Cooking with Arthritis and Fibromyalgia

By Theresa Williams

Do you have arthritis? Do you have fibromyalgia? Cooking with Arthritis was written to bring hope to anyone living with the pain of arthritis and fibromyalgia. It offers help to newly diagnosed as well as long-term sufferers of these conditions and their families. You will find a basic explanation of these conditions, tips for managing daily life a little easier, and if you like to cook - some easy recipes. Cooking with Arthritis was written by Teri Williams, who shares ways she has learned to cope with her health issues over the last twelve years. Teri is active, loves food and loves cooking and does not let her physical challenges get in her way. This book will inspire you to move past illness and enjoy life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 13, 2011
• ISBN: 9781469114200

Book preview

Copyright © 2009 by Theresa Williams. Publish date 2011.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner. To gain permission, send your email request to [e-mail].

This book is in no way intended to replace medical advice or be a substitute for medical or other professional advice or assistance. If you feel you have a medical condition, you should see a physician for a diagnosis and treatment plan. You should consult your physician before making any changes in your current medications, treatments, or exercise plans.

The author and publisher of this book expressly disclaim responsibility for any adverse effects arising directly or indirectly from information contained in this publication. The author of this book made every effort to attain correct websites, phone numbers, and other information published in this book. She is not responsible for changes or errors that occur after publication. Furthermore, the author is not responsible for the content of the websites, books, magazines, or opinions expressed by others.

On the cover: Caprese Pasta Salad, page 156 Tomato Cucumber Salad, page 151 Peach-Berry Trifle, page 218. Photos by Cindy Tiehan.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

55776

Contents

FOREWORD

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1

WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH ME?

CHAPTER 2

GETTING A PROPER DIAGNOSIS

CHAPTER 3

FIBROMYALGIA

CHAPTER 4

OSTEOARTHRITIS

CHAPTER 5

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

CHAPTER 6

MANAGEMENT TIPS

CHAPTER 7

STRESS AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES

CHAPTER 8

STRETCHING AND EXERCISING

CHAPTER 9

MANEUVERING THE KITCHEN

CHAPTER 10

FOOD!

CHAPTER 11

HEALTHY COOKING

CHAPTER 12

ABOUT MY RECIPES

CHAPTER 13

BREAKFAST

CHAPTER 14

APPETIZERS

CHApTER 15

SALADS AND SALAD DRESSINGS

CHAPTER 16

SOUPS

CHAPTER 17

MAIN DISHES

CHAPTER 18

SIDE DISHES

CHAPTER 19

DESSERTS AND TREATS

CHAPTER 20

HELPFUL ORGANIZATIONS, WEBSITES, BOOKS, AND MAGAZINES

SUMMARY

For my loving and handsome husband, Frank. Throughout the more than thirty years I have known him, he has been a wonderful friend, advisor, and partner. He is encouraging—and he eats my culinary experiments! Frank recognized my gifts and attributes long before I did. I thank him from the bottom of my heart for trying his best to understand my physical challenges. Most of all, I thank him for eating all those meals that he might not have been exactly excited to try.

FOREWORD

For almost a decade, I have had the opportunity to get to know Theresa Williams both as my patient as well as, on a more personal level, a cook. As a patient suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia, she has not let her illness interfere with her life or her love for cooking. This book embodies Teri’s personal experience and research, offering resources in coping and living with rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia. Over the years, she has stricken me as a determined person, never letting her physical disability and limitation get in her way, allowing her to lead a full life doing what she loves the most. She offers tips to manage time and energy as well as resources to help cope with pain and fatigue, ranging from her personal experience with medication to a more natural approach to deal with her illness and disability.

Over the years, I have also had the good fortune of tasting some of her culinary invention. The recipes are simple yet delicious. Additionally, thoughtful time-saving tips and effort-minimizing techniques are offered throughout the book. In this book, Teri has done an outstanding job of putting together a collection of healthful and easy-to-follow recipes well fitted to the lifestyle of someone faced with physically challenging conditions such as RA and fibromyalgia.

When arthritis and pain strike, we often rely on our physician to cure us. Most of us do not have a good idea how to cope with our pain or where to get help. We often fail to realize that medicine has its own limitations, and relief must come from within. We should always take an active part in our health maintenance and treatment with the guidance of a health professional. The more we take upon ourselves to learn about available resources and how to cope with our disability, the more equipped we are to take control of our disability. This is Teri’s view that is well delivered in her writing. This book has taken Teri six years to put together with the goal of sharing with you her personal experience in dealing with arthritis and pain in a natural way in addition to medical treatment.

