New OMS Website Launches!

Transcription

1 October 2015 New OMS Website Launches! Also in this issue: Ted Jackson, Marathon Man ESPN features a full film and write-up Dublin Retreat Reviewed Mary Walsh shares her experiences OMS Cookbook We want your recipes! PLUS, OMS news, fundraising, retreat reminders, and results of the latest HOLISM study Find us on Facebook Find us on Twitter Send us a message

2 Table of Contents Editor s Note... 3 Website Launch... 4 Ted Jackson... 5 New HOLISM Paper Published... 6 OMS in the Medical Press... 6 OMS Cookbook... 9 Fabulous Fundraisers & Emma-Louise Mary Walsh reviews the first OMS retreat in Ireland From the Blog: Gaspar Hoyas From the Blog: OMS or just OMS-compliant? OMS Requests Recovery Recipes: Baked Salmon Burgers From the Forum: Popular Posts Program Focus: Professor Swank s Low Saturated Fat study We have lift-off! Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum dui orci, sodales et suscipit a, tristique nec eros. In vel Well, this is a rather belated hello but we ve been waiting to rutrum lorem. Etiam nec enim ligula, eu cursus risus. Aenean announce the news of the website launch... and now we can! Read risus neque, hendrerit nec tempus ultricies, bibendum sit amet on for more info on what this sparkling new site has to offer*. magna. Etiam sed risus enim. Ut elementum turpis sed mauris In other aliquam news, iaculis fundraiser tempor Ted arcu Jackson blandit. is Ut now ornare the est subject id nisl of a short scelerisque film, and we aliquam also applaud at et quam. a small Nullam army of semper other individuals dui eget tellus who gravida have raised vitae money posuere for magna OMS. eleifend. Integer ac neque dui. cus nec sagittis ut, adipiscing posuere orci. Plus, the OMS team has made great progress getting published in the medical press; a HOLISM study delves into the importance of Vitamin D; and we re compiling an OMS cookbook, with your recipes welcome! Full-width text We re also very grateful to Mary Walsh for her review of the first Dublin retreat. If it inspires you to attend one yourself, then get in touch places are still available at the final retreat of 2015 in Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum dui orci, sodales et suscipit a, Melbourne at The Gawler Foundation in Melbourne, November tristique nec eros. In vel rutrum lorem. Etiam nec enim ligula, eu cursus risus. Aenean risus neque, hendrerit nec tempus ultricies, bibendum sit amet magna. Etiam sed risus enim. Ut elementum turpis sed mauris aliquam iaculis tempor arcu blandit. Ut ornare est id nisl scelerisque aliquam at et quam. Nullam semper dui eget tellus gravida vitae posuere magna eleifend. Integer ac neque dui. Ut id mi vel mauris tristique dapibus. Praesent neque risus, rhoncus nec sagittis ut, adipiscing posuere orci. Get in touch! Write to: wit@overcomingmultiplesclerosis.org Right-aligned image your username or password, please don t hesitate to contact us for our immediate attention. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum dui orci, sodales et suscipit a, tristique nec eros. In vel rutrum lorem. Etiam nec enim ligula, eu cursus risus. Aenean risus neque, hendrerit nec tempus ultricies, bibendum sit amet magna. Etiam sed risus enim. Ut elementum turpis sed mauris aliquam iaculis tempor arcu blandit. Ut ornare est id nisl One for the road... scelerisque aliquam at et quam. Nullam semper dui eget tellus gravida vitae posuere magna eleifend. Integer ac neque dui. cus nec sagittis ut, adipiscing posuere orci. Left-aligned image wit noun *Please note, some users have experienced problems logging in to the new site. If you have forgotten The natural ability to perceive and understand; intelligence. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum dui orci, sodales et suscipit a, tristique nec eros. In vel rutrum lorem. Etiam nec enim ligula, eu cursus risus. Aenean risus neque, hendrerit nec tempus ultricies, bibendum sit amet magna. Etiam sed risus enim. Ut elementum turpis sed mauris aliquam iaculis tempor arcu blandit. Ut ornare est id nisl scelerisque aliquam at et quam. Nullam semper dui eget tellus gravida vitae posuere magna eleifend. Integer ac neque dui. cus nec sagittis ut, adipiscing posuere orci. 3

3 Website Launch Ted Jackson: The Film 4 If you re reading this on your computer, push the keyboard back a bit and give the desk a little drum roll. If you re on a phone or tablet, then do it with your feet... The new website has launched! Every bit as informative as the original website, the new site has been designed to make this information even more accessible with features such as video options for many of the discussions and explanations of the key parts of the program, as well as an easier-to-navigate layout and a much more modern look. And you can forget the days where you turned to a website for advice on how much exercise you should be doing, or how to go about meditation, and simply made a mental note. No excuses now, the new site has a range of exercise videos as well as guided meditations ranging from a single minute in length to three quarters of an hour. One minute? I ll forgive you if you want to stop reading this and go to the site for your daily meditation. (As long as you come back, of course.) If you ve previously found that you just don t quite have the time for these parts of the program, it really should make your life easier to have access to full demos of what you should be doing, all in one place. In the same vein, we ve had the cameras rolling in OMS Chef Jack McNulty s kitchen so you can see fantastic food brought to life on film rather than simply reading all the recipes written down. At least, you can set the tablet up in the kitchen and follow a TV chef who chooses ingredients we can actually use, instead of scrambling to find OMSfriendly alternatives as they ve moved three steps ahead - hurrah! Or if you are just looking for a bit of internet downtime, and simply want to keep abreast of OMS or feel connected to the community, then Stories of Hope is a great place to start, featuring OMSers telling their own stories and discussing the impact MS, and OMS, has had on their lives. As you yourself know, every experience is different, and hearing how other people are overcoming this condition can be a real inspiration. Heck, I m a busy OMSer I hear you say, I don t have the luxury of hours to spend dipping in and out of all the features on this fantastic site. I just want to do my exercise, practise my meditation, refer back to my favourite recipes, follow a couple of comments on the forum, and keep the key points of the program to hand. Say no more. We get it, and would therefore like to point you to the My OMS section of the site. All yours to do with what you will. Simply tag the