Episode 369

The Next Frontier Files: Precision and Permission (vol. 2)

Published on: 26th August, 2026

Wellness trends move fast, yet volume two of The Next Frontier Files proves some predictions age well. Revisiting year two of the show, host Jenn Trepeck tracks the guests who forecasted metabolic health, gut health, and body positivity long before they became mainstream conversations, and shows how precision medicine and permission became the defining threads of an entire year.

Jenn Trepeck brings listeners of Salad with a Side of Fries a look back at the guest predictions that shaped the year two, August 2020 - August 2021, grading them against what really happened since.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

✅ How telehealth and virtual training went from pandemic workaround to a permanent part of everyday healthcare

✅ Why metabolic health and gut health became two of the most repeated topics in wellness over the following years

✅ What guests predicted about wearable technology, gene editing, and the future of human biology

✅ How body positivity and permission-based wellness reshaped the conversation around health and self-image

The Salad With a Side of Fries podcast, hosted by Jenn Trepeck, explores real-life wellness and weight-loss topics, debunking myths, misinformation, and flawed science surrounding nutrition and the food industry. Let’s dive into real-life wellness and weight loss, including drinking, eating out, and skipping the grocery store.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Year two overview explains how telehealth shifted from workaround to permanent wellness trends infrastructure

04:42 Chad Levy discusses virtual training, and Amy Marshall shares her perspective on Telehealth and Zoom technology

06:55 Chris Burres introduces longevity as a frontier, and Natasa Billeci mentions AI and propels the precision medicine conversation

08:49 Toxin exposure and cellular absorption enter the conversation through Tim James' product launch

12:01 Corey Phelps highlights her views on meditation and breathwork

12:58 Dr. Casey Means discusses metabolic health tools and using technology to return to basics

15:53 Gut health gets its first mention by Mike Millner, predicting it is only 2% understood

16:53 Dr. Anthony Balduzzi predicts gene therapy, CRISPR, and implantable technology merging with human biology

18:25 Catharine Arnston embraces preventative medicine

19:13 Sarah Nilsen expounds about CBD and cannabinoid research

20:12 Jay Shifman comments on BMI and asks why is it still being used

21:17 Sarah Malouf and Farah M. Green raise body positivity and the pressure to redefine beauty standards

23:20 Jenn closes by tying the year's predictions together under precision and permission

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

💎 Precision medicine tools only matter when they lead people back to fundamentals like sleep, food, and movement

💎 Gut health research was still described as barely 2% understood, yet it became one of the most discussed topics in wellness within a few years

💎 Permission-based wellness, giving people room to train from home or reject unrealistic body standards, proved just as powerful as any new technology

💎 Predictions about merging wearable technology with the human body have repeated across multiple years and still have not arrived at scale

RESOURCES:

Become a Happy Healthy Hub Member

Jenn’s Free Menu Plan

A Salad With a Side of Fries

A Salad With A Side Of Fries Merch

A Salad With a Side of Fries Instagram

About Uncomplicating Wellness

Text ‘Book’ to 833-801-0500

Back to Basics

The HOW of Body Love & Acceptance (feat. Tanja Shaw)

QUOTES:

07:30 “The last person to die of natural causes. I remember laughing when Chris Burres said that, and now looking back, he wasn't entirely joking.” – Jenn Trepeck

12:47 “To me, it's proof that meditation and slowing down are part of the zeitgeist.” – Jenn Trepeck

20:34 “Jay and Andrea are both pushing against the same tendency in our medical system, sorting people into categories instead of truly seeing them as individuals.” – Jenn Trepeck

23:20 “So listening back to year two now, what strikes me is how much of it comes down to those two words, precision and permission.” – Jenn Trepeck

26:21 "Precision is a tool, not a destination." – Jenn Trepeck

Jenn Trepeck, Salad With A Side Of Fries, Nutrition Nugget, Health Coach, Weight Loss For Real Life, Wellness Trends, Precision Medicine, Permission, Metabolic Health, Gut Health, Longevity, Telehealth, Virtual Training, Body Positivity, Cbd, Cannabinoids, Terpenes, Chronic Disease, Wearable Technology, Crispr, Gene Therapy, Neuralink, Continuous Glucose Monitor, Somatic Awareness, Behavior Change, Whole Foods, Meditation, Breathwork, Mental Health, Preventative Medicine, Algae, Inflammation, Cellular Absorption, Supplements, Stem Cells, Anti Aging, Skincare, Regenerative Medicine, Genetics, Microbiome, Brain Gut Connection, Sobriety, Addiction Recovery, Bmi, Plus Size Representation, Health Coaching, Next Frontier In Wellness Predictions, Precision And Permission In Health

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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!