A Recipe for Success

It was the perfect recipe. When trying to decide what to study at l’Université de Montréal, Marie Lefrançois let her personal interests guide her. She liked health sciences and food. Presto, she decided to study nutrition. She has worked as a nutritionist at the Montreal Children's Hospital of the MUHC for 14 years, but has been assigned to the Department of Genetics for 8 years. “I hate routine, so working in genetics is perfect for me. Each child has a different medical problem and I have to create a special eating regimen to meet the patient’s complex health needs,” says Marie. “Also, I have to be able to talk to parents and children about such complex concepts as amino acids and enzymes. As a professional, one must recognize that our clients are anxious when faced with a diagnosis and are not familiar with these terms or medical jargon. Since my job is part scientific and part creative, success in intervention is due to working with the family to ensure that they understand and integrate the suggested plan.”

In fact, Marie’s entire life is divided into scientific and creative components. Her days are all about the science of nutrition, but her free time is about creativity. She’s been singing in a classical choir for over 10 years and has even been part of a jazz group. She’s also a dancer with an Italian Renaissance dance troop.

Thankfully Marie doesn’t need any fancy footwork when it comes to gaining and keeping the respect of the doctors and allied professionals at the the Montreal Children's Hospital of the MUHC. The nutritionists at the Montreal Children's Hospital of the MUHC are valued members of the health care team, which isn’t the case in every institution according to Marie. “The medical team values our expertise. In fact, dietetics students are motivated by the recognition and the high level of expertise that we have developed as a profession.” When people ask Marie for weight loss tips, her best advice is to beware of fad diets that come and go. She says people should adhere to good eating and exercise habits as per the Canadian Food Guide. A nutritionist can provide guidance and support in this process.

This article was written by Lisa Dutton for Chez Nous, the Montreal Children's Hospital of the MUHC employee newsletter.