In this episode:
We unpack how joy isn’t something you wait for - it’s something you build through small, biological inputs that influence your nervous system, mood chemistry, and overall wellbeing. You’ll get practical science-backed tips around:

✨ Pauses — how interrupting stress helps your brain and body rest
💪 Pushups — how consistent movement rewires your chemistry and builds self-trust
🌿 Plants — how gut-focused nutrition supports your brain and mood

You’ll also hear personal stories about convincing yourself to move consistently, why joy shows up after effort, and simple everyday actions you can start today to feel better.

🛠️ What You’ll Learn

• Pauses: Why pausing actually resets your nervous system and how to practice it without meditation pressure.
• Pushups / Movement: How consistency trumps intensity, the brain chemicals involved, and a personal story of how movement changed self-trust.
• Plants / Nutrition: Why gut health matters for mood, simple ways to add more plant foods, and nutrition tips that support joy.

🧠 Tools Mentioned

• Headspace — for nervous system pauses and guided breaks
• AG1 — foundational nutrition to support gut health, energy, and recovery

✨ Quick Practice Tips

️Pauses
• Bookend your day with intentional breath
• Pause between tasks — let your body catch up to your brain
• Breathe with longer exhales to signal safety

Movement / Pushups
• Start with tiny doses (5–10 minutes)
• Prioritize consistency over intensity
• Notice how you feel after you move

Nutrition / Plants
• Add plant foods before restricting anything
• Put a plant on every plate — simple and sustainable
• Stay hydrated and support gut health daily

🗣️ Stay Connected

📍 Instagram
📺 YouTube:
📘 Book: Joy is THE Strategy

❤️ If You Loved This Episode

⭐ Subscribe and rate the show
 💌 Share this episode with someone who needs joy today
 📲 Tag me on Instagram and let me know what tip you’re trying first

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Guest: Chase Thayer — Long-Term Recovery Coach & Family Systems Specialist
Website: https://www.austinintegrationcoaching.com/

About Chase:
Chase Thayer brings nearly 20 years of experience supporting individuals and families impacted by addiction, mental health challenges, and complex relational dynamics. As both a professional coach and someone with lived experience in recovery, Chase combines empathy with accountability — guiding not just clients, but entire families — toward deeper understanding, structural healing, and long-term sustainable change.

💡 What We Explore in This Episode

🔹 Chase’s personal recovery journey
We dive into how his lived experience shapes his work, his lens on resilience, and the shifts that led him to family systems work.

🔹 What “long-term recovery” really means
This isn’t quick fixes or surface-level tools — Chase talks about recovery as an ongoing process, rooted in identity, connection, and self-trust.

🔹 Supporting families, not just individuals
Why individual change often stalls without healthy relational shifts — and how families can become part of the solution instead of the backdrop of the problem.

🔹 The role of boundaries, accountability, and compassion
Chase unpacks how compassion and accountability aren’t opposites — they’re the foundation for real transformation.

🔹 Breaking generational cycles
We talk about structural patterns in families, how they persist across generations, and the intentional work it takes to change them.

🔹 What sustainable change actually looks like
From emotional literacy to systems thinking — real stories, real challenges, and practical perspectives that go beyond slogans.

🎧 Key Takeaways

• Recovery is relational. Healing happens not just within the person, but within the network of those who love them.
• Families have roles. Understanding those roles (and reconfiguring them) can unlock deeper healing.
• Accountability and compassion are partners. One without the other gets stuck in blame or permissiveness.
• Patterns aren’t destiny. Generational cycles can be interrupted with intention, support, and insight.
• Long-term growth > quick relief. Sustainable change is messy, but it’s also real.

🧠 Quotes to Share

📌 Connect With Chase

🌐 Austin Integration Coaching: https://www.austinintegrationcoaching.com/

Chase’s work with individuals and families blends trauma-informed systems thinking with compassion-based accountability.

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Joy isn’t about ignoring stress, grief, or reality.
 It’s about how we stay human inside of it.

In this episode, Rachel explores why joy isn’t fluff, a personality trait, or a reward for surviving hard things. It’s a practical, science-backed strategy that helps us regulate our nervous systems, make better decisions, lead more effectively, and avoid burnout.

