b'Life with MSSSuurrmmoouunnttiinnggCCoommmmoonnCCooookkiinnggBBaarrrriieerrssWWiitthheeffffoorrtt,,hhaannddffuunnccttiioonn,,ssaaffeettyy,,ccooggnniittiioonn,,aannddffaattiigguueecchhaalllleennggeessccaannbbeeoovveerrccoommeeini ntthheekkiittcchheennBy Christine HamptonWhat is the name of a daily activity that isto these challenges, there is fatigue. Fatigue done by many, loved by some, and toleratedcan take on many shapes and forms. It may by the rest? If you guessed cooking, thenbe an overall sense of fatigue, or it can be you are correct. Cooking can be a source ofmore localized to a specic part of your body. employment, a cultural experience, a way toThere can be many reasons why a person love those around you, a hobby, or simply amay experience fatigue when cooking, but means to feed yourself. overusing muscles and overheating tend to Preparing food can be as elaborate asbe two common causes.cooking a ve-course meal or it can be simpler,FFaattiigguueeiinntthheeKKiittcchheennsuch as preparing a peanut butter and jellyWhat can be done to help with fatigue in sandwich. No matter the motive or complexitythe kitchen? Pacing, managing the heat, and of the recipe, preparing food can give youusing adaptive equipment can all help with the nutrients and calories you need to getfatigue. Pacing oneself by taking rest breaks through the day. before, during, and after cooking can be one What happens when it gets tough to prepareof the best things you can do for yourself to that sandwich or roast those vegetables? Whathelpconserveenergyandbattlefatigue. do you do when fatigue is overwhelming, orThese rest breaks can be as short as a minute your hands are having difficulty choppingor they can be longer, such as 30 minutes. the vegetables? It is important to take these rest breaks B frequently and before feeling tired. BaarrrriieerrssttooCCooookkiinnggIn addition to taking rest breaks, keeping Therearemanybarriersanindividualyourself cool in the kitchen can also help with with multiple sclerosis may experