Meet Rachel Lessenden | Recipe Developer and Founder of Health My Lifestyle

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rachel Lessenden and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Rachel, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
The focus of Health My Lifestyle has always been centered around better health which in turn leads to a better community and world. Through Health My Lifestyle I aim to arm people with the knowledge and resources needed to eat a healthy, whole food plant-based diet. Research has shown that diets are unsustainable and we must make lifestyle changes to see a lasting impact on our health.
To me, eating a whole food plant-based diet is not just a diet, it’s a lifestyle. I feel fueled and energized by this lifestyle and want others to reap the benefits as well.
Through my healthy recipes and meal plans I’m able to make this lifestyle practical and approachable. This includes no hard-to-find mock meats and cheeses. Don’t get me wrong though, these recipes are packed with flavor!
According to the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of death. Dietary cholesterol consumption is a significant risk factor for dying. By eliminating animal products from our diet we can eliminate all dietary cholesterol. Not only that, but saturated fat plays a role in heart disease as well. This is found not only in animal products but processed foods, and vegetable oils. So where does that leave us? A whole food plant-based diet.
A whole food plant-based diet is the only diet that has been proven to reverse heart disease as seen by Dr. Dean Ornish’s ground-breaking study: Intensive lifestyle changes for reversal of coronary heart disease.
Better health means less doctor visits, less medical bills (and the stress that comes with that), and more movement, more energy and more fun—making this world a more enjoyable place!
I now have a better relationship with food and am thankful that I found a sustainable lifestyle. My mission is to help others do the same.
What should our readers know about your business?
Health My Lifestyle is a plant-based recipe website and meal planner that helps you eat better, save time and money.
The meal planner is geared towards those who want to eat a healthier plant-based diet but don’t want to compromise taste or spend forever in the kitchen. Most recipes can be made in 30 minutes or less and receive a 5-star rating from our members—these are recipes you’ll actually want to eat!
It now has over 500 easy recipes and over 100 done-for-you customizable meal plans with shopping lists. There are recipes for every occasion including breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, desserts, appetizers and sides and holidays!
What sets it apart is that it is completely customizable and completely whole food, plant-based. This means that you can easily build a meal plan for your unique needs. Just need lunches planned for work or school? Or trying to plan dinners so you can save time in the evenings? The meal planner is completely flexible to your lifestyle.
It is priced affordably and designed to save you money. On average, members save $50 per week on groceries when using the meal planner regularly!
How did you get to where you are today business-wise. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges?
I worked hard to make healthy eating easy because I know how daunting changing your lifestyle can be. I spent over 6 months developing recipes to make sure they were easy, straight-forward, fast and delicious! I rounded up a bunch of family and friends to test the recipes and they gave me feedback to make them even better.
Building the meal planning web application also took a lot of time and was a huge learning curve. I taught myself CSS to get it looking just right! Hiring it out wasn’t in the budget so this application is truly a labor of love. I knew that making it user friendly was the most important aspect and I truly believe I’ve achieved that.
Along the way I’ve learned that done is better than perfect. It’s easy to get pulled in so many directions and become overwhelmed. I would stress over the tiniest thing. In reality it just needed to get done, it did not need to be perfect. At the end of the day what matters is what the meal planner can do for others to make their lives better and easier.
What do you want the world to know about your brand and story?
I want people to know that they can take back their health, they can be in control, and they don’t have to succumb to lifestyle diseases. With the right tools and resources we can be the best versions of ourselves so that we can be there for the people we love.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We’d start with coffee at Dirt Coffee Bar in downtown Littleton, CO. Then we’d head up to brunch at either Watercourse Foods or City O’ City. Dinner would be Somebody People if we’re feeling fancy or Sputnik for something more casual. For something fast, Meta Burger is where it’s at.
We’d go on hikes, see a show at Red Rocks, visit the Botanic Gardens, get lost in Meow Wolf and see the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. And we can’t forget all the amazing breweries. Breckenridge Brewery or maybe Bierstadt Lagerhaus for some fun games and entertainment. There’s so much to do in Denver!
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would never have been able to pursue this passion of mine without the support of my husband, Daniel. He has encouraged and believed in me from the beginning. I don’t think I’d be brave enough to pursue entrepreneurship without him!
I’d also be remiss to not mention the amazing plant-based doctors who have brought this research to light. Dr. Michael Greger’s non-profit NutritionFacts.org in particular has been an incredible resource for providing unbiased, up-to-date nutrition information.
Website: https://healthmylifestyle.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthmylifestyle/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthmylifestyle/
Other: Meal Planner: https://mealplanner.healthmylifestyle.com/
Image Credits
Rachel Lessenden