Living Well with Multiple Sclerosis

MS is not a “white person disease”. In this episode of Living Well with MS, host Geoff Allix speaks with Minnie St. Claire, a Canadian entrepreneur, digital content creator and advocate living with multiple sclerosis and bipolar disorder. 

Minnie shares her MS journey, including early symptoms, years of denial, relapse, treatment decisions and learning to take her health seriously. She also talks about managing more than one chronic condition, building resilience, using therapy tools, finding BIPOC peer support, and creating routines that protect her mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing. 

The conversation explores Canada’s disability benefits system, financial independence while receiving support, working from home with MS, meal planning, movement, hormonal changes, healthcare gaps for people of colour, and why inclusive research and representation matter. 

Minnie’s perspective is honest, practical and rooted in lived experience. 

Watch this episode on YouTube. Keep reading for the topics, timestamps, and our guest’s bio. 

01:59 Minnie’s first MS symptoms and diagnosis journey 03:00 Denial, relapse and learning to take MS seriously 06:22 Navigating Canada’s complicated disability benefits system 09:23 Managing MS, bipolar disorder and mental health needs 12:39 Choosing self-care, rest and boundaries without guilt 14:42 Why ten minutes of movement can still count 17:51 Meal planning, vegetables and making healthy food easier 20:11 Adding fish and trying new plant-based options 21:25 Therapy tools, peer support and stress management 23:40 Scheduling stillness, faith and creative self-care 24:57 Building an online business while managing MS 27:41 Turning transferable skills into flexible income streams 28:56 Hormones, mood changes, sleep and symptom tracking 31:41 Healthcare trust, race and choosing the right doctor 35:02 Why inclusive MS research and resources matter 36:57 Finding friendship, mentorship and support online 39:50 Education, confidence and advocating for your body 

Connect with Minni 

Most active on youtube.com/minnieoncam 

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Dr Aaron Boster, an award-winning, board-certified MS neurologist, answers practical questions from the Overcoming MS community on symptoms, treatment and living well with multiple sclerosis. 

The conversation covers supplements, fatigue, menopause and HRT, gut health, inflammation, DMTs, stable MRI scans with worsening symptoms, weather sensitivity, bladder and bowel issues, swallowing problems, Epstein-Barr virus and cancer risks linked to MS medications. 

With warmth, clarity and energy, Dr Boster explains complex topics in a way that feels useful and reassuring, while encouraging people with MS to work closely with their healthcare team and take an active role in their care. 

This episode is a webinar highlights special – originally recorded as a live Overcoming MS webinar and now edited for the podcast to bring you the key insights, questions and takeaways in one place. 

 Watch this episode on YouTube. Keep reading for the topics, timestamps, and our guest’s bio. 

02:52 Supplements, food quality and MS health 05:42 When symptom-specific supplements may be useful 07:18 Six practical ways to reduce MS fatigue 10:06 What the Octave MS test may show 13:23 Menopause, HRT and MS progression risk 17:18 How inflammation works in multiple sclerosis 20:24 Gut health, microbiome changes and MS symptoms 24:41 Practical bowel strategies for constipation in MS 27:07 Do DMTs still help older people with MS? 27:55 Stable MRI scans but worsening MS symptoms 31:23 Objective tests neurologists can use to track MS 35:28 DMT myths, pharma concerns and clinical trials 40:35 Why heat and cold can worsen MS symptoms 43:17 Bladder symptoms and practical treatment options 43:52 Swallowing problems and when to seek help 44:20 Epstein-Barr virus and future MS prevention research 45:22 Cancer risk, Ocrevus, Mavenclad and context 

Listen to other Living Well with MS episodes featuring Dr Boster  

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MRI scans are a familiar part of MS care – but what are they actually showing, and what might future scans reveal? In this episode of Living Well with MS, host Geoff Allix speaks with MRI physicist Bhavana Solanky from the Queen Square MS Centre at University College London, where she develops advanced MRI markers to better understand multiple sclerosis. 

Bhavana explains how MRI is used to diagnose and monitor MS, from spotting new lesions to helping clinicians understand disease activity over time. She also explores how different types of MRI scans work, why the same scanner can produce several kinds of images, and how advanced techniques such as sodium MRI and spectroscopy are helping researchers look beyond visible lesions. 

The conversation also covers why research volunteers are so important and how future scans could become faster and more comfortable. 

Watch this episode on YouTube. Keep reading for the topics, timestamps, and our guest’s bio. 

