Health Matters - Apple Magazine Health Matters Spring 2017 | Page 2

Your Health Matters Primary Care Networks (PCNs) were established in the Calgary area about 10 years ago to give people access to various health services, programs and health teams through their family doctors. Health Matters is published by the PCNs to give you more information about these services. Today, PCNs work with teams of other health professionals, as well as offer programs such as Prescription to Get Active and Find-a-Doctor. Over 1,600 family doctors are members of Primary Care Networks in the Calgary area. Within the Calgary zone, seven PCNs provide care to about 1.3 million patients. Health Matters, Spring 2017 Issue publication team: Jennifer Allford, Keith Bradford, Terry Bullick, Bart Goemans, Jessica Hone, Cory Leyte, Dr. Christine Luelo, Jacquie Maurice, Janine Poersch, Amy Sawchenko, Chrissie Worth Contributors: Jennifer Allford, Mike Ridewood, Jimi Scherer, Neil Zeller We appreciate your feedback and article suggestions. Contact our editorial team at [email protected]. To find your PCN, visit mypcn.ca TWO › Bow Valley Primary Care Network › Calgary West Central Primary Care Network › Calgary Foothills Primary Care Network › Highland Primary Care Network › Mosaic Primary Care Network › Calgary Rural Primary Care Network › South Calgary Primary Care Network HEALTH MATTERS SPRING 2017 Eating your way to good health Getting the right advice about food BY JENNIFER ALLFORD Cheryl Aitkens was trying to choose healthy foods and leave less healthy foods on the grocery store shelf. But it was tougher than she expected—what to do about fat-free yogurt that’s loaded with sugar? And some advice she read was confusing. “You read so much and everybody has an opinion,” she says. “I want to take better care of myself and I wanted the truth and I wanted someone to point me in an unbiased direction.” So, Aitkens signed up for Ask a Dietitian, a group workshop at the Calgary Foothills Primary Care Network, where she could ask questions and learn how to make good choices around food. “Dietitians focus on teaching practical tips that are easy to incorporate into day-to-day life,” says Carmen Prion-Frank, a registered dietitian with Calgary Foothills PCN. “We talk about what to look for on food labels, how to plan healthy meals and modify family favourites to make them flavourful and healthy.” Dietitians also help people learn how to get the best value at supermarkets so they can eat within their budgets. Everyone can benefit from knowing how to shop for and prepare healthy meals.