Join the OM Wellness Workshop Series: Your Year-Long Path to Optimal Health and Wellness – FREE Registration!
Start your wellness journey with the OM Wellness Workshop Series—a free, year-long program offering expert-led sessions and seasonal guidance to support your health goals.
Our 12-month series provides access to educational, practical, and support sessions tailored to the unique needs of each season, helping you create sustainable wellness habits. Led by renowned global experts, each workshop is designed to deliver actionable, evidence-based insights that empower your journey to optimal health.
Why Join this Workshop Series?
- Inclusive and Personalized Approach: Every wellness journey is unique, and our workshops embrace diversity, creating a non-judgmental space for all. You’ll feel supported at every stage with a focus on individual empowerment.
- Expert-Led Sessions: Our sessions feature top experts, delivering the latest research and practical advice to help you achieve your health and wellness goals.
- Flexible and Ongoing Support: With free registration, you can attend the workshops that fit your needs. Can’t make a session, or want to join only certain ones? No worries! Simply register once and participate in the workshops most relevant to you.
- Community Engagement: Our community centered approach includes recurring workshops and moderated support sessions, offering encouragement, accountability, and guidance from healthcare professionals.
What to Expect
This comprehensive, 12-month series provides seasonally relevant insights, practical strategies, and professional support. Hosts, including Rachel Atkins and Sandra Elia, guide you throughout the year to keep you motivated and supported.
Free Registration makes this program accessible to all. If you find the workshops valuable, your donations are welcome to support our mission.
2025 Schedule
🗓️ July 16, 2025, 12-1 PM (ET): Oh, Those Hormones: Let’s Talk Menopause (completed)
👤Guest: Dr. Kimberley Sampson-Paine
From mood swings to hot flashes to questions we’ve been told not to ask — Dr. Kimberley Sampson-Paine brings honesty, humour, and expertise to a conversation too often ignored. This session dives into the hormonal shifts of perimenopause and menopause, helping us understand what’s happening, why it matters, and how to advocate for care that supports your whole self. Let’s talk about it — openly, without shame.
🗓️ July 30, 2025, 12-1 PM (ET): Breathe, Move, Reconnect: Finding Your Way Back to You (completed)
👤 Guests: Deanna Scharpf and Erin Jacob
Join us for a hands-on workshop designed to help you gently reconnect with your body through mindful movement, mobility exercises, and breathwork. Whether you’re just starting your wellness journey or looking to deepen your self-awareness, this workshop offers a safe and supportive space to explore how your body feels, moves, and heals — at your own pace.
🗓️ August 13, 2025, 12-1 PM (ET): Support Session with Sandra Elia and Guest, Niya Bajaj (completed)
Join facilitators Niya Bajaj and Sandra Elia for a guided storytelling session designed to help you share, listen, and connect in a supportive space. Using simple prompts and narrative medicine techniques, you’ll explore the power of personal stories to inspire, heal, and build community. No experience needed—just an open mind and a willingness to reflect.
🗓️ August 27, 2025, 12-1 PM (ET): 🍂 Savour the Season: Fall Flavours & Mindful Eating (completed)
👤 Guest: Aesha Karunakaran
Aesha is back with Rachel and Jen to bring you quick, cozy fall recipes and healthier twists on comfort foods. Jen will share simple mindful eating tips, while we take time together to reflect on what we’ve loved most about the OM Wellness Workshops — and what you’d like to see in the future. Don’t miss this chance to cook, connect, and celebrate our journey!.
🗓️ September 10, 2025, 12-1 PM (ET): Support Session with Sandra (completed)
As we wrap up a transformative year of the OM Wellness Workshop, this support session is all about celebration. We’ll look back on what we’ve built together — a community rooted in compassion, courage, and curiosity — and toast to the many ways our wellness journeys have grown.
Expect heartfelt reflections, highlights from the year, and special guest appearances to help us mark this milestone.
🗓️ September 24, 2025, 12-1 PM (ET): Understanding Weight Regain: A Positive Path Forward (completed)
👤 Guest: Dr. Laura Reardon
Weight regain can feel discouraging — but it’s far more common than most people realize, and it does not define your worth, your progress, or your future.
