Arthritis Friendly Kitchen Tips

Having any of the one hundred and twenty forms of arthritis can be painful . The pain can make it difficult to prepare meals. It is often suggested for those of us who suffer with chronic pain and disability to purchase pre cut and pre packaged foods. Sounds easy enough . However; The prepackage foods contain preservatives and we all know preservatives are not good consumed in any quantity much less daily consumption of it.I myself have five forms of arthritis and a birth injury to my right arm. The way I figure it. I am 48 years old If I releyed on the pre package foods to survive By now I would have adverse affects worse than I already have caused from my disease. Now this is strictly my opinion. Some research shows that the additive in foods to help maintain a long shelf life are not so healthy. With that being said why should we have to eat foods that prepackaged just because we have chronic pain injuries or arthritis. We should not !There's good news. Having use of one arm  and the other arm very limited use and deformity . I have developed ways to not only prepare meals that are made of fresh ingredients but manage to do household chores by revamping things around the home. I was not always able to run out and buy items to make life easier so I had to be creative. For example to do my laundry was more than a chore unable to lift heavy baskets of cloths . My solution is a plastic cart with wheels and drawers very inexpensive at walmart, kmart any department store. I place my dirty cloths in separate drawers as I take them off whites in one underwear in another and so on. On laundry day I simply push the lightweight cart into the laundry and it is already sorted . As I remove the clean cloths from the dryer I put them back into the drawers for a quick roll into the bedroom to put it away. To move the trash can and pots of water across the counter from the sink to stove I use a plant stand with wheels less than 5 dollars at a department store or nursery. To slice apples, potatoes , squash , cucumbers and so on I use an Apple corer. I place my forearms on each handle and use the weight of my body. To open yogurt, cottage cheese and sour cream any plastic container with a lid. I use a plan band I wear on my thumb. I hook it under the lip and off it comes.To shuck corn I cut each end off the cob and the skin falls off. To get the knife to go though the corn I place my forearm on the back side of the knife and again ust the weight of my body. Rolling pie crusts is as easy as can be using my forearms and the weight of my body . I even make bread from scratch I mix the entire recipe in my cuisinart stand mixer using the dough hook. To zest a lime or lemon any citrus I wrap a dinner fork with a dish towel and secure it with an elastic band to make the fork manageable for my twisted hands. I then Perice the lemon and using a long mico plane I zest away. I have developed hundreds of tricks for arthritis over the past 48 years those are just a few. Feel free to look at my web site for more arthritis friendly kitchen tips . I have also written a book with arthritis friendly recipes and great arthritis frieindly kitchen tips . Good luck and remember no matter what your age or condition it is never too late to become what you might have been. Wishing you less pain today !