items of interest to you as you come across them, and they ll be stored in your own personal library. Go straight to it when you want to use the site, and it s all there - with no distractions along the way. We really want you to enjoy the site, it has been designed exclusively with you in mind. So please start to use it, and feel free to feedback with any thoughts you have, we really do welcome your comments. Ted Jackson, OMS uber-fundraiser and multiple marathon runner, has caught the attention of the producers at sports channel ESPN, who are so dumbfounded by exactly what he has achieved in the incredibly underprepared state he s (happily) in, that they ve made him the subject of a full online feature. If you go to website espn.go.com, and search for Ted Jackson, you ll find the feature. Alternatively, read on for the transcript of the report which accompanies the film. It will inspire you, it will make you laugh, and on occasion it may even choke you up. It will also tell you an awful lot not only about the madness and motivation that make up Ted Jackson, but also about the incredible power of the human mind. Amazing what you can do if you just don t overthink things. Report written by Jeremy Schaap, SportsCenter Reporter/Host, Classic Sports Reporters Anyone can run seven marathons in seven days on seven continents if he or she is in great shape. Big deal. But try it when you re middle-aged and pudgy, when you eat fast food night after night and train sporadically. Now that is an achievement. Ted Jackson s kind of achievement. Remember the John Belushi skit on Saturday Night Live? Looking nothing like Bruce Jenner, the Olympic decathlon champion at the time, Belushi laps the field to capture a gold medal. Then, with a cigarette in one hand, he looks into the camera and attributes his victory to the breakfast of champions: little chocolate donuts. Ted Jackson is that guy -- but for real. If you identify less with Channing Tatum and more with Seth Rogen, if your pants never feel loose in the waist and healthy eating is something you always put off until tomorrow, then Jackson might be your kind of hero. A forty-three-year-old Englishman, Jackson is about 20 pounds overweight and not terribly athletic. He frequently indulges in his favorite meal: greasy gyros on pita bread, plus French fries, served from a food truck about five miles from his house. The life of the long-distance runner is supposed to be monastic. It s all about denial and discipline. These aren t Jackson s strong suits. He denies himself little -- and discipline just isn t his thing. But Jackson has achieved remarkable feats of endurance. There have been the polar marathons and the grueling Marathon des Sables, a weeklong 200-mile footrace across the Sahara that has proved too stern a test for some of the world s most finely honed athletes. Defying all the conventional wisdom, Jackson also finished the UK Ironman, having spent only a few weeks training to cycle and swim. How does he do it? How does he keep going when most mortals would give up? Well, it helps that he s British. He is eccentric in that way unique to his countrymen -- a born adventurer, and fearless. You can imagine him charging with the Light Brigade at Balaclava, or setting off with Livingstone to find the source of the Nile, or with Shackleton to reach the South Pole. 5

4 6 He has been known to run in a bright pink suit. An accomplished baritone who has sung with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, he sometimes breaks out into arias on the course, when others would be struggling to catch their breath. Then there s the stiff upper lip. And surrendering -- on any front, in any way -- is anathema to him. He believes, really believes, that he can do whatever he sets out to. Still, there is the essential question: How does he keep putting one foot in front of the other long after his body has demanded that he quit? It s a trick, he says, of mind over matter. The mind is an incredibly strong thing, and it can overcome physical problems, Jackson told me one day last winter. We were spending the day in Surrey, about 30 miles south of London -- a middling jog for Jackson -- in the house that he shares with his wife, Sophie, and their four children. Technically, they also share it with a few dozen students who live at Hurtwood House, the boarding school founded and still owned by Jackson s parents. Jackson is a housemaster at the school, which is surrounded by ancient hedgerows near a small village dotted with mint condition Tudor-era homes. This is where movies set in typically quaint English villages are filmed. Confirming all of my worst fears about the English and their relationship with climate control, the Jacksons house was freezing. To keep warm, I spent as much time as possible leaning up against their ancient stove, an Aga, which is like the Rolls Royce of ovens, always lit, and apparently great for cooking, too. Jackson went on: You can almost do anything if you need too, if it was a life-and-death situation, you hear about it all the time -- people almost get superhuman strength when they need to. You hear stories of people lifting cars, and they got the strength just at that moment when they needed it, I think a combination of adrenaline and calling on resources from the past. But I was unsatisfied with Jackson s answer. As a very casual longtime runner, I find it hard to fathom how someone can just wake up one morning and run 50 or more miles in extreme heat, as Jackson has done, without the proper physical preparation or, for that matter, with it. There must be something more that allows him to do what he does, so I pressed him. I asked, What is it that you say to yourself? What is that you think? What is that you think to keep taking that next step? He replied: Quite often it s as simple as one step at a time, simple as that. Keep it simple, one step at a time, one foot in front of the other, keep on going, don t stop. But I knew that Jackson also liked to create a specific scenario in his head to keep his legs churning. He was reluctant to talk about it, but finally he was willing to share. It s not one that I normally like to share with people, because sometimes it can be a bit gruesome and I don t really go into details either in my mind, Jackson said, I think I have to not really put the details in my mind, but it s... I ve got four kids... if one of my kids was in trouble and if one of my kids is in danger or one of my kids was trapped under a tractor 30 miles away and I had to get there, then I would get there. You wouldn t stop, you would keep going, anyone would. Even people with one leg would go, people with no legs would go... you would do it, you would find the strength. If one of your kids was in trouble, one of