Tuesday 20 November 2018

Diabetes and the Effectiveness of Regular Physical Activity

November is Diabetes Awareness Month


Diabetes and the Effectiveness of Regular Physical Activity


Regular physical activity is very beneficial to those living with diabetes. The short-term benefits of increasing physical activity are: 
  • Lowers your blood glucose within one hour.
  • Increases your energy and strength during the day
  • Decreases stress, anxiety and fatigue
  • Improves relaxation and sleep
  • Improves overall well being    


The long-term benefits if activity is sustained: 
  •  Improved blood glucose (sugar) control
  •  Helps with maintaining weight management when healthy eating is involved.
  •  Lowered blood pressure
  •  Stronger bones and muscles
  •  Lower risk of diabetes complications such as eye, heart, and kidney disease
  •  Improved quality of life


One of the most effective aerobic activities with the lowest dropout rate is walking. It can be as simple as going for a brisk walk in your neighborhood.  Here is an example of a walking plan if you are just starting out:   

Sample Walking Plan                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
Both aerobic and resistance exercises are important when it comes to decreasing the risk of developing or advancing Type 2 Diabetes as both help to improve the body’s insulin sensitivity. 

Make sure to interrupt sitting at least every 30 minutes by getting up and walking, standing or stretching.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a very effective form of exercise at a higher intensity for shorter durations, as an option for those who are able to tolerate. 

Tracking your activity/steps throughout the day is another way of monitoring the amount of time you are active and for some it is a strategy for reducing sitting time by staying accountable.

Canadian Diabetes Association information: 
  • Low physical fitness is as strong a risk factor for mortality as smoking.
  • Higher levels of physical activity and fitness level is one of the strongest predictors of all-cause mortality in people with diabetes.
  • Physical activity can be as powerful as glucose-lowering medication… with fewer side effects.
  • Regular physical activity, in conjunction with healthy eating and weight control, can reduce type 2 diabetes incidence by 60 per cent.

 
If you require help with getting started on an exercise or physical activity plan, ask your family doctor for a referral to the Exercise Specialist at the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network.  


Tuesday 13 November 2018

It's National Kinesiology Week!

November 12-18 is National Kinesiology Week

Kinesiologists have a background in movement science and are considered human movement specialists. Depending on their credentials, they may also have titles as Exercise Physiologist or Exercise Therapist. Kinesiologists can work independently or part of allied health teams to help improve the health of their patients. Our PCN is fortunate to have an Exercise Specialist on staff; Corinne provides exceptional care to our patients. Happy Kinesiology Week!


Tuesday 2 October 2018

Influenza Immunization Clinics

Alberta Health Services has released it's clinic dates for people to be immunized from influenza.

Influenza immunization clinics in our area are listed below. For other locations, please visit the AHS Influenza Clinic Schedule.


Leduc Public Health Centre
4219 50 Street
Leduc, AB  T9E8C9

Friday, Oct. 19                                                          9am – 4:30pm
Saturday, Oct. 20                                                      9am – 4:30pm
Monday, Oct. 22                                                       12:15pm – 8pm
Wednesday, Oct. 24                                                 12:15pm – 8pm
Monday, Oct. 29                                                       12:15pm – 8pm
Tuesday, Nov. 6                                                        12:15pm – 8pm
Saturday, Nov. 17                                                      9am – 430pm

Beaumont Community Centre
5204 50 Ave.
Beaumont, AB  T4X 1E3

Monday, Oct. 15                                                        9am – 8pm

Beaumont Public Health Centre
4918 50 Ave
Beaumont, AB  T4X 1J9

Friday, Oct. 26                                                           9am – 4:30pm
Saturday, Oct. 27                                                       9am – 4:30 pm
Thursday, Nov. 1                                                       12:15pm – 8pm
Saturday, Nov. 3                                                        9am – 4:30pm
Tuesday, Nov. 13                                                       12:15pm – 8pm

Devon General Hospital
101 Erie Street S.
Devon, AB  T9G 2B9

Tuesday, Oct. 30                                                        12:15pm – 8pm
Tuesday, Nov. 13                                                       12:15pm – 8pm

Devon Community Centre
20 Haven Avenue
Devon, AB  T9G 2B9

Wednesday, Oct. 17                                                   9am – 8pm
Thursday, Oct. 25                                                      12:15pm – 8pm

Calmar & District Senior Citizens Club
4916 50 Avenue
Calmar, AB  T0C 0V0

Thursday, Nov. 15                                                     1pm – 7pm

Thorsby Public Health Centre
4825 Hankin Street
Thorsby, AB  T0C 2P0

Thursday, Nov. 8                                                       3:30pm – 8pm

Thorsby & District Regional Recreation Centre
4901 48 Avenue
Thorsby, AB T0C 2P0

Wednesday, Oct. 24                                                   12:30pm – 7:45pm

Warburg Cloverleaf Manor
5204 53 Avenue
Warburg, AB  T0C 2T0

Tuesday, Oct. 16                                                        1pm – 4pm

New Sarepta Agriplx
5088 1 Avenue
New Sarepta, AB  T0B 3M0

Thursday, Oct. 18                                                      2pm – 6pm

Friday 14 September 2018

Beat the Back to School Snack Blues!

The hustle and bustle of back to school has begun and so has the dreaded thought of packing your kids or your own snacks and lunches.  As a mom of young kids starting in the school system and a Registered Dietitian, I am also starting this journey. I also constantly get messages from friends asking “what do I pack?”

I am sharing the Top 5 questions I get in hopes to reduce your stress of packing lunches and snacks and your school year off to a healthy start!

1. What do I pack?

- Snack foods are a huge industry and have a whole aisle dedicated to them which only adds to the snack confusion.  Most packaged items likely contain added sugar, added salt and an added expense
- Rule of Thumb – STICK TO THE BASICS! 
- Choose from the 4 food groups:
https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/info/nutrition/if-nfs-snacks-for-children.pdf

2. How do I get my kid to eat what I pack?

- Involving your kids in the packing, preparing and decision making of their snacks and lunches are an important part of developing healthy skills and healthy eating habits for the future.
- This does not mean a lot of work or mess. 
   o Assign jobs depending on age and skills. Younger kids can be involved in washing, mixing and putting food into containers. Older kids are able to be involved in practicing math and science by measuring and counting as well as the chopping, mixing and making decisions around what goes into their lunch.
   o Take your kids grocery shopping and have them pick out a fruit or vegetable each week. As a family, make a decision on how you are going to prepare or serve that food item.
 o Expect spills and messes and provide children with positive feedback on their cooking effort to encourage continued participation.
   o Choose a time during the day or week that your kids are more likely to want to be involved.  Avoid doing this when they are tired or busy and feeling rushed. You want this to be FUN!

Also remember that as a parent you are responsible for providing healthy options however your kids are responsible for their hunger in order to build healthy relationships with food.

3. My school is peanut aware/free what is left to pack?
- People are more aware of food allergies. Check with your school/child care facilities on their policies around food allergies. Some schools now might only be “nut aware” versus “nut free”.
- As soon as people hear “nut allergy” they panic – “what can I send it I cant send peanut butter sandwiches?”  THINK BEYOND PEANUT BUTTER.
- Be assured that there are a variety of healthy food choices that don’t contain peanuts!
https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/info/nutrition/if-nfs-peanut-and-tree-nut-free-meals-snacks.pdf

4. Seriously, Andrea, what do I put in my kids lunches and for snacks?

- Dips!! Most kids LOVE dips. Try pita chips and bean dip or salsa, cut up fruit with a yoghurt dip, cut up vegetables and dip or hummus.
- Change up your bread. Choose whole grain pitas, tortillas or wraps.
- Pick foods that are colourful.
- Make your own trail mix – whole grain high fibre cereal, dried fruit and roasted chick peas
- Have your kids pick out a fun lunch kit or containers.
- Kids might only have around 20 minutes to eat – try to have everything cut up and ready to go .
- Remember food safety – keep foods cool with ice packs or frozen milk or water and hot foods in thermoses.

Here are some great sites for lots of ideas for kids lunches and snacks and yourself that are fun to put together as a family!  I have put out a few recipes from these sites that I think would be great to add into any lunch or snack and will be ending up in my kids lunches this year!


Looking for great ways to get in protein? 

http://www.pulsecanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Cooking-With-Pulses.pdf
https://www.lentils.org/recipe
Check out the recipes for Lentil Granola bars, Roasted Chick peas and Chick pea Hummus and Lentil Bites.

Looking for family friendly meals?

http://www.unlockfood.ca/en/Recipes/Kid-friendly-award-winning-recipes.aspx
Check out the recipes for Chicken Crunchie Quesadillas, Creamy Zucchini Dip, Bagel Crunch, Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal, Potatoe Patties, Mini mushroom omelettes.


Andrea Shackel is a Registered Dietitian at the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network.

If you would like to see one of our Registered Dietitians, please ask your family doctor for a referral.

Wednesday 5 September 2018

September 2018 Newsletter

Our September 2018 newsletter is now available!

Inside you will find important information about changes to the PCN programs and services, our Fall 2018 workshop list, a sample of some of the resources available on our website, plus much, much more!

Feel free to forward it to your friends and family and have them subscribe by clicking the button in the newsletter.

September 2018 Newsletter

Tuesday 4 September 2018

Fall 2018 Health Education Classes now available!

Our Fall 2018 health education classes and workshops are now available for registration!
Register online at www.lbdpcn.com or call our office at 780-986-6624.


Thursday 12 July 2018

Important changes at the PCN



Based on recent feedback and research, the LBD PCN is restructuring its programs and services to meet the growing needs of our communities.

The chronic disease management program (SMILE) and mental health program have merged together to form the Team-Based Care Program. As part of this merge, some of our programs and services will be changing.

These new services will soon be available:

- COPD and asthma support
- Mental health support for youth
- Extended hours at our PCN office in Leduc
- Healthcare providers will now be offered in many of our member clinics. Please talk to your family physician for details.

These services have been suspended until restructuring has occurred (please contact the PCN for more information):

- Tobacco cessation support
- Insulin starts

These services are no longer offered:

- Medication reviews
- Psychological support to bariatric patients

Our healthcare professionals are working to transition affected patients to services within the community. Our team is committed to ensuring a smooth transition and look forward to adding value to our programs and services.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Regards, 

Candra Tinis | Communications Lead
Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network
#301 4710 - 50th Street
Leduc, AB  T9E 6W2
Phone: (780) 986-6624

Thursday 21 June 2018

Keeping teens active this summer

Our friends at Goodlife Fitness are giving students under the age of 18 a *FREE* membership for the summer! Even if you turn 18 over the summer, as long as you are 17 and under when you register, your membership is valid.

This offer is completely free to any Goodlife Fitness gym across Canada.

Pre-registration is open now and membership will be valid from July 3rd to September 2nd. Have your parent or guardian enroll you and you will be good to go!

REGISTER NOW!


Monday 11 June 2018

June is Stroke Awareness Month

June is Stroke Awareness Month - do you know the signs of a stroke?


For more information on stroke and to find out if you are at risk, visit the Heart & Stroke Foundation website: http://www.heartandstroke.ca/stroke/signs-of-stroke
http://www.heartandstroke.ca/stroke/signs-of-stroke

Monday 7 May 2018

Heart Healthy


To register online: http://lbdpcn.com/Pages/Event-Details.aspx?EventID=33&EventSeriesID=70&

Mental Health Week

May 7-13 is Mental Health Week.

Mental health is about more than mental illness.

It’s more than being happy all the time. It’s about feeling good about who you are, having balance in your life, and managing life’s highs and lows. Everyone deserves to feel well, whatever their mental health experience. And we all need a support system to lean on. https://mentalhealthweek.ca/

#GetLoud



If you need mental health support, please ask your family physician for a referral to one of our clinicians: http://lbdpcn.com/Programs/Pages/Mental-Health.aspx

National Nursing Week!

May 7-13 is National Nursing Week!

Our Registered Nurses offer support to people living with various chronic conditions such as diabetes, pre-diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and geriatric concerns such as cognitive/behaviour concerns and functional decline. 

Carla, Janice and Ify are the best at what they do! 
#YesThisIsNursing

https://www.cna-aiic.ca/en/events/national-nursing-week

Thursday 19 April 2018

The City of Leduc would like your help to develop a community-based opioid response plan. Please fill out this quick survey - everyone in the Leduc region is asked to participate. https://www.leduc.ca/opioids


Tuesday 3 April 2018

April 2018 Newsletter is here!

To receive this quarterly newsletter directly to your inbox, please subscribe by clicking the button in the newsletter. We promise we won't spam you!

April 2018 LBD PCN Newsletter

Thursday 29 March 2018

Easter Holiday Eating Tips

Maintaining healthy lifestyle choices can be extremely difficult, especially during the holiday season. Here are some times from our Registered Dietitians on how to keep on track.


Wednesday 21 March 2018

March is Nutrition Month!

Understand how food can help prevent chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. #NutritionMonth


Tuesday 20 March 2018

March is Pharmacist Awareness Month



Each March Pharmacist Awareness Month (PAM) celebrates the contributions that pharmacists make to our health care system and helps educate Canadians about the health care services and advice their pharmacists are now delivering. 

Pharmacists across Canada have had a widely expanded scope of practice over the past decade that has them doing more for their patients than ever before. We want to celebrate the great strides the profession has made, highlight the health care services now offered at the pharmacy, and encourage Canadians to Think Pharmacists this March.

Our PCN Pharmacist, Nandini Desai, provides a wide scope of patient care from diabetes education, medication reviews and tobacco cessation support. Ask your PCN family doctor for a referral to visit Nandini for support. 

Wednesday 14 March 2018

March 14th is Dietitians Day!



Happy Dietitians Day! Today we celebrates dietitians as regulated health care professionals who are committed to using their specialized education to translate the science of nutrition into terms everyone can understand. Our PCN is grateful to have Andrea, Ginette and Sally as our dedicated and knowledgeable dietitians; our patients, member physicians and community are lucky to have you all!

Monday 12 March 2018

STI screening in Beaumont

Beaumont Medical now offers a STI clinic one day per week. Confidentiality ensured; call the office and request a "screening appointment."



Friday 2 March 2018

Thursday 1 February 2018

February is Heart Month!

Heart Healthy class at the PCN!

Learn about risk factors for stroke and heart disease, how to eat healthy and read nutrition fact labels for managing blood pressure and cholesterol . Also learn how medication, stress management and tobacco cessation can affect heart health.

This is a FREE class and is open to the public; a referral from your family doctor is NOT required. 
Register online or call our PCN office at 780-986-6624.




Friday 12 January 2018

January 2018 Newsletter is here!

Our LBD PCN January 2018 Newsletter is now available. If you would like to receive this quarterly newsletter in your inbox, please click the submit button.

January 2018 LBD PCN Newsletter

Monday 8 January 2018

Turning Down the Dial on Anxiety

This new session is offered at the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network office. A referral from your family doctor is NOT needed; it's open to the public and is FREE.

Please visit www.lbdpcn.com to register or call our office at 780-986-6624.