Speaker: Melyssan Allen, Founder & CEO, Melyssa with a WHY, LLC

Melyssa Allen is a double board-certified lifestyle medicine coach, speaker, and author of the book Healthy Living Doesn’t Have to SUCK, who helps organizations design sustainable, people-centered employee health and well-being programs. With a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology  from the University of Central Florida—where she also serves as an adjunct faculty member—and over 15 years of experience in behavior change, Melyssa specializes in translating evidence-based lifestyle medicine into practical strategies that support positive changes in mindset, lifestyle, and behavior.                                                                                                                                                                               

With extensive experience in corporate employee health and well-being roles within large healthcare systems, Melyssa has developed and facilitated organization-wide initiatives focused on improving resilience, optimizing performance, and increasing engagement. She created her signature program, the Lifestyle Medicine Makeover, as a way to deliver interactive, entertaining experiences to educate employees on creating sustainable, health promoting habits. At the core of her work is a simple belief: when we change our habits, we change our lives—and when we change our lives, we can change the world!     

Melyssa is also a American Heart Association Woman of Impact nominee for 2026, where she is currently participating in the campaign to promote awareness of heart disease as the leading cause of death for women and provide education on heart-healthy lifestyles through community and workplace initiatives.

Presentation:  In recognition of March as National Nutrition Month, this session shares practical, sustainable strategies for building heart-healthy eating habits that support both personal well-being and workplace performance. The presentation introduces the Full Plate Living approach—an evidence-based framework that emphasizes adding nourishing, fiber-rich foods rather than relying on restrictive or all-or-nothing diet rules. Participants will learn the 75/25 framework, explore simple meal “power-ups” to boost fiber intake, and gain realistic tools to support cardiovascular health, energy, and focus throughout the workday. The session also highlights the free Full Plate Living program, which provides accessible resources to help employees build sustainable nutrition habits that benefit both individual health and organizational productivity.