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.