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Bio:   Hana is an event project manager, traveler, health freak, and most importantly, an OMS volunteer coordinator. She started following the OMS program after being told she might have MS. After reading everything about the brain, neurons, nutrition and the health benefits of a plant-based diet and finding the OMS website, she decided to give it a try. Her efforts slowed down the progression of her condition and now, after five years, many OMS-friendly recipes, countless liters of flaxseed oil and hours of yoga and journaling, her neurologist informed her that whatever she’s been doing she should keep it up, and her file was placed in the ‘let's observe’ folder indefinitely. Hana believes following the OMS protocols was one of the best decisions she has ever made.   Questions:   Welcome to Living Well with MS, Hana! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, your background and anything our audience should know to get a sense of who you are? How did you discover the OMS program… describe the path that led you there? What’s your experience been like on the OMS program… tell us about the ups and the downs? OMS is marking this month to recognize the amazing contributions our volunteers make to the organization. You’re a volunteer coordinator for OMS. What exactly is that role about? What kind of impact do you think the volunteers you work with make in helping OMS further its mission to make more people aware of the positive impact of healthy lifestyle changes for people with MS? Do you have a history of volunteering for other causes or organizations? What inspires you personally to be a volunteer? Why did you decide to dedicate so much of your volunteer energy to OMS? If you had to provide some advice to people considering volunteering for OMS, what would it be? Can you share any inspirational moments or experiences you’ve had as an OMS volunteer? Thanks for much for sharing these perspectives on volunteering, Hana, and for the service you provide to the OMS community. Before we part, I wanted to ask you one last thing: if there is one tip or piece of advice you can give to new members of the OMS community, perhaps something that’s served you well in your own journey, what would it be?   Hana’s Favorite Instagram Feeds:   Gretchen Hawley MS Diet for Life Staying Healthy with MS Tanya’s Living (Organic Raw Deli in London) Amy Levin (Healthy Chocolates and Desserts) Vegan Bowls (Vegan Recipes)   Coming up on our next episode:   Next up from the OMS podcast family: starting June 21, meet Rachel Knight, the OMS Ambassador for the Circle in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand on Living Well with MS Coffee Break #18, part of our ongoing series introducing you to members of the dynamic OMS community from around the globe.   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. Don’t be shy – if you like the program, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune into the show. And feel free to share your comments and suggestions by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.  

Welcome to Living Well with MS Coffee Break #17, where we are pleased to welcome Yasmin Neves as our guest!   Our Coffee Break series is your chance to get to know members of our diverse OMS community. In each episode, you’ll join Geoff Allix for an intimate chat with a different member of our global community. Our guests will share their personal stories and talk about their challenges and victories, large and small. We hope you find common cause and a source of inspiration from the stories of these very special people.   As always, your comments and suggestions are always welcome by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org. We hope you enjoy this episode’s conversation with Yasmin, coming to you straight from Cardiff, Wales.   Bio   Yasmin owns and runs several successful businesses and has expertise in human resources, property and coaching. Yasmin is a Master Coach of Neuro Linguistics Programming, which means she really understands how the unconscious mind works and has a whole range of tools to help people achieve long lasting change in their personal and professional lives. Yasmin has overcome a number of personal challenges in her life and is currently learning to live well after a diagnosis of MS. She is passionate about wellbeing, mindsets, self-sufficiency and helping others to achieve their goals. Yasmin has transformed every aspect of her life and isn’t afraid of living a slightly unconventional life in the country.     Questions:   Yasmin, our audience wants to know a little bit about you and your life. Can you share some background on where you’re from, what you do, any snippets of your family or personal life or anything about you that would give our listeners a sense of who Yasmin Neves is? How about your experience with MS? Can you provide some context on that? When were you diagnosed and how did you initially cope with it? At which point did you come across the OMS program? How was that experience for you? Why did you decide to start following it? What are some of the challenges you’ve faced at first in adopting the OMS program? How did you overcome them? When did you first start to see any kind of positive indicators in following OMS guidelines? What were these? You’ve been a valuable member of the OMS community. As an example, you’re part of an OMS Circle in Cardiff. What’s that experience like? On a personal note, do you have any unusual interests or wacky hobbies you can tell us about? What kind of stuff will we find you doing on a weekend? If you tap into your experience with MS generally and OMS specifically for a nugget of wisdom that would help people ease into and better adopt the OMS program, what would that advice be?   Yasmin’s Top 3 Passions (in her own words):   I am passionate about the mind-body connection and how our thoughts become our reality. Reconnecting with nature is a powerful healing tool for me and it can be so simple. Just taking a moment to really look at a flower or listen to water or taking your shoes off and feeling the ground beneath me are daily habits which help keep me grounded and reduce my stress levels.   Self-sufficiency and the environment are two additional key areas (along with health) which drive me to live a holistic life.   Yasmin’s Links:   Check out Yasmin’s HR and coaching website here. Yasmin is very active on Instagram; check out some of her feeds: Yasmin’s personal page Yasmin’s farm page The food page from the OMS Circle in Cardiff   Coming up on our next episode:   Starting June 9, tap into the joys of volunteering by meeting one of our volunteer coordinators, Hana Javurkova, as OMS honors those who give so much of their time and expertise in the service of our community. And remember to submit your questions by June 15 for the next Ask Jack episode on summer eating, picnics and grilling by emailing them to podcast@overcomingms.org.   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. Don’t be shy – if you like the program, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune into the show. And feel free to share your comments and suggestions by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.

Just in time for World MS Day, we take you to the forefront of research into lifestyle modification and its impact on MS health outcomes by welcoming Dr. Sandra Neate, Head of the Neuroepidemiology Unit (NEU) within the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health at the University of Melbourne in Australia. Dr. Neate and her team are undertaking some of the most forward-facing work in this field of MS research, so unfasten your scientific curiosity and tune into this episode.   Bio   Sandra is a clinician researcher who is the Head of the Neuroepidemiology Unit (NEU) within the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health at the University of Melbourne in Australia.  The NEU researches lifestyle related risk factors in MS and health outcomes and the experiences of people who adopt lifestyle modification. The NEU is also developing and researching novel ways to deliver evidence-based information about lifestyle modification to people with MS, including online modalities. Sandra's personal research interest is in talking with people with MS and their families regarding the experiences of lifestyle modification.   Questions   Welcome to the program Dr. Neate, or may I call you Sandra? You’re presently the head of the Neuroepidemiology Unit at the University of Melbourne, aka the NEU. Can you tell what the NEU actually is? Is the NEU carrying on the research studies begun by Professor George Jelinek, such as HOLISM and STOP-MS? What is the overarching aim of the NEU as a research body? Who are the researchers that work for the NEU? What kind of research projects is the NEU presently working on? The MS Online Course sounds fascinating… what do you think its future impact will be? The collaboration with the UK MS Registry sounds extremely promising too. What are your expectations for this relationship and how can it advance the cause of elevating lifestyle intervention or modification approaches? What’s on the horizon for the NEU? What kind of projects and collaborations are you shaping for the future? How does the NEU engage with OMS? What can the next generation realistically expect for MS treatment?   Links   Learn more about the NEU here and on the University of Melbourne School of Population and Global Health website Follow the NEU’s research updates on Twitter  Read about a recent study connecting fatigue and diet See Prof. George Jelinek’s publication links on PubMed   Episode Disclaimer   Please note that the online course Dr. Neate refers to in this episode is funded by OMS. OMS is excited to work with the NEU once the course is ready to be made more widely available.   Coming up on our next episode   Up next, we invite you to join us on May 31 (and anytime thereafter on your favorite podcast platform or the OMS website) for Living Well with MS Coffee Break #17. There and then, you’ll get inspired by Debbie Emick, a Colorado-based author and podcaster who have overcome multiple chronic illnesses by tapping into the mind-body connection.   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. Don’t be shy – if you like the program, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune into the show. And feel free to share your comments and suggestions by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.

