Live Well Podcast | Ep #63 Montel Williams shares what helps him thrive with Multiple Sclerosis
Today on The Live Well Podcast I have the honor of interviewing TV-personality Montel WIlliams about his personal experience with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Montel is an amazing advocate in the autoimmune and chronic illness community and I’m absolutely honored to speak with him! Join us as we speak about the importance of being your own advocate, the holistic approaches that most helped Montel heal, and his daily mindfulness practice that helps him stay positive and thrive with chronic illness!
Today I’m honored to have TV-personality and chronic illness advocate Montel WIlliams on The Live Well Podcast to speak about his experience with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and partnership with Novartis and the MSAA on the My MS Second Act program.
Montel Williams earned his media celebrity status as an inspirational Emmy Award winning television personality whom Americans invited into their homes for more than 17 years. He is a decorated former naval officer, inspirational speaker, author, entrepreneur and advocate for patients worldwide.
Montel was diagnosed with MS in 1999, but his disease had been undiagnosed for almost 20 years before then despite flare-ups that felt like “his feet were on fire” and continuous doctors’ appointments. Montel reflects back on his diagnosis as a mixed blessing, because it taught him the importance of willpower and advocating for yourself. He urges others diagnosed with MS not to let the disease define them, and to talk to their doctor about disease progression.
Shortly after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in 1999, Williams established the Montel Williams MS Foundation to further the scientific study of MS, provide financial assistance to select organizations and institutions conducting research, raise national awareness, and educate the public. The MWMSF has granted over $1.5 million dollars to research and has supported a study done at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, which discovered an MS gene.
Over the years, Montel has been involved with many initiatives that are focused on improving the lives of people living with various brain impairments and injuries. He has personally participated in studies and trials surrounding non-invasive brain stimulation therapy with phenomenal results. He continues to work with researchers and the U.S. Army to further develop their findings with the hopes of helping soldiers who have experienced blast-related traumatic brain injuries.
Montel is an amazing advocate in the autoimmune and chronic illness community and I’m absolutely honored to speak with him on The Live Well Podcast!
In this interview Montel speaks about:
The importance of being your own advocate
The holistic approaches that most helped him heal
His daily mindfulness practice that helps him stay positive and thrive with chronic illness!
His project, My MS Second Act, that aims to educate the MS community about disease progression including secondary progressive MS (SPMS).
Watch the video interview below or tune into The Live Well Podcast to listen. Enjoy this powerful episode!
Show Notes:
0:00 Intro
4:00 Montel speaks about the importance of advocacy
“You alone own the definition of who you are.”
5:47 Montel speaks about his MS diagnosis in 1999 and how he felt being told “you’re going to be in a wheelchair in 4 years.”
“How can you give me that prognosis when you don’t know who I was when I walked in here?”
7:30 Montel speaks about the importance of conventional and holistic methods of care when treating MS and what pieces have helped him the most.
“You don’t go to battle with one weapon in your arsenal.”
9:30 Montel speaks to how he adapted his lifestyle to best serve his MS.
13:00 The top holistic practices that have helped Montel heal:
Diet
Mindful movement
14:30 Montel speaks about the individuality of MS diagnoses
16:45 Montel speaks about what gifts his disease has given him
“It’s made me more aware and more empathetic to my fellow man no matter what their plight might be.”
17:30 Montel’s personal mindfulness and self care routine
“What did I do today that’s worth talking about tomorrow?”
Montel writes down this statement, reads it out loud, and journals in the evening. First thing in the morning he reads it out loud to start the day with a positive win.
22:30 Montel speaks about My MS Second Act - a project to educate and empower MS survivors and share with them the tools that give them the ability to tell their own story so they can share it with others.
26:39: Outro
In partnership with Novartis and the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA), Montel has created My MS Second Act, a project that aims to educate the MS community about disease progression including secondary progressive MS (SPMS). MS doesn’t look the same for everyone. People may consider it one disease, but there are actually different forms, including the lesser known form of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). SPMS is characterized by progressive and irreversible neurological disability [1].
