Cooking can seem like a painful ordeal when you have arthritis, but there are a wide range of helpful tips and techniques that can make your time in the kitchen more confortable and enjoyable.

With this in mind, Arthritis Ireland is serving up a series of cookery workshops to demonstrate the little things that can make a big difference to your cooking experience. The workshops will be approximately two hours long and will be led by Maggie Lynch, from the renowned Soul Food Company. Maggie will demonstrate a delicious tailor-made menu comprising starter, main course and dessert which are both healthy and easy to make. Most importantly, the demonstrations will incorporate techniques that will help you to cook comfortably. For example, sliding heavy pots across countertops rather than lifting them; using ergonomic, lightweight knives and utensils; and taking advantage of electronic tools such as a food processor instead of cutting, shredding and crushing ingredients manually.

For more information please call (01) 6618188 or email letscook@arthritisireland.ie.

Cook along with TV3’s Stuart O’Keefe

Star of TV3’s ‘Stuart’s Kitchen’, Stuart O’Keefe was in Dublin recently to help launch the ‘Let’s Cook!’ campaign. Stuart says: ‘When people are diagnosed with a chronic condition like arthritis, naturally they might feel concerned about how it will impact their enjoyment of things that they love doing, such as cooking. But food is such an integral part of life that by taking a few extra precautions and by slightly altering the way you work in the kitchen, you can still indulge your passion for cooking and continue to create delicious, healthy food. Although arthritis-related pain often makes you want to avoid certain activities, I firmly believe that by learning how to prepare and cook the right foods, it is possible for people with arthritis to cook in a way that they feel comfortable and enjoy.”

Click here for Stuart’s tailor-made arthritis friendly recipes.