In this heartfelt and empowering session, Dr. Laura Reardon will guide you through the science and emotion behind weight regain — breaking the myth that it’s about willpower, and showing how self-compassion and support can help us move forward with clarity and confidence.
This is a space for honesty, growth, and reconnection — a space where progress is measured in care, not perfection.
Whether you’ve been part of the OM Wellness Workshop since day one or are joining us for the first time, we invite you to be part of this meaningful close to the season — and a powerful beginning to whatever comes next.
💜 Let’s move forward, together.
Register Now to secure your spot in the OM Wellness Workshop Series! Whether you attend one session or the entire series, you’ll gain invaluable tools and community support for a healthier, happier life.
Completed
🗓️ October 9, 12 – 1 PM (ET): Weight Loss Demystified (watch video)
👤 Guest: Dr. Sean Wharton
Join Dr. Sean Wharton, one of the leading experts in the field, as he reveals the truths and dispels the myths about weight loss. Gain valuable insights and evidence-based guidance to confidently navigate the complexities of effective weight management.
🗓️ November 6, 12 – 1 PM (ET): Fuelling Health: The Role of Protein, Supplements, and Muscle in Weight Management and Overall Wellness (watch video)
👤 Guests: Erik Bustillo and Will Brink
This talk will unpack the science behind these essential elements, exploring their roles in optimizing health, enhancing vitality, and supporting long-term well-being. Join us to gain insights and practical tips for integrating these strategies into your lifestyle.
🗓️ December 4, 12 – 1 PM (ET): Festive Season Survival Guide: Practical Strategies for Managing Holiday Stress and Well-Being (watch video)
👤 Guest: Dr. Dayna Lee-Baggley
Join Dr. Dayna Lee-Baggley to discover practical strategies for navigating the holidays, including how to sustain your energy, regulate emotions, manage expectations, and protect your health and well-being. Drawing on the latest psychological research, this session provides tools to manage stress, support your mental health, and enjoy the season without compromising your health.
Support Sessions: October 23, November 20, December 18, 12 – 1 PM (ET)
Moderator: Sandra Elia
Participate in supportive sessions where you can get your questions answered, receive coaching on specific challenges, and gain advice from a Certified Food Addiction Counsellor. These sessions are designed to help you maintain momentum and overcome obstacles throughout your journey.
🗓️ January 15, 2025, 12-1 PM (ET): Quieting the Food Noise and Cravings: Finding Peace in Your Relationship With Food (completed)
👤 Guest: Dr. Jeff Alfonsi
Join us for an insightful session with Dr. Jeff Alfonsi, a leading expert in metabolic health, for a transformative session focused on understanding and managing cravings. Explore why we crave certain foods, the role of emotions and habits in cravings, and practical strategies to reduce “food noise” and make mindful choices. Whether it’s learning to distinguish physical hunger from emotional triggers or understanding how sleep and stress impact cravings, this session will give you the tools to take control of your eating habits and foster a more balanced relationship with food.
🗓️ January 29, 2025, 12 – 1 PM (ET): Healing Emotional Eating: Building a Healthier Relationship with Food and Yourself (completed)
👤 Guest: Dr. Sandy Van.