Welcome to our second installment of Ask Jack, featuring the prodigious culinary talents of professional holistic chef Jack McNulty answering food-related questions generated by you, our community. Check out the show notes below that dig deeper into the topics covered on this episode. Set your dials to this station when Ask Jack #3 premieres on July 21, 2021, just in time to get great cooking tips for summer fun (at least for our listeners in the Northern Hemisphere)! Don’t forget to submit your questions for Jack by emailing them to podcast@overcomingms.org.   Now, on to this episode’s topics and questions:   What Shall I Eat?   First, a question from Annemieke in the Netherlands about peanuts, though what she’s asking about is no small matter for many of you:   In Dutch cooking, peanut butter sauce is quite common. To make the sauce you peanut butter. In stores, 100% peanut butter from raw peanuts is available and is unprocessed. BUT, on the OMS website it says: peanuts are defined as a ground nut and not recommended due to their higher saturated fat content. Some people replace the peanut butter with sunflower butter, tahini (sesame seed butter), cashew butter or almond butter or a mix of those four. But I’m confused about the sat fat and Omega 3/6 content of these different nuts and seeds versus peanuts. Jack, is it really a problem to have some peanut butter (from 100% raw peanuts) since we can eat also tahini, sunflower seeds and cashew nuts?   From Kiril in Bulgaria, let’s get to the slippery topic of oils:   Can we use grapeseed oil? And is it OK for baking too?   From Nick in Lincoln, Rhode Island, an important question about a really trending topic – plant-based meat alternatives:   Jack, are impossible burgers OK for people with MS who want to follow an anti-inflammatory diet?   Now on to canned foods, with a question from Duarte in Poland:   What's your view on canned legumes and fruits? Are there some to avoid? If so, which ones?   Helpful Tips and Cooking Techniques   From Marie in the United Kingdom, a question about coconut milk replacements:   She uses coconut essence and oat milk, but these don’t quite hit the mark. Any recommendations, Jack?   Still on the coconut theme, here’s a question from Ann, from the OMS Circle in Hertfordshire, UK:   What are some suitable substitutes for coconut oil in vegan recipes? Unlike coconut oil, olive oil doesn’t always work due to being liquid at room temperature. Jack, what do you think?   This other question from Marie in the UK may activate some pleasure centers in our listener’s food brains:   On the subject of chips, or French Fries for our American friends, she never used to eat them but her family, who also follow the OMS diet, often request them and she hasn’t succeeded to get them to really crisp up. Jack, any helpful tips?   Fun Recipe Ideas   Here’s a question from a listener in the UK on sour cream:   How can you make it at home in a whole food, plant-based way? Jack, any thoughts?   Now on to something we find very tasty here in the UK, but which isn’t always OMS-friendly: Yorkshire Pudding. Ann, from the OMS Circle in Hertfordshire, wanted to know:   Any recipe suggestions for OMS-compliant Yorkshire Puddings which replicate as near as possible the original in which the batter contains eggs and fat.  A particular member of her Circle in Hertfordshire always complains that everything she tries leads to Yorkshire Puddings as “flat as pancakes!” Jack, any tips?   Since we are on a sweets kick, Ann had another question that might be relevant to many of our listeners who love to bake:   How do you make cakes taste light and moist when many of the ingredients needed to do so aren’t OMS-friendly?   And let’s end this episode on a crunchy note:   Jack, do you have any recipe ideas for gluten-free crackers and snacks, or anything savory that packs a crunch?   Links:   Connect with Jack:  Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook   Coming up on our next episode:   Join us starting May 19 for the next episode of Living Well with MS for a very special and insightful interview with Dr. Sandra Neate, the Head of the Neuroepidemiology Unit (NEU) within the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health at the University of Melbourne in Australia.  The NEU is at the forefront of research into lifestyle related risk factors in MS and health outcomes, and the experiences of people who adopt lifestyle modification. Have a listen to hear what’s on the NEU’s research horizon and how it may impact you!   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. Don’t be shy – if you like the program, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune into the show. And feel free to share your comments and suggestions by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.

Welcome to Living Well with MS Coffee Break #16, where we are pleased to welcome Rick Nelson as our guest!   Our Coffee Break series is your chance to get to know members of our diverse OMS community. In each episode, you’ll join Geoff Allix for an intimate chat with a different member of our global community. Our guests will share their personal stories and talk about their challenges and victories, large and small. We hope you find common cause and a source of inspiration from the stories of these very special people.   As always, your comments and suggestions are always welcome by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org. We hope you enjoy this episode’s conversation with Rick, beaming to you straight from the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the USA.   Rick’s Story (in his own words)   I am Rick Nelson. I live in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, in the United States. I’m married to Solange and am a father of three adult children – Anthony, Alice and Richard – and I’m very proud of all of them.   My Aunt Mary Jean had MS. As a family we experienced her advancing disability through my teenage and early adult years, culminating in her death at an early age from MS-related causes. Mary Jean took everything that the medical establishment had to offer in those days, yet she missed out on many of life’s joys, and never met her grandchildren.   A couple of decades later, in late 2004, I was diagnosed with MS.   I dove into the research found and embraced the Swank Diet. I was persuaded by long-range study, conducted by Dr. Roy Swank commencing in 1948, which found that people with MS who consumed less than 20 grams of saturated fat per day essentially didn’t progress to disability over the more than three-decade course of the study.     I was all in.   Later, I came upon Dr. George Jelinek’s book, Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis. With a family history similar to mine plus his background as a physician and medical journal editor, I felt Dr. Jelinek incorporated extensive research to take Dr. Swank’s work to the next level.     After devouring Dr. Jelinek’s book, I embraced the OMS Recovery Program.    Leading a busy life with a demanding corporate job and family duties, I struggled with stress control. I was less than successful in embracing meditation, so a few years later I traveled to Melbourne, Australia and participated in the OMS retreat at Gawler Centre. At the retreat I came away deeply moved by the knowledge, care and selfless humanness demonstrated by Dr. Jelinek, Zig and other members of staff.   It was my first time in a community of people with MS, and I came away impressed with the strength and the passion of the other participants. These were people who challenged the status quo.   I have been an advocate for OMS ever since.    OMS has been life-changing for me, it has provided hope, and allowed me to regain control of my health. The result has been many years of vitality and contribution to my family and community.   Questions:   Rick, our audience wants to know a little bit about you and your life. Can you share some background on where you’re from, what you do, any snippets of your family or personal life or anything about you that would give our listeners a sense of who Rick Nelson is? How about your experience with MS? Can you provide some context on that? When were you diagnosed and how did you initially cope with it? At which point did you come across the OMS program? How was that experience for you? Why did you decide to start following it? What are some of the challenges you’ve faced at first in adopting the OMS program? How did you overcome them? When did you first start to see any kind of positive indicators in following OMS guidelines? What were these? You’ve been a valuable contributor to the OMS community. For example, you established the OMS Circle in Philadelphia and serve as its ambassador. What’s that experience like? On a personal note, do you have any unusual interests or wacky hobbies you can tell us about? What kind of stuff will we find you doing on a weekend? You’re also a successful entrepreneur and management consultant. If you tap into that expertise for a nugget of wisdom that would help people ease into and better adopt the OMS program, what would that advice be?   Rick’s Links:   Check out Rick’s LinkedIn profile Check out the work Rick does to help entrepreneurs   Coming up on our next episode:   Tune in on May 12, 2021 for the second installment of Ask Jack, our special 5-part series where certified OMS foodie and professional chef Jack McNulty answers cooking- and food-related questions from you, our OMS community. This is a tasty morsel you won’t want to miss. And remember, you can submit your questions for future Ask Jack episodes by emailing them to podcast@overcomingms.org.   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. Don’t be shy – if you like the program, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune into the show. And feel free to share your comments and suggestions by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.

