Those with the arthritis might say it is the mother of invention. Chef and cookbook author Melinda Winner couldn’t agree more. Winner was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) more than 25 years ago. Feeling devastated and defeated after gaining 100 pounds from years of eating poorly and being sedentary due to the pain and physical limitations from her RA, Winner knew it was time for a change.

“I had three children, and between the pain and the weight, I couldn’t even pick them up,” says Winner. To regain the active life she once enjoyed, she started doing gentle exercises and exploring tricks in the kitchen to adapt her cooking style to help her work around her physical challenges. “I'd loved cooking by my mother’s side when I was a child and wanted to get back to it.”

To help others with arthritis regain independence in the kitchen, she authored A Complete Illustrated Guide to Cooking With Arthritis (Tate Publishing and Enterprises LLC, 2009). Here’s an excerpt from her book highlighting 20 tips to cooking with arthritis.

1. Store things such as flour, sugar, coffee and tea in glass containers with lightweight lift-off lids on your countertop.

2. To accomplish your cutting and slicing needs, purchase an ergonomically designed knife with a large handle. This allows you to have leverage and stability using your body weight to maneuver the knife.

3. Store your pots and pans on wall hooks or a pot hanger from the ceiling. This will eliminate unnecessary bending.

4. When filling or emptying large pots of water, use a plant stand for transport and a small plastic measuring cup to transfer the water.

5. When you have a lot of prep work to do, sit at the table instead of standing.

6. Purchase a rubber mat to stand on when you are cooking at the stove. The padding helps prevent back and leg pain. 

7. Use a small kitchen funnel to separate egg yolks from the whites. Simply place the funnel over a glass. To separate the egg, crack the egg into the funnel. The white will slide into the glass while the yolk stays in the funnel.

8. Learn to incorporate other parts of your body in the lifting process. For example, use your shoulder to help get the platter on the top shelf of the refrigerator.

9. Purchase arthritis-friendly tools: a food processor, standing mixer, lightweight utensils, electric jar opener and rubber-bottom mixing bowls for stability, just to name a few.

10. Many times when you buy a bottle of sauce, it needs shaking before opening. Don’t shake it; roll it. If your hands are sore, use your forearm and the weight of your body.

11. Sometimes there can be trouble opening doors, especially doorknobs. One solution is to replace doorknobs with handles. This allows you to use your elbow and forearm to get the door open. However, there are a few doors that do not have that option, so try the following: tie a pretty ribbon or scarf on the closet bifold door or the refrigerator door. When you cannot pull it open with your hands, hook your arm through the ribbon and use the weight of your body to open the door.

12. To cut and peel apples and vegetables, use an apple corer. Simply place the corer over the item you are cutting, place your forearms on the fruit, and use the weight of your body to push it through. To peel, lay the slice on its side, hold the slice in place with a fork and cut the outer skin with a pairing knife.

13. Arrange your kitchen cabinets so that lighter, easy-to-handle things are on the upper shelves and the heavier items are on the lower shelves.

14. Place your spices and canned goods on a lazy Susan. This allows you to easily spin to find those needed items instead of moving heavy canned goods around or having to move 10 items just to get the spice you need.

15. Try washing your dishes by hand. It is a welcome relief to soak in the warm soapy water. This will also help with joint mobility.

16. Freeze fresh herbs and spices in tablespoons, teaspoons and half-teaspoon measurements. Freeze these in water, milk, tea or cream. Also freeze tomato paste. Use an ice cube tray for the perfect measurement. Once frozen, place in marked bags in the freezer. The next time you need a teaspoon of basil, just grab a cube. This is a time saver and an energy saver.

17. To fill a water bath pan for cooking, put the pan in a cold oven and use a measuring cup to fill the pan. Then preheat the oven. This will bring the water up to temperature, and you won't need to maneuver a full pan of water into the oven.

18. Removing trash bags is a tough job. Buy a smaller can and bags that have handles. When it is time to be emptied, just slip your arms through the handles and pull the bag out.

19. Having problems whisking? Substitute a whisk for a handheld electric drink mixer. They are lightweight and have thick handles.

20. To wipe off countertops, buy thick sponges. They are easy to hold and relatively inexpensive. They also hold up well in the wash. You can probably get one week out of each sponge. Use it for two days and wash. Also make sure the sponge is stored where it can air dry after each use.