In this session, Dr. Sandy Van will explore the emotional triggers behind overeating, why we often feel shame or guilt afterward, and how self-compassion can help break the cycle. She’ll share how Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) can be used to reframe negative thought patterns and build healthier, sustainable habits around food. Join us to learn practical tools for creating lasting change and finding freedom from emotional eating. 💙
🗓️ February 12, 2025, 12-1 PM (ET): Nourishing Change: A Journey of Self-Love and Wellness (completed)
👤 Guest: Dr. Brunna Boaventura, RD, MSc., PhD
This Valentine’s season, embrace the ultimate act of love—self-love. Join Dr. Brunna Boaventura for an insightful session on reframing the conversation around nutrition. Moving beyond the notion of willpower and personal choice, she’ll explore how biology plays a powerful role in shaping our habits. Whether you’re ready to make small changes or craft a personalized plan that fits your lifestyle, this session will provide sustainable, evidence-based tools for nourishing change—all grounded in compassion, balance, and kindness to yourself. 💖
🗓️ February 26, 2025, 12-1 PM (ET): Empowering Wellness: A Support Session with Sandra Elia and Special Guest Gina Livy (completed)
Obesity isn’t just about willpower—it’s about the systems that shape our health. Join Sandra Elia, a leading food addiction counsellor, and Gina Livy, wellness expert and founder of the Livy Method, for an inspiring support session that aligns with World Obesity Day’s theme: “Changing Systems, Healthier Lives.” Together, they’ll share insights, tools, and strategies to help you break free from unhealthy food patterns, navigate systemic challenges, and build sustainable wellness habits. 💚
🗓️ March 12, 2025, 12-1 PM (ET): Rest and Resilience: Managing Stress and Sleep for Better Health (completed)
👤 Guest: Dr. Sara Ahmed
Sleep is the foundation of good health, yet stress and daily demands often disrupt our ability to rest and recharge. In recognition of National Sleep Month, join us for an insightful and practical session exploring the critical connection between sleep, stress management, and overall well-being. Led by Dr. Sara Ahmed, this session will uncover evidence-based strategies to improve sleep quality, regulate stress, and enhance resilience. Learn how better sleep can support mental clarity, immune function, emotional well-being, and long-term health.
🗓️ March 26, 2025, 12-1 PM (ET): Support Session with Sandra Elia
🗓️ April 9, 2025, 12-1 PM (ET): From Breakfast to Dinner: A Day of Healthy Eating Hacks
👤 Guest: Aesha Karunakaran
Join us for a fun and interactive session designed to make healthy eating simple and enjoyable!
Discover time-saving tips to fuel your day — from breakfast to dinner — with practical meal ideas and smart swaps that take the stress out of healthy eating. Whether you’re on the go or cooking at home, this session will leave you inspired, empowered, and ready to eat well with ease.
🗓️ May 7, 2025, 12-1 PM (ET): The Science of Happiness: Unlocking the Secrets to a Joyful Life
👤 Guest: Dr. Gillian Mandich
Dr. Gillian Mandich is a leading happiness researcher and a trusted voice in the science of well-being. As a Ph.D. scientist, keynote speaker, and media personality, Dr. Mandich translates the latest research into practical strategies that empower people to live happier, healthier lives. Her engaging and evidence-based approach blends science with actionable insights, helping audiences uncover the keys to lasting joy.
In this engaging session, Dr. Mandich will explore what science tells us about happiness — from simple habits to powerful mindset shifts — and share practical tools you can use to boost your well-being and thrive in everyday life.
🗓️ June 4, 2025, 12-1 PM (ET): From Stigma to Support: A New Approach to Obesity Treatment
👤 Guest: Dr. Michael Crotty
Have you ever felt judged or dismissed because of your weight? You’re not alone — and it’s not your fault.
Join Dr. Michael Crotty for a compassionate conversation on how stigma affects obesity care — from daily life to the doctor’s office. We’ll explore how bias impacts treatment, health outcomes, and what it takes to create respectful, person-centered care.
Whether you’ve faced stigma or want to be a better ally, this session is for you.
🗓️ June 18, 2025, 12-1 PM (ET): Fresh Flavours, Healthy Plates: A Summer Cooking Workshop
Looking to shake up your summer meals? Join Chef Healthy Henry for a hands-on, interactive cooking workshop featuring vibrant, seasonal salads that are as nourishing as they are delicious. With a focus on high-protein, high-fiber ingredients and bold global flavours, this session will show you how simple it can be to eat well and feel great all summer long.
About Obesity Matters
Obesity Matters is a dedicated advocacy organization committed to empowering individuals and communities through education, support, and advocacy. Through our initiatives, such as the OM Wellness Workshop, we strive to break down barriers, promote sustainable lifestyle changes, and inspire a future where everyone has the opportunity to lead a healthier, happier life.
Speakers