Dr. Amy Novotny is a highly trained physical therapist who has committed herself to helping people with varying medical conditions, including multiple sclerosis, learn how to manage and overcome the pain and discomfort their conditions cause. She is the creator of the PABR® method, a holistic approach to restoring the body to its full potential using its own nervous system. PABR (which stands for Pain Awareness Breathing Relief) is a combination of breathwork and body positioning that calms the nervous system, and on this episode, Geoff Allix dives into this fascinating and transformative practice with the creator herself.   We hope you continue to tune in to more episodes of Living Well with MS, our Coffee Break series and our brand new limited series Ask Jack, featuring professional holistic chef Jack McNulty answering food-related questions generated by you, our community. Watch this space as well as the OMS website and social channels for more updates.   Questions:   Welcome to the show, Dr. Novotny. May I call you Amy? Can you tell our audience a little bit about your background? You’re the creator of the PABR (pain awareness breathing relief) method and its main practitioner through your work under the PABR Institute. Can you give our audience an overview of this technique? How can PABR be helpful for people with MS? Why does a combination of body positioning and breathing calm the sympathetic nervous system? What are the types of pain or discomfort specific to MS that PABR is especially well suited to helping people manage? Are there specific types of MS your technique is better suited to than others, like primary progressive vs. relapsing remitting? Can you share any case studies or success stories you’ve had working with people with MS? How do you train people to learn and apply this method? What led you to create the PABR method? Has PABR helped you personally in any way to deal with pain? What’s your vision for making the PABR method accessible to more people with MS and beyond? Given we are still emerging from 2020’s Covid tunnel, what’s the light at the end of the tunnel you see in 2021?   Bio:   Dr. Amy Novotny founded the PABR® Institute with the mission to provide pain, stress and anxiety relief to those who seek a naturalistic form of treatment when other treatment methods have fallen short. Her unique approach comes from her experience treating in a variety of settings and with a wide range of patient populations over the past 12 years. Her background is in orthopedics, sports, geriatrics, balance disorders, nerve injuries, and most recently, chronic pain; and her influences from coursework at the Postural Restoration Institute gave her the foundation to develop this treatment method to address a wide variety of painful and restrictive conditions. Her methods have helped countless people reduce and eliminate pain, stress, anxiety, orthopedic surgeries, sleep issues and the need for medications. She co-authored two Amazon #1 Best-Selling books Don’t Quit: Stories of Persistence, Courage and Faith and Success Habits of Super Achievers, which share her journey on how and why she developed the PABR® Method. Her ability to speak French and Spanish has allowed her to communicate with and help various clients from all around the world, including France, Mexico, Central America and South America. She has a variety of interests including running 40+ marathons, running 10 ultra marathons (including two 100 milers), completing an Ironman triathlon, photographing wildlife and landscapes all over the world that has led to several of her images being chosen as Photos of the Day, most notably National Geographic Your Shot World Top Photo of the Day.   Links:   Learn more about Novotny See Amy’s photography portfolio Check out Amy on Facebook Check out Amy on LinkedIn Check out Amy on Instagram Check out Amy on Twitter Schedule a free 15m consultation with Dr. Novotny   Coming up on our next episode:   On our next episode, launching May 3, 2021, join us for our 16th installment of Living Well with MS Coffee Break as Geoff Allix sits down with Rick Nelson, the OMS Circle Ambassador in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. You’ll love getting to know the face of our community from the City of Brotherly Love!   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. Don’t be shy – if you like the program, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune into the show. And feel free to share your comments and suggestions by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.

Welcome to Living Well with MS Coffee Break #15, where we are pleased to welcome Rebecca Stonor as our guest!   Our Coffee Break series is your chance to get to know members of our diverse OMS community. In each episode, you’ll join Geoff Allix for an intimate chat with a different member of our global community. Our guests will share their personal stories and talk about their challenges and victories, large and small. We hope you find common cause and a source of inspiration from the stories of these very special people.   As always, your comments and suggestions are always welcome by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org. We hope you enjoy this episode’s conversation with Rebecca, beaming to you straight from the Adelaide, South Australia.   Bio:   Rebecca Stonor is a Wellbeing Officer, Plant Scientist and Plant-Based Nutrition Wellness Advocate. She has worked for nearly two decades in plant science and is certified in plant-based nutrition through eCornell University. After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis she has used whole food, plant-based nutrition to reverse all symptoms and halt any further progression of her MS. A passion for helping others has led her to share her inspiring story via workshops, plant-based cooking classes and public speaking engagements. Rebecca is passionate about online cooking classes, private culinary instruction and personal cooking services as a way to show others how nourishing food truly is medicine.   Questions:   Rebecca, our audience wants to know a little bit about you and your life. Can you share some background on where you’re from, what you do, any snippets of your family or personal life or anything about you that would give our listeners a sense of who Rebecca Stonor is? How about your experience with MS? Can you provide some context on that? When were you diagnosed and how did you initially cope with it? At which point did you come across the OMS program? How was that experience for you? Why did you decide to start following it? What are some of the challenges you’ve faced at first in adopting the OMS program? How did you overcome them? When did you first start to see any kind of positive indicators in following OMS guidelines? What were these? You’re really into plant-based nutrition and spreading the word to others have how food can truly be like medicine. How do you do that and what’s the reception been? You’re also an avid meditator, with a daily 5am meditation ritual. How did you build up to that? Any tips for our audience on how to work fitness and exercise into their daily routines? On a personal note, do you have any unusual interests or wacky hobbies you can tell us about? What kind of stuff will we find you doing on a weekend? If there is one piece of advice you can share with people new to the OMS program, what would that be?   Rebecca’s Links:   Check out Rebecca’s site on plant-based nutrition Check out Rebecca’s Instagram feed for recipes and mouth-watering food photos Check out Rebecca’s Facebook page   Coming up on our next episode:   Ever wonder if there is a way to manage pain holistically? If so, you’ll want to be sure to catch the next episode of Living Well with MS, landing on your favorite podcast platform on April 21, 2021. On that day and anytime you want thereafter, you’ll be able to hear Geoff’s fascinating interview with Dr. Amy Novotny, a highly trained physical therapist who has committed herself to helping people with varying medical conditions, including multiple sclerosis, learn how to manage and overcome the pain and discomfort their conditions cause through the PABR® method, a holistic approach she has created to restoring the body to its full potential using its own nervous system.   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. Don’t be shy – if you like the program, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune into the show. And feel free to share your comments and suggestions by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.

