A technique of cooking and eating for victims of arthritis

Press, 27 January 1979, Page 10

A technique of cooking and eating for victims of arthritis

What’s cooking? For the one in four of the population who are in pain from arthritis and rheumatism the answer could well be “just another pain in the neck or. . .” Well, it needn’t be as bad as all that if you follow a few of these simple hints.

Peeling and slicing become easier if you stop to

think. Don’t peel potatoes. Scrub them with a nail brush and cook them in their jackets. Same with pumpkin. Leave the skin on. Use a bread culler or chopper wherever possible, on cabbage and carrots, for example. A chef’s knife with sharp blade and long handle is so easy to use. Don’t cut things too small before cooking. They’ll cut small so much easier afterwards. It pays to quarter apples before peeling, to select small onions which break into pieces when cooked. A vegetable board with three nails and a non-slip surface will stabilise vegetables while you take to them with that peeler. But remember, peel away and downards for safety. Frozen, packaged or tinned vegetables which are already prepared are the easiest of all. Use a triangular grater for preference. It is easier to grip, particularly one with the handle on the top. Rest the grater over a bowl in the sink. Squeezing oranges requires less pressure if warmed in the oven beforehand. Now meat. Buy it boneless, and ask the butcher to cut it up. Let somebody else do the carving — on a stabilising dish with prongs. Draining vegetables means tipping to some degree. Keep the weight down by using the smallest amount of water., Take the vegetables out with a slotted spoon. Whenever you can, steam instead of boiling. Vegetables in separate baskets in the one pot are lighter and easier to

handle than a pot full. Try anchoring the lid to the pot with a rubber band around the knob and the handle. This leaves both hands free to hold the saucepan handle. If you possibly can have stove and sink close together, and preferably at

From the Department of Health

the same level. This way you can slide your utensil from one to the other with a cloth underneath it. Always use both hands — and, by the way, two handled pots are recommended. Make full use of the electric fry-pan. It will cook anything from a roast to a cake, and is, of course, superb for quick heating. And do your cooking when the family is around to help you. They’ll certainly eat it, so they may as well help you prepare it. If you are using the oven have an asbestos lopped stool alongside so that you can pull the baking dish straight onto it — preferably a dish with two handles. It’s easier on the system too if you sit down to it. The easiest way to mix things is of course an electric mixer. If you are

mixing by hand, stand the basin in the sink on a dishcloth. This reduces working height and adds to stability. Another way is to lodge the mixing bowl in a halfopen drawer. It is also a. good idea to use a small square of latex mesh under bowls to prevent slipping. Use lightweight cutlery; make sure that your knife is really sharp; for preference use cutlery with bone handles because they are thicker. You could with advantage build up the handles with rubber tubing or some other material. Specially adapted pieces with lengthened or angled handles for ease in reaching your mouth can be obtained . . . check with your

hospital’s occupational therapy department. Cups are easier to manage than glasses — particuarly light plastic cups with big handles. Don’t fill the cup too full; and, if it’s easier, use straws or a non-spill child’s cup. Use a small teapot. One

with an extra handle on the top gives more leverage. Grip it with both hands using a tea cosy, oven mitts or a tea towel.

Better still, see if you can buy or have made a teapot tilter. Then you

don’t have to lift the pot at all. Many sufferers have trouble with food sliding off the plate. You can buy special plates with a lip round the edge. Plate guards are also available and these can be fitted to any plate. Foam rubber table mats prevent the plates from sliding about and are softer on the elbows. The same result, though not quite as comfortable can be achieved with terry towelling mats. A spring-loaded egg holder is a good idea. Alternatively, try sticking foam rubber to a flat-bot-

tomed egg cup if you can’t hold it. We all need a little “butter to our bread.” Make sure it’s soft. Keep it out of the fridge and use a butter warmer if necessary. By the way, butter the slice before you cut it off the loaf. These are just a few of the dozens of ways that you can help yourself. Above all, whether cooking, cleaning or whatever, remember not to attempt too much, remember to take your rest, and life will be that much less wearing.