100 Letters Later
Reflections, what's next for the community, and an annual membership sale!
Welcome to the Michelle Seguin MD newsletter! I’m Dr. Michelle, and I’m so glad you’re here. This week marks my hundredth newsletter, and I’m sharing reflections on how this space has grown, what is unfolding next, and a small celebration with 10% off annual memberships in March.
Hello friends,
This week marks my hundredth newsletter! When I started this space nearly three years ago, I wasn’t thinking in terms of milestones or long-term plans. I just knew I needed somewhere to put the thoughts that kept gathering about food, health, the seasons, and the way our lives move alongside the natural world. If you've been here from the beginning, or if you found your way here recently, thank you! Today I'm sharing some reflections on how far this little project has come, a few updates on what's new for the community, and something I'm offering for the month of March.
With gratitude,
Dr. Michelle
Reflections
When I published the first newsletter in April 2023, I was not entirely sure where it would lead. I just knew I felt a pull toward longer form writing than what could be shared on most social media feeds. I wanted a home for thoughts on seasonal eating and food as medicine in a style that felt inviting and encouraging, something very different from the loud and quick sound bites that seem to dominate the health and wellness spaces. This work is slow, and for good reason.
Looking back now, what surprises me most is how central this newsletter has become to both my professional and creative life. Over time, it has evolved into a kind of meeting place where my work as a physician, gardener, and writer can live together in one space. The rhythm of sitting down to write has changed how I pay attention to the world around me, and even how I practice medicine. In many ways, it has become a form of care for myself and, I hope, for you.
Along the way, this community has grown to more than 1,300+ subscribers across 48 states and 46 countries. It is still hard for me to comprehend that there are people reading these essays in places I have never been, cooking from the same books we explore in the Cookbook Club, and noticing their own seasons in climates very different from mine. That sense of shared attention across distance feels remarkable, and I do not think I will ever stop being grateful for it.
One of the unexpected gifts of this journey has been the writing life beyond the newsletter itself. Becoming part of communities of writers, cooks, and growers who take creative work seriously has helped me take my own voice more seriously too. Being around others who are practicing their craft, whether writing, cooking, or gardening, changes the quality of your own attention and, dare I say, life.
I’ve also had the opportunity to collaborate with people whose work I deeply respect including Annie Fenn, MD, Ellen Kornmehl MD , Christina Cardy, DNP. I have found the Substack community to be incredibly supportive, and I am looking forward to even more collaborations in the coming year, including a seasonal workshop with Beth Bollinger and the Blood Sugar Method community.
And then there’s the Savor the Seasons Cookbook Club. What began as a simple monthly feature has grown into something I could not have imagined at the start. The cookbook club now includes Kitchen Conversations with cookbook authors about food, place, creativity, and nourishment. Sitting down with Amy Chaplin, Abra Berens, Amy Thielen, Rachel Riggs, Giulia Scarpaleggia, Mark Diacono, Annie Fenn, MD and Anastasia Zolotarev has been some of the most meaningful work I’ve done in this space.
Each conversation reminds me that food is never just about nutrients or recipes. It is memory, identity, culture, and care. These are qualities that are often missing from the broader conversations around food in health and nutrition spaces, where the focus can become narrow, prescriptive, or disconnected from the lived experience of cooking and eating. What I continue to learn through these conversations is that nourishment is not only biochemical. It is relational, cultural, and deeply human.
Those conversations are quietly shaping what I think of as “culinary narrative medicine”, the intersection of story, nourishment, and healing that continues to unfold through this work.
I always love hearing from readers, so your comments, messages, and email replies are always welcome. It is one of my favorite parts of this work!
How This Community Is Growing
For those of you who read primarily through email, you may not always see everything that lives on the website and in the app. Here are a few things that are now part of the paid membership experience:
Seasonal Workshops — beginning this spring, including cooking sessions, garden harvests, and deeper discussions on topics like dietary diversity, food preservation, and seasonal health. Our first workshop in May will be a collaboration with the Blood Sugar Method community (this one is free to all - see the link below).