On this episode of Living Well with MS, we are excited and honored to have as our guest OMS Chair and charity Founder Linda Bloom, whose personal story arc – going from the depths of despair after receiving her MS diagnosis to finding and realizing a path of realistic hope to healthy life through the OMS Program – mimics the experience of so many members of the OMS community. Linda shares details of her personal story, along with how her journey informed and inspired her to launch a global charity that has positively impacted the lives of many thousands of people with MS around the world.   Questions:   What it is like to be the Chair of such a unique MS charity as Overcoming MS? Can you tell us about your personal experience with MS? How did you deal with your initial diagnosis? At what point did you discover Overcoming MS? What were the immediate impacts you felt? Once you kept going with the program, what were the changes you experienced longer term? You mentioned self-hypnosis, can you tell us a little bit more about that? What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in adopting the OMS program, and how did you manage them? What kept you motivated in sticking with the program? Tell us about your relationship with Professor George Jelinek, and how it inspired you to found Overcoming MS the charity? Why did you decide to found the charity in the UK as opposed to Australia or elsewhere?  What were some of the challenges in establishing and growing the charity? Did you face any resistance? Tell us about the inspiration you get from the people you’ve met from among the OMS community. OMS recently brought on a new CEO, Grazina Berry. How did you manage that transition in leadership after so many years working with the founding CEO? How have the OMS team managed the transition? What is your vision for OMS? Where would you like to see it be in 5 years?  If there are 3 key tips or pieces of advice you could share with anyone new to or considering trying the OMS program, what would they be?   Bio:   Linda Bloom is the Chair of Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis (OMS). A psychologist who specializes in counselling and hypnotherapy, Linda previously held positions at Monash University and the William Angliss Institute of TAFE in Melbourne, Australia, as well as working in private practice.    In 2002, she was diagnosed with MS following a significant relapse. After attending a retreat held by Professor Jelinek in Melbourne, Australia, she followed the OMS Program and attributes her own healing to this evidence-based approach.   In 2007, Linda moved to the UK where she recognized a gap in the provision of a lifestyle-based approach in MS management, and in 2011 began promoting the OMS approach. She established the OMS charity in June 2012.   She is passionate about empowering people with MS to take control of their own lives and hopes that the program will offer people with MS a new, but realistic way of regaining their health and improving their quality of life. Linda is married, has two children, and lives in central London.   Links:   Read more about Linda’s story and background here Watch Linda’s Story of Hope here   Coming up on our next episode:   On the next episode of Living Well with MS, launching April 12, 2021, join us for Coffee Break #15, where Geoff Allix travels (virtually) to Australia to interview plant scientist and plant-based nutrition advocate Rebecca Stonor. Tune in and bring a new shade of green into your life in this lush interview.   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. Don’t be shy – if you like the program, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune into the show. And feel free to share your comments and suggestions by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.  

Welcome to Living Well with MS Coffee Break #14, where we are pleased to welcome Katy Deacon as our guest!   Our Coffee Break series is your chance to get to know members of our diverse OMS community. In each episode, you’ll join Geoff Allix for an intimate chat with a different member of our global community. Our guests will share their personal stories and talk about their challenges and victories, large and small. We hope you find common cause and a source of inspiration from the stories of these very special people.   As always, your comments and suggestions are always welcome by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org. We hope you enjoy this episode’s conversation with Katy, beaming to you straight from the United Kingdom.   Bio:   Katy is a Chartered Electrical Engineer, a wife and mother to two young children. She enjoyed her work project managing the installation of renewable energy systems and overseeing building energy management up until her MS symptoms appeared nine years ago. Katy still works full time, but she changed her technical focus as the inability to walk restricts the amount of scrambling around building sites that one can do.   Questions:   Katy, our audience wants to know a little bit about you and your life. Can you share some background on where you’re from, what you do, any snippets of your family or personal life or anything about you that would give our listeners a sense of who Katy is? How about your experience with MS? Can you provide some context on that? When were you diagnosed and how did you initially cope with it? At which point did you come across the OMS program? How was that experience for you? Why did you decide to start following it? What are some of the challenges you’ve faced at first in adopting the OMS program? How did you overcome them? When did you first start to see any kind of positive indicators in following OMS guidelines? What were these? You have experienced some mobility issues. Can you share some of your experiences in dealing with these and how you’ve learned to adapt? How have you had to adapt your daily healthy habits to the new realities imposed by Covid-19? And has following the OMS program helped you deal with the new realities of Covid-19 times? On a personal note, do you have any unusual interests or wacky hobbies you can tell us about? What kind of stuff will we find you doing on a weekend? If there is one piece of advice you can share with people new to the OMS program, what would that be?   Katy’s Favorite Links:   Backup Trust’s wheelchair skills app and website are excellent resources for new wheelchair users who might need some additional training and support. Apple Watch’s activity goals are great – Katy is an achievement-focused person and the Apple Watch tracks her pushes. Powering a manual wheelchair can be tough, so Katy has found these strengthening techniques really useful. Katy likes the MyFitnessPal app for tracking food intake. Katy loves this checklist for healthy eating from Veganuary. Foothold is a UK support charity Katy is proud to be involved with. This is a great blog entry Katy wrote for OMS in 2019.   Coming up on our next episode:   On the next episode of Living Well with MS, join us for a very special interview with Overcoming MS Chair and charity founder Linda Bloom, who discusses her own personal journey on the OMS Program and how it paved the way to the founding of a charity that has touched the lives of thousands of people with MS around the world. This moving and illuminating interview launches on March 31, 2021, so please tune in.   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. Don’t be shy – if you like the program, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune into the show. And feel free to share your comments and suggestions by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.

