Meet Mira Dessy | The Ingredient Guru

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mira Dessy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mira, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Initially I began this journey to find solutions for my own health challenges. Part of the process meant going back to school to become a nutrition educator. As I learned more about the importance of real food and the ingredients in what I was eating I was able to reclaim my health and discovered a passion for helping people understand what was in what they ate and how it affected their own health and wellness. I think this wasn’t a deliberate decision to do this work but a willingness to be open to the opportunity as it presented itself.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Being an entrepreneur, especially in the wellness space, is never easy. Being a business person means setting aside some of the time that you work with others to focus on the business. That’s often not the reason we get into this work and so that’s the part we struggle with. I did eventually learn that although I wanted to help others it didn’t mean that I needed to do it all by myself. I was able to outsource things like bookkeeping and technical support that were more challenging for me. This allowed me to have more time to focus on the work my heart is drawn to.

I’m most proud of how I have been able to support to many people over the years. There are so many stories of people who truly reclaimed their health by taking that first step to learn how to read the label and then we worked together supporting them in making changes. The biggest lesson I learned is that it’s really not about me, it’s about the person I’m working with. Helping them find the solutions and then being their support team.

What makes me different? I think it’s how I focus on small achievable steps and break it down to make it easy to implement. If you have a particular health challenge let’s start by focusing on your diet. Then let’s look at the pantry. From there we make lifestyle changes and help you build the confidence and the skillset to move forward and claim your health goals.

I’m one of the few people in this industry who focuses specifically on ingredients and their relationship to health. Not just food, but what’s in the food. I am also one of the very few who focuses on preparedness and building a preparedness pantry to make sure you have what you need to to nourish yourself on hand at all times.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Currently I live near Houston, Texas. There are so many wonderful restaurants and activities here that it’s hard to pick. If I was forced to pick activities my top three would be:

The Zoo – we have an amazing zoo with wonderful exhibits.

The Museum of Natural Science – This is a fabulous museum with incredible exhibits. The permanent exhibits alone are enough to keep you coming back for days. One of my favorites is the Cabinet of Curiosities.

MeowWolf – For the nerdy self-directed adventure types this is a don’t miss fun space

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people and organizations that I am grateful to, from the beginning of my journey and even through my career and in the present day.

I’d start with my friend Helene Purdy who gifted me a book about artificial colors that really opened my eyes and caused me to become curious. That was the beginning of this journey.

I’m deeply grateful to Dr. Ed Bauman and the Bauman College of Holistic Nutrition and Culinary Arts. Through the college I gained an education, a deep focus on research and science, and a commitment to holistic nutrition and lifestyle that has served me well and allowed me to support others.

There are so many others to mention that I’m afraid of leaving them out so I’ll simply share that the professional body I belong to, The National Association of Nutrition Professionals, and all of my friends, colleagues, and peers, have been a cornerstone to personal and professional growth. I’m deeply grateful for where this journey has lead me.

Website: https://theingredientguru.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theingredientguru

Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/miradessy

Twitter: https://x.com/miradessy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/miradessy

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/theingredientguru

Other: https://miradessy.substack.com

Image Credits
Ellne Manilova