Around 400,000 people are living with MS in the US [2]. Of these, 80% of patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), an earlier phase of the disease, have the potential to progress to SPMS [3].
The goal of My MS Second Act is to inspire individuals to be vocal and vigilant about the next phase of MS and discovery that by sharing your story you can face this “second act” with confidence, hope and a resounding voice! Download your Storytelling Toolkit Here >>
If you loved this episode, I'd be honored for you to give me a rating on iTunes. This helps me to get content out to others who are interested in getting control of their health through diet, lifestyle shifts and personal empowerment.
If we haven't met before, I'm Christina Tidwell and I'm so excited that you're here! I am a RN & Functional Nutrition Practitioner that helps those with autoimmune disease, hormone imbalance and gut issues heal without overwhelm so you can feel better in your body in a way that honors your unique needs and feels sustainable for the rest of your life.
If you suffer from:
Fatigue and energy crashes
Brain fog
Poor digestion
Painful periods and PMS
Symptoms of autoimmunity
Stress and overwhelm
...and aren't getting the support you need, I’m here to help guide you! My job is to clear the overwhelm, help you put the pieces of the puzzle together and co-create a sustainable path forward to help you reach your goals and feel better in your amazing body. When we work together you can’t fail.
In my health & nutrition coaching programs I support you in the quest to get back into balance by listening to your story, understanding your needs, getting to the roots of imbalance in the body and co-creating a sustainable path to healing together. These sessions weave together functional nutrition and science, lived experience, breathwork, mindset shifts, and intuitive guidance for a unique and full-spectrum approach to nutrition counseling and holistic health.
I always offer free 20-minute discovery sessions to get clear on your major health concerns and identify what’s standing in your way. Click the button below to set up your free consultation and we can create a plan of action specifically for you.
Live Well Podcast | Ep #60 Managing chronic fatigue with Fran Dargaville
Fran is a Functional Nutritionist and Yoga teacher with a passion for real food and holistic health! Her health journey started when she developed chronic fatigue and digestive issues as a teenager, which sparked her determination to heal herself through food, movement and mindset.
Fran is a Functional Nutritionist and Yoga teacher with a passion for real food and holistic health! Her health journey started when she developed chronic fatigue and digestive issues, which sparked her determination to heal herself through food, movement and mindset. Fran supports her clients through 1:1 programs and her online detox program to get to the root cause of their symptoms, so they can lose weight, get more energy and take control of their health.
I love Fran’s real food approach to health and am so excited to speak with her today about overcoming chronic fatigue.
LISTEN BELOW (AND DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE SO YOU'LL NEVER MISS OUT!)
Click here to listen in iTunes
Click here to listen in Stitcher
Show Notes:
0:00 Intro
2:50 Fran describes her personal experience with chronic fatigue
Developed CFS as a teenager in high school
Difficulty getting anyone to take her symptoms seriously
4:20 Fran describes her second flare-up of chronic fatigue in her 20s
How a toxic job contributed to symptoms
8:20 Fran’s experience having to quit her job and move back in with her parents as she recovered
The role of her mom as an advocate and support during this time
13:00 The importance of “day to day” support when managing chronic health conditions
13:22 Fran describes the interventions that made the biggest difference for her to help her finally heal
Nutrition and gut health
Exercise and fresh air
Yoga and mindfulness
Mindset work
16:39 The limiting beliefs that kept Fran stuck from moving forward
“I’m so exhausted”
“I can’t go anywhere, what if I feel worse?”
“I can’t get the perfect food today, this will derail all my progress”
18:50 How Fran managed without a diagnosis of disease
21:55 The danger of attaching too strongly to your diagnosis
25:30 Fran details the specific foods to include and avoid to support your body
The importance of nutrient density for chronic conditions
37:50 Outro
If you loved this episode, I'd be honored for you to give me a rating on iTunes. This helps me to get content out to others who are interested in getting control of their health through diet, lifestyle shifts and personal empowerment.