Welcome to the inaugural episode of Ask Jack, featuring the prodigious culinary talents of professional holistic chef Jack McNulty answering food-related questions generated by you, our community. Check out the show notes below that dig deeper into the topics covered on this episode. Set your dials to this station when Ask Jack #2 premieres on May 12, 2021, and don’t forget to submit your questions for Jack by emailing them to podcast@overcomingms.org.   Healthiest Cookware Options The goal of any cookware is to conduct heat evenly and efficiently while remaining chemically non-reactive. No single pan meets these goals completely. Here’s a brief breakdown on the plusses and minuses of different cookware options:   Ceramics (Earthenware, Stoneware and Glass): chemically stable and non-reactive. No impact on taste/flavors. Not good at higher temperatures. Always avoid any ceramic with lead glazing.   Enamelware: thin layer of powdered glass infused on steel or iron creates a non-reactive surface with some degree of non-sticking. Holds heat well over a long time. Not good in conditions of rapid heating or cooling. Susceptible to chipping. Particularly suited for slow cooking using lower temperatures either on the stovetop or in an oven.   Aluminum: lower cost and lightweight. Excellent heat conductivity providing fast and even heating. Anodized aluminum means they have been treated with a thin protective layer that is non-sticking. Aluminum cookware without treatments reacts to acids and alkaline foods, altering appearance and flavor.   Copper: best material in terms of conductivity. Expensive option. Most copper pans are lined with stainless steel or tin. They are not good when heated or cooled rapidly. Susceptible to rapid degradation when used in higher temperature cooking (230°C or 450°F).   Iron and Carbon Steel: good conductor of heat but can be uneven. Can also react with and discolor food. Absorbs and holds heat extremely well over longer periods. Once preheated, cooking temperatures can be reduced. Non-stick surface can be created when ‘seasoning’ the cookware. Heat unsaturated oil for several hours in a moderate oven, then cool and wipe clean. Appropriate 1-2 times per year. Avoid abrasives and dishwashers to keep surface ‘seasoned’. Use of oil in pan during seasoning process has no negative effect on food – it is OMS safe.   Stainless Steel: iron and carbon mixture. Expensive option, but also long-lasting when cared for. Decent heat conduction and non-reactive to food. Closest to meeting ultimate objective of a good pan. Always preheat pan over moderate to low temperatures before adding food or liquids. Avoid dishwashers to prolong life.   Non-Stick Pans: non-stick surfaces are created from thin layer of a chemical compound (Teflon or other modern versions). Short shelf life of less than 3 years. Not appropriate at high temperatures, which could cause toxins or warping of pans. Easily scratched. Avoid dishwashers, abrasive cleaners and abrasive utensils. Can be used for effective non-stick cooking at low temperatures. Light coating of oil in pre-heated pan enhances non-stick surface.   Green Pans: a type of non-stick pan. Thin layer of ceramic applied to surface rather than a chemical compound. Safer non-stick option than most non-stick pans, but still perform poorly at higher temperatures. Susceptible to cracking and chipping. Short shelf life.   Extra Tips: how to limit use of oil in cooking for cookware types… Cast Iron and Carbon Steel: make sure your pan is well-seasoned at all times. Preheat the pan before adding your food. Avoid using any kind of cooking utensil that will scratch the surface. It is ok to allow food to stick briefly to the pan; just release the food with a small amount of liquid.   Ceramics: preheat the pan or pot slowly over low heat. Avoid using temperatures above medium and make sure to cool the pan or pot slowly at room temperature. Preheat before oven use.   Non-Stick pans (including new generation varieties): heat the pot or pan slowly over low heat. Never exceed medium temperatures and avoid using cooking utensils that will scratch the surface. Cool the pan slowly to preserve the non-stick surface. Avoid dishwashers.   Aluminum and Stainless Steel: preheat before adding food. Allow the food to stick to the bottom of the pan or pot and release it with 1-2 tablespoons of water or other liquid. For best results, use medium temperatures and avoid high temperature cooking. Always cool to room temperature before cleaning. Avoid dishwashers.   Benefit of Organic vs. Traditional Farming Organic foods are the healthiest option when compared to traditionally produced fruits and vegetables. They will have lower amounts of pesticides or other harmful elements in the soil. Jack’s suggestion is to choose organic whenever there is an option, but never allow pesticide-stress to prevent eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables regardless of how they are grown.   Using Oils to Roast Vegetables The use of oils in cooking is a personal choice. Most recipes can be made entirely oil-free. Oils are mostly used in cooking to create flavor, texture and preserve moisture in the food. In other words, using oils usually amounts to personal satisfaction. Vegetables are normally 60-80% water. As the water evaporates from the surface of the vegetable it will begin to rapidly dry out. Coating the vegetable first in oil slows the loss of liquid and helps exterior sugars to caramelize – creating both flavor and texture.   Water and Oil in Cooking Water alone boils at a standard temperature. Adding elements to the water, such as salt, can alter the boiling point but only by a small amount. Adding pressure to water (pressure cooker) can also alter the boiling point (maximum temperatures of a pressure cooker are 120°C (250°F). Adding oils to water slightly reduces the boiling point but the change is marginal. As long as water exists, oils cannot exceed the effective boiling point.   Getting Crispy Textures on Vegetables Crispy textures on vegetables are created by caramelizing natural sugars/starches on the surface. Caramelization begins when sugars/starches reach a temperature of 120°C (250°F). This is also the point when all oils begin breaking down, although harmful elements are not produced until temperatures rise substantially more to 190°C (375°F) and held at this point for 10-20 minutes. Coating vegetables with a light amount of oil is considered OMS-safe because the surface moisture evaporating from the vegetables will prevent the oils from rising above 120°C (250°F). The oil coating will also speed the cooking, caramelization process and prevent too much moisture loss from the vegetable. Crispy textures can be accomplished without oil, although the vegetable will taste dry, a factor that can be overcome by coating the vegetable with a dip or vinaigrette after cooking. Adding a starch to the vegetable surface prior to cooking (corn starch, rice starch, tapioca starch) can help create a crispier surface without adding oils.   Air Fryer vs. Oven Air-fryers are essentially miniature convection ovens. They rapidly circulate hot air in a small and enclosed area to promote rapid and even heat conduction. Air-fryers rely on temperature cooking of 180° – 190°C (350° - 375°F). The enclosed space and rapid air movement means surface temperatures of food will rise faster than in a larger convection oven – 165° vs 120°C (330° vs 250°F). Most manufacturers recommend using small amounts of oil to coat the food in order to enhance the crispy textures and prevent too much moisture loss.   Applying Thin Layer of Oil to a Pan Certain food preparations work best when a thin layer of oil is applied to the surface of a pre-heated pan then wiped clean. Cooking thin pancakes (like crepes) is an example. When a pan is heated, metals expand and open microscopic pores (also true in non-stick pans). These pores are where food will go first and the reason something sticks to a pan. Certain pans minimize this effect with their coatings. Applying a thin layer of oil to the pan and wiping it to remove the excess fills the pores and removes the problem. This is effective when cooking thin batters. It is not necessary before each pancake or crepe, as the first one will aid in closing the pores. High heat will cause the pores to expand further and create the sticking problem faster than cooking at lower temperatures. The oils used in the coating have a minimal effect on the food’s surface and are not carried over into the food. Careful application and wiping the pan ensures this method is completely OMS compliant.   Links: Connect with Jack:  Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook Jack’s podcast on fats: S2 Episode 28 Oils and OMS: Separating Fats from Fiction Medium article: Why Some Professional Chefs Hate Nonstick Pans Expanded article on cookware: Healthiest Cookware Options   Coming up on our next episode: Join us on March 22 for the premiere of the next Living Well with MS Coffee Break episode, where we travel to the UK to hear Katy Deacon’s fascinating story. Learn more about interesting and inspiring OMSers like you by catching up on past Coffee Break episodes   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. Don’t be shy – if you like the program, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune into the show. And feel free to share your comments and suggestions by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.

Mark Webb is one amazing human: he’s a writer, wheelchair rugby athlete and head of communications for Shift.ms, an amazing community of people with MS. Amidst all that still manages to find time to be a champion of all things MS, especially as it relates to diversity and inclusion. Join Geoff Allix in his fascinating interview with Mark and get one exceptional person’s “view from Shift.ms”.   We hope you continue to tune in to more episodes of Living Well with MS, our Coffee Break series a brand new limited series call Ask Jack, launching in March 2021, and featuring professional holistic chef Jack McNulty answering food-related questions generated by you, our community. Stay tuned and watch this space as well as the OMS website and social channels for more updates.   Questions:   Welcome to the show, Mark. Can you tell our audience a little bit about yourself? Mark, you’re affiliated with Shift.ms. Can you tell us a little about the organization? What do you do for Shift.ms? As a person with MS, how does it feel to have this impact on the MS community? In terms of your MS, when were you diagnosed and how did it impact your life? What’s your personal mission in helping the MS community? Exercise is very important to you. I know you’re active in wheelchair rugby… can you tell us what that’s about? How has wheelchair rugby helped you build strength and confidence? What would your advice be for people with MS that have mobility issues about getting more active? Since MS affects everyone differently, and some people experience more mobility issues and other symptoms than others, what’s your view on how this diversity in the MS community is treated? How do you think we can all make the MS community more inclusive? You’re a pretty busy guy, but you still find time for public speaking, including a TED talk. What do you present on? 2020 was a tough year for all of us. What are you most hopeful about for 2021?   Bio:   Mark Webb is a public speaker and campaigner for all things Multiple Sclerosis, disability and diversity. He is also Head of Communications for the worldwide social network for MSers, Shift.ms.   He blogs at onemanandhiscatheters.com, is writing a book slowly, and plays Wheelchair Rugby very badly.   Links:   Learn more about Shift.ms Check out Mark’s Twitter feed Check out Mark’s blog Check out Mark’s Instagram   Coming up on our next episode:   Tune in on March 17, 2021 for the premiere episode of Ask Jack, our special 5-part series where every couple of months, certified OMS foodie and professional chef Jack McNulty answers cooking- and food-related questions from you, our OMS community. This is a tasty morsel you won’t want to miss. And remember, you can submit your questions for future Ask Jack episodes by emailing them to podcast@overcomingms.org.   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. Don’t be shy – if you like the program, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune into the show. And feel free to share your comments and suggestions by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.

