Between gathering your food prep tools, cutting vegetables, and cooking, preparing meals can take a lot out of you. But standing is one thing you don’t need to expend energy on.
“Place stools or chairs strategically throughout your home so you can sit while performing routine activities such as grooming, cooking, laundry, bathing, or meal preparation,” Plowman advises. The type of stool or chair differs depending on the location. In the kitchen, use a sturdy high stool or “perch” chair that’s at the correct height for your counter.
Counter height is also the level you’ll want to keep your most commonly used items — mixing bowls, cutting boards, pots and pans — and heavier appliances. This can help prevent the shoulder fatigue that comes from reaching up for things, since myasthenia gravis affects the proximal (closer to the body) muscles, says Xinli Du, MD, PhD, a neurologist with the Virginia Commonwealth University Health neurology department in Richmond.
Spare your smaller muscles like those in your hands and arms by using lightweight cookware and investing in assistive kitchen tools, such as electric can and jar openers and stand mixers. “Repetitive action can make MG muscles get weaker, so using electric cooking tools might save or preserve your energy,” Dr. Du says.
Another simple energy-preserving tip: Use prechopped frozen fruits and vegetables.
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