If we haven't met before, I'm Christina Tidwell and I'm so excited that you're here! I am a RN & Functional Nutrition Practitioner that helps those with autoimmune disease, hormone imbalance and gut issues heal without overwhelm so you can feel better in your body in a way that honors your unique needs and feels sustainable for the rest of your life.
If you suffer from:
Fatigue and energy crashes
Brain fog
Poor digestion
Painful periods and PMS
Symptoms of autoimmunity
Stress and overwhelm
...and aren't getting the support you need, I’m here to help guide you! My job is to clear the overwhelm, help you put the pieces of the puzzle together and co-create a sustainable path forward to help you reach your goals and feel better in your amazing body. When we work together you can’t fail.
In my health & nutrition coaching programs I support you in the quest to get back into balance by listening to your story, understanding your needs, getting to the roots of imbalance in the body and co-creating a sustainable path to healing together. These sessions weave together functional nutrition and science, lived experience, breathwork, mindset shifts, and intuitive guidance for a unique and full-spectrum approach to nutrition counseling and holistic health.
I always offer free 20-minute discovery sessions to get clear on your major health concerns and identify what’s standing in your way. Click the button below to set up your free consultation and we can create a plan of action specifically for you.
Live Well Podcast | Ep #57 How to avoid toxins in our food and environment with Beth Chen
Today on The Live Well Podcast I’m speaking with Beth Chen about how to avoid toxins in our food and environment. Beth Chen is an AIP blogger, and self-taught cook and photographer. She finds joy in eating to heal and sharing her recipes and wellness tips, on her blog bonaippetit.com, with others. Join us as we speak about how to reduce the toxic load in your life.
Today on The Live Well Podcast I’m speaking with Beth Chen about how to avoid toxins in our food and environment. Beth Chen is an AIP blogger, and self-taught cook and photographer. She finds joy in eating to heal and sharing her recipes and wellness tips, on her blog bonaippetit.com, with others. Join us as we speak about how to reduce the toxic load in your life.
Here are the resources we spoke about on the podcast:
LISTEN BELOW (AND DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE SO YOU'LL NEVER MISS OUT!)
Click here to listen in iTunes
Click here to listen in Stitcher
Show Notes:
0:00 Intro
1:39 Beth shares her personal story that lead her to the work she does today.
7:02 Why Beth is so passionate about avoiding toxins in her food, wine, beauty products and environment.
11:35 Beth discusses some of ways you can empower and educate yourself to reduce your toxic load while considering your budget, availability ect.
14:28 What to look for when buying eggs, seafood and meats; Beth recommends her top websites and apps to reference the quality of your produce while at the grocery store.
20:26 Why wine today is not made in the traditional way. Beth talks about what is in most conventional store-bought wines.
34:06 Why toxin-free living is really about an abundance mindset…and Kale Oreos.
41:11 Outro
If you loved this episode, I'd be honored for you to give me a rating on iTunes. This helps me to get content out to others who are interested in getting control of their health through diet, lifestyle shifts and personal empowerment.
If we haven't met before, I'm Christina Tidwell and I'm so excited that you're here! I am a RN & Functional Nutrition Practitioner that helps those with autoimmune disease, hormone imbalance and gut issues heal without overwhelm so you can feel better in your body in a way that honors your unique needs and feels sustainable for the rest of your life.
If you suffer from:
Fatigue and energy crashes
Brain fog
Poor digestion
Painful periods and PMS
Symptoms of autoimmunity
Stress and overwhelm
...and aren't getting the support you need, I’m here to help guide you! My job is to clear the overwhelm, help you put the pieces of the puzzle together and co-create a sustainable path forward to help you reach your goals and feel better in your amazing body. When we work together you can’t fail.
In my health & nutrition coaching programs I support you in the quest to get back into balance by listening to your story, understanding your needs, getting to the roots of imbalance in the body and co-creating a sustainable path to healing together. These sessions weave together functional nutrition and science, lived experience, breathwork, mindset shifts, and intuitive guidance for a unique and full-spectrum approach to nutrition counseling and holistic health.
