[00:00:00] Jenn Trepeck: Welcome to Salad with a side of Fries. I'm your host, Jenn Trepeck, talking wellness and weight loss for real life. We're here to clear up the myths, misinformation, bad science and marketing to teach you how to eat and how to cheat. Are you ready? I'm having salad with a side of Friess. This week we're talking all about the, and now.

[00:00:27] If you're listening the day this goes live, it is January 2nd, 2026. So happy new year and as we stand at the beginning of a new year. I mean, many of us are ready, right? Like we have big plans, big dreams, and I think a lot of times those come with expectations of our behavior. We expect ourselves to do some things or not do some things that we used to do.[00:01:00]

[00:01:00] And I also see this all the time marketed to us right now, this not that eat this, not that do this, not that, this not that as the answer to making your 2026 what you want it to be. I don't know. I'm calling BS on the binary thinking. So what I'm proposing is what if we approach this year with and.

[00:01:30] Instead of this or that, it was this and that. And when I do this with my clients, you know, with health coaching clients, it's health coaching and their doctors, it's health coaching and a physical therapist, a personal trainer who, whoever else is helpful in their care team, who's helpful in your care team and like when it comes to your food choices, how often do you find yourself saying good or bad?

[00:01:59] [00:02:00] On or off. I often talk about this, you know, if you're a longtime listener of salad with a side of fries, I'll talk about this as the gray area. The gray area is the area of the, and we have quality fuel. Protein, quality, fat, fiber, and enjoyment of food. Like I'm a total foodie. So enjoying food and making healthful choices are not mutually exclusive.

[00:02:28] So, funny enough, now, this was like ages ago, but MINDBODY Green posted something kind of like this related to health they said. The best health advice is usually somewhere in the middle. High protein and high fiber animal-based and plant forward nourishing meals and joyful treats, strength training and restorative movement, consistency and flexibility, quality, sleep and [00:03:00] social connection.

[00:03:01] And I saw that and like made a mental note 'cause I was like, I couldn't say it any better. So I think as we bring into the year, as we start into this new year, I encourage everybody to bring with you this idea of and, right, bring it to your doctor's office. It's not pharmaceuticals or supplements. What if we explored both?

[00:03:25] It's not typical blood work or functional blood work. It's typical blood work and functional blood work and lifestyle medicine. And I think we can also explore this in other areas of our lives. So when, you know, notice where else your thinking is almost creating a false choice, a new job title, or more money.

[00:03:49] Well, why not both? I mean, go bigger. I can be wealthy and mission driven. How can we create more and more and more [00:04:00] possibilities? What if we approach everything from and or even taking the example of like personal and professional goals, not being two sides of the same coin of an either or maybe 2026 for you is the year of your best personal wellness and your best professional performance to me, with this idea.

[00:04:23] It sometimes requires us to hold two different things in our minds at the same time. And when it comes to our emotions, something can be deeply sad and enlightening. We can feel exhausted and excited. Like we can hold two emotions at the same time. And if we're willing to hold two emotions at the same time, what if we hold two conflicting ideas?

[00:04:50] True. And again, not to get political, but I think this is one of the things that has become more and more challenging over the last few [00:05:00] years where we live in like these echo chambers of information. We're only hearing information that confirms what we already believe and then we avoid conversations with people who disagree with us.

[00:05:14] So could we in 2026 have conversations with people that maybe we don't agree with and function in a dialogue to explore how both of those opinions can be true? Like can we push ourselves to understand two seemingly conflicting ideas? And I think for what it's worth, even thinking about our conversations with others this way translates into our health and our wellbeing and our longevity.

[00:05:41] Because the and can improve our relationships, our connections. And if you've read my book on Complicating Wellness, or you remember our episode about the longevity equation, connection is a vital piece of true health. So maybe as we enter 2026 related [00:06:00] to our approach to health or otherwise, we focus on the and instead of the or.

[00:06:08] Tara, I'm so glad you're here for this. What do you think? What do you wanna add? Nothing. Because

[00:06:14] Tara Schmidt: that was perfect. No, it was. It was beautiful. It's what's missing, I think a lot in diet culture, right? Yeah. Of this or that. I had those eat this, not those books for sure. Like I asked for them for Christmas.

[00:06:28] I'm sure in middle school I often say two things can be true at the same time, and I use it for my kids, or I use it in a conflict with someone. I love it because it's more of an additive mentality that I think we could all need, like we all can hold more instead of rejecting more like it's possible.

[00:06:52] Yeah. That was a beautiful job.

[00:06:54] Jenn Trepeck: Yeah, but I love what you said too, of like holding more, creating the capacity for more, and [00:07:00] even just thinking about it with the end allows us to do that.

[00:07:03] Tara Schmidt: There's never. A scenario where it can't be true. If you're allergic to peanuts, don't touch the peanuts, right? Like, we'll put you in that no peanuts bucket.

[00:07:13] But generally speaking, when it comes to wellness, we can always be doing more. And I don't mean doing more like you can be getting in more steps you could have done. More exercise. I'm talking about like we can have more than we think. Like we can build upon our strengths. We can have more balance, we can do more balancing.

[00:07:36] We can stop this restrictive mindset that has been like so, so, so ingrained in us for a very long time. Yes. Especially when it comes to food.

[00:07:45] Jenn Trepeck: Yes. I love it. Alright friends, well, what could exist for you? In 2026, if you made this year all about the, and. We shall see. And as [00:08:00] always, I'm your host, gen Tpic.

[00:08:01] Connect with me on Instagram or all social media. I'm at Jenn Trepeck, J-E-N-N-T-R-E-P-E-C-K. Please send a message. Website is a salad for the side of fries.com. Pick your platform, send me a message. I love hearing your takeaways, your ideas, your questions. This is also the easiest way to learn more about working with me as your health coach or picking up the book Uncomplicating Wellness.

[00:08:24] Tara Schmidt. Thank you again for being here and happy New Year.

[00:08:28] Tara Schmidt: Thank you for having me, Jenna it. It was a pleasure.

[00:08:31] Jenn Trepeck: Likewise. Friends, if you are not already a member, join us in the Happy Healthy Hub. You'll go to a salad with the side of fries.com. This shows your support for this podcast, this community, and of course, more importantly, your health.

[00:08:44] On top of this week's episode, in full video with Behind the scenes pieces, your 24 7, ask Me Anything, you'll get this week's recipe for lemon, garlic, roasted broccoli salad, and my bullseye of change worksheet. Well, friends, [00:09:00] that's it for today's episode of Salad with a Side of Fries. Congratulations for making yourself and your health a priority.

[00:09:06] Thanks so much for joining us. Be sure to click subscribe or follow on your favorite podcast platform. Share us with a friend and we'll be back next week. Always remember you deserve it and you are worth it. Happy, healthy.