Narrated Essays — author-narrated seasonal essays and field notes for listening while you walk, cook, or rest.
Downloadable Recipe Cards — printable favorites from the community archive.
Community Chat — a space for connection, recipe sharing, and Cookbook Club discussion.
The Full Archive — now more than 100+ posts spanning three years of seasonal reflections, recipes, and clinical insights, and growing every week.
Exploring the Newsletter Home Page
If you usually read through email, you may not always see everything that lives inside the full newsletter space. The home page, which you can access anytime by visiting the newsletter in your computer browser or your phone’s web browser, includes dedicated sections for the Cookbook Club, Kitchen Conversations, the full archive, seasonal workshops, and more. It is a helpful way to browse past content, revisit favorite recipes, or explore conversations you may have missed.
The Best Way to Listen and Connect
If you enjoy listening to Kitchen Conversations, narrated essays, or participating in community chat, the Substack app offers the easiest experience. The app allows you to stream audio seamlessly, listen while walking or cooking, and engage with discussions in one place. It is also the best way to read the newsletters and the quick notes (like this one) I sometimes publish as impromptu shares when something feels worth passing along in the moment.
A Small Celebration Offering
To celebrate this hundredth newsletter, and to say thank you for being here, I am offering 10% off annual memberships through the month of March.
If you have been considering joining the paid community, this is a lovely time to come in as we begin year three together. Annual membership rates will be increasing in April, so this also allows you to lock in the current price.
Your support directly makes this work possible. It supports the writing, the conversations, the workshops, and everything that continues to grow from this space. I never take that for granted.
And if you are already a paid subscriber, thank you. Your presence here truly sustains this work!
Looking Ahead
As we move into this next season, I wanted to share two things coming up in the newsletter…
Our March Cookbook Club pick is Mind, Body, Spirit, Food by Nicki Sizemore.
Nicki is a trained chef and cookbook author who has created something I do not often see. This book treats the kitchen as a place of practice, not just production. More than 50 naturally gluten-free recipes are paired with simple rituals and embodiment practices that invite you to slow down and cook with more presence through what she calls intentional cooking. I absolutely love this approach and cannot wait to explore it together during our upcoming Kitchen Conversation.
You can find the guide and featured seasonal recipes here:
If you’re new to the cookbook club, you can learn more about how it works and browse our full directory of past books and features here. Whether you cook along each month or simply read for inspiration, you are warmly welcome at the table.
I am also excited to share our first seasonal workshop collaboration with the Blood Sugar Method community in May!
In this conversation-style session, we will explore how dietary diversity, seasonal eating, and even small-scale gardening can support metabolic and long-term health. We will talk about what anti-inflammatory eating really means in everyday life, why locally grown foods can offer unique nutritional benefits, and how growing even a small container garden can shift your relationship with food in meaningful ways. We will also touch on the powerful connection between soil health, gut health, and systemic inflammation.
Registration is now open if you would like to join us!
A Glimpse of Home
Before I close, I wanted to share a small glimpse of the landscape that inspires so much of what I write about here in Upper Michigan. These photos are from our property across the seasons, from deep winter to the height of summer.
I am looking forward to sharing more of this landscape and season of life with you as we get settled into our new home later this spring.
In Closing
March is undoubtedly a turning point. Even though we are still blanketed in snow here, I find myself thinking green. I am looking forward to starting seeds for the garden, participating in a daily greens challenge with patients in our practice, which feels especially fun this year, and welcoming the arrival of the spring equinox from the front porch of our home. There is something hopeful about this season of transition, when the light begins to return and the possibility of new growth becomes visible again.
Thank you for being part of this space, in whatever way you are.
With love and care,
Dr. Michelle
P.S. If this note resonates, I’d love if you gave it a like or shared it with a friend. When they subscribe, you’ll earn rewards as a thank you.
Here are my most recent Substack sharings:
Congrats on 100 letters! What an inspiration.
Congrats! I love your newsletter and always look forward to getting them in my inbox.