Michelle May
Dr. May is a voice of reason in a food-abundant, diet-crazed world.
Fee Range: $ $7,500 - $10,000
Tags: Diet and Exercise, Eating Programs, Health Speaker, Healthcare, Life Balance, Medical Professional, Mindfulness, Well-being
FEATURED VIDEOS
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY
Michelle May, M.D., CSP, a physician, mindful eating speaker, and recovered yo-yo dieter empowers others to take charge of their lives and end chronic dieting and overeating without deprivation and guilt. Her authenticity and passion for mindful eating stems from her own personal struggle with food and body image. After years of ineffective yo-yo dieting, she developed a mindful, non-diet approach to food, movement, and self-care.
Michelle founded Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Programs and Training in 1999 to share this compassionate, constructive and life-changing approach through health and wellness professionals, corporate wellness programs, hospitals, fitness centers, insurance companies, and community-based programs. Winner of the Excellence in Patient Education Innovation Award, Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Programs are available through hundreds of licensed Am I Hungry? facilitators, coaches, and therapists worldwide through workshops, webinars, coaching, retreats and organizational programs.
Dr. Michelle May is the award-winning author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat: A Mindful Eating Program to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle. Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat was awarded seven awards for publishing including Best Health Book, Best Body-Mind-Spirit Book, Best Nutrition Book, and Best Self-Help Book. She is also the author of Eat What You Love for Diabeties, Binge Eaters, Students and Bariatric Surgery Patients. Michelle is also the co-author of �?F’ is for Fitness and three other books that encourage healthy attitudes and behaviors in young children; over 325,000 copies have been requested for physicians’ waiting rooms!
As a highly-rated health and wellness keynote speaker, Michelle delivers her crucial and timely message with energy, humor, and insight. Whether delivering a mindful eating experiential workshop for 65 or an inspirational keynote for 6500, her positive message and authentic “been there” approach connects with her audiences and transforms the way they view eating, physical activity, and self-care. Michelle is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), the highest earned designation from the National Speakers Association.
Michelle May MD is a “retired” family physician with 16 years of clinical experience. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Arizona State University and her Medical Degree from the University of Arizona College of Medicine. She completed a three-year Family Medicine Residency at Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona where she served as Chief Resident. She is well respected by her physician colleagues who elected her to serve as President of the Arizona Academy of Family Physicians and serve in the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Congress of Delegates, the policy forming body of the 93,000-member organization, for eight years. She is Past Chair of the AAFP Americans in Motion Advisory Panel and served on the AAFP Commission on the Health of the Public and Science.
Dr. May is an Associate Professor at Arizona State University where she teaches Mindful Eating. She has also been a recognized leader in many other professional and community organizations including the Board of Managers for her local YMCA and Past President of the National Speakers Association, Arizona Chapter.
Michelle has been the featured expert on the Discovery Health Channel, Dr. Oz, and Oprah Radio and has been quoted in CNN Health, Fitness, Fox News Radio, Glamour, Health, Huffington Post , Parade, Parents, Prevention, Self, Shape, TIME.com, USA Weekend, US News & World Report, Vim & Vigor, Washington Post, WebMD, Woman’s Day, Woman’s World, and many more. Her personal story appears in Chicken Soup for the Dieter’s Soul.
Michelle must practice what she preaches in order to balance her personal and professional life while maintaining her vibrant lifestyle. She enjoys yoga and hiking near her home in Phoenix, Arizona. Michelle cherishes her relationships with her two grown children, Tyler and Elyse. She and her husband, Owen, a professional chef, share a passion for gourmet and healthful cooking, recipe development, wine tasting, and traveling.
Michelle May's Programs
The Vibrant Employee
The Vibrant Well-Being Triad
Vibrant organizations consist of vibrant individuals who are confident in their ability to take charge of their choices. As a result, they are focused, energetic, calm, and resilient. Vibrant employees create consistently better outcomes at work and in life.
YOUR AUDIENCE WILL LEAVE WITH:
- Optimism is about their ability to recognize and change habitual, ineffective lifestyle patterns.
- The capacity to eat mindfully, move joyfully and build a self-care buffer zone.
- Mindful decision-making skills for achieving professional and personal fulfillment.
Mindful Eating Keynotes and Guided Mindful Eating
Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat
Description: Decades of dieting have left us feeling guilty, disappointed, and less healthy. This interactive, entertaining keynote turns that old-fashioned paradigm on its head. Michelle delves much deeper than the obvious advice to “eat less, exercise more.” Using humor, personal anecdotes, and uncommon insight, she’ll show you how to nourish your body and fuel the fulfilling life you crave for optimal well-being. (This keynote can also be tailored to address diabetes self-management, life after bariatric surgery, binge eating disorder, athletes, or college students.)
Audience: This mindful eating keynote presentation is perfect for community-wide events, corporate, and association audiences, wellness or women’s conferences, and spouse programs. Continuing education credits are available.