You’ll learn:

• Why pressure and discipline alone don’t create lasting change
• How joy signals safety to the brain and body
• Why joy leads to consistency, resilience, and clarity
• How joy can coexist with stress, grief, and hard seasons
• Why joy isn’t a luxury, but a life and leadership skill

This conversation isn’t about forced positivity.
 It’s about understanding how we’re wired, and choosing a way of living that actually works.

Joy is not the reward.
 Joy is the strategy.

👉 Learn more about Rachel’s work and upcoming book Joy Is the Strategy
👉 Join The Joy Project community and practice joy together

Support the show

What if joy isn’t something you earn after everything is fixed, but the strategy that helps you live, lead, and feel better now?

In this first solo episode of Joy Unfiltered, I’m setting the foundation for everything this podcast stands for. Not forced positivity. Not bypassing hard things. And definitely not joy as a personality trait reserved for a lucky few.

This episode is about choosing joy as a practical, grounded, repeatable strategy, especially in seasons that feel heavy, uncertain, or exhausting.

I share how joy became the throughline in my work, my wellness, and my leadership, why it works when motivation runs out, and how small, intentional choices can change how you move through your day, your body, and your life.

This conversation also connects directly to two things I’ve poured my heart into:

📘 My upcoming book, Joy Is the Strategy
A deeper dive into why joy works, how it’s built, and how choosing it can change the way you live and lead.
👉 Pre-sales are open now.

✨ The Joy Project
A growing community for people who want joy that’s real, human, and shared. This is where connection, conversation, and collective joy live.
👉 Join The Joy Project.

If you’re tired of chasing happiness, burned out on hustle culture, or quietly wondering if there’s a better way to feel good without waiting for life to cooperate, you’re in the right place.

Joy isn’t the reward.
 It’s the strategy.

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Most of us have been taught that stress = success. But what if the real secret to growth, clarity, and cash is… JOY?

In this episode of Joy Unfiltered, I’m showing you why feeling good isn’t a luxury - it’s your most powerful business strategy.

You’ll learn:

• The science behind joy and productivity
• How to rewire your habits to feel better and earn more
• A powerful 3-part ENJOY Method™ to build joy into your workday (without adding more to your to-do list)

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, leader, or just tired of the grind… this one will change how you show up.

Joy isn’t the reward. It’s the strategy. Use it.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

✅ Why hustle culture is keeping you stuck
 ✅ What neuroscience says about joy + focus
 ✅ How cortisol impacts your energy and performance
 ✅ 3 practical ways to build joy into your business day using the ENJOY Method™:
 • pauses – for clarity and calm
 • pushups – movement that lights you up
 • plants – food that fuels your brain and body

💬 Ready to feel better and earn more?

Join the free ENJOY Community

Explore the ENJOY90 coaching program: Basic, Prime or 

📌 Mentioned Resources:

• Dr. Barbara Fredrickson’s “Broaden and Build” Theory: https://positivepsychology.com/broaden-and-build-theory/
• University of Warwick study on happiness + productivity: https://warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/new_study_shows/

✨ Connect with Rachel:

Website

Instagram
LinkedIn
[email protected]

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If you’ve ever looked in the mirror and thought, “What is wrong with me?” - this episode is for you.

This week on Joy Unfiltered, we’re busting one of the biggest lies in wellness:
That your lack of motivation is laziness. Spoiler alert: It’s not. You’re not lazy. You’re tired.

Join Rachel as she breaks down the 5 types of tired that high-achieving women often overlook—and how to tell the difference between needing rest and needing a reboot. With her signature mix of sass, science, and real-life truth bombs, you’ll learn simple, sustainable ways to reclaim your energy without burnout, guilt, or green juice obsession.

💥 What You’ll Learn:

• Why calling yourself lazy is not only wrong—it’s harmful
• The 5 types of tired (mental, emotional, physical, sensory, spiritual)
• How hormonal shifts (hello perimenopause) might be draining your energy
• A 5-step framework to feel more energized, focused, and vibrant
• Rachel’s #1 mindset reframe to change everything: from lazy to listening

🛠️ Links + Resources:

• 💬 Join the FREE ENJOY Community – daily joy, workouts, plant-based recipes, and real support
  🎯 Ready to go deeper? Check out ENJOY90 – Rachel’s 90-day coaching program with 3 levels of support
• 🛒 Browse ENJOY Supplements – plant-based protein, creatine, collagen & more
• 💌 Get Rachel’s Weekly Dose of ENJOY Newsletter

🧠 Quotable Moments:

💬 Let’s Connect:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Website

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Feeling hungry and stuck? It might be time to eat more - not less.

