For Seekers of Wisdom, Community & Conversations That Matter
Voices With Vigor:
Sabrina Falquier
A Conversation on Culinary Medicine, Nutrition & the Power of Food to Support Health Through Midlife
When Voices Come Together, They Create Light With Sound
Tuesday, October 13, 2026 | 10:00 AM Pacific Time (1:00 PM Eastern)
In our modern world, individual voices often feel lost in an endless sea of noise.
One voice may be drowned out by a symphony of others, or swallowed up in darkness.
Yet when voices gather with intention, something beautiful happens:
They resonate with calm, reason, and hope.
This is where Voices With Vigor begins.
Our next chapter features the theme "Nourishing Midlife: A Conversation for World Menopause Day" as we celebrate the growing community of Voices With Vigor and Susan Baumgaertel's dedication to meaningful dialogue…
A fitting moment to expand the conversation from wellness to culinary medicine, nutrition, and food as a tool for health through midlife, and all the voices that matter.
About Voices With Vigor: A New Kind of Conversation Series
Voices With Vigor represents something rare in our digital age:
A return to the art of meaningful dialogue.
Inspired by the great conversationalists like Terry Gross of Fresh Air and the beloved Magliozzi brothers of Car Talk, this monthly series brings together extraordinary voices for intimate, unscripted conversations.
Each month, we welcome guests from diverse backgrounds: physician innovators, visionary veterans, wellness advocates, courageous trailblazers, resilient innovators, leaders who inspire, and so many others who share common threads of curiosity, kindness, dedication, and resilience.
What makes VWV special:
• Authentic dialogue over polished presentations
• Diverse perspectives united by shared humanity
• No sales pitches or commercial agendas
• Intimate format that prioritizes genuine connection
• Community building that extends beyond the screen
Merriam-Webster defines vigor as "active bodily or mental strength or force; active healthy well-balanced growth."
We believe our voices can be vigorous in spirit, in love, in creativity, and in purpose.
Important note:
While our current series remains free as a gift to our community, future VWV conversations will transition to a premium format.
These foundational conversations will eventually live on the website menopausemenu.com, but the live, interactive experience—the chance to ask questions and be part of the dialogue in real time—that's happening now, and only now.
A Conversation That Matters
Join Susan Baumgaertel for an intimate morning conversation with triple board-certified physician and culinary medicine expert Sabrina Falquier…
A voice that bridges the worlds of internal medicine, culinary medicine, and lifestyle medicine, along with the work of turning evidence-based nutrition into food that people can cook, share, and enjoy at home.
In this FREE 60-minute live gathering, we'll consider:
• Food as medicine – What culinary medicine is, and how the foods we choose and prepare support health
• Nutrition you can use – Turning evidence-based nutrition into practical cooking skills for everyday life
• Culture on the plate – How background, taste, and food traditions shape the way we eat and care for our health
• Bridging the silos – How doctors, dietitians, chefs, and health coaches can work together around food and health
• A physician's shift – Sabrina's path from more than fifteen years in primary care to culinary medicine education and consulting
Meet Our Featured Voice: Sabrina Falquier
Sabrina Falquier transforms clinical training and a love of delicious food into an evidence-based, culturally connected approach to nutrition and health…
As a triple board-certified physician in Internal Medicine, Culinary Medicine, and Lifestyle Medicine, and the founder and owner of Sensations Salud®, she brings professional expertise and a multicultural perspective to the questions of how we eat, cook, and live.
Born and raised in Mexico City to Swiss and American parents, and bilingual in Spanish and English, she brings food and culture together in every conversation…
A perspective that shaped her belief that our background, taste, and traditions influence our health.
After more than fifteen years as a primary care physician in San Diego, a 2016 medical conference sparked a career shift that led her to step away from clinical medicine and, in 2020, found Sensations Salud®—empowering individuals and communities through nutritional knowledge and culinary literacy built on evidence-based Culinary Medicine.