Welcome to our 13th installment of Living Well with MS Coffee Break, and the first Coffee Break episode for 2021, where we welcome Luke Johnson as our guest!   Our Coffee Break series is your chance to get to know members of our diverse OMS community. In each episode, you’ll join Geoff Allix for an intimate chat with a different member of our global community. Our guests will share their personal stories and talk about their challenges and victories, large and small. We hope you find common cause and a source of inspiration from the stories of these very special people.   As always, your comments and suggestions are always welcome by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org. We hope you enjoy this episode’s conversation with Luke Johnson, beaming to you straight from Western Massachusetts.   Bio:   Luke is an artist and college fitness director based in the United States in Western Massachusetts, where he also grew up. He attended university in New York City and worked for many years in wilderness therapy and immersion programs in places as diverse as Costa Rica and Nepal. Eight years ago, after returning from the West Coast of the US and completing his graduate studies, Luke developed his first signs of MS. Since then, Luke’s life has been a journey in rebuilding his health, discovering the new, and unpacking the old.   Questions:   Luke, our audience wants to know a little bit about you and your life. Can you share some background on where you’re from, what you do, any snippets of your family or personal life or anything about you that would give our listeners a sense of who Luke is? How about your experience with MS? Can you provide some context on that? When were you diagnosed and how did you initially cope with it? At which point did you come across the OMS program? How was that experience for you? Why did you decide to start following it? What are some of the challenges you’ve faced at first in adopting the OMS program? How did you overcome them? When did you first start to see any kind of positive indicators in following OMS guidelines? What were these? How have you had to adapt your daily healthy habits to the new realities imposed by Covid-19? And has following the OMS program helped you deal with the new realities of Covid-19 times? On a personal note, do you have any unusual interests or wacky hobbies you can tell us about? What kind of stuff will we find you doing on a weekend? If there is one piece of advice you can share with people new to the OMS program, what would that be?   Links   Check out Luke’s amazing photography Follow Luke on Instagram Luke’s favorite comprehensive resource on plant-based lifestyle A great online course on well-being from Yale University Rhona Patrick is a scientist and she explores a lot of useful lifestyle tweaks that are beneficial to anyone pursuing better health or managing chronic conditions Another great site for healthy lifestyle change A podcast on plant-based eating, exercise and wellness Luke really likes   Coming up on our next episode:   On the next episode of Living Well with MS, launching March 10, 2021, help Geoff welcome Mark Webb – writer, wheelchair rugby athlete and head of communications for Shift.ms, an amazing community of people with MS. Mark will share the View from Shift.ms and talk about his role as a champion of all things MS, especially as it relates to diversity and inclusion.   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. Don’t be shy – if you like the program, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune into the show. And feel free to share your comments and suggestions by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.

2020 was a rough year, or perhaps that’s just the understatement of the century (and this has been a pretty eventful century, so that’s saying a lot.) I am sure many of us are breathing a sigh of relief in the early days of 2021, especially with Covid-19 vaccine rollouts gaining steam and life in some places starting to resemble a shade of normal, or at least offering the realistic hope of that soon. Many of us, though, are still struggling for perspective on the surreal year we just left behind, and even more of us are eager to understand what 2021 might bring.   To offer us some much needed guidance and perspective, and to kick off the third season of the Living Well with MS podcast, we are pleased to welcome back one of our absolute favorite guests, and one of our favorite people in general, Dr. Jonathan White. Dr. White will help us understand how Covid-19 has impacted people with MS and the challenges that still remain, vaccine rollout notwithstanding. He’ll also provide us with some useful understanding of the implications of the vaccine for people with MS, and what we can all do to maintain our health and emotional stability until it’s our time in the vaccination queue.   We hope this episode provides you with a useful roadmap to navigating the early days of a hopeful 2021, and that you continue to tune in to more episodes of Living Well with MS, our Coffee Break series a brand new limited series call Ask Jack, launching in March 2021, and featuring professional holistic chef Jack McNulty answering food-related questions generated by you, our community. Stay tuned and watch this space as well as the OMS website and social channels for more updates.   Questions:   I’d like to start by simply asking what just happened in reference to 2020? Can you put it all in context from a personal health and wellness perspective? What’s your take on the main ways Covid 19 has impacted the community of people with MS? There have been some pronounced fumbles in the way the pandemic was managed in the UK and US; do you think these nations and others in the same leaky Covid boat have righted the ship, and if so, how? What’s your take on positive changes 2021 will bring in terms of eradicating Covid 19? I guess we can start with the vaccines. Are there any implications for people with MS getting vaccinated? Any known or associated risks? What’s the difference between the main approved vaccines? Do you recommend people with MS try to get one over another? From an OMS program perspective, what would you suggest people with MS can do to stay healthy while awaiting vaccination? Are you concerned that the prolific focus of the medical community on developing a Covid vaccine has caused a radical shift in scientific research priorities, slowing progress on MS research? Are there any positive by products in terms of MS research that have come from Covid 19-related efforts? Any findings that may point the way to progress on treating MS? Are you concerned about a Covid-21 or Covid-22 in terms of virus mutations or new strains that may outpace the effectiveness of the vaccine? What are you most hopeful about for 2021, personally and professionally?   Bio:   Dr. Jonathan White, a practicing medical doctor in Belfast, Northern Ireland, also works with Overcoming MS as a medical consultant and event facilitator. You can learn more about Dr. White’s professional background here.   Disclaimer:   Vaccine views on this podcast episode reflect current consensus among medical professionals but we always recommend consulting your own team about your medical care, including vaccines. OMS is committed to bringing you up to date advice on our website on this topic if such advice is updated.  Please refrain from making any defamatory remarks if posting about this on our or other social channels, and please keep responses to comments on content.  Information on this topic was up to date at time of recording on February 1, 2021.   Links:   Here are some great links Dr. White recommends for more information on the new batch of Covid-19 vaccines and their potential impacts on people with MS:   Link 1 Link 2 Link 3   Coming up on our next episode:   Our popular Coffee Break series returns on Monday February 22, when we travel to Western Massachusetts to chat with Luke Johnson. Tune in to learn more about the lives and experiences of your fellow OMS community members. Our next Living Well with MS episode will launch March 10, when we get the View from Shift.ms with their head of communications, Mark Webb.   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. Don’t be shy – if you like the program, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune into the show. And feel free to share your comments and suggestions by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.

