In September 2022, after a bronchoscopy gone wrong, France Grondin woke up in intensive care with a tracheotomy, since her vocal cords were now paralyzed and obstructing her throat. Consequently, she could no longer eat as before: only purees – not even liquids! – were now permitted…
When she left the hospital 22 days later, she found herself without any clear instructions, documentation or resources for eating properly. A simple black and white printed page provided by the hospital with what is allowed to eat and what is prohibited. She also realizes that there is no recipe book for people with dysphagia… This is how the lifelong cooking enthusiast decided to create this book of easy recipes for people with dysphagia, I eat toowhich will be launched in French and English on January 14 next.
“Can you imagine the frustration we feel when we open the fridge or pantry door and almost all of its contents are forbidden to us? », says the author and former home chef. “As someone who loves to eat well, I couldn’t give up this pleasure in my life and that’s why I designed this collection of recipes: so that this feeling of frustration disappears and our meals are pleasant again. »
For this book, France Grondin worked hand in hand with the nutritionist Elaine Bélislewhom she knew from her years as a home chef. She then used her services for a client suffering from frontal lobe degeneration in order to adapt the food cooked to her condition. It was then a completely natural choice to turn to her to create the nutritional value blocks of her recipes.
In addition to containing 30 original recipes, the book is also intended as a guide to help people adapt their own favorite recipes, because a well-prepared pureed meal is as appetizing as a normal meal. As the author likes to point out, we eat first with our eyes: “Moreover, if we served better and more beautiful meals in our residences for the elderly, we would greatly improve their quality of life.”
About dysphagia
Suffering from dysphagia means having difficulty swallowing. As a result, food and/or liquids do not pass from the mouth to the stomach normally. It affects nearly 3 million Canadians and more than half a million Quebecers and it is estimated that one in 17 people are at risk of being affected during their lifetime. Many people are unaware that they suffer from dysphagia, since it is largely underestimated and poorly understood by the general public. The number of cases is particularly high among the elderly, people who have suffered a stroke, people in long-term care facilities and those with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. In Canada, an estimated 430,000 seniors suffer from dysphagia and in Quebec, 175,700 seniors are victims. Up to 70% of institutionalized seniors are affected by dysphagia, which causes malnutrition in 123,000 Quebec seniors. Around 16,000 of these individuals die or will die from it…
To order France Grondin’s self-published book:
Digital
In French at: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DPSSKVX8
In English at: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DH3MFTFV
Hardcover format
In English at https://www.amazon.ca/dp/2982287714
In French at https://www.amazon.ca/dp/2982287749