I always offer free 20-minute discovery sessions to get clear on your major health concerns and identify what’s standing in your way. Click the button below to set up your free consultation and we can create a plan of action specifically for you.
Live Well Podcast | Ep #56 - Chronic illness and the loss of self with Kerry Jeffery
Kerry Jeffery is a clinical hypnotherapist, counseller and life coach living well with Hashimoto's, Celiac and Antiphosopholipid Syndrome. After experiencing the profound emotional changes and challenges that chronic illness bought into her life when she was physically and cognitively disabled, she found that there were no resources available to her on how to deal with the complex grief of becoming chronically ill.
Kerry Jeffery is a clinical hypnotherapist, counsellor and life coach living well with Hashimoto's, Celiac and Antiphosopholipid Syndrome in Melbourne, Australia.
After experiencing the profound emotional changes and challenges that chronic illness bought into her life when she was physically and cognitively disabled, she found that there were no resources available to her on how to deal with the complex grief of becoming chronically ill.
To address this gap, Kerry created her own grief model to help herself and others with living with chronic illness understand the loss of self that chronic illness brings and help them navigate their way through it.
Kerry now works with clients all over the world online, using her own unique therapy programs to help people with chronic illness remove the trauma, overcome the emotional overwhelm, and find their way back to a new version of themselves. Join us today as we speak about chronic illness and the loss of self and explore ways to navigate challenging times with awareness and grace.
LISTEN BELOW (AND DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE SO YOU'LL NEVER MISS OUT!)
Click here to listen in iTunes
Click here to listen in Stitcher
Show Notes:
0:00 Intro
02:30 Kerry shares her personal story and what lead her to do the work she does today.
10:00 How she originally dealt with her diagnosis of Hashimoto's disease and her worst case scenario plan.
15:10 How traumatic health events, like being diagnosed with a chronic autoimmune disease, can feel lonely and scary as we deal with the unknown.
16:15 How Kerry initially received support for her chronic illness that helped her feel understood and supported.
19:35 “What if this gets worse?” Kerry speaks to the biggest fears and uncertainty she hears from her clients.
28:15 How the grieving process of the “loss of self” keeps people stuck in denial of their chronic illness.
35:20 “Can you get back to the person I was before? Can I just push through?” Kerry talks about our underlying emotions, and difficulty sitting with out grief.
39:40 A summary of Kerry’s 9 Stages of Grief Model.
58:05 Outro
Connect with Kerry
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Join Kerry’s Free Emotional Support Group exclusively for people living with chronic illness
If you loved this episode, I'd be honored for you to give me a rating on iTunes. This helps me to get content out to others who are interested in getting control of their health through diet, lifestyle shifts and personal empowerment.
If we haven't met before, I'm Christina Tidwell and I'm so excited that you're here! I am a RN & Functional Nutrition Practitioner that helps those with autoimmune disease, hormone imbalance and gut issues heal without overwhelm so you can feel better in your body in a way that honors your unique needs and feels sustainable for the rest of your life.
If you suffer from:
Fatigue and energy crashes
Brain fog
Poor digestion
Painful periods and PMS
Symptoms of autoimmunity
Stress and overwhelm
...and aren't getting the support you need, I’m here to help guide you! My job is to clear the overwhelm, help you put the pieces of the puzzle together and co-create a sustainable path forward to help you reach your goals and feel better in your amazing body. When we work together you can’t fail.
In my health & nutrition coaching programs I support you in the quest to get back into balance by listening to your story, understanding your needs, getting to the roots of imbalance in the body and co-creating a sustainable path to healing together. These sessions weave together functional nutrition and science, lived experience, breathwork, mindset shifts, and intuitive guidance for a unique and full-spectrum approach to nutrition counseling and holistic health.
I always offer free 20-minute discovery sessions to get clear on your major health concerns and identify what’s standing in your way. Click the button below to set up your free consultation and we can create a plan of action specifically for you.