Bio:   Rachel is a highly specialized Neurological Physiotherapist with a Masters Diploma in Neurological Rehabilitation. She teaches for the Neuro Academy supporting the development of doctors and allied healthcare professionals into MS as their specialization. Rachel is also an Associate Trainer for the NHS England commissioned Bridges Self-Management Programme.     She became a Pilates instructor in 2014 and specialized in teaching the method to people living with MS in 2016. For three years, Rachel managed the Pilates Studio at an MS Centre teaching mat and large apparatus Pilates to people living with MS.    “My love of Pilates comes from the fact that I coach and empower individuals to look within, to experience movement with a sense of introspection – learning to think, feel and understand their bodies. This facilitates an understanding of what is normal, what changes, and how to accept, self-monitor and regulate the condition.”   Questions:   Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, your background, and your experience working with people with MS? What is Pilates? Can you also touch on differences between Pilates and other Eastern practices such as Yoga, meditation, Tai Chi, etc.? Do you need special equipment to do Pilates? What are the benefits of Pilates for people with MS? What are the downsides? How can people with more progressive disability do Pilates and stay motivated? What are its benefits to them? How can you modify Pilates for all levels of ability? How do you choose the right Pilates instructor or class? Can you do it on your own? Can you share a final thought with our audience on what motivates or inspires you as a human being?   Links:   Learn more about Rachel Changer Find out about Rachel’s online Pilates classes for people with MS Learn more about the Neuro Academy Learn more about the Bridges Self-Management Programme Read this blog from OMSer Sarah Johnson about her experience with Pilates     Coming up next:   Coming up next week is the start to what we hope will be a lovely holiday season for you all! From all of us at Living Well with MS, we wish you a joyous holiday season and an auspicious kickoff to 2021. We can’t be prouder to serve our listener community, and the OMS community at large, and we look forward to returning early in 2021 with a brand new third season of Living Well with MS and our Coffee Break series. Till then, stay safe, happy and healthy!   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. Don’t be shy – if you like the program, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune into the show.

Welcome to our 12th installment of Living Well with MS Coffee Break, and final Coffee Break episode for 2020, where we welcome Alexandra (“Alex”) Storey as our guest!   As you may know, tomorrow (December 1st) is Giving Tuesday, and Alexandra is participating in our campaign to help raise much-needed funds for the work OMS delivers to our community, so thank you to her and our gratitude to everyone else in our community, from those who choose to donate to others engaged in the campaign itself.   We hope you’ve enjoyed and learned from these intermezzos between our regular episodes, and we look forward to bringing you an exciting new assortment of Living Well with MS full-length and Coffee Break episodes when we return with Season 3 in February 2021! And as always, your comments and suggestions are always welcome by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.   Bio:   Alex Storey lives in Essex with her husband Sam and their dog Elsa. She was diagnosed with RRMS in 2019 and has been following the OMS program since even earlier when she realized it could take a while to receive an official diagnosis. The diet element has been her favorite part of the program to adopt, and she loves how creative it has enabled her to be in the kitchen. It has also opened her eyes to how the food industry and the products we eat have changed over the last century. Alex is also a participant OMS’ 2020 Giving Tuesday campaign.   Questions:   Can you tell us a little about yourself, your family, your life, where you live and anything about yourself you’d like to share?  When were you diagnosed with MS and how long have you been following the OMS Program?  You’re quite a creative chef and active in posting on Instagram… can you share a little about your culinary pastime, what it means to you, how it’s helped, especially with MS during Covid-19? How else have you had to adapt your daily healthy habits to the new realities imposed by Covid-19?  How has following the OMS program helped you deal with the new realities of Covid-19 times? You’re also actively involved in supporting OMS in its Giving Tuesday campaign. Can you share with our listeners what Giving Tuesday is? What are the reasons you’re helping drive giving to OMS for Giving Tuesday? Do you have any other tips or tricks you can share with our audience that might help them on their own health journeys?    Links   Check out Alex’s Instagram feed View Alex’s Giving Tuesday video   Coming up on our next episode:   On the final episode of Living Well with MS for 2020, landing on your favorite podcast platform on December 16, 2020, Geoff Allix welcomes Rachel Changer, who will literally help you change your body’s flexibility and stretch your way into a healthy 2021 with a special episode on how Pilates can help all people with MS build strength and resilience. Join us again in February 2021 when we launch a brand-new season of Living Well with MS and our special Coffee Break series. Until then, happy holidays, and stay safe healthy and positive!   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. Don’t be shy – if you like the program, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune into the show.

Bio:   Helen was diagnosed with Primary Progressive MS in 1997 when she was 37 years old. Being ineligible for any Disease Modifying Treatment (DMT) within the UK National Health Service, she began to explore holistic approaches to managing her condition. She discovered OMS in 2008 and has followed the programme ever since.   Helen lives in Conwy, a small, medieval town in North Wales. In 2017, she took medical retirement from the University of Manchester where she was a Professor in the Department of Art History and Cultural Practice. As an Emerita Professor, Helen continues to research and teach doctoral students. She also spends time hand-weaving and learning Welsh, the language of her ancestors. Helen has never taken medication for her MS and is committed to living well through active self-care.   Questions:   Can you please tell us a bit about yourself, where you’re from, what you do, family, etc. Let’s understand a little bit about your MS journey – when were you diagnosed and how did you initially handle it? When did you discover OMS and why did you decide to follow the program? You’re a member of the OMS community with PPMS – can you shed some light on what PPMS is and what life is like with that specific type of MS? How does the OMS program fit into the realities of someone with PPMS? What are the biggest obstacles to someone with PPMS adopting the program? How do you personally suggest dealing with these obstacles? In your own experience with both PPMS and OMS, how do you measure progress? If you could articulate one specific outcome that five ago, looking forward, you can say you really wanted to achieve and which you’ve now really nailed through adopting OMS, what would that be and why? As someone with PPMS, what can you share with others that have PPMS that motivates or inspires you?   Links:   Follow Helen on Instagram Learn more about Feldenkrais in the UK and globally   Coming up next:   On our final Coffee Break installment for 2020, travel to the UK to meet Alexandra Storey and hear how she’s helping do her part to ensure OMS has a successful outing on Giving Tuesday, all on Living Well with MS Coffee Break #12, which premieres on Monday, November 30, just one day before Giving Tuesday. And to our friends and community members in North America, Happy Thanksgiving!   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. Don’t be shy – if you like the program, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune into the show.

Welcome to our 11th installment of Living Well with MS Coffee Break, where we welcome fellow podcast host and producer Bron Webster as our guest!   As you now know, we decided to do something a little different in expanding the range of content we produce here at Living Well with MS. To honor the community that forms the beating heart of Overcoming MS, this special series called Coffee Break features short interviews with members of the OMS community talking about their personal journeys adopting and staying on the OMS 7 Step Recovery Program, the challenges they encountered and how they overcame them, and their tips and tricks for sticking to the path that leads to better health. We hope you enjoy and learn from these intermezzos between our regular episodes, and as always, your comments and suggestions are always welcome by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.   Bio:   Bron Webster is many things – blogger, podcast creator/host, entrepreneur – but above all, she is committed. Bron is an expert in MS patient advocacy who works with a leading university in the UK and their neurology medical students, so she's used to representing the MS community with a ‘no agenda’ approach. Bron was diagnosed with MS in 1996 and is still mobile (though much slower these days). She also has 3 members of her family living with MS (1 blood-relative and 2 in-law relatives). She also had a brush with cancer (salivary gland, very rare) in 2014, so it’s fair for her to say this: “I’m a survivor!” Bron is the creator, host and producer of a new podcast about MS, The MS Show.   Questions:   Can you tell us a little about yourself and your personal experience with MS? You’ve recently launched a new MS podcast called The MS Show. Tell us a bit about that and your motivation for becoming a podcaster? How did your personal experience with MS inform the work you do on the podcast and in the broader MS community? What other projects or ventures are you involved in that have some impact on people with MS? If there is one lesson your experience with MS has taught you that you’d like to impart to others, what would that be? Finally, what advice would you give to people with MS on how to cope with some of the new realities in this post-Covid world?   Links:   Bron’s podcast, The MS Show Bron’s website, Multiple Success Bron’s Facebook group   Coming up on our next episode:   On our second-to-last full-length episode of Living Well with MS, launching in just 10 days on November 11, 2020, Geoff Allix is proud to welcome Helen Rees Leahy, a former university professor from North Wales, who discusses her journey with PPMS and how it intertwines with the OMS approach. Join us for this fascinating, first-person exploration of what it’s like to have a rarer form of MS and still tap into the benefits 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 favorite podcast listening app. Don’t be shy – if you like the program, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune into the show.

