July 2011 Am I Hungry? E-News

Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Retreat

Bring a friend for half off!

(This is NOT stock photography - this photo was taken at the retreat center!)

The Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Retreat is only about a month away and we couldn't be more excited! I personally promise that this will be a life-changing experience for each and every person who shows up ready to transform their body, mind, heart, and spirit.

We are finalizing the schedule and here are just a few of the activities we have planned for you:

• Cooking demos
• Chocolate tasting
• Dining in the dark
• Mindful movement
• Wine (or tea) tasting
• Massage
• Oh, and of course, Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Workshops (taught by yours truly!)

My focus for this retreat is to provide you with the inspiration and skills you need to eat mindfully and live vibrantly long after your suitcases have been put away!

We have just a few rooms left and I CAN'T STAND to see them go to waste! If you've been on the fence, invite a friend, partner, sister, or daughter to join you for HALF PRICE!* You will both return home refreshed, renewed, and on a new path of wellness and wholeness.

Please join us Thursday, Aug. 25 to Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011** in the beautiful foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains in Arizona (pictured above). Read more and register. Questions? Email Training@AmIHungry.com or call 480 704-7811.

Michelle May, M.D.
Founder of Am I Hungry?

*Sorry, discounts cannot be combined.
**Special Facilitator Track begins Aug. 24th for Am I Hungry? Facilitators and Facilitators-in-Training!

Sensuous Eating:

How to Make Every Meal an Experience

My husband and I just celebrated our 25th anniversary with a two week trip through Italy. He's a professional chef and I've long been fascinated by the European approach to food (and life) so it was the perfect "working" vacation. We were not dissappointed!

I can best describe our trip as "sensuous." Haven't you noticed that somehow everything seems better while on vacation? Before your mind goes any further, remember that sensuous is defined as:

1. Relating to or derived from the senses.
2. Appealing to or gratifying the senses.
3. Readily affected through the senses.    
4. Highly appreciative of the pleasures of sensation.

So why is eating pizza in Italy so much more sensuous than a pizza delivered to your door?

Because the experience is new. Rather than shifting into autopilot because we've "been there, done that," everything is experienced as if for the first time. In mindfulness, this is called "the beginner's mind."

Going Through the Motions

Most of us eat over 1500 snacks and meals a year so repetition is one reason we check out soon after the first bite or two. We quickly become distracted by TV, work, or driving. We also disconnect when we're using the food for reasons other than nourishment or feel guilty about eating it.

When we are just going through the motions, we don't fully enjoy the experience. We also miss the signals our body sends to let us know when we've had enough (until it's too late!). As a consequence, we feel stuffed but unsatisfied, feeding the eat-repent-repeat cycle.

Love What You Eat

The next time you're hungry, carefully choose a small amount of food and eat it like a young child experiencing it for the very first time.

• Look at it closely, feel it, smell it, then taste it. Notice the texture, temperature, aromas, and flavors as you slowly chew it.
• Notice whether you're tempted to pick up the next bite before you're done with the first one.
• Be aware of your body's subtle signals of hunger and satisfaction.
• If you become bored while eating, try re-engaging all of your senses. If you're still bored, you are probably done eating.

By treating each bite, food, or meal as though it's the first time you've ever experienced it, there is no room for guilt, shame, or gluttony so eating becomes a sensuous, lovely experience every day.

Eat Mindfully, Live Vibrantly!
Michelle May, M.D.

P.S. Experience mindful eating and vibrant living with us! Join us for our Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Retreat - a vacation that will stay with you forever!

Do You EatSpeak?

Food is the background music to our lives

We eat for pleasure, comfort, and convenience - but have you ever noticed how much we "eatspeak"?

Enjoy our new EatSpeak video on youtube featuring 92 food and eating related phrases. We know there are lots more so post your eatspeak on our blog!

Subscribe to this E-News and read this or past issues online: http://amihungry.com/enews.shtml

Connect with Dr. Michelle May

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/eatwhatyoulove
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AmIHungry
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/amihungry
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI37UlVhAAg
Blog: http://www.eatwhatyoulovelovewhatyoueat.com/
Press Room: http://www.michellemaymd.com/press-room.shtml

AAFP National Conference for Residents and Medical Students
Kansas City, Missouri
July 29, 2011

TEDxChandler
Chandler, Arizona
August 16, 2011

Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Retreat
Oracle, Arizona
August 25-28, 2011

BCBS-FL Coaching Workshop
Orlando, Florida
Sept. 13-14, 2011

AAFP Scientific Assembly
Orlando, Florida
September 15-17, 2011

Cornerstone Working Women
Chandler, Arizona
September 19, 2011

New York State Academy of Family Physicians
Albany, NY
October 15, 2011

Missouri Academy of Family Physicians Conference
Ridgedale, MO
November 11-12, 2011

Florida Academy of Family Physicians
Orlando, Florida
December 8 - 10, 2011

National Eating Disorder Association
Phoenix NEDA Walk
Phoenix Zoo, Arizona
February 26, 2012

Upcoming Workshops

Workshops starting soon:
Phoenix, Arizona
Chico, California
Tampa, Florida
Indianapolis, Indiana
Long Grove, Illinois
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Beaverton, Oregon
Hillsboro, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Anywhere by Telephone

Find a Facilitator in your area or become one!

Facilitator Training Online available now! For more information or registration, please click here.

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