Your audience will learn:
- How to break the eat-repent-repeat cycle
- Six simple, yet powerful strategies for knowing when what, and how much to eat without rigid, unsustainable rules
- How to recognize and cope effectively with triggers for mindless and emotional eating
- How to balance eating for nourishment with eating for enjoyment – without deprivation or guilt
“We are extremely grateful for Dr. May’s fabulous presentation and the indelible impression she left on our tight-knit community.” – Tanner Health System
Guided Mindful Eating Experience
Description: During this memorable mealtime immersion experience, participants learn to apply conscious eating strategies while Dr. May guides them through an enjoyable mindful meal. They’ll learn practical mindful eating techniques and reinforce them immediately for maximum impact and retention. This session will nourish the body, mind, heart, and spirit! (Continuing education credits available.)
Audience: This applied session is the perfect complement to any of Dr. May’s workshops or keynotes. Continuing education credits available.
Your audience will learn:
- How to differentiate physical hunger and head hunger
- How to use self-awareness to make the “perfect” food choice every time
- How to eat mindfully for more pleasure with less food
“I loved seeing all of our physicians and guest so entertained and engaged in the learning process. I believe they will more effectively transfer your key healthy lifestyle message to their patients because they experienced the power of it for themselves.” – Maryland Academy of Family Physicians
From Weight to Well-Being
Description: The goal of patient care is improved health and well-being. However, the current dominant weight-centered paradigm has been shown to be not only ineffective, but harmful. Shifting to weight-inclusive approach encourages optimal care and well-being for individuals along the entire weight spectrum.
Audience: This keynote presentation is ideal for health care professionals, corporate wellness programs, and policymakers. Continuing education credits are available.
Your audience will be able to:
- Describe the evidence-base for a weight-neutral approach to patient care.
- Cite the three most common outcomes of weight loss efforts: Weight cycling, disordered eating, and weight stigma.
- Make a plan for a weight-neutral approach to patient care, including creating a safe healthcare environment, overcoming weight bias in diagnosis and treatment, and providing effective weight-neutral counseling on behavior change.
“This deep dive into the actual scientific data behind weight and outcomes is a mind-altering paradigm shift that all physicians should understand. With passion and clarity, Dr. May offers us a new path through the jungle of judgment and emotions that cloud our medical attitudes toward weight, leading to unrealistic interventions. Rational and honest, her statistics and caring approach pave the way for new thoughtful partnerships with our patients.”– Sandra Miller MD; Faculty Emeritus, University of Arizona Family Medicine Residency; Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Arizona College of Medicine
Eat Mindfully, Live Vibrantly
Description: Organizations interested in promoting well-being need engaging, positive, and practical strategies to effect behavior change. To address the complex issues contributing to our diet and exercise choices, it is essential to move beyond advice-giving and address the core drivers of our decisions. This presentation explores an innovative approach that helps individuals develop mindful eating patterns that don’t result in disordered eating and weight cycling. This interactive, entertaining keynote is punctuated by real-life, practical examples illustrating how to implement the strategies in a variety of settings (customized to the audience). Dr. May delivers this crucial and timely message with passion, energy, humor, and insight that leaves a lasting impression.
Audience: This keynote presentation is perfect for corporate wellness programs, the food industry, health care professionals, and policymakers. Continuing education credits available.
Your audience will learn:
- The bio-psycho-social drivers of eating are important for the development of effective messages and programs
- Six crucial decision points that impact the way people manage their eating
- Why mindful eating is a powerful and universal solution to the complex problem of a food-abundant, diet-obsessed culturen
- Specific strategies to encourage sustainable healthy eating habits and active lifestyles
“Dr. May’s unique way of addressing food and eating issues obviously resonated with many employees in the audience.” – Oklahoma State University Employee Wellness Program
Mindful Eating: Positive Consumer Messaging about Food
Description: After decades of a difficult love-hate relationship with food, consumers crave a positive, rational approach to eating. Dr. Michelle May’s unconventional strategies to promote mindful eating and the fearless enjoyment of food offer a powerful and universal solution to the complex issues contributing to unhealthy lifestyles. This interactive, eye-opening keynote deconstructs the Mindful Eating Cycle and explores the bio-psycho-social drivers of each decision point. Michelle is not only an award-winning author and mindful eating expert, she is an industry-insider. With her family immersed in the restaurant business for over 25 years and a professional chef-husband, she offers uncommon and unconventional insights.
Audience: This keynote presentation is ideal for the food, beverage, and restaurant industries.
Your audience will learn:
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- The bio-psycho-social drivers of eating are important for the development of products and consumer messages
- How to effectively engage consumers to make sustainable healthy lifestyle choices
- Strategies for communicating positive consumer messages that promote mindful eating and the fearless enjoyment of food
“The supermarket dietitians from around the country so enjoyed what you had to say and told me that your message of eating mindfully is exactly what many of their shoppers need to hear!” – Shopping for Health Conference
Michelle May's Books
