Food

[agate]

Have you changed the way you get your food since MS came along?

Do you eat out more often to avoid the fatigue of cooking, or do you eat out less often?

Do you cook as much as you used to before MS?

Or if somebody else fixes your food, has that situation changed?

What about the types of food you eat? Are some foods no longer possible for you to eat because of MS?

[ewizabeth]

Hi Agate,

I don't often cook anymore. I'm just too tired since I'm still working. I try to follow a healthier diet too, because general health could be related to progression (I'm presuming). I try to be heart healthy.

My husband cooks most nights, but he doesn't really like doing so. If he changes his mind, I'm not sure who will cook, but not me. Maybe Seattle Sutton healthy meals would be ok. :)
_________________
Ewizabeth
DX 01/28/03 RRMS
Formerly Avonex, Rebif & Copaxone
Tysabri 06/07 through 09/09
On Copaxone again since 12/09 and hoping for oral meds to come out!

[agate]

ewizabeth, I'd never heard of Seattle Sutton, and so I looked it up. It sounds like a nice deal. Have you ever tried any of the meals yet?

[ewizabeth]

No I haven't Agate. I have received glossy fliers in the mail advertising it, and have seen the commercials. If it were affordable, it would be a great choice for one or two people who either do not cook or don't have the time or ability.
_________________
Ewizabeth
DX 01/28/03 RRMS
Formerly Avonex, Rebif & Copaxone
Tysabri 06/07 through 09/09
On Copaxone again since 12/09 and hoping for oral meds to come out!

[LoLo]

I've never been much for cooking, and since I moved into this house with an electric stove, even less so (I used to cook a lot of Asian food). We use the grill all summer though - lots of fresh veggies and grilled meats. Once winter comes, I shudder to think. I also get much more tired in the winter, and have less motivation to cook than ever. My DH cooks more than I do.

[ewizabeth]

Lolo,

Asian food and fresh veggies and grilled meats sound good. When I cook it is either healthy stuff (really watching fat, sugar and salt with lots of veggies) or comfort foods, like when our sons are coming over to eat, or for family dinners. Very rare anymore though for me.

On our sons' birthdays this summer I had mishaps cooking both meals. For one, I dropped a cake on the floor, and the next I poured boiling water over my hand when straining lasagna noodles. Right hand is getting progressively weaker.
_________________
Ewizabeth
DX 01/28/03 RRMS
Formerly Avonex, Rebif & Copaxone
Tysabri 06/07 through 09/09
On Copaxone again since 12/09 and hoping for oral meds to come out!

[agate]

That sounds like me, ewizabeth. I once was draining some boiling water from a fairly large, heavy saucepan and accidentally poured it right across my waist. I had a nasty red burn clear across my middle for a long time.

I've dropped a lot of food too. At least once a day I have some mishap.

[Anonymous]

I can still cook fairly well, but I'm very slow at it. I have to take frequent breaks because I can't stand for very long, and to do extensive veggie prep I have to sit down.

You're right, LoLo...electric stoves do suck, especially for Asian foods. One of these years we're going to get our kitchen connected for gas and replace the stove that was here when we bought the house. Makes for poorer air quality, but much better cook-ability.

On days when I'm too tired or out of it to cook, it's usually nuking something from the freezer and making a quick salad to go with.

DH cooks sometimes, and would cook more if I let him. Problem is, everything he makes tastes the same. Too much oil, lots of onions and garlic, peppers if he's got 'em, etc. At least I broke him years ago of putting cinnamon, raisins and tomato sauce in everything!

zenna

[lady_express_44]

Unfortunately my kids do not get many home-cooked meals.

I was good about proper nutrition, etc. until about 3 yrs ago, then I lost so much energy. I still try to feed them healthy things, but it's more salads and meat on the George Foreman, then a nice 3 course meal.

I HATE food. Always have, always will.

Once in a blue moon I have a craving for a steak or crab, but otherwise I could live on toast. Even then, I don't eat until I have my few puffs of MJ at night time (so I keep the weight on).
_________________
You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers.
You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions.
Naguib Mahfouz

[Matt]

[agate]

Yes, persons with MS are costly, and that may be one reason why it's difficult to find services to take advantage of: we're such klutzes sometimes that those holding the pursestrings find it hard to believe we could be this awkward!

I probably go through twice as many paper towels as a "normal" person would, for instance, just because I'm so often spilling things.

I used to cook for my family, before MS came along. For some years after that, though I no longer had my children with me, I kept on cooking the usual meals, out of habit, and eating the leftovers later on.

When I broke my right wrist in one of my falls, I couldn't even open a can until I went and got an electric can opener. During the weeks when my arm was in a cast, my dinners were a boiled hot dog or an ordered-in salad or pizza.