Bio:   Erika started her career in the music industry at the tender age of 16, working for a PR company who represented The Rolling Stones, U2, Prince, The Spice Girls and many more. One of her earliest highlights was when Cher sent her flowers by Cher to thank her for finding her favorite brand of mineral water when she ran out of it in the middle of the night!   She fell into the world of radio by complete accident in the mid-90s, co-hosting a show on London's Heart 106.2, a job she performed happily for 14 years. Since then, she has presented national breakfast shows, broadcast from the top of Sydney Harbor Bridge during the 2000 Olympics opening ceremony and can now be heard on the airwaves of BBC Radio Kent.   Erika was diagnosed with MS in 2008 and is now happy to put a spotlight on the trials and tribulations her condition bring, with a trademark sense of humor her listeners will be very familiar with!   Discussion Topics:   Erika’s life and MS journey How an MS diagnosis affects someone in a public-facing role How the public impression of MS is changing How Erika has adapted her lifestyle tothe OMS program How OMS is a healthy lifestyle for all How COVID-19 has affected Erika’s healthy habits   Links:   Erika's Twitter Feed   Coming up next:   Coming up next on Living Well with MS Coffee Break #11, premiering Monday, November 2, travel to the UK to meet Bron Webster, creator, producer and host of the new podcast, The MS Show.   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. Don’t be shy – if you like the program, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune into the show.

Happy 10th anniversary and welcome to our tenth installment of Living Well with MS Coffee Break, where we welcome Roy Bartlett as our guest! As you now know, we decided to do something a little different in expanding the range of content we produce here at Living Well with MS. To honor the community that forms the beating heart of Overcoming MS, this special series called Coffee Break features short interviews with members of the OMS community talking about their personal journeys adopting and staying on the OMS 7 Step Recovery Program, the challenges they encountered and how they overcame them, and their tips and tricks for sticking to the path that leads to better health. We hope you enjoy and learn from these intermezzos between our regular episodes, and as always, your comments and suggestions are always welcome by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.   Bio:   Although diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1988, Roy doesn’t let anything much slow him down.  He is no stranger to working in charitable organizations and was the founding president of the Eastern Bay of Plenty Asthma Society at the beginning of the 1980s.  From 1986 to the end of 2004 he worked for four different charities, including Alzheimer’s Auckland (1989-99).  Professor Sir Richard Faull, Director of the Centre for Brain Research and Patron of Alzheimer’s Auckland, describes Roy as “significantly changing the landscape of caring for people with dementia during the 1990s”.  In 2002 Roy and his wife Julie co-founded the award-winning charity StarJam, whose mission was to be the leading and most innovative catalyst for facilitating a positive societal change in attitude toward people with disabilities.  Together they set about creating national and international performance and limelight opportunities for young people with disabilities. StarJam continues today to help provide disabled children with a chance to build their confidence, develop their character, discover new friendships and enjoy the thrill of new hope and purpose, the benefits of which are also felt by their family, friends and the wider community.  Currently, Roy is an Ambassador for the Auckland OMS Circle.  He is also a foundation trustee of the The Sources of Unconditional Love Charitable Trust (SOUL), founded by his wife Julie in 2015.  SOUL’s mission is to replace prejudice and discrimination with unconditional love and respect.  Its position is an exclusively positive one aiming to empower teenage girls and young women to be free from the effects of prejudice and to inspire those who discriminate to instead choose unconditional love and respect.   Questions:   Can you tell us a little about yourself, your family, your life, where you live and anything about yourself you’d like to share.  When were you diagnosed with MS and how long have you been following the Overcoming MS 7 Step Recovery Program?  What is your favorite thing about the program, namely what do you feel has made the biggest positive impact?  What was your greatest challenge in adopting the OMS program, and how did you overcome it?  I know you’re quite active in the OMS community, and the ambassador of the Auckland Circle in New Zealand. Can you tell us how being a part of the community has informed your journey? How have you had to adapt your daily healthy habits to the new realities imposed by COVID-19?  Do you have any other tips or tricks you can share with our audience that might help them on their journeys?    Coming up on our next episode:   On the next full-length episode of Living Well with MS, launching in just one week on October 21, 2020, Geoff Allix welcomes Erika North, a veteran voice on UK radio and current a presenter for BBC Radio Kent, to discuss her personal OMS journey. Please have a listen to hear Erika’s unique and mellifluous perspective!   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. Don’t be shy – if you like the program, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune into the show.

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 amateur ‘foodie’ to a professional chef with classical training. Throughout his life and career, he’s explored different food cultures, grown his own vegetables and fruit and ate a lot of meat and fish along the way. He’s been a vegetarian, carnivore, omnivore and fish-eating vegan before landing on his current lifestyle as a vegan.   Jack has worked for some talented and knowledgeable chefs in high-end restaurants in Switzerland, Italy and France. He’s operated his own catering business and cooking school, while finding enough time to write about cooking. Jack is currently operating his own subscription-based website providing instruction and recipes supporting a vegan life.   Jack has followed the OMS lifestyle since 2009. He has actively worked on providing recipes and information to the OMS website and was the contributing editor to the OMS cookbook.   Questions:   Are all oils bad, or are there some beneficial and healthy ones? Is it OK to heat oils when cooking? What happens to oils when they are heated? Does it change their properties for the worst? Do all oils have a similar heat point where their properties change? Is it true that you should never bake higher than 180°C (350°F) if you are using oil? There are many recipes that call for fried veggies, such as onions. How do you substitute this with a healthier alternative? Why can’t I cook with flaxseed oil? If I cook Mediterranean food without olive oil it doesn’t taste the same. Is there anything I can do? Olive oil doesn’t have the right flavor for all recipes. Are there other oils that I can use, such as rapeseed oil or hemp oil, to capture that flavor? What can I use instead of butter for baking?   Links:   You can discover more about Jack or do some impressive window-shopping on his website. The recipes require a subscription, but the rest of the content is free! Here’s a free travel guide listing OMS-friendly places to eat worldwide. A great place to window shop for inspiration and work up an appetite is Jack’s Instagram Follow Jack on Facebook.   Coming up next:   Coming up next, we pop down to the Southern Hemisphere to land in Auckland, New Zealand and meet Roy Bartlett, an OMS Ambassador with a life-changing story. Hear his story on Living Well with MS Coffee Break #10, which premieres on Monday, October 12.   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. Don’t be shy – if you like the program, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune into the show.