In this episode, we’re joined by David Lyons, an elite fitness expert and bodybuilder as well as the founder of OptimalBody Fitness, and the MS Fitness Challenge program and podcast. After David’s MS diagnosis, he used bodybuilding and weightlifting as his primary tools to first recover - and now maintain his health & wellness. David is an exemplar of someone living well with MS - he has received many awards and accolades for his strong commitment to health - AND for all he does for others w...
Sep 22, 2022•46 min•Season 3Ep. 64
In this episode, we'll learn about LDN (Low-Dose Naltrexone), as a potential healing tool for MS. We'll learn how LDN impacts the body and about the many emerging studies showing how LDN can accelerate healing for MS and a growing number of ailments. I'll share several LDN FaceBook groups as well as the most reliable source of information regarding LDN usage: LDNresearchTrust.org -- where you can access helpful information like case studies, how to find a prescribing physician, and downloadable ...
Sep 01, 2022•31 min•Season 3Ep. 63
In this episode, I’m joined by poet Robert Gillett, author of Thoughts of a Warrior - Beneath the Tracksuit . Robbie shares his personal pathway to poetry, which he uses as a tool to express the fear, pain, and frustration that he experiences as someone living with MS. We’ll talk about the unique MS challenges we face that are powerful themes in his book, and how his poetry and Facebook community has helped to connect him with others living with MS around the world. As a special treat, Robbie wi...
Aug 24, 2022•47 min•Season 3Ep. 62
In this episode, I'm joined by the creator of the Gupta Program, Ashok Gupta. We'll hear about Ashok's personal journey with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), and learn how he explored pathways to heal through neuroplasticity and limbic reprocessing. Once he healed himself, he created the GuptaProgram.com so that others with similar neuro-immune conditions could also experience similar success! Ashok will share the 3 R's of the Gupta Program, an update on current relevant studies, and talk abou...
Aug 04, 2022•39 min•Season 3Ep. 61
Join Dr Susan Payrovi and I as we discuss the healing power of intention, education, and community. We’ll address mindset, belief, self-compassion, the healing process, alternative therapies for MS beyond our neurologic care, AND the importance of community. While we’ve talked about a lot of these elements of healing before, this time we’ll each share how we utilized these tenants of self-care to support and accelerate our own healing, as well as the struggles we faced along the way. Listen in!...
Jul 21, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 3Ep. 60
In this episode, I'll share my recent MS-related learnings from this year's Institute of Functional Medicine (IFM) Annual Conference. I'll share in detail the latest developments in neuroscience focused on the gut-immune connection, and what this means for us as people living with MS. We'll also explore cutting-edge sleep study news, why sleep is even MORE important for us than we previously thought, and how we can achieve deeper sleep to promote healing. In addition, I'll share an overview of t...
Jun 30, 2022•36 min•Season 3Ep. 59
Meet Rhonda! In this episode, we'll meet Rhonda, in an effort to highlight someone striving to live well with MS. Rhonda has lived with MS for a very long time and has experienced many MS symptoms over her lifetime thus far. Last year she discovered several resources that have enabled her to accelerate her healing and regain many of the abilities that she had previously lost! Listen in as she shares the resources that have helped her change her life - they might just help you change yours!...
Jun 16, 2022•49 min•Season 3Ep. 58
In this episode, we'll chat with Dr. Susan Payrovi about an upcoming learning opportunity for members of the MS community: The 12-Day Detox Challenge. Dr. Susan will share with us the components of a truly health-changing detox program, and why it's so important for those of us living with MS to understand how toxin exposures impact our MS. In addition to learning about the Detox Challenge course, Dr. Susan will also share important information about an upcoming FREE webinar. Listen in! www.TRUE...
Jun 02, 2022•44 min•Season 3Ep. 57
In this episode, we will talk about the key to a life well-lived. We will discuss the importance of celebrations, and the many surprising yet simple lessons we can learn about life - and how to live it! - from the punctuation keys on our keyboards. Then, we'll take a deeper look at the dash in particular - and I'll share a bit of Linda Ellis & Mac Anderson's beautiful book: The Dash - Making A Difference with Your Life . Take a listen - it may just change your life like it did mine!...