Very gradually my cooking efforts have slowed down. When diabetes was diagnosed (many years ago) I had to change my diet completely, and I gave up eating meat and desserts.

Giving those two items up saved me an enormous amount of time and energy. The greasy pans created by cooking meat were hard for me to wash because my hands and arms give out easily. No meat--no greasy pans!

The oven is always so clean it hardly ever needs a working over with oven-cleaners--all because I don't eat meat.

For years I made my own bread, and I made cookies that I sent regularly to my kids. I don't do either of these any more.

Since the Internet entered my life, my cooking has been almost nonexistent. It was just so much more interesting to be on the computer than cooking. I've found vegetarian frozen meals in supermarkets, and I use them for dinner.

Lunch is always a green salad I make myself, with an emphasis on the tomatoes. Breakfast is my biggest meal.

I shop once a week, sometimes less often. I make cookies about once a year and do occasional baking of other things now and then.

But if any cooking project takes a lot of preparation, I try to do it in stages. I cut up vegetables the day before, or I measure out dry ingredients the day before. Like zenna, I sit down when there's a lot of vegetable preparation.

Getting the groceries has been one of my major problems over the years. In many moves I always tried to be close enough to a supermarket so I could walk there, but that wasn't always possible.

Now, for instance, a helper takes me shopping once a week, or if I'm not up to going, she goes for me, though I prefer to go myself. If there's no helper, I have a few options. I can call a local grocery store and phone in the order IF it's a Wednesday or Friday and IF I call before 9 AM. Maybe the delivery will arrive the same day, maybe as late as 7 at night.

Or (more recently) I can go to the Safeway online and place an online order for delivery. The last couple of times I tried this, I had to wait several days for the order to be delivered.

Delivered groceries almost always have a fee (about $10), but MS is nothing if not expensive!

[LoLo]

I find that standing over the hot stove - especially the electric, I don't know why - makes me almost go into a trance. My eyes get REALLY funky, and my head starts to hurt. But yet heat in general does not bother me so much. But I can't do long involved recipes if they involve a lot of stove time. That's why Asian cooking is so great - all your time is spent on prep, which you can do sitting down.

[agate]

I've been using the same electric stove for the last 23 years, but I do remember gas stoves and how quickly they cool off. Electric stoves take forever to cool down after you turn them off. Could that be a reason why an electric stove bothers you more?

I forgot to mention a couple of other ways food has changed for me since MS:

1 - I hardly ever drink hot liquids. I'm too likely to spill them. Tea and coffee are never on the menu, and I have soup only occasionally.

2- I've replaced almost everything breakable in my kitchen. Plastic (melamine or lexan) is what I use for all bowls, plates, glasses, and cups. I got tired of sweeping up all of the broken glass and china.

[ewizabeth]

One thing I've been thinking of getting that I need a lot is, one of those heavy duty collanders that stands up on sturdy legs, so you just dump the pasta or whatever in it, and don't have to hold on to anything heavy while pouring hot liquid. Sometimes they have a hook that holds onto the sink to give them even better stability.

I've seen them in plastic or metal, and I bought one for our son, but we still use the flimsy plastic ones I've had since we were first married.
_________________
Ewizabeth
DX 01/28/03 RRMS
Formerly Avonex, Rebif & Copaxone
Tysabri 06/07 through 09/09
On Copaxone again since 12/09 and hoping for oral meds to come out!

[agate]

I have a colander that can stand on its own--it has a metal ring as a base. I use it at least once a day. It's made of metal and mesh that makes it useful as a strainer too.

I also have a couple of oven jacks that are really handy for getting something out of a hot oven. They're wooden gadgets with a hook carved into them, and you catch hold of the oven rack with the hook and pull the rack out so you don't have to get so close to the oven heat.

[ewizabeth]

Now I need one of those too. What a good idea Agate. I've never seen one, but now I'll be looking for them. Our oven racks are hard to slide out, and I have repeatedly burned myself on the adjacent rack when trying to adjust or remove something from the oven.
_________________
Ewizabeth
DX 01/28/03 RRMS
Formerly Avonex, Rebif & Copaxone
Tysabri 06/07 through 09/09
On Copaxone again since 12/09 and hoping for oral meds to come out!

[agate]

Vermont Country Store used to sell them, if you get their mail order catalog. They're also online.

The oven jack usually has a little indentation in its other end so you can push the rack back into the oven without getting so close to it, too.

[ewizabeth]

I'll check them out. I think I had a catalog once, my friend at work has all the good catalogs, especially cooking supply stores.
_________________
Ewizabeth
DX 01/28/03 RRMS
Formerly Avonex, Rebif & Copaxone
Tysabri 06/07 through 09/09
On Copaxone again since 12/09 and hoping for oral meds to come out!

[Sweetyhide]

I dont cook as much and as well as I did years ago.
We eat a lot of microwave stuff, sndwiches and things that are easy.

On the weekends I do cook some.
Mostly mexican and italian stuff because its easy, tasty and goes a long way.

As for the collanders, if you dont have one of those that fit over the sink I suggest you get one! It's the best kitchen gadget I have ever owned. The arms slide out so that it fits OVER the sink.
Bed Bath and Beyond has them cheap.

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=11951678

[ewizabeth]

Sweetyhide,

We have a bedbath&beyond in town, so I'll stop in there and check it out. Thanks for the link!


_________________
Ewizabeth
DX 01/28/03 RRMS
Formerly Avonex, Rebif & Copaxone
Tysabri 06/07 through 09/09
On Copaxone again since 12/09 and hoping for oral meds to come out!

[agate]

About an oven jack--Vermont Country Store has always seemed a bit pricey to me. I found a Website where oven jacks are sold that might be less expensive:

http://tinyurl.com/f6fhm

You can scroll down to where you'll find "push me/pull me oven jack" listed, with a photo.

[ewizabeth]

Thanks Agate,

Last night I checked the Vermont Store website, and they didn't have any that I could find. The things they did have were pretty expensive.
_________________
Ewizabeth
DX 01/28/03 RRMS
Formerly Avonex, Rebif & Copaxone
Tysabri 06/07 through 09/09
On Copaxone again since 12/09 and hoping for oral meds to come out!

[LoLo]

I have the old metal collanders...I have no idea where they came from - I think maybe my parents. They're very old, and I love them. I bet you could find some at a flea market.

I love the rack hook idea! Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Ewiz -
One other thing to look for is a pasta pot. They're pretty common now. It's a regular pot with a special insert that has holes just like a colander. Lift it up and voila - it's drained. Then you could just leave the hot pot of water on the stove until it cools down.

[ewizabeth]

Thanks Greta,

I'll keep my eyes open for one of those as well. I might go into BB&B tomorrow. I have to go out and shop for Sunday for DH's birthday dinner anyway. I'm making him a pie, even though he says he doesn't want one. One thing I have to consider, DH does most of the cooking, so he's more apt to use things that can fit in the dishwasher. He isn't big on hand washing.
_________________
Ewizabeth
DX 01/28/03 RRMS
Formerly Avonex, Rebif & Copaxone
Tysabri 06/07 through 09/09
On Copaxone again since 12/09 and hoping for oral meds to come out!

[liltex]

I have live-in help, so no cooking for me! She is a health fanatic, so my husband and I eat quite healhy. Mostly chicken and fish.
_________________
LILTEX

[Matt]

[liltex]

I have MS, the live-in is the health fanatic. But, I do have a hamburger from time to time!
_________________
LILTEX

[stillstANNding]

Recently, on the way home from Cape Cod, we stopped at a factory outlet. First thing SO did was tell me I was limited to 30". Next, he walked me to the Corelle store.

One of the Stevens on BT made a suggestion to get rid of grandma's dishes and buy Corelle. That was about 2 years ago. Now I have my own set of service for 8 with a 3 yr. guarantee against chipping/breaking.

Thank you Steven (L)? where ever you are:)

Thank this forum for all of this helpful information. One never knows when it will be useful.

ANN

[agate]

I'll be glad to convey your words of appreciation to Steve L, Ann.

I've heard only good things about Corelle ware though I don't think I've ever actually seen it.

I have a couple of Corningware pieces (Corning makes Corelle ware), and I love them--but they're certainly not unbreakable. I've broken them many times over--and hardly ever use them any more though they were great for cooking.

Corelle sounds as if it's tougher and less breakable.

[ewizabeth]

I had some Corelle dinnerware for more than twenty years, and used it to serve and bake in. Finally it got dull, and replaced it last year with stoneware.

It served us well through raising both boys. It went through the dishwasher too, and we probably only broke a few of the dishes over the years.

You can't go wrong with Corelle!
_________________
Ewizabeth
DX 01/28/03 RRMS
Formerly Avonex, Rebif & Copaxone
Tysabri 06/07 through 09/09
On Copaxone again since 12/09 and hoping for oral meds to come out!

[agate]

If you're watching your calorie intake, those nutrition information panels on food labels can be very tricky. Here's an example from NutritionAction.com:

[agate]

If you're watching your calorie intake, those nutrition information panels on food labels can be very tricky. Here's an example from NutritionAction.com: