Deborah Lessenevitch’s interest in health began in 1989, when she was trying to find help resolving health issues that had plagued her two young children. Each child had his own separate illness that neither pediatrician nor neurologist were able to resolve. So, Deborah, then, took the initiative and began studying so she might discover how to heal her children.

          She studied nutrition. The more she read, the more confused she became. Each author, often a medical doctor or nutritionist, had studies and evidence to support his own views. Her studies resulted in contradictory information: milk is good for the body and milk is harmful to the body; grains are good for the body and, grains are harmful to the body; red meat is good for the body, and red meat is harmful to the body. 

          She studied herbs and homeopathy. Since the medications that were prescribed for her children were ineffective and had harmful side effects, she began studying herbs and homeopathy. Yet, these approaches to the treatment of these ailments were dismissed as useless and harmful by the American Medical Association. However, applying herbs and homeopathic treatments, and not the pharmaceuticals, proved helpful for treating the childhood illnesses and minor injuries her children suffered throughout their childhood.

          She studied vaccines and their side effects. After being told by nurses and doctors that vaccines were entirely safe and effective, she read numerous testimonies from parents whose children were meeting all the natural developmental milestones until they received a set of vaccinations. Many parents reported their child lost most of his developmental milestones and was never able to recover them. Sometimes, within hours, the child died.

          But, what most surprised Deborah was when she realized she never thought to ask questions about anything that had to do with the health and care of herself and her family. She ate whatever was declared safe and healthy by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Likewise, she never thought to question the safety and efficacy of medications and vaccines. Without question she followed the recommendations of the American Medical Association (AMA).

          But, there were questions which needed to be asked. Are infant formulas really as beneficial for the baby as breast milk? Are pasteurized and/or homogenized milk healthy? Are genetically modified grains that have been milled with a process that depletes much of the nutrients healthy? Is meat that comes from animals raised in confinement and injected with antibiotics, hormones, and/or steroids healthy? Are herbs that have been used for centuries in the treatment of wounds and illness dangerous and ineffective? Are the side effects of vaccines rare and mild? Are the FDA, USDA, and AMA trustworthy organizations?

          Hoping to find answers to these questions, Deborah enrolled in nursing school. She graduated as a registered nurse in December of 2007. But nursing school did not provide satisfactory answers. At the suggestion of Katherine Dang, founder of Philomath Foundation, and her friend and mentor, Deborah began to search the Scriptures for understanding the Biblical origin, purpose, and principles of health.  Soon, it was clear. There was no more confusion about health. The Scripture makes it clear, health is a sound mind in a sound body and should be prioritized in that order.

          Out of a desire to teach individuals the Biblical foundation of health, Deborah established Sound Mind Sound Body Institute.