May 19, 2022•56 min•Season 3Ep. 56
In this episode we'll discuss the controversial evidence linking Lyme with MS (and other related neurologic and autoimmune conditions). We'll learn about Borrelia, which is the pathogen carried by deer ticks that causes Lyme disease and look at the similarities between the Lyme and MS patient experience. We'll also examine the diagnosis & treatment process, evidence of the EBV connection, as well as the research currently occurring around the world to find solutions and better understand the...
Apr 28, 2022•57 min•Season 3Ep. 55
In this episode, we explore Deep Listening as a helpful practice in finding our way to a state of calm and overall wellness. We'll talk about the importance of embracing vulnerability in the healing process as well as other tried and true ways to find calm through thought hygiene and other useful strategies.
Apr 07, 2022•39 min•Season 3Ep. 54
In this episode, we'll look at the latest research regarding the conditions required for humans to develop autoimmunity over time: genetic predisposition, gut membrane permeability, and environmental triggers. We'll talk about the most common MS symptoms that occur during the prodromal phase before MS manifests and the exciting research currently being done in this area. We'll also spend time along the way reflecting upon our own personal pathway to MS to look for clues to illuminate our persona...
Mar 24, 2022•39 min•Season 3Ep. 53
In this episode, we'll learn about the annual holiday known as Random Acts of Kindness Day and explore the research regarding the many health benefits that we can achieve from engaging in random (or deliberate!) acts of kindness. In this episode, I will also share a comprehensive list of ideas to help us ALL find ways that resonate with us to help us put more kindness out into the world for everyone's benefit. Please join me in my commitment to seek more ways to engage in acts of kindness to mak...
Mar 03, 2022•46 min•Season 3Ep. 52
In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Susan Payrovi as she prepares to officially launch her TRUE medicine MS virtual MS health education program & support community next month. In this episode she will share her insights regarding what healing means for someone living with MS, as well as the main programmatic features and user experience of the TRUE medicine MS program as participants Gather to Learn and Heal. Want to learn more, sign up to participate in the upcoming cohort, or obtain free he...
Feb 17, 2022•55 min•Season 3Ep. 51
In this episode, we'll talk about the research that supports creating neuroplastic changes in our brains through journaling. Through journaling, we can make biological, psychological, and behavioral mindset shifts. I'll also share an upcoming opportunity for you to join me this year to explore a variety of journaling prompts I've compiled to see how they can create neuroplastic shifts in your life to positively impact your mental and physical health. You can find the 4 shared prompts in this epi...
Jan 27, 2022•33 min•Season 3Ep. 50
In this episode, we'll focus on harnessing hope and optimism as a wellness tool. We will look at the ways an optimistic view can support better physical and mental health, investigate our own personal position on the spectrum of optimism & pessimism, and learn 3 tried and true ways to build more optimism into our lives. We'll also learn about the darker side of optimism, including unrealized hope, hopium, and toxic positivity.
Jan 13, 2022•49 min•Season 3Ep. 49
In this episode, we'll prepare for 2022 by learning about the history of New Year's Resolutions. We'll also learn why typical New Year's Resolutions are so difficult for most of us to achieve - and explore a different approach that yields much better results! Give yourself a gift by listening in: we'll reflect on 2021 and leave ready to develop your personal intention for 2022.
Dec 30, 2021•29 min•Season 2Ep. 48
In this episode, we'll talk about the latest research in music therapy. We'll learn how music can positively impact our brain, heart, and other critical aspects of body functionality. You'll learn about a variety of helpful FREE music therapy resources. We'll also look at a new program called MS in Harmony, and explore their website together to learn about the many virtual tutorials they offer to heal our body, mind, and soul through music.
Dec 23, 2021•24 min•Season 2Ep. 47
In this episode, we'll explore the many health benefits of Float Therapy. We'll learn about the healing power of Epsom Salt and the many positive impacts it can have on our body and mind. We'll also learn how Sensory Deprivation in flotation tanks can help us push the reset button on our brains and Central Nervous System to help us maintain a lasting sense of calm. Is Float Therapy right for you? Take a listen!