01:20 Meet MRI physicist Bhavana Solanky 
01:57 Using MRI like a giant camera 
02:46 Why MRI shows more than an x-ray 
03:33 From astrophysics to MS research 
05:17 How MRI scans create brain images 
07:48 How active MS lesions can appear 
08:25 Why MRI matters for MS diagnosis 
09:50 The main MRI scans used in MS 
12:35 One scanner, several different image types 
13:28 Advanced MRI, sodium scans and spectroscopy 
16:51 Why volunteers are vital to MS research 
18:39 What sodium MRI research is finding 
20:39 Why sodium MRI is not about dietary salt 
22:10 Faster scans and future MS research 
24:33 Why monitoring scans remain important 

Learn more about Bhavana’s work and career 

New to Overcoming MS? Learn why lifestyle matters in MS - begin your journey at our 'Get started' page

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Don’t miss out:

Subscribe to this podcast and never miss an episode. Listen to our archive of Living Well with MS here.

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If you enjoy this podcast and want to help us continue creating future podcasts, please leave a donation here.

Feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.

If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review.

What does your gut have to do with your immune system, your brain and the way you feel day to day with MS?

In this episode of Living Well with MS, host Geoff Allix speaks with Kim Venter about gut health, the microbiome and why food may play an important role in supporting overall wellbeing with multiple sclerosis.

Kim, who lives with MS herself, is a trained teacher, professional psychological counsellor and nutritional consultant. She shares how certain foods have affected her digestion, energy and symptoms, and why gut health has become central to her approach to living well.

The conversation explores what the gut microbiome is, how diet can affect the immune system, and why people with MS may want to pay attention to digestion, food sensitivities and overall gut health. Kim also discusses practical ways to support the microbiome, from eating a wide variety of plant-based foods to trying fermented foods, prebiotics and probiotics.

Originally broadcast in 2020, this episode has been edited to remove out-of-date content and reuploaded in 2026 to ensure it remains relevant and useful.

01:53 What is the gut microbiome and why is it so important? 

03:15 How does what we eat affect our immune system?  

09:01 Is it worth keeping a food diary if you’re having GI symptoms? 

10:15 What is the low FODMAPs diet? 

11:53 What is Leaky Gut Syndrome and how does it effect people with MS? 

19:00 The gut–brain axis: does the blood-brain barrier stop foreign substances from injuring the brain?  

22:12 For people living with MS, what can be done to help the gut and keep it healthy? 

22:51 What are probiotics and prebiotics?  

27:02 What can we to increase both probiotics and prebiotics? 

30:50 How does gut health or lack thereof impact MS? 

39:01 How does intermittent fasting affect gut health? 

FODMAP Food Database App

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After her MS diagnosis, Betsy Mueller ran across America. In this episode of Living Well with MS, Betsy shares how she went from fear and uncertainty after her diagnosis to completing a 3,000-mile run from Santa Monica to Central Park to raise awareness of MS.

Betsy shares the early symptoms that led to her diagnosis, the emotional weight of living with invisible symptoms, and how fear and uncertainty affected her mental health. She also talks about the role of a plant-based diet, exercise, treatment decisions and community support in helping her move forward.

From training in Flagstaff to managing heat sensitivity, fatigue, DMT deliveries and long days on the road, Betsy reflects on what it took to complete her run from Santa Monica to Central Park. She also discusses Active with MS, the nonprofit she founded to help people with MS take part in races and reconnect with movement in a way that works for them.

Keep reading for the key episode takeaways and Betsy’s bio.

02:56 How plant-based eating supports Betsy’s health
05:51 Invisible symptoms, fatigue and the emotional weight of MS
10:46 Cognitive symptoms and the impact of poor sleep
12:03 Steroids, plasma exchange and finding effective relapse support
15:27 Moving from fear towards a more hopeful mindset
17:30 Why Betsy decided to run across America
20:49 The 3,000-mile route from California to New York
24:00 RV life, logistics and support on the road
26:12 How Betsy’s body adapted during the run
28:48 Managing heat sensitivity and DMTs while travelling
30:58 Powerful connections with people along the route
33:59 Active with MS and helping others join races
37:20 Betsy’s advice for people newly diagnosed with MS
39:15 Why MS community support can make such a difference

Connect with Betsy on Instagram

Learn more about Betsy’s work and run

New to Overcoming MS? Learn why lifestyle matters in MS - begin your journey at our 'Get started' page

Connect with others following Overcoming MS on the Live Well Hub

Visit the Overcoming MS website

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Don’t miss out:

Subscribe to this podcast and never miss an episode. Listen to our archive of Living Well with MS here.

Make sure you sign up to our newsletter to hear our latest tips and news about living a full and happy life with MS.

Support us:
If you enjoy this podcast and want to help us continue creating future podcasts, please leave a donation here.

Feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.

If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review.