An Interview with Montel Williams

Montel Williams is an Emmy-winning television personality and lifestyle expert. For 17 years, he served as the host of The Montel Williams Show, a nationally syndicated talk show that earned him a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host. Focusing on key social issues involving ordinary people coping with extraordinary circumstances, the show aired 3,500 episodes, with Mr. Williams personally interviewing 30,000 guests. He has been battling multiple sclerosis (MS) for more than 10 years by utilizing every tool available to him. He has developed a food and exercise regimen and has begun incorporating alternative health practices into his daily routine. Mr. Williams has established himself as a leading community and wellness advocate, traveling the world in support of several causes, most notably MS research and education, working to provide patients with various illnesses safe access to medications and supporting active U.S. military members and veterans.

Health E- Insights:Is there such a thing as beating multiple sclerosis?

Mr. Williams: Fighting MS is a daily battle. For me, that involves taking responsibility for my own healthcare. I take my prescribed medication exactly as my doctor instructs me to. I eat a diet heavy in fruits and vegetables, I exercise daily, and I also take a variety of supplements as part of my arsenal against MS.

Health E- Insights: What supplements do you take to manage your symptoms? 

Mr. Williams: I take a variety of supplements that have been recommended to me based on the individual symptoms I have. The most effective supplement I have found, which I use on a daily basis, is SafSlim (www.myrebody.com).

Health E- Insights: Do you consider your controversial surgery a success?

Mr. Williams:CCSVI (www.hubbardfoundation.org) is a very new procedure, and it requires a lot more research. I had the procedure as part of a registered clinical trial under the care of doctors who have performed it many times. Folks should remember there is no evidence that CCSVI can cure MS. What there is evidence for is that in some people it might help reduce certain symptoms. For me, my balance improved, as did my ability to tolerate the heat. Both of these improvements made a big difference in my life. If my doctor told me I needed to have it again, I would. But, I want people to understand it’s still experimental, and it’s not a cure—if you think it might help you, there needs to be a serious conversation with your doctor, and you need to have it as part of an approved clinical trial with doctors who know what they are doing.

Health E- Insights: Are you still involved in The Wisconsin Project? 

Mr. Williams: Yes. The Wisconsin device (The Wisconsin Project) has changed my life, and it is about to be studied by the military as a potential therapy for soldiers with PTSD. My mission in the past 13 years has been to share treatments and therapies I find, and those I have access to as a celebrity, and bring those to others who are afflicted. I hope that soon the device will be available to everyone who needs it, not just those of us lucky enough to have been a part of the clinical trial. (Editor’s note: The Wisconsin device sends electrical stimulation directly into the nerves in the tongue.)

Health E- Insights:I bet you can still fit into your original Marine Corp uniform? 

Mr. Williams: Absolutely.

Health E- Insights:Do you miss having a syndicated TV show? 

Mr. Williams:Sometimes I do. What I really miss is the ability to have a platform that I can use to help people on a large scale, but I really enjoy having the time to focus on my advocacy now that I don’t have the show.

Health E- Insights: Will we see you in more acting roles?

Mr. Williams: I really enjoy acting, and definitely would like to do more of it. I just shot a small role in an independent film a few weeks back and look forward to more.