Episode 185

Heart Health is Sexual Health

Published on: 15th February, 2023

The Salad With a Side of Fries podcast is hosted by Jenn Trepeck, discussing wellness and weight loss for real life, clearing up the myths, misinformation, bad science & marketing surrounding our nutrition knowledge and the food industry. Let’s dive into wellness and weight loss for real life, including drinking, eating out, and skipping the grocery store. 

Let’s talk about sex, baby! Did you know that your sexual health, desires, and interests directly connect to your heart health? Each February, Jenn does a podcast around heart health, and this year’s topic is about how heart health is sexual health. This episode uncovers what factors go into sex drive, what impacts sexual desires for men and women (based on biology), and the lifestyle factors that interfere with heart health and blood flow. The connection between heart health and sexual health is quite fascinating, and there are so many signs that many people aren’t aware of when it comes to the two. Tune in today to ensure that your overall health and habits are impacting your heart and sex life positively and to determine which red flags to look out for.  

IN THIS EPISODE:

●   [5:09] What percent of adults (both men and women) report being dissatisfied with their sex life?

●   [5:54] At what ages do sexual desires start to decline?

●   [8:35] A study about sexual dysfunction shows it is related to the severity of cardiovascular disease.

●   [9:31] What are the factors that go into sex drive? 

●   [16:23] What lifestyle factors interfere with heart health and blood flow? 

●   [21:26] What helps women maintain sexual interest and desire? 

●   [27:00] What impacts men's erectile health, sexual interest, and desire? 

●   [34:00] Targets for sexual health. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

●   Our sexual health is a function of our overall health. If you have no or low sex drive or are having erectile issues, there may be something else going on in your environment or your overall health. 

●   For women, stress, lack of sleep, and not feeling good in our own skin have a huge effect on our sex interest and desire. If our lifestyle habits are suffering, then our sex life will as well. 

●   Blood flow is what creates success in the bedroom. If men experience bad blood flow, their stamina and ability to stay erect will be impacted. For women, blood flow affects lubrication and nerves.

QUOTES: 

“A lot of the symptoms of cardiovascular disease all sort of work together to create this perfect storm of diminished sexual enjoyment.” - Jenn Trepeck  

“We know that stress is a major cause of cardiovascular disease and sexual desire, not only on the biological side of what’s happening in our heart but the physiological side, especially for women, who need that emotional connection and sense of relaxation, that stress part is major.” - Jenn Trepeck 

“We’re a constant work in progress, all of us when it comes to sleep, and stress, and energy, and mood, and all of these things. And even what we eat every day. We’re a constant work in progress. We can’t all be perfect. We can't not do something today because we did it yesterday and expect everything to just keep going; we do have to continuously show up.” - Jenn Trepeck 

“Manage the stress, have the sex.” - Jenn Trepeck

RESOURCES:

Become A Member of Salad with a Side of Fries

Jenn’s Free Menu Plan

A Salad With a Side of Fries

A Salad With a Side of Fries Instagram

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About the Podcast

Salad With a Side of Fries Nutrition, Wellness & Weight Loss
Nutrition tips that actually work. Real-life healthy eating, balanced diet tools, and weight loss tips you can use today with coach Jenn Trepeck.*

If you have searched for nutrition tips, tried to keep a healthy lifestyle, or felt stuck following popular weight loss tips, this podcast is for you. Get straightforward wellness advice that works in real life, plus strategies for a balanced diet, sustainable healthy eating, and a smarter approach to fitness and nutrition. Is your diet making you hungrier, crankier, or less healthy? Tune in and find out.*

Free gift: Schedule a 15-minute curiosity call with Jenn to explore what is possible for you. https://asaladwithasideoffries.com/contact/

Welcome to Salad with a Side of Fries, where wellness meets real life. Award-winning host Jenn Trepeck, health and lifestyle coach and author of Uncomplicating Wellness, cuts through the noise with clear answers you can trust. Ranked in the top 1.5% of podcasts worldwide, the show won Ear Worthy’s Best Health Podcast in 2024 and 2025 and was nominated for Best Independent Podcast both years. Jenn also won Women Who Podcast’s Stellar Interview award in 2025 after being named one of Podcast Magazine’s 40 under 40 in 2022.

Jenn’s motto is “wellness without the weirdness.” With more than 17 years coaching after solving her own food struggles, she knows how confusing the industry can be. Each week you get the foundations of a balanced diet, sustainable healthy eating, metabolism basics, and long-term holistic health, plus straight talk on fad diets and supplements.

What you will get by listening:
✅How to eat and how to cheat, guilt-free
✅Nutrition tips that work in the real world
✅Weight loss tips that are effective, never restrictive
✅How to build a balanced plate at home, on the road, and eating out
✅Smart strategies for sustainable habits that include your favorite foods
✅Evidence-based insights on fitness and nutrition
✅Conversations about holistic health that go beyond food
✅Wellness advice you can use right away


About Jenn Trepeck:
Jenn is a health coach, speaker, and consultant who blends humor with practical science. She has helped thousands improve energy, metabolism, and confidence in their choices through one-on-one coaching, group programs, her book, and this podcast.

Connect with Jenn and the show:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenntrepeck/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saladwithasideoffriespod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jenntrepeck
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferTrepeck/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/425796548337541/
Website: https://asaladwithasideoffries.com/

If you are ready to trade guilt for freedom, confusion for clarity, and boring salads for fries on the side, press play. Health gets doable here.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This podcast and its guests are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

About your host

Profile picture for Jennifer Trepeck

Jennifer Trepeck

“My passion for nutrition and helping others stems from “kicking my food issues” with my own weight management saga.” ~ Jenn

I believe that the greatest accountability is paying it forward! That’s why I teach the nutrition education we are all supposed to know but no one ever taught us, along with the science behind food, fitness, and health.

After I graduated from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, I founded Better Life Now LLC while working full-time in hedge funds. In 2019, I took my practice from side-hustle to full-time self-employment and launched my podcast, Salad With a Side of Fries. On the show, we offer science-based tips and tricks for how to achieve wellness and weight loss for real life – because who wants a life without fries or dessert?!

Topics we tackle on the podcast include debunking fad diets, food myths, misinformation in marketing, bad science, and general nutrition. I encourage guests whose expertise is different from my own focus on weight management to bring their unique, fact-based perspectives to talk about subjects they are educated in and passionate about.

Due to my decade-long experience of working with clients, I have gained insight into the health and food industry and the how-tos of building a business.

Some specific health and wellness topics I can speak to include debunking fad diets, exposing the BS we are fed by the food and diet industry, how the people around us can positively and negatively impact our health journey, and shifting mindsets in order to overcome inappropriate barometers of success to instead achieve happy, healthy, and meaningful change.

On the subject of business, I can help you by teaching my critical pieces every entrepreneur should know, how to make your side-hustle into your full-time job, ways to sustainably achieve success without burning out, contemporary networking, and how to prioritize wellness while pursuing your projects.

When I find some free time, I’m typically working out at Physique57, discovering hidden gem restaurants in NYC, or traveling to spend time with friends and family.

I’d love to have an in-depth conversation with you, whether it’s leveling up in business or debunking food myths!