When she's not teaching medical, graduate, and physician assistant students, you'll find Sabrina hosting her two podcasts, Culinary Medicine Recipe in English and Medicina Culinaria in Spanish, serving on the board of the Teaching Kitchen Collaborative Organizational Member site Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center, and contributing to Edible San Diego, where in 2025 she received a San Diego Press Club Excellence in Journalism Award. Her culinary medicine work has also been featured in the documentary The Kitchenistas.
She believes in making evidence-based nutrition and cooking accessible, joyful, and culturally relevant, and in helping people translate knowledge into the foods they choose, prepare, and share…
A physician who transforms nutrition science into education, empowerment, and everyday cooking.
Your Host: Susan Baumgaertel
Susan brings three decades of medical wisdom and a lifetime of curiosity to every conversation.
As an internal medicine physician with over 30 years of clinical experience, she has witnessed the full spectrum of human experience:
• The fragility and resilience, the fear and hope, the moments that break us open and the connections that hold us together.
• In 2021, Susan stepped away from direct patient care to expand her impact through myMDadvocate, a virtual consultation service that serves as a bridge between patients and the often-complex healthcare system.
• As a physician consultant, healthcare navigator, and medical advocate, she helps people navigate everything from referral advocacy to chronic condition management, from aging gracefully to supporting caregivers through their most challenging moments.
Her passion for supporting women through life transitions led to the creation of MenopauseMenu, a comprehensive resource offering evidence-based information and holistic support.
• This work culminated in her 2023 book, "The Menopause Menu"—an all-in-one guide that transforms medical complexity into accessible wisdom.
• In 2026, Susan launched her Substack, Juxtaposition in Medicine, where she writes as a physician-patient on the juxtaposition of humanity and medicine's complex systems: "Raw, real, reflective. With a sprinkle of serendipity."
Recognition and impact:
• Featured speaker at prestigious events, including the STAT News Summit in Boston, the ICCR Conference in New York City, the Doctors on Social Media (SoMeDocs) virtual Menopause Conference, the Massachusetts Health Care Advocates virtual meeting of the New England States, and the 5th Virtual Sjögren's Summit
• Recognized by Seattle Met Top Doctors, The Best Doctors in America, and multiple professional organizations
• Board President of Cancer Lifeline, recipient of their Inspirational Leadership Award and Volunteer of the Year
• Sought-after voice on national and international podcasts
Susan embodies the intersection of medicine and art, science and humanity, individual stories and universal truths.
She believes in the power of genuine conversation to illuminate what matters most.
"My aim is to weave the tapestry of my career in ways that support others, promote health, strengthen human connections, and enrich our collective voices."
What This Gathering Offers
This conversation comes to you as a gift…
No strings attached or hidden agendas.
Simply a culinary medicine physician and a physician-advocate sharing what they've learned about food, nutrition, and health through midlife, and the courage to build genuine connections while managing healthcare's complex landscape.
✨ Live morning conversation between two thoughtful voices in medicine, culinary medicine, and nutrition
✨ Interactive dialogue where your questions become part of the story
✨ Insights into finding purpose and hope in midlife's most challenging moments
✨ Community connection with others who value authentic exchange
✨ Curated resources to continue your own journey of growth
Join This Circle of Voices
Event Details:
Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM Pacific Time (1:00 PM Eastern)
Duration: 60 minutes of genuine conversation
Format: Live via Zoom (details sent upon registration)
Investment: Free—because some things are too important to put behind paywalls
Voices From Our Growing Community
“Dr. Baumgaertel provided a welcoming atmosphere and was clearly very well prepared as a host and guide of an extremely meaningful discussion! I felt her compassion, curiosity, nonjudgment, and support throughout the discussion, and I valued her contributions, which facilitated a deeply enriching dialogue. I am honored to have been a guest on Voices With Vigor. Thank you for the invitation and being an amazing host!” — Jillian R. (Texas)
"The ability of Susan to draw the speaker into meaningful dialogue was a sight to behold. Her knowledge of the industry and the in-depth knowledge of the speaker provided insights most would gloss over, while others would most definitely walk away with a broader and deeper knowledge of the challenges in the business side of healthcare delivery." — Ed B. (Atlanta, Georgia)
“I’ve been a guest on many programs, but this is the first where the host has a system for marketing and attracting live guests. I loved the thoughtful care before, during, and after the Voices With Vigor experience. The interaction with guests in the room made it feel like a talk show… which I loved. The engagement is wonderful, and the vibe is relaxed yet purposeful.” — Rebecca M. (Washington)
Why This Moment Matters
We live in times when authentic voices feel increasingly rare.