my kids in trouble, there at the finish line, I ve got to get to them, I m going to get there. It s quite simple, it s not particularly pleasant but I use that trick in my mind. And apparently it works. At those moments when most of us would say Forget it, Jackson says I must save my child. Which is also interesting, because his kids told me that they are quite often concerned that he won t survive these insane tests of his will. Of course, when it seems he can t go on, Jackson can also say to himself, But I ve done this before. Well, most of the time he can say that. But not this past January, when he set off on the first World Marathon Challenge with a dozen other runners who were conspicuously fitter than Jackson. In seven days, they would run marathons in Antarctica, Chile, Miami, Madrid, Morocco, Dubai and Sydney. That s miles in a week. On all seven continents. With only a single night spent in a real bed, the rest on planes, or on the floors of airports. Why would a human being subject himself to such torment? For Jackson, it s just what he does, to feel alive, but it is also to raise money for a charity that promotes an alternative treatment for multiple sclerosis, the degenerative condition that afflicts his wife. She says that the dietary regimen promoted by Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis (OMS), which she first learned about a few years ago, has changed her life, halting the progression of the disease. All told, Jackson has raised more than $300,000 for OMS. Because of the travel involved and the changing climates, Jackson says the World Marathon Challenge is the hardest thing he has ever attempted. At the exact midway point -- the middle of the fourth marathon, in Madrid -- Sophie and his daughter Alabama (named for the character in True Romance played by Patricia Arquette) surprised him. That was a lift he needed. But the next day, in Marrakech, he seemed to be at the breaking point. Apparently convincing himself that Alabama or one of her brothers was in trouble, he willed himself to finish in a cold rain. Then he had an easy run the next day on the Persian Gulf. And then finally, the day after that in Sydney. He did it. Jackson is slow, typically running his marathons in about six hours. But he is indefatigable and, literally, unstoppable. Why keep punishing himself with these tests? I m looking for a strength that I know is there, he says. I wouldn t do these things if I didn t know I could do it. I know they are going to be tough, I know they are going to hurt, but I know I m going to do it. 7

5 OMS News: New HOLISM paper published OMS Cookbook - submissions welcome! If you can t soak up enough sunshine to keep your vitamin D levels within the recommended levels (blood level of at least 150nmol/L (60ng/mL), then it s imperative you start on the supplements. Here is a summary of the We need your favorite recipes and tips for a new OMS cookbook! 8 findings of the latest HOLISM paper, which focuses on Vitamin D supplements OMS research team is nearing the end of the publications from the first phase of the HOLISM study. In the latest HOLISM publication, published in the major neurology journal BMC Neurology, Professor Jelinek and his team at the Neuroepidemiology Unit in the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health at the University of Melbourne have shown strong and significant associations between vitamin D supplementation and health outcomes for people with MS. For quality of life, increasing average daily doses of vitamin D were associated with graded improvements in quality of life, such that those taking the highest doses had the best quality of life. Similarly, those taking vitamin D supplements had around a third fewer relapses. Latitude was also shown to be associated with health outcomes, presumably because of increased sun exposure in the lower latitudes closer to the equator. With increasing OMS News: OMS in the Medical Press 1. Published in Neurological Sciences, one study found that positive outcomes in quality of life are associated in people with MS who participate in the OMS Recovery Program and focus on diet, stress management, exercise, Vitamin D/ Omega-3 supplementation and medication. 2. The second study, published on PLOS ONE found that fatigue a major symptom of MS is markedly lower in those people with MS with healthy lifestyles that are specifically in line with the OMS Recovery Program. distance from the equator, the likelihood of more major disability rose, as did the average number of relapses. The team concluded that rigorous clinical trials on vitamin D supplementation are urgently needed, as OMS has been calling for over the last decade and a half. This cheap, safe therapy should be embraced by people with MS and their treating clinicians in the meantime, given the strength and congruence of the populationbased data, including now our own HOLISM study data. OMS continues to recommend vitamin D supplements of around 5,000-10,000IU a day, aiming for a blood level of at least 150nmol/L (60ng/mL). Many major MS authorities now regard this as a standard of care. As always, the full paper is available free at or can be downloaded from the OMS website by searching under the term HOLISM The word concerning the importance of lifestyle changes will soon be spreading in all the right circles following some wonderful success the team at OMS have had getting papers published in highimpact medical journals. These research papers include: 3. Published in BMC Psychiatry, research shows that lifestyles in line with the OMS program are associated with dramatically improved mental health of people with MS. In summary, following analysis of the HOLISM data which monitored over 2,000 people with MS, results showed that those who had engaged with the OMS program in one or more ways experienced 30% better physical health, more than 20% better mental health, one-third the risk of serious fatigue and one-tenth the risk of depression, compared with those who had not followed the OMS program. We are looking for recipes in the following categories: Weekday Breakfast: quick, easy dishes for weekday mornings Weekend Breakfast: weekend recipe for when there s more time to lavish on preparation Lunch: for bringing to the office Lunch: at home/on weekends Salads Breads Juices and smoothies Savory sauces/dressings/dips Soups Snacks and energy bars Main meal recipes: Fish: oily and white fish Tofu/tempeh Legumes (e.g. beans) Vegetables Grains, Seeds & Nuts Burgers (fish/beans/vegetables) Pasta sauces Baked savory dishes, e.g. quiche One-pot meals Desserts/sweets: Baked pastries Puddings Non-baked sweets, e.g. ice-cream Cookies/biscuits All submissions must be received by November 30, If you have questions, or would like to submit a