In this episode of Joy Unfiltered, I’m busting the toxic myth that weight loss requires restriction and misery. The truth? When you focus on high-fiber, high-volume, plant-based meals, you can finally feel satisfied and lose weight. Yes, seriously.

We’ll break down:

• The science behind fiber, satiety, and fat loss
• Why your body needs volume to feel full (hint: it’s not just about calories)
• Easy plant-based swaps that actually taste amazing
• My go-to high-protein breakfast for long-lasting energy
• The real mindset shift that breaks the binge-restrict cycle

If you’re ready to ditch the diet drama and feel amazing in your body again, this one’s for you.

📥 Join the free ENJOY! Community
🎯 Want a personal plan? Let’s talk!

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Think you need a $90 protein powder and a boutique gym membership to build muscle on a vegan diet? Think again. In this episode of Joy Unfiltered, I’m busting the myth that strength gains require deep pockets. With 25 years of plant-based living under my belt - and muscles built during broke, busy, and just plain chaotic seasons - I’m sharing exactly how you can get strong without going broke.

What You’ll Learn:
💪 The 5 budget-friendly habits that fuel real plant-based muscle
🥦 How to shop smart (yes to bulk bins, no to $7 jerky)
📅 Why a loose meal plan saves you more than just time
🏋️ The minimalist workout gear that actually gets results
🍛 How batch cooking keeps your macros and money on point
✨ Plus, some good ol’ mindset truth bombs (as always)

Mentioned in this Episode:
✅ ENJOY Community — your hub for joyful, plant-powered strength
✅ My go-to high-protein vegan meal staples
✅ Why perfection is a myth and action is where it’s at

Links & Resources:
👉 Join the ENJOY Community
👉 Download my free plant-based protein cheat sheet
👉 Follow me on Instagram or LinkedIn
👉 More tips on my website

Subscribe & Review:
Love what you heard? Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review. It helps more women find the joy in getting strong, healthy, and energized - without the BS.

Support the show

Are oats, peanut butter, and beans really enough protein to build muscle on a plant-based diet?

Spoiler: Nope.

In this episode of Joy Unfiltered, we’re breaking down the top high-protein vegan foods that actually support muscle growth, recovery, and strength - without leaving you bloated, underfed, or confused.

I’ll walk you through the real MVPs of vegan muscle-building (think tofu, tempeh, seitan, TVP, and protein powders), bust the myths around so-called “protein-rich” foods, and give you simple, actionable tips to upgrade your plate and hit your goals.

If you’ve been strength training but not seeing results, this episode is your plant-powered reset button. 💪🌱

In this episode, you’ll learn:
✅ Why protein matters for muscle, metabolism, and recovery
✅ The 4 vegan protein sources that deliver real results
✅ What foods not to rely on (looking at you, peanut butter...)
✅ How to build 20–30g protein meals without tracking macros all day
✅ And how to make this work—sustainably and joyfully

Mentioned in this episode:
– ENJOY Plant-Based Protein
– Join the ENJOY Community
– Learn more about ENJOY coaching

🎙️ Hosted by Rachel Bents

 Founder of the ENJOY Method  -  helping women over 40 lose weight, gain energy, and feel amazing in their bodies through mindfulness, movement, and plant-based nutrition. No BS. Just results.

Have fun. Live well. ENJOY.

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Episode Title: Is Your Snack Lying to You? How to Actually Read a Nutrition Label
Podcast: Joy Unfiltered
Host: Rachel Bents

Episode Summary:
In today’s episode, we’re cutting through the food label fluff. If you’ve ever been tricked by clever packaging into thinking something was “healthy,” only to discover it wasn’t helping your goals—this episode is for you. I’m walking you through everything you need to know about reading nutrition labels so you can make choices that support your energy, your body, and your joy.

You’ll learn:

• Why serving size is the first thing you should check
• Why calories aren’t bad (but still matter)
• The protein hack that tells you instantly if a food is worth it
• How much fiber you actually need
• What sugar number to really look at (hint: it’s not what you think)

Mentioned in this Episode:
🧃 ENJOY Supplements – Fuel your fun
💪 ENJOY Community – Join the sisterhood
📞 1:1 Coaching with Rachel

Let’s Connect:
🌐 Website
📸 Instagram
💼 LinkedIn

🎧 Subscribe so you don’t miss next week’s episode.

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