Hi there

About me

I’m Jacqueline Francis, Registered Dietitian and Health and Wellbeing Professional with over 15 years of experience working to improve health outcomes in multicultural settings.

I also work with food business to help improve their offer to their clients and keep them abreast with the most up to date information on nutrition and food legislation.

Working with me

I provide a collaborative approach to improving health outcomes through individual, group or organizational interventions. You will receive information and advice about how to make meals healthier without compromising on taste.

My journey into private practice

It’s never too late to follow your dreams

I stumbled on the field of nutrition and dietetics purely by accident. My grandmother had type 2 diabetes, what was locally known as the “sugar” disease. It was later on I learnt that diabetes was one of many lifestyle conditions that could be prevented.

As a young child, I remember thinking that this was a lot for one body to manage as she had suffered multiple leg amputations and went blind prior to her passing. This helped to shape my understanding of health and also sparked a passion for helping others. It's amazing how life can sometimes unexpectedly push us into paths that were meant for us all along. My interest peaked further when I learnt that healthy lifestyle changes could change the course of a person’s life.

I am also currently on my own personal weight loss journey which gives me a unique perspective and genuine connection to the challenges people face when trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

I have primarily worked in a food and health advisory capacity. My background in Food Science and Nutrition provided me with an advantage as I gained a deep understanding how food production can contribute to making foods unhealthy by the use of additives, loss of nutrients by cooking and preservation techniques. I also worked as a health champion at an individual community level and then transitioned into the field of Public Health where I specialised in Teenage Pregnancy and Sexual Health. However, despite my experiences, I still found myself yearning for the job satisfaction I hoped for. This led me to reflect deeply on how I could refine my skills and pursue my lifelong dream of becoming a dietitian.

Gamechanger

The Covid-19 period was a game changer for me. I contracted long covid in November 2020 and added a whopping 13kgs (2 stones) over a 4 month period, an average of 2 pounds per week through comfort eating, boredom and physical inactivity from side chronic fatigue and joint inflammation. During that period I was also made redundant, what now seems like truly a blessing in disguise. I enrolled onto my dietetics course with the intention of becoming a Freelance Registered Dietitian. The time felt right and I could create my very own business doing what I love.

And just like that, I made it happen!

Be kind to yourself

I had been outside of the healthy weight range for my height for some time so the extra weight gained by the end of my recovery made me question what my quality of life would be like if I continued on this trajectory. Now was the time to act, now was the time to reframe my current mindset and work towards becoming a healthier version of myself. I am no longer obsessed with calorie counting and following restrictive diets. Instead I follow a number of sustainable approaches which I will share with you, should you choose to achieve your health goals with me. Fast forward from 2021 to 2025, I have successfully kept off my covid weight and I am on a continual journey towards improving my health.

At first I was apprehensive about training as a dietitian because I thought about the discrimination I might face being a mature student and overweight dietitian. I felt some clients may decide against taking advice from someone who was struggling with being overweight. However, I reminded myself that we do not live in an ideal world and we all have our personal struggles that might contribute towards poor weight management and not allowing us to reach our full health potential. The way in which those multiple challenges intertwine is what makes each individual journey unique.

The dietetic industry is continually evolving and has many more career options than in previous decades. The profession as a whole is receiving the recognition, attention and respect it has long deserved. I feel I am well positioned as I come with both lived experience and expertise which allows me to better relate and empathise with my clients.

Although quick fixes may have enticed you in the past, they are not sustainable in the long run and can have negative health consequences. Developing and maintaining wellness behaviours help to improve and maintain health and also delay the onset of some long-term conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.

Your success will be dependent on your commitment to improving your health and wellbeing, It will feel like an impossible task at times you may become demotivated is you experience a relapse but the most important thing you could do is persevere. Rest assured, you are not alone and will be supported every step of the way!

So take a deep breath and relax. Now that you have taken a bold step towards investing in your health, the rest will fall into place. As they say, health is wealth!