Plan ahead to take pain out of cooking
Six tips that make a big difference for arthritis sufferers
‘ One of the most frustrating things with arthritis can be pushing down on the blade’
COOKING should be fun but think how hard it can be if your movements are restricted. For those with arthritis, joint ache and mobility is often a problem. Reaching for things on those high shelves and chopping and mixing aren’t simple any more.
Kate Lawson, who was diagnosed with arthritis at the age of 26, founded the blog Cooking With Arthur to help make life better for fellow sufferers, both in preparation and by using a health- friendly diet.
Here she offers advice to once more make the kitchen somewhere you want to be…
Be prepared
It’s amazing how many sufferers still have their kitchen set up the way it has always been. Take a step back and ask why all my pots and pans are down by my feet. Look at the space you’re working in and ask yourself if it is really set up for your needs.
Freezer ready
It’s really annoying but you can’t predict when your pain will flare up. But rather than settle for a bowl of cereal, make things in advance and pop them in the freezer, ready for a quick, simple meal. Or have a couple of no- chop, fail- safe recipes that you can make quickly without thinking about it.
Get some gadgets
Think about the tasks you find hardest, not what others find hard: they might have trouble with their wrists, you might have thumb problems.
Invest in items that help you with those really difficult tasks – they don’t have to be expensive.
Sharpen up
I can’t emphasise it enough when I’m doing demonstrations: a safe knife is a sharp knife. One of the most frustrating things with arthritis can be pushing down on the blade. With a blunt knife it becomes so much harder and you are more likely to slip and cut yourself.
Cut yourself some slack
There are days when I think I’m going to drop every bowl in the kitchen or I’m going to get halfway through cooking something and think: “I can’t do this”.
The important thing is to enjoy it. Cooking should be something you take pleasure from and not something you push yourself to do if you’re not feeling well.
Keep your joints in shape
There are lots of products available at chemists to help you take care of the pain of arthritis.
Flexiseq Active, a unique, drug- free approach supported by clinical evidence, relieves pain and joint stiffness by helping to lubricate your joints. Definitely worth a try.