recipe or tip, please us at cookbook@overcomingms.org. We are very excited to announce that a new cookbook is in the works, featuring OMS diet-friendly recipes. New York OMSer Ingrid Adelsberger is the editor, and members of the OMS global community like YOU are the authors! Please share with us your favorite OMS diet-friendly recipes as well as your best tips for healthy living on the OMS diet. We are planning for the cookbook to showcase around 200 recipes of all kinds, including everything from breakfasts to desserts. We are very pleased to announce that the publisher of Professor George Jelinek s two books, Allen & Unwin, will publish the cookbook in 2016, and it will be available internationally. If your submission is selected for the book, you will be credited (if you like) and you will receive a FREE copy of the book. We re also after the practical tips and strategies you ve found most helpful for living on and enjoying the OMS diet. For example: I always keep some nuts in my bag so I m not tempted to eat things I shouldn t when I m away from home. I like to cook a dish with vegetables and grains that the whole family can eat, and then I prepare a meat dish for them, while separately I steam fish or tofu for myself. 9

6 Fabulous Fundraisers Mary Walsh reviews the first OMS retreat in Ireland 10 Big round of applause please for our most recent fundraisers. Between them, these nine superstars (and their support crews!) have raised over 130,550 for OMS. From left to right, top then bottom, we have: Johanna Hewson who swam 2 miles in the Great North Swim as a show of support for those near and dear to her dealing with MS; Mike Shaul who dispensed with his life-long football allegiance for a day to don an opposing team s strip (and behaviour), and who also took his place in a competitive eating competition with an unlikely, and unpleasant, menu of bugs and butchers scraps (and whatever else his rival teams chose to disgust him with); Phil Saunders and then Tony Bloom (pictured with Linda whom we all know and adore) who ran the Brighton Marathon together, egging each other on before, during and after the event; Rosalyn Brown, who also covered the incredible 26.2 miles in the name of OMS, raising money and spreading the word at the London Marathon; Sarah Johnson, who chose the very appropriate date of 27 May, World MS Day, to follow in the tyre tracks of the Tour de Emma-Louise, Head of Fundraising France and cycle the hugely challenging Mont Ventoux; Harriet Skipworth and the choir she sings with who dedicated the collection at the end of one of their concerts to OMS - also raising important awareness in the Scottish capital city of Edinburgh by handing out leaflets and flyers too; Anna Gorzkowska, a double fundraiser, who organised both a bake sale and took on the formidable Three Peaks Challenge (the pic, taken at Ben Nevis, tells you everything you need to know about the conditions she was climbing in!); and Angela Batman who even included OMS in her wedding planning by donating not only the cost of the wedding favours to OMS but also asking that guests also gave donations instead of gifts, in recognition of the support her sister (pictured with her) feels she has had from OMS. A busy and very kind bunch, eh! We thank them all. OMS is an entirely independent organisation and relies exclusively on donations, grants from charitable trusts, sponsored challenges and other conflict-free fundraising sources and it simply couldn t make the progress it does if it weren t for people like those above. With that in mind, we welcome a new member of the OMS Team, Emma-Louise, as Head of Fundraising. She will ensure you all have a direct contact, and all the support you need, for any event you are organising. Please contact Emma-Louise with any fundraising queries on: emmalouise@overcomingms.org The first Irish retreat happened in March this year. Mary Walsh was one of the retreat participants, and this is her review of what went on, her breakthrough moment, and how she left with an iron will and a determination to follow the OMS program fully... I had been struggling with my health for a few years prior to diagnosis. My doctor sent me down various paths none of which ever seemed to pin down my symptoms or prove very effective. One consultant suggested an operation on both of my feet to investigate the problem which luckily I declined! Once diagnosed I felt relief initially that I hadn t been imagining the symptoms but then devastation when I realised the possibility of being disabled in the future. However, I quickly learned that Multiple Sclerosis could be life limiting and not life threatening and I decided to push the limits as far as I could Within days of my diagnosis I contacted my local MS Society and a lovely lady arranged to see me immediately. She was really helpful and reassured me that things may not be as bleak as I imagined. MS Ireland continues to be extremely supportive. Four weeks after my diagnosis I came across Professor George Jelinek s book Taking Control of MS when I was searching the net for a book that might help me come to terms with my diagnosis. I ordered it from Australia. It was the start of feeling that it wasn t all doom and gloom after a diagnosis and there was something I could do to help myself. I started taking the supplements recommended immediately. The diet I found very difficult as I was addicted to chocolate and also the Irish diet is very high in meat and dairy consumption. I didn t find the meditation easy either. I continued with my exercise regime which involved swimming, walking and the gym. I tried the diet many times and stuck to it for short periods but because of my chocolate addiction I gave up. I registered on the OMS website and ordered the updated book by Professor Jelinek Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis. It was full of positivity and useful information. It gave me great hope of recovering. I felt if I got the opportunity to attend a retreat it would give me the incentive I needed to commit to the program 100%. I knew what I needed to do but just couldn t motivate myself to actually do it. In February of this year I received an from the OMS team in the UK announcing details of five new OMS retreats for 2015 and couldn t believe it when I saw they were holding one in Ireland. I had been unsuccessful last year in gaining a place on the retreat at Ammerdown UK. I also tried to book for the UK retreat being held in July this year without success. So it was really was a case of third time lucky. I booked the Irish retreat immediately and was so excited to secure a place. Emmaus-Centre-400The retreat in Ireland was over two days and was held at the Emmaus Centre, Swords, Co. Dublin on March 23-24th. The location was great as it was easily accessible by air, train, taxi and bus and the participants came from all over Ireland and England. It was located in a very quiet area and was like an oasis on the outskirts of Ireland s capital city. The centre was ideal, with easy access for everybody and the chef presented all OMS friendly food which was delicious. It opened our eyes to the wonderful healthy and tasty food suitable for the OMS diet. The cost, which was 220/ 330, was kept to an absolute minimum by OMS charity which is a not for profit organisation. I would highly recommend attending a retreat. It is definitely well worth it. The facilitators for our retreat were Dr. Keryn Taylor and Phil Startin and Gary McMahon the CEO of OMS UK was there to help us too. We didn t need to worry about any special requirements during the 11

7 research team. We also received handouts on OMS Pillars References containing full details of all the reference books, research papers, websites on mindfulness, food, exercise, medication, Vitamin D, Omega three and other relevant references. retreat as these were well taken care of. Keryn was diagnosed with MS and has made a full recovery thanks to her determination and commitment to the OMS program. Her courageous story is featured in the book Recovering from Multiple Sclerosis by George Jelinek and Karen Law. Keryn and Phil were very inspiring and living proof that the OMS program works. Following a warm welcome from Keryn, Phil and Gary to our group we all introduced ourselves. Within a short time we felt very comfortable with each other and shared our MS journeys so far including our experiences of the OMS program. This peer support was fantastic and we all bonded very well over the two days. We all felt this support was a big factor on the retreat and we have made lifelong friendships and support as a result. photo courtesy of darlene corry I went home very excited and with real hope that overcoming multiple sclerosis is possible. I left the retreat with an iron will and a determination to follow the OMS program fully. A few of us were members of the Irish Whatever it Takes Facebook page set up by Nicola Corbett with permission from the OMS team. (Nicola attended an Australian OMS retreat in 2014). It was lovely to finally meet up with our OMS friends. I had met Nicola through the OMS forum. The OMS team organised a new Facebook page and Google groups for our Dublin 2015 group, which was a great idea. I would have thought the diet was somewhat restrictive eliminating meat, dairy and bad saturated fats from our diet however we got great recipes and ideas at the retreat and it wasn t so daunting facing home and converting 100% to the OMS diet. The importance of exercise for people with MS was another subject which was well covered and we had exercise sessions throughout the retreat. Phil explained what mindfulness meditation is and how effective it is for people with MS. It is a great help in reducing stress. It is something that needs practice to perfect to get real benefits from doing it. It was recommended to meditate daily. We had many meditation sessions throughout the retreat. Sunlight and Vitamin D are very important to people with MS. Supplementation is highly recommended for those of us living in areas with low levels of sunshine. We were advised to have our Vitamin D3 tested however that can be problematic here in Ireland as it is not a routine blood test. I was lucky to have my levels tested last year and am delighted to say they are very high after supplementing for almost four years since diagnosis. Daily supplementation of organic cold pressed flaxseed oil was also recommended as a great way of boosting our Omega 3 intake and part of the program. We had great discussions on this supplementation. Keryn started her presentation giving us a great insight into what MS is and how it affects people. One thing she mentioned was how the cells absorb the bad fats we eat and particularly affect people with MS. This really hit home to me because of my large intake of bad fats despite eating lots of fruit and vegetables and it was a defining moment for me to remove all bad fats from my diet, and to have this happen in the first hour of the retreat was just a taste of things to come over the two days. 12 Food and the OMS diet were really well covered. We learned in great detail what foods to eat and what foods to avoid and had a brilliant question and answer session. In advance of the retreat photo courtesy of darlene corry We had a beautiful and very special closing ceremony. It was very spiritual and moving which we all loved. It was the perfect finish to an amazing two days. It is difficult to describe it but I never experienced anything like it. Keryn discussed in detail medications available to people with MS. This was very informative. photo courtesy of darlene corry We were given information on the wonderful work of Professor Jelinek s research, and his fantastic I am thrilled that five weeks after the retreat I am totally following the program. I am enjoying the diet and experimenting with new recipes. I have completely lost the chocolate and sugar cravings which I can t believe. I have amazing energy which feels fantastic. I looked forward to attending this retreat with great anticipation and I have to say it completely surpassed all my expectations. It was a life changing experience. I am trying to spread the word on the benefits of the OMS program. I even gave my neurologist a copy of Professor Jelinek s book last year and am looking forward to hearing his opinions on my next visit. The retreat was really well organised and thank you to all the OMS team working behind the scenes. Thank you to Professor George Jelinek and the wonderful researchers in Australia for their amazing work and giving us all real hope for a very healthy and happy future. Thank you to Keryn, Phil and Gary for coming to Dublin to impart their knowledge and do an amazing job of motivating us to commit to the fantastic OMS program. I would like to thank all of the other participants for sharing their own experiences and for their continued support. I learned a lot from you all. You are a brilliant group. 13

8 From The Blog: From The Blog: How Gaspar Hoyas is saving his hands, and himself, from MS OMS or just OMS-compliant? A diagnosis of MS is terrifying enough for anyobody. But when your life s passion, and not to mention career, rely on nimbleness of fingers or any other part of your body, the fear must intensify immeasureably. This could have been the case for world-renowned flautist Gaspar Hoyos, whose doctors told him that if his numbness hadn t improved within three months then the disability would be permanent. It was a risk he wasn t prepared to take, and in this uplifting passage he posted on our Facebook page, he tells us how he feels he was able to save his hands through his flute, his conviction, hard work, and OMS. Hand on heart, how many of you comply with the OMS program in that not only do you avoid the bad foods, but actually embrace the really good ones? I am no Superman, no doctor, no expert I own no scientifically precise machinery, but I do have quite a sophisticated tool at hand my flute and I want to share with you a couple of wonderful things I have learned from my faithful companion. First of all, dedication really pays off. To learn to play an instrument you ought to repeat some quite tricky, fast, well coordinated and precise movements over and over and over. The way I see it, this repetition creates connections in our brain and nervous system. If you ask your brain and body to accomplish an action often, the connection for this action will get stronger and stronger (as for instance lacing your shoes: impossible as kids, but as adults we can do it with the eyes closed). I believe it is through carefully practising the flute after my MS diagnosis that I was able to save my hands. Great news is that this can and should be applied to all other areas of physical recovery! That good old habit of thoughtful, conscious repetition helps us regain mobility and strength not only in hands, but also in legs, arms and other 14 At the beginning of this year, Rachel Hogg spotted a question on the forum that inspired a blog post she wrote which I ve been wanting to share with you ever since. The question was Are you eating a proper OMS diet (lots of fresh fruit, veg and wholefoods) or are you just eating OMS compliant? So, with New Years Resolutions in mind, Rachel wrote this. It s a new dawn, it s a new day parts of the body which may be affected by MS. But this rehearsal needs to be done daily. Not necessarily over long, exhausting lengths of time, but every day. Now for the best part: my flute helps me measure my hands recovery, and let me tell you that, even five years into diagnosis, I still continue to recover! I can feel the keys better and better under my fingers, and I can play trickier and trickier fast passage work! Isn t that exciting? Little by little, day by day, recovery is happening. Doctors said if three months later I had not recovered this or that, the handicap was here to stay. Not so! I see now that inner peace, inner belief and hard regular work really pay off, as my sensitivity and mobility continue to develop. All you need is trust (in OMS but most importantly in yourself), regular conscious work, and the firm conviction that something can be improved even just a little, every day! - Gaspar Hoyos, flute player and person recovering from MS - by Rachel Hogg January. The start of a new year, and a time when many people resolve to join a gym, get fit, eat healthier. At least, those are my 2015 resolutions. It s not the first time I have made these resolutions, but this year my goals are bigger and likely to still be in focus by the end of February. I have purchased a gym ball, dug out my trainers and been referred the local gym s sport and physical activity team. April 2015 will mark 2 years since I started following the Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis programme. There is no doubt that my situation is improving. Even my neurologist thinks so, though he prefers to give credit to the 11 months I have been taking drugs, rather than my 21 month lifestyle change. Nevertheless, his comments that he thought I could further improve my mobility spurred me into action, and towards the end of last year I requested that my GP refer me back to physiotherapy. The end of 2014 marked over 2 years since I have had to use crutches. And I am sick of them. Whilst I am very grateful that they allow me perambulate with relative ease, they are bloody cumbersome, regularly tripping people up, impaling other commuter s feet and one of them even chose rush hour at London Bridge as the perfect time to do an impromptu track inspection. They have become rather like friends who are invaluable support whilst sober, but a bloody nightmare after they ve had a couple of shandies. A few people have asked if I have named my crutches. No. By naming them I am demonstrating some form of connection, and the last thing I want to do is become attached to the irritating little props. I have always had a vision of being able to walk properly again, and I have made progress, slow though it may be. I seem to take two steps forward; one step back, but my bad days are now ten times better than good days were this time last year. I last saw a physiotherapist in the summer of 2013 and have been following the exercise programme I was given ever since (admittedly, not as regularly as I should.) A week into the New Year and I was back in the physiotherapy department at Croydon Hospital. My physiotherapist, Amy, was different to the lady I had seen last time. I showed her my exercise routine; she showed me how to do it properly. She then introduced some more challenging exercises, explaining that my body had grown used to the old routine and wasn t really benefitting. Whilst I enjoy doing my exercises at home, I told Amy I wanted to do something more. During my initial physio visits I had used the exercise bike 15

9 16 which I had found beneficial. (I recently inherited an old exercise bike from my grandfather, but it is possibly as antiquated as he was and consequently not much use.) The physio duly referred me to the local gym s sports and physical activity team. I am currently awaiting their call, trainers at the ready Diet wise, I was spurred into action by a comment someone made on the OMS forum Are you eating a proper OMS diet (lots of fresh fruit, veg and wholefoods) or are you just eating OMS compliant? The comment reminded me of a lodger I had a few years ago who claimed to be vegetarian for health reasons. I had just started the OMS lifestyle, so was expectantly awaiting a master class in a vegetarian cooking. But the vegetarian diet appeared to consist of little more than bread, lashings of butter, mountains of cheese and very indulgent sugary yoghurts. She wasn t actually a fan of veggies but what she ate was vegetarian compliant. It forced me to look at my own diet. Over the last two years, meat has rarely passed my lips (save a slice of turkey on Xmas day) and I no longer eat dairy, but I have developed some bad habits. Whilst smoked salmon on Ryvita, or almond butter on toast is OMS compliant, it hardly fills the brief of being wholefood. I have realised that I need to plan my meals better so that when I don t have enough time to cook a meal from scratch I have plenty of stuff ready prepared. This is particularly important for me as I often have two meals a day