Meet Veda Leclerc

 

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Veda Leclerc. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Veda, we are so deeply grateful to you for opening up about your journey with mental health in the hops that it can help someone who might be going through something similar. Can you talk to us about your mental health journey and how you overcame or persisted despite any issues? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.

I remember waking up in the middle of the night. My heart was racing, and it felt as though someone was sitting on my chest. Little did I know, I was having a panic attack. That one panic attack turned into multiple. I was out of school, and sports, avoided going out with friends, and I couldn’t even enter the grocery store without panicking. My anxiety was debilitating, soon turning into depression where I didn’t want to do anything, but lay in my bed.

I went on an anti-depressant, I sought out counseling, but months would pass, and it wasn’t enough. Despite not being overly religious at the time, I decided to go to a women’s retreat that my church was hosting. Not expecting anything out of it, I ended up finding God. After this retreat, I soon came off my anti-depressant, and 6+ years later, I haven’t had one since.

To answer the question, how I have overcome and persisted my mental health challenges, is leaned into the creator who made me. It isn’t always easy, and there are still days where I struggle, but because of Him, I know there is a way through. There is a light at the end of the tunnel that I couldn’t always see when I had my first panic attack. Putting Him first, prioritizing spending time with Him, and also surrounding myself with community has helped me continue to persist.

In addition prioritizing nutrient-dense whole foods, getting optimal sleep, moving my body, and prioritizing my overall health has been extremely helpful in not only supporting my physical well-being, but my mental and emotional as well.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m a Functional Health Practitioner and Integrative Health Coach, and my passion lies in helping women take back control of their health and rediscover their inner glow. My journey into this work was deeply personal—I spent years battling Lyme disease, debilitating anxiety and depression, cystic acne, and a host of mysterious symptoms that doctors brushed off as “normal.” Navigating the medical system felt like an endless cycle of frustration, and I know what it’s like to feel dismissed, hopeless, and stuck.

That experience led me to create Wellness by Veda, where I now support women through personalized 1:1 coaching, functional lab testing, and a holistic approach to healing. I focus on balancing hormones, restoring gut health, and addressing the root causes of symptoms so my clients can finally feel like themselves again. I believe in working with the body rather than against it, using nutrition, lifestyle shifts, and mindset work to create real, lasting change. I’m passionate about making health empowering rather than overwhelming, offering sustainable solutions that allow women to live in sync with their bodies rather than fighting against them.

The most rewarding part of what I do is witnessing those breakthrough moments—when a client realizes that true healing is possible and that they no longer have to settle for feeling “off.” My mission is to be the guide I wish I had in my own health journey, helping women move from confusion and frustration to clarity and confidence in their bodies.

I recently co-authored a book that was just released! I go more in-depth of my mental and physical journey, and I highly recommend checking it out. You can get it right on Amazon, Dare 2 Care: Wellness Warriors Share Stories of Healing, Growth & Empowerment. Would love to hear from you if you read it!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, three key qualities have been most impactful in my journey: understanding how to properly care for my body, utilizing functional lab testing to remove the guesswork, and embracing consistency over perfection.

First, learning how to nourish my body with the right foods was life-changing. So many of us grow up disconnected from what our bodies truly need, and I had to unlearn the restrictive, one-size-fits-all health advice that wasn’t serving me. Understanding how to fuel my body with nutrient-dense, whole foods helped me restore balance, regulate my hormones, and improve my overall well-being. For those just starting, I recommend focusing on small, sustainable dietary shifts rather than overwhelming overhauls. Start by prioritizing whole, unprocessed foods, balancing blood sugar, and listening to how different foods make you feel.

Second, functional lab testing was a game-changer because it eliminated the trial-and-error approach to healing. Instead of guessing what was wrong, I had actual data guiding my next steps. This not only saved time but also allowed me to address root causes instead of just masking symptoms. My advice? If you’re struggling with ongoing health issues and conventional medicine hasn’t given you clear answers, invest in functional lab testing. It provides a personalized roadmap to healing and helps you make targeted effective changes.

Lastly, one of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that consistency matters more than perfection. Making 1% improvements daily leads to far greater progress than trying to do everything at once and burning out. It’s easy to feel like you have to be “all in” on your health, but real, sustainable change happens when you focus on small, manageable shifts over time. For anyone early in their journey, I encourage you to embrace progress over perfection. Small, consistent actions add up and create lasting transformation.

These three principles—fueling your body properly, leveraging data through lab testing, and staying consistent—have been the foundation of my health journey. They’ve not only helped me heal but also shaped the way I now support my clients in their own wellness journeys.

Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?

My ideal client is a woman who recognizes that she’s been merely surviving rather than truly thriving and is eager to transform her health and well-being. She may be experiencing persistent symptoms such as fatigue, bloating, mood swings, or hormonal imbalances that have left her feeling disconnected from her body and frustrated by a lack of clear solutions. Despite trying various diets and health advice, she hasn’t achieved the vibrant health she desires and is overwhelmed by conflicting information. She’s ready to move beyond unsustainable quick fixes and is seeking a holistic, sustainable approach that aligns with her body’s natural rhythms.

This woman is open to embracing a new perspective on health—one that involves syncing with her menstrual cycle, balancing hormones, and making gradual, lasting changes. She’s prepared to invest time and effort into understanding her body’s unique needs and is committed to implementing strategies that promote long-term well-being. She desires to feel confident, energized, and in tune with her body, aiming to alleviate unwanted hormonal symptoms, achieve clear skin, ditch the bloat, and recognize the woman staring back at her in the mirror.

Ultimately, my ideal client is someone who is ready to take proactive steps toward reclaiming her health, and is ready to do this in an empowering, rather than overwhelming way. Someone who is seeking guidance to navigate her wellness journey, and eager to unlock her body’s potential to glow from within.

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