Episode 420: A DIY Kit for Improving Your MS Journey with Julie Polisena
RealTalk MS15 Sep 2025

Episode 420: A DIY Kit for Improving Your MS Journey with Julie Polisena

Disease-modifying therapies are the cornerstone of MS treatment, but they're not the only piece of the puzzle. Beyond prescription medications, self-care that includes making healthy lifestyle choices can significantly improve your quality of life with MS.

Julie Polisena knows this firsthand. Julie lives with MS, and in a recent blog post, she shared a comprehensive list of the lifestyle changes that have improved her quality of life with MS. Julie joins us today to discuss some of the most impactful changes you can make to start your own journey toward better health and wellness.

We're also diving into the science behind some of the most talked-about diets for MS. We're breaking down the research on the Mediterranean diet, the Keto diet, the Wahls Diet, the Swank Diet, a gluten-free diet, and intermittent fasting, giving you an overview of the studies that have measured their impact on MS.

We're discussing the latest developments in the ongoing scrutiny of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). There's significant pending legal action and a congressional investigation targeting PBMs, the powerful and secretive middlemen in the prescription drug supply chain. And we'll tell you how they've profited at the expense of millions of people with chronic illnesses, including people living with MS.

We'll tell you about a clinical trial that's testing an injectable formulation of Briumvi.

You'll hear about a promising new strategy for myelin repair.

And we'll remind you about a warning from the FDA and Health Canada about glatiramer acetate (Copaxone).

We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

This Week: A DIY approach to improving your MS journey :22

A roundup of studies that focused on popular diets for people with MS 1:53

Congress and the FTC have pharmacy benefit managers in their sites 7:32

TG Therapeutics is testing an injectable form of Briumvi 9:32

A research team has developed a novel remyelination strategy 11:03

A warning about glatiramer acetate has been issued 14:08

Julie Polisena discusses lifestyle changes that can make a difference in your quality of life 16:58

Share this episode 33:24

Next week's episode 33:43

SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS

Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/420

ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION

I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts!

Email: jon@realtalkms.com
Phone: (310) 526-2283

And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group!

LINKS

If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com

PARTICIPATE: Take the Shaping Tomorrow Together Survey
https://s.alchemer.com/s3/Perspectives-on-MS

REGISTER: Attend the virtual Shaping Tomorrow Together meeting with the FDA
https://nmss.quorum.us/event/25463

SIGN UP: Become an MS Activist
https://nationalmssociety.org/advocacy

READ: Small Changes, Big Impact: Managing My MS Through Lifestyle Changes
https://mscanada.ca/find-support/blog/small-changes-big-impact-managing-my-ms-through-lifestyle-change

STUDY: The Role of Nutrition and Physical Activity in Modulating Disease Progression and Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis
https://mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/16/2713

STUDY: Transient Gene Melting Governs the Timing of Oligodendrocyte Maturation
https://sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S009286742500861X

REVIEW: Copaxone, Glatopa (Glatiramer Acetate) FDA Drug Safety Communication
https://www.fda.gov/safety/medical-product-safety-information/copaxone-glatopa-glatiramer-acetate-drug-safety-communication-fda-adds-boxed-warning-about-rare

JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group
https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms

DOWNLOAD: The RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200

DOWNLOAD: The RealTalk MS App for Android Devices
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk

REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review
http://www.realtalkms.com/review

Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com.

RealTalk MS Episode 420
Guest: Julie Polisena

Privacy Policy

Episoder(502)

Episode 448: At the National MS Society's Public Policy Conference with David, Cliff, and Michelle

Episode 448: At the National MS Society's Public Policy Conference with David, Cliff, and Michelle

Last week, about 170 MS activists from across the country gathered in Washington, D.C. to participate in the National MS Society's Public Policy Conference. It's hard to come away from this event and ...

30 Mar 31min

Episode 447: Walking with Many Sisters Toward a Cure with Brigitte Delaney

Episode 447: Walking with Many Sisters Toward a Cure with Brigitte Delaney

In 1988, there were just 42 Walk MS events, raising approximately $4 million. In 2025, there were 170 events across the country that raised over $30 million. As the largest private funder of MS resear...

23 Mar 23min

Episode 446: MS Advocacy and the National MS Society's Public Policy Conference with Steffany Stern

Episode 446: MS Advocacy and the National MS Society's Public Policy Conference with Steffany Stern

175 MS activists are heading to Washington, D.C. next week for the National MS Society's Public Policy Conference. Their mission: to bring the concerns of the MS community directly to lawmakers on Cap...

16 Mar 34min

Episode 445: It's MS Awareness Week with Kristine Werner Ozug and Kim, Kim, and Kim

Episode 445: It's MS Awareness Week with Kristine Werner Ozug and Kim, Kim, and Kim

It's MS Awareness Week, and this year we're diving into a theme that hits home for millions: Unseen MS. Multiple sclerosis is a master of disguise; it can be entirely invisible to the naked eye while ...

9 Mar 40min

Episode 444: Treating MS with a GLP-1 with Dr. Ellen Mowry

Episode 444: Treating MS with a GLP-1 with Dr. Ellen Mowry

You know them by their trade names such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound. This class of medications is known as GLP-1 receptor agonists. And while they are best known for managing diabetes a...

2 Mar 31min

Episode 443: The 2026 ACTRIMS Forum (Part 3) with Dr. Helen Tremlett, Dr. Ilana Katz Sand, and Kathy Smith

Episode 443: The 2026 ACTRIMS Forum (Part 3) with Dr. Helen Tremlett, Dr. Ilana Katz Sand, and Kathy Smith

Welcome back to the third and final part of our coverage of the 2026 ACTRIMS Forum. This week's episode bridges the gap between groundbreaking clinical research and the nuanced reality of living with ...

23 Feb 35min

Episode 442: The 2026 ACTRIMS Forum (Part 2) with Dr. Jeffrey Cohen, Dr. Daniel Ontaneda, and Kristine Werner Ozug

Episode 442: The 2026 ACTRIMS Forum (Part 2) with Dr. Jeffrey Cohen, Dr. Daniel Ontaneda, and Kristine Werner Ozug

Welcome back to Part Two of our coverage of the 2026 ACTRIMS Forum. This week, we shift our focus to emerging therapies and clinical insights that are re-shaping the future of MS care. From the latest...

16 Feb 44min

Episode 441: The 2026 ACTRIMS Forum with Dr. Manuel Friese, Dr. Amit Bar-Or, and Dr. Haritha Desu

Episode 441: The 2026 ACTRIMS Forum with Dr. Manuel Friese, Dr. Amit Bar-Or, and Dr. Haritha Desu

Last week, over 1,400 scientists and clinicians gathered in San Diego, California, at the 2026 Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis annual meeting, better known as the A...

9 Feb 33min

Populært innen Helse

lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
fastlegen
hvordan-har-du-det-mann
rss-gukild-johaug
psykodrama
leger-om-livet
rss-garne-damer
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem
foreldreradet
rss-lopedrommen
morten-ramm-lar-kakla-ga-til-du-sovner
rss-lev-vel
bak-fasaden-en-reise-i-livet-med-sykepleier-ine
klimaks
hjernesterk
hormonelle-frida
sinnsyn
helsetipspodden
rss-kunsten-a-leve
treningsprat