When genuine connection seems harder to find. When the noise threatens to drown out what truly matters.
Voices With Vigor stands as a quiet rebellion against all of that.
This conversation with Sabrina Falquier happens once—live, unrehearsed, immediate.
Miss it, and you miss the chance to be part of something that can't be replicated or reproduced.
This Conversation Calls To:
✨ Anyone facing midlife changes who wants food to support how they feel and function
✨ People who have been told to "eat healthier" and want the skills to make it happen
✨ Those curious about culinary medicine and food as a tool for health
✨ Clinicians interested in bringing nutrition and culinary literacy into patient care
✨ People ready to add their own voice to a chorus of conversation about food, nutrition, and midlife
This Moment Won't Come Again
Registration closes when we reach our intimate gathering size or at 9:00 AM Pacific on October 13th.
The beauty of meaningful conversation lies in its limitations…
We can't accommodate everyone, but we can create something special for those who choose to join us.
Questions You Might Have
Q: What makes this different from other online events?
A: This follows the tradition of great conversationalists—genuine curiosity, thoughtful questions, space for real dialogue. No scripts or sales pitches, simply two people exploring ideas that matter.
Q: What if I can't attend live?
A: The recording captures the content, but the live experience—the ability to ask questions, feel the energy of real-time dialogue—that's irreplaceable.
Q: How long will we gather?
A: Sixty minutes, including time for your questions to become part of the conversation.
Q: Is this only for physicians or healthcare professionals?
A: Not at all. While some of our guests come from medical backgrounds, this conversation spans universal themes of identity, authenticity, self-worth, and the courage to change course. Whether you're a physician, a teacher, a parent, or simply someone who feels the pull to live more true to yourself—this is for you.
Q: Will you try to sell me something?
A: Never. This is about paying it forward, the old-fashioned barter system of sharing what we know because it matters, not because it profits.
Q: I heard future events won't be free—is that true?
A: This "Nourishing Midlife: A Conversation for World Menopause Day" conversation continues as a gift to our community. Future series may transition to different formats, but we believe these particular conversations are too important to put behind paywalls.
Q: How do I prepare?
A: Bring your curiosity and your favorite beverage. If you're drawn to learn about Sabrina's work beforehand, listening to her Culinary Medicine Recipe podcast (or Medicina Culinaria in Spanish) or connecting with her on LinkedIn will give you insight into her approach to food and health. Learning about her work with Sensations Salud® and culinary medicine will give you deeper insight into how she helps people turn nutrition knowledge into practical cooking skills. But neither is required—just come as you are.
Q: What about future conversations?
A: One to three voices join us each month, each bringing their own unique perspective to the themes that connect us all—resilience, creativity, purpose, community.
Your Choice, Your Voice
Two paths stretch before you:
One leads back to the familiar—the endless scroll of surface-level content, the webinars that promise everything and deliver little, the noise that drowns out what matters most. And later, when you realize what you missed, the opportunity to experience VWV in its founding spirit will have passed.
The other leads here—to a conversation that honors the complexity of human experience, that believes in the power of authentic voices to create light with sound. To a moment that won't come again, offered in a spirit that won't be repeated.
The choice, as always, is yours.
But this conversation happens only once, with these voices, at this moment in time, in this generous format.
Voices With Vigor – Creating light with sound, one conversation at a time.
Questions? Reach out at [email protected] or connect with Susan on LinkedIn.
We respect your privacy and protect your data. By registering for this event, you'll receive your free Zoom access link, be added to Susan J. Baumgaertel, MD's email list for updates about future Voices With Vigor conversations, and receive occasional wellness insights. You can unsubscribe anytime, and we never sell or share your information with third parties.
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