at work. I also need to learn some new recipes. It s very easy to fall into a cooking rut, cooking the same meals week in, week out, regardless of what diet you follow. Finding Professor Jelinek s programme provided me with all the tools I need to stabilise and hopefully improve my health, but it doesn t hurt to take stock every now and again. It is easy to become slightly complacent. Perhaps I haven t been eating as well as I might. Perhaps I haven t really pushed myself to exercise as much as I could. It s now February and my resolutions are still in tact. I have been experimenting with new recipes, making careful weekly meal plans, and exercising as often as I can. But there s always room for improvement I have big plans. Let Nigel tell your story Here s an opportunity to appear in print. Paris-based OMSer Nigel Bartrum, who some of you may already know as he attended one of our retreats last year, is compiling a book of MS stories - and from the selection I ve read, he chooses to focus on the humour he finds in the accounts. From his own memories of taking a cruise where he spent an awkward amount of time toppling into buxom cleavages when losing his balance, to Rachel s story and the importance of lateral thinking when she lost her crutch between the train and the railway platform just as she was off to spend the day on her first outing with other OMSers, it seems that Nigel manages to look on the lighter side of life. If you d like to talk to him about featuring in the book, get in touch with Nigel on this address: nigel.bartram@dbmail.com A call for help from The Kessler Foundation We have been contacted by researchers at the Kessler Foundation, who are interested in learning more about the factors associated with employment decisions in MS. They are recruiting individuals with MS who are gainfully employed. In particular, they are looking for people who are considering leaving the workforce or feeling as if they need to cut back on hours. If you are able to participate, they will complete an online survey regarding your work status and various factors thought to be related to managing one s MS and ability to work. If you would like to participate, please contact Anthony Costanzo, Research Assistant on this address acostanzo@kesslerfoundation.org Thank you. Recovery Recipes Hyperlink Baked to Salmon website Burgers Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing These elit. burgers Vestibulum are excellent dui orci, fried sodales in a small et suscipit amount a, tristique of fat over nec medium eros. In heat vel rutrum or baked lorem. Etiam in the oven nec enim and they ligula, are eu amazing cursus risus. grilled Aenean for risus a summer neque, party. hendrerit They are nec great tempus served ultricies, with bibendum an avocado sit puree amet or magna. with a Etiam mango sed chutney. risus enim. Ut elementum turpis sed mauris aliquam iaculis tempor Processing arcu part blandit. of the Ut salmon ornare will est id form nisl a scelerisque binding aliquam to hold at the et rest quam. of the Ut id ingredients mi vel mauris tristique in place without dapibus. the Praesent need of neque adding risus, an rhoncus nec egg sagittis or mayonnaise. ut, adipiscing The larger posuere chunks orci. of salmon left in the mixture also means the salmon burgers will retain their moisture. Ingredients servings 4 750g skinless (boneless salmon) 2 teaspoon dijon mustard 2 medium shallots (peeled and cut into chunks) 50g breadcrumbs (coarse or Japanese panko) Inspiration in Quotations Let thy Food be thy Medicine and thy Medicine be thy Food. 1 tablespoon capers (drained) Instructions 1. Cut the salmon into large chunks, and put about a quarter of it into the container of a food processor, along with the mustard. Turn the machine on, and let it run stopping to scrape down the sides if necessary until the mixture becomes pasty. - Hippocrates (460 BC BC) The Blog Spot 2. Add the shallots and the remaining salmon, and pulse the machine on and off until the fish is Hyperlink chopped and to website well combined with the puree. No Lorem piece should ipsum be dolor larger sit amet, than a consectetur centimeter or adipiscing careful elit. not Vestibulum make the mixture dui orci, too sodales fine. et sus- so; be cipit a, tristique nec eros. In vel rutrum lorem. Etiam 3. Scrape nec the enim mixture ligula, into eu cursus a bowl, risus. then Aenean stir in the risus breadcrumbs, neque, hendrerit capers and nec some tempus salt ultricies, and pepper bibendum by hand. sit amet magna. Etiam sed risus enim. Ut elementum turpis sed mauris aliquam iaculis tempor 4. Shape arcu into blandit. four burgers. Ut ornare (You est can id cover nisl scelerisque refrigerate aliquam the burgers at et quam. for a Ut few id hours mi vel at mauris this point.) and tristique dapibus. Praesent neque risus, rhoncus nec 5. Coat sagittis the burgers ut, adipiscing with a posuere bit of olive orci. oil and place on pieces of parchment paper. Programme Focus Hyperlink to website Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum dui orci, sodales et suscipit a, tristique nec eros. In vel rutrum lorem. Etiam nec enim ligula, eu cursus risus. Aenean risus neque, hendrerit nec tempus ultricies, bibendum sit amet magna. Etiam sed risus enim. Ut elementum turpis sed mauris aliquam iaculis tempor arcu blandit. Ut ornare est id nisl scelerisque aliquam at et quam. Ut id mi vel mauris tristique dapibus. Praesent neque risus, rhoncus nec sagittis ut, adipiscing posuere orci. 6. Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat. 7. When the pan is properly heated, place the parchment paper and burgers in the pan and cook the burgers for 2-3 minutes a side, turning once. (Alternatively, you can grill them: let them firm up on the first side, grilling about four minutes, From before turning the Forum over and finishing for just another minute or two.) Hyperlink to website 8. Lorem To check ipsum for dolor doneness, sit amet, make consectetur a small cut adipiscing inside. elit. Vestibulum Be careful dui not orci, to overcook. sodales et sus- and peek cipit a, tristique nec eros. In vel rutrum lorem. Serve Etiam on nec a bed enim of ligula, greens, eu on cursus buns risus. or simply Aenean by themselves. risus neque, They hendrerit are great nec with tempus a bit ultricies, of lemon and bibendum Tabasco sit sauce amet squirted magna. Etiam over the sed top risus of the enim. burgers Ut elementum or with some turpis tangy sed mauris mango aliquam chutney. iaculis tempor arcu blandit. 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10 From the Forum Program Focus: Diet 18 Been to the forum recently? If not, we encourage you to spend some time reconnecting today - whether you just pop on and peruse the latest posts, recipes, exercise tips or simple life hacks, or engage in a deeper discussion, something will be sure to strike a chord. So, revisit, read, find support, or maybe even give it. Here are some of the most popular posts currently catching the community s eye: Second relapse and now told I need medication I was diagnosed 20 months ago with ms. But had my first attack 9 months prior. 6 weeks ago I had second relapse. For over a year I followed OMS religiously then my diet went out the window, I ve stacked on the kilos and of course don t feel so good. Now this 2nd relapse. Who knows but I ve probably done it to myself. I had another MRI scan 3 weeks ago and I have 2 new lesions in spine But one in brain has reduced significantly since 1st MRI. So even tho I ve undone some of the good it s not all bad. Now the question is do I resist all drugs? The neurologist is pushing it. I am seriously, cross my heart, back on the OMS diet as of today. I don t get meditation but I will try and relax more. I work full time, but do struggle with fatigue. Those medications truly frighten me and are they necessary.? Reducing my Vit D level Hi everyone! I m sure someone out there will know the answer to this. My most recent test resulted in the level being at 200 which I was happy with. My doctor in the past has been happy with this too, but all of a sudden he thinks it is too high! He wants me to come to about as he is concerned about toxicity. I have had the conversation with him in the past about toxicity but suddenly he has changed his mind. As a result he wants me to stop taking the supplement for the next 3 months (oh no!) to reduce the levels. Does anyone know how reduction works? Is there a rule of thumb, or is it related to weight or something? What do you think my level will be in three months with no supplement and, remember it is winter here. I don t want to reduce it to below 150 at the very least! Thanks all you clever people! Terrible anxiety Hi, It has taken me two years to actually reach out and talk to others about MS. I have been terrified of accepting the truth I guess. I m 31 years old and was diagnosed two years ago with my first symptom of vision loss. I have been on Copaxone for two years. I feel like a baby bc honestly things have been okay since then. But, I m so scared. I find myself some days so worried that I am missing out on things I enjoy. Last week I had a follow up MRI where they discovered a hand full of new legions and I just feel lost. I know I am ok but I m at the time in my life that I want to have a family and I m so scared. I m so sorry if I sound like a whiny baby but I just don t know how to stop feeling this way and get back to being the happy carefree person I was before this. Professor Swank s Low Saturated Fat study As Professor Jelinek acknowledges, the life-long work of Professor Roy Laver Swank (pictured) of the Swank Multiple Sclerosis Clinic in Portland, Oregon USA, has been critical research on the impact of diet on MS. So here s a little history on Swank s study and what it involved. This excerpt is taken from the discussion of diet on the Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis website. Beginning in 1949, Swank enrolled 150 MS patients and commenced them on his MS diet, a very low saturated fat diet. He followed them with meticulous examination and recording of their dietary fat consumption for 34 years. There was no control group who had normal diets, however many of the patients were unable to stick to the MS diet, allowing comparison between those that did and those that did not. There are also data on relapse rates in MS from many other studies. The study was supported by grants from the MS Society of Canada, the Montreal Neurological Institute, the Department of Health and Welfare of Canada, the MS Society of Portland and other grants. This was a major piece of medical research. A number of papers resulted from this study, one in one of the world s premier medical journals, the Lancet in 1990, and another in Nutrition in The results provide enormous hope to people with MS. The paper in the Lancet reported results for 144 patients. Of these, 72 patients were able to stick to the MS diet (good dieters), that is they consumed less than 20g/day of saturated fat. The other 72 could not keep fat consumption below 20g/day. The patients neurological disability was graded using a neurological disability scale devised by Swank, which went from 0 (essentially unimpaired) to 6 (deceased). Point 4 on the scale represented wheelchair needed, and point 5 confined to bed and chair. Swank s scale essentially used 2 points on Kurtzke s EDSS scale to every 1 point on his. The results were dramatic. Regardless of level of disability at entry to the trial, good dieters did not deteriorate significantly. Good dieters at level 1 on entry had an average final grade of years later. Good dieters at level 2 had a final level of 3.6, and those at level 3 or worse a final level of 4. The results were best for those who started with minimum disability, with 95 per cent surviving and still physically active 34 years later, excluding those who died from non-ms diseases. The benefits occurred in all three groups, and even people with significant disability were shown to markedly slow the progression of the disease if they could stick to the MS diet. The picture for poor dieters was terrible, in line with results from other series of MS patients whose conditions have been monitored over time. Poor dieters with minimum disability at entry ended with average grade of 5.3, that is wheelchair and bed bound. Those with moderate disability ended up at 5.3 also, and those with severe disability at 5.6. Only 7 per cent of patients who did not stick to the MS diet remained active. The death rate amongst the poor dieters was extremely high. 58 of the 72 were dead by 34 years, 45 from MSrelated causes. The statistics were very strong. The p values were generally of the order of p< to < for most of the differences between good and poor dieters. That is, the difference was extremely unlikely to have occurred by chance. Swank noted that patients who adhered to the diet for MS actually consumed 16g of saturated fat per day on average, whereas those who did not adhere to the diet for MS consumed 38g/day. Even for the poor dieters this was a marked reduction from the average 125g/day they were consuming prior to the study. It reinforces the message that the MS diet is an all or nothing issue. Just lowering saturated fat consumption, even by two thirds as the poor dieters did, is not enough to make a difference to the progression of the disease. Saturated fat must really be completely avoided if possible. search for these posts, and more, at: 19

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