats: https://www.ptsduk.org/ptsd-stats/ 
Follow Rachael on social media: IG @drrachaelhunter, Twitter @drrachhunter 
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/rachael.hunter.908 
New to Overcoming MS? Visit our introductory 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 episodes here. If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review. 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. 
Support us: 
If you enjoy this podcast and want to support the ongoing work of Overcoming MS, we would really appreciate it if you could leave a donation here. Every donation, however small, helps us to share the podcast with more people on how to live well with MS.

Disrupt Move and Transform with Kathy Chester | S4E33

On this episode of Living Well with MS we are pleased to welcome Kathy Chester, a certified fitness trainer and podcaster with MS.  
 
Watch this episode on YouTube here. Keep reading for the key episode takeaways.     
    
Topics and Timestamps:  
02:09 Could you tell us a bit about yourself and where you're from? 
07:26 How did you come to understand that these factors affected you? 
11:25 You're the creator of Disrupt, Move and Transform, a specialized fitness training program delivered online for people with MS and other autoimmune conditions. Can you tell us a bit about the program? 
14:37 Why did you make the choice to risk known financial income to jump into an unknown market? 
16:28 If people want to learn more about Disrupt, Move and Transform, what's the process of getting involved? 
17:22 You've mentioned about the podcast and Move It or Lose It podcast now in its second season. Can you tell us a bit about your podcast? 
19:42 Another thing that came out of the podcast is you have a group called Women Who Disrupt MS. What are the goals of that group? 
21:44 If people are interested in joining Women Who Disrupt MS, how would they go about that? 
  
Want to learn more about living a full and happy life with multiple sclerosis? Sign up to our newsletter to hear our latest tips.          
  
More info and 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   
New to Overcoming MS? Visit our introductory 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 episodes here. If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review. 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. 
Support us: 
If you enjoy this podcast and want to support the ongoing work of Overcoming MS, we would really appreciate it if you could leave a donation here. Every donation, however small, helps us to share the podcast with more people on how to live well with MS.

Coffee Break with community member Dave Jackman | S4E32

Welcome to Living Well with MS Coffee Break, where we are pleased to welcome Dave Jackman as our guest! Dave is the 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. 
   
Watch this episode on YouTube here. Keep reading for the key episode takeaways.     
    
Topics and Timestamps:
01:51 Can you tell us a little about yourself, day-to-day life as a partner to someone on the Overcoming MS program? 
03:40 So you've mentioned you were diagnosed about 11 years ago. How did you deal with it? 
07:28 When did you come across the Overcoming MS program? 
19:26 Tell us a bit about where you've come from in terms of exercise and how you've managed to continue with exercise post diagnosis. 
21:41 How about the other of the three big pillars, diet, exercise, and mindfulness. 
25:22 You participate in home exchanges, and you've got an Airbnb so can you tell us a bit about that? 
29:54 You've contributed to the Overcoming MS Handbook, this latest book by Professor George Jelinek talking about progressive MS. So how was that working on that project? 
30:35 You mentioned having a food log and a symptom checklist. So firstly, how do you go about having a food log? 
37:34 You mentioned the Launde Abbey retreat. And you're also involved in reunions for that. So how is that with the reunions? Because it's been, I think it may be 10 years since the retreat. Do you still have regular meetups? 
42:26 One final question we always ask, do you have any key nugget of advice for people, particularly people who are newly following Overcoming MS to adopt the program? 
  
Want to learn more about living a full and happy life with multiple sclerosis? Sign up to our newsletter to hear our latest tips.          
More info and links:    
Read the progressive MS chapter of the Overcoming MS Handbook that Dave contributed to. 
Watch Dave’s Story of Hope: Dave’s Story 
Read Judy Graham’s book: Managing Multiple Sclerosis Naturally 
Find out more about the Thermomix cooking appliance 
New to Overcoming MS? Visit our introductory 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 episodes here. If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review. 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. 
Support us: 
If you enjoy this podcast and want to support the ongoing work of Overcoming MS, we would really appreciate it if you could leave a donation here. Every donation, however small, helps us to share the podcast with more people on how to live well with MS.

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. 
  
Watch this episode on YouTube here. Keep reading for the key episode takeaways.     
    
Topics and Timestamps:
01:25 Introduction and opening speech by Dr. White 
22:58 Diet: Understanding fats and why animal fat is problematic 
26:09 Sunlight and Vitamin D: A range of benefits for MS and other conditions 
32:29 Exercise: Start low but you can push yourself to improve 
35:41 Mindfulness and Meditation: Evidence they reduce stress 
37:16 Medication: Part of the Overcoming MS Program 
39:23 Prevention in family members: Avoid smoking to protect your family 
42:11 Change your life, for life: Follow the whole Overcoming MS Program 
  
Want to learn more about living a full and happy life with multiple sclerosis? Sign up to our newsletter to hear our latest tips.          
  
More info and 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 
   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 
New to Overcoming MS? Visit our introductory 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 episodes here. If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review. 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. 
Support us: 
If you enjoy this podcast and want to support the ongoing work of Overcoming MS, we would really appreciate it if you could leave a donation here. Every donation, however small, helps us to share the podcast with more people on how to live well with MS.

Ask Jack - Soups | S4E30

Welcome to Ask Jack, featuring the prodigious culinary talents of professional holistic chef Jack McNulty answering soup-related questions generated by you, our community. Don’t forget to submit your questions for Jack by emailing them to podcast@overcomingms.org. 
  
Watch this episode on YouTube here. Keep reading for the key episode takeaways.     
    
Topics and Timestamps:
02:06 Are there any Overcoming MS compliant vegetable stock cubes or powders? 
06:28 What's the benefit of making a stock from scratch? 
11:08 How can one modify basic soup to batch cook but still have some variety for the fussy eaters? 
12:54 Is there a good way to make Overcoming MS compliant bisques and chowders that that would typically include dairy? 
18:23 So you've got a number of different machines: soup maker, pressure cooker, slow cooker, a saucepan and Wonderbag. Which equipment would you recommend and why? 
23:25 What are some of your favorite Overcoming MS compliant Asian soups? 
26:32 What is the quickest and most nutritious soup?  
33:40 Do you have any ideas of accompaniment to soups other than bread?  
36:10 I used to love a thick and hearty beef stew do you have any suggestions on getting that thick and umami stick-to-your-ribs flavor and texture from an Overcoming MS compliance stew? 
40:04 How could you make an Overcoming MS compliant stock with fish bones? 
  
Want to learn more about living a full and happy life with multiple sclerosis? Sign up to our newsletter to hear our latest tips.          
More info and links:   
Connect with Jack:  Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook  
New to Overcoming MS? Visit our introductory 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 episodes here. If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review. 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.
Support us: 
If you enjoy this podcast and want to support the ongoing work of Overcoming MS, we would really appreciate it if you could leave a donation here. Every donation, however small, helps us to share the podcast with more people on how to live well with MS.

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