Dec 09, 2021•28 min•Season 2Ep. 46
In this episode, we'll explore the power of writing as a healing tool. I'm joined by a member of our MS community, I Go From Bad To Verse author Donna S. Rubin. In this episode, Donna generously & vulnerably shares some of her powerful poetry that she's written over the course of many years. She will share how writing has helped her through challenging times in her life as someone living with MS and other health challenges, and also share how therapeutic it can be to revisit our writing over tim...
Nov 25, 2021•40 min•Season 2Ep. 45
Do you ever wish you could push pause on your MS challenges so that you could thoroughly enjoy an event like you did before MS came into your life? In this episode, we'll look at suggested ways for folks living with Chronic Illness to thrive during the increased hustle and bustle of the holiday season. We'll explore the top stressors of the season as well as solutions to make each just a bit more manageable this year.
Nov 11, 2021•28 min•Season 2Ep. 44
In this episode, we'll learn ways to better embrace flexibility in our lives, especially during this season of what is increased vulnerability for some of us. We'll look at what the experts suggest as far as learning to be more flexible in every aspect of our lives, especially when facing adversity, or when we've previously been unable to actualize our dreams or goals. I'll also share the ways I'm learning to embrace flexibility in my own life as someone trying to live well with MS, and share ho...
Nov 04, 2021•43 min•Season 2Ep. 43
Did you know that there's a reason why many of us experience an increase of MS symptoms when the weather changes? In this episode, we'll look at sinusitis, a common condition for folks with MS, and explore how sinusitis is impacted by barometric pressure. We'll look at related research and solutions to help us better navigate changing weather.
Oct 21, 2021•44 min•Season 2Ep. 42
In today's capitalistic world, we are inundated with advertisements for products that promise to be THE answer to improving our MS health. It's hard to know what's most important, and who to really trust, so it's not uncommon for our purchases to disappoint. Lucky for us, in this episode we are joined by Dr. Susan Payrovi. For each of the 5 main areas of MS Health, we'll look at top recommendations - and many of them are free! Take a listen!
Sep 30, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 41
In this episode, we'll look at all the ways we can safely boost our immune system functionality so we're best prepared for Fall. This is especially important this year with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic AND a predicted robust flu season. It's comforting to know there are safe ways we can better support our immune function so we can traverse the future with confidence that we are doing all we can to weather whatever we may face.
Sep 15, 2021•31 min•Season 2Ep. 40
In this episode we take a deep dive into two helpful research tools for MS that are freely available to us: Brain & Life and MS Focus. We'll take a book walk through the most recent Brain & Life issue to showcase the wide range of neurologic conditions and strategies for wellness that it covers. We'll also look briefly at the most recent issue of MS Focus which is focused on parents with MS or children whose parent/s have MS. These helpful tools can help us stay informed over time as more soluti...
Sep 01, 2021•29 min•Season 2Ep. 39
In this episode, we'll learn more about essential oils and how they can help us on our journey toward better health. Specifically, we'll learn about Boyd Truman's Symphony of the Cells essential oil protocols. These protocols are designed to help us achieve optimal health across all body systems - or we can choose one based on specific symptoms we might be experiencing. www.symphonyofthecells.com
Aug 18, 2021•29 min•Season 2Ep. 38
In this episode, we'll learn about the 6 principles of Trauma-Informed Care and why it's such an important healing tool for all of us. We'll look at how this framework is currently impacting healthcare in a very positive way, how we can find practitioners trained in TIC, and also how we can utilize the principles of Trauma-Informed Care in our own lives to maximize our ability to heal and thrive.
Jul 29, 2021•50 min•Season 2Ep. 37
In this episode we'll discuss everything we need to know about MS and visual impairment. We'll dive into the research, diagnosis processes, and typical treatment protocols for a variety of visual disturbances common for people with MS, including Optic Neuritis and Photophobia. We'll also cover helpful strategies and tools that exist for us to use to help us better manage our visual impairment, as well as ways to limit future damage.
Jul 08, 2021•50 min•Season 2Ep. 36
Is it better for us to be selfless or selfish? Which way do you tend to lean? In this episode, we'll explore the continuum that exists between selflessness and selfishness. We'll deconstruct each term, look at what the research says about the benefits and pitfalls of each approach, and how to determine when it's healthiest to employ each approach to help us meet our physical, mental, and emotional health goals.
Jun 03, 2021•49 min•Season 2Ep. 35