As a physician treating patients with arthritis, reading this book has given me a sense of reassurance that patients can indeed manage their own lives. Also, for those who love to cook, this love needs not be given up due to arthritis.

Christine Thai, MD

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks so much to my husband, Frank, for always supporting me in any endeavor—no matter how crazy it sounds. I need to also thank Frank for being a taste tester along with my loving stepdaughter, Avanda; her husband, Darrow; and our adorable grandkids—Lexie, Elle, and Daniel. A special thank you goes to my sister, Nancy, and her family—Mark, David, Andrew, Ryan, Katie, Christopher, Yaneth, Yadonis, Juliana, and little Sofia—for thinking my food tastes good. My brothers, Mike and Steve, as well as their families, gave me advice and encouragement from across the country. Thank you David Doyen for your artwork!

My friends that are like my family have been politely eating my cooking and baking for years. Thank you to Meryl, Dan, Adam, Lisa, Karen, Fred, Becca, and Robyn. I’ve enjoyed sharing recipe ideas with my special friend, Leilani; her mom, June; and the rest of the family.

Sister Lorraine, Sam, Bob, Kristi, Kathy, Carolyn, Bill, Donna, Carole, Karen K., and Christine have helped me on my spiritual path as well as my culinary one. To my neighbors, Margo and Steve, thanks for your support and Cindy Tiehan for the creative photographs for the cover. For her lifelong friendship and her editing skills, I can’t thank Ellen enough. Without everyone’s feedback and encouragement, I would not have kept trying to make food that is not only nutritious but also delicious.

Last, but certainly not least, I must thank my rheumatologist, Dr. Christine Thai, and her helpful staff. They have given hope and compassion to me and to so many other people. Dr. Thai has made me realize that I can live well with my health problems and encouraged me to learn as much as I can in order to do so.

To those who kindly gave me personal information in confidence for this book, I will show my appreciation by leaving your names out. After all, we all have our own stories to tell when we choose and to whom we choose. This is mine.

INTRODUCTION

This book was born out of necessity. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia (FMS) at age thirty-eight. At age forty-three, I was diagnosed with severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) at forty-four. I had been studying nutrition since my twenties, trying to eat right and ward off health problems that ran in my family. Spirituality was a key part of my life, and I often helped others to cope with their health issues. But now, I was on a desperate search for information about these medical conditions and ways to manage my own symptoms.

My mother had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in her early fifties. She suffered terribly with swollen knees and crippled hands. My sister had just been diagnosed with RA a few months before me at age fifty. I hoped that since it was a different day and age and my sister Nancy and I were diagnosed before much damage had occurred, we could have a chance at a normal life. Nancy also had osteoarthritis and later developed fibromyalgia, as did my stepdaughter, Avanda, so we all needed help and information.

Each time I received a diagnosis, I immediately started reading anything I could, discussing options with my rheumatologist and putting each recommendation into practice. I found information regarding natural remedies, medications, types of exercise, therapies, prayer, spiritual self-healing, and meditation. I figured it would be great to learn all I could, try different things, and see what helped me.

I decided to write this book while searching for ways to help myself and while talking to others with arthritis and fibromyalgia. I realized that this information could benefit many people, not just me. This book includes information that I have found helpful and that others with disabilities have used to manage their conditions.

For people reading this book who have been diagnosed with any of these medical conditions, you may already have a good understanding of it but are trying to learn more. For those of you who have not been given a diagnosis, perhaps you are reading this book to see if any of these symptoms resonate with you. Hopefully, this will bring to mind questions to ask your doctor.

If you are reading this book to understand a loved one who is suffering (may God bless you for trying), I hope you will find a basic understanding of FMS, RA, and OA. Only a medical doctor can give a true diagnosis. A rheumatologist is a doctor who specializes in rheumatic medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, and many others.

I am not a doctor so the recommendations in this book are simply that—recommendations. This book is filled with information that I thought would be helpful for those of us dealing with medical conditions that bring on limitations. It should be used for reference, for learning what might work for you personally.

You should always discuss any changes you are considering with your rheumatologist. I have included helpful tips on cooking with arthritis and some easy recipes that incorporate foods that may help you fight pain. My goal is to make the reader feel they can cook simple, delicious, and healthful meals within their physical limitations. I hope this book brings you some relief—and some good meals!

CHAPTER 1

WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH ME?

This is what I was thinking as I struggled with changes in my body that