Living Well with Multiple Sclerosis
Health & Fitness:Fitness
Welcome to Living Well with MS, where we are thrilled to bring you our 150th episode! Donations make our podcasts possible – so we’d like to take the opportunity of this milestone to ask if you could support us.
As we mark this significant milestone, we are pleased to welcome Overcoming MS CEO, Alex Holden as our guest. Alex joined Overcoming MS in March 2023 and, during her time at the Charity, has completed a lot! In this episode, she talks to Geoff about meeting the Overcoming MS community, her experience at the ECTRIMS conference (the world’s largest research meeting in multiple sclerosis) and the exciting plans for the Overcoming MS charity!
Watch this episode on YouTube here. Keep reading for the key episode takeaways.
Topics and Timestamps:01:17 Learn about Alex’s background, expertise and how she became CEO of Overcoming MS.
03:30 Alex’s view of the most compelling pillars of the Overcoming MS Program and changing your lifestyle based on evidence.
04:46 The mental and physical benefits of wild swimming.
05:56 Meeting the resilient and hopeful Overcoming MS community.
07:58 Abseil off the ArcelorMittal Orbit and other ways to support Overcoming MS.
10:22 How she keeps busy with her teenagers outside of work.
11:23 In-person Overcoming MS events taking place in 2024 you might like to attend.
14:15 Join the Live Well Hub – the Overcoming MS app – where over 2,000 community members are already sharing tips and advice.
17:43 Alex’s experience at the largest MS research conference in the world, the 2023 ECTRIMS conference (European and American Committees for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis).
21:06 Future plans for the Overcoming MS charity.
Selected Key Takeaways:Put respect for individuals at the forefront.
02:32 “Everybody needs respect, no matter what struggles they have, no matter what they've gone through. Understanding people's situations are so individual to them, I think that's shaped where I've gone with the rest of my career.”
Your diet can contribute to your well-being and energy.
03:42 “I've always been very interested in nutrition. At one point I did consider training as a nutritional therapist. So that's something that I'm really passionate about the importance of diet and how that contributes to your wellbeing rather than taking things out of your diet, how you look at what's contributing to energy.”
One of the main reasons Alex was drawn to Overcoming MS was because of the community
06:42 "It is such a strong community and a very giving community. People who have had really quite devastating news are managing to give each other so many levels of support, tips, positivity and hope. To be part of that community and amongst those people who have that mindset, I feel very fortunate.
As an organisation, we're really small. We are absolutely dependent on people who are in our Circles, our Ambassadors, and people fundraising for us. There are only twelve staff members, and most of us are part-time; the only way we can support a global community is through the community themselves.”
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Feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.
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Support us:If you enjoy this podcast and want to support the ongoing work of Overcoming MS, we would really appreciate it if you could leave a donation here. Every donation, however small, helps us to share the podcast with more people on how to live well with MS.
Family friendly Foods with Sam Josephs Webinar highlights | S5E8
The Art and Science of Fasting with Steve Hendricks | S5E7
Over a decade of Overcoming MS with Renee Coffey | S5E6
Webinar highlights from Ask Aaron with Dr. Aaron Boster | S5E5
MS Advocacy and Accessible Fashion with Roxy Murray | S5E4
In conversation with Associate Professor Michelle O’Donoghue |S5E3
Webinar highlights from The Overcoming MS Handbook: Roadmap to Good Health | S5E2
Functional Medicine with Magic Barclay | S5E1
Building Resilience with Dr Rachael Hunter | S4E67
Disrupt Move and Transform – in Conversation with Kathy Chester | S4E66
Coffee Break #37 with Dave Jackman | S4E65
Introduction to Overcoming MS with Dr. Jonathan White (webinar highlights) | S4E64
Ask Jack - Soups | S4E63
10 minutes with George: Learnings after following the program for years and the future | S4E62
10 mins with George: Defining ‘overcoming’ MS and ‘recovery’ | S4E61
10 minutes with George: The importance of mindset and support | S4E60
10 minutes with George: Exceptions to following the program | S4E59
10 minutes with George: Getting started with Overcoming MS | S4E58
The 100th episode with Dr. Jonathan White | S4 E57 bonus
Calming the Chaos – in Conversation with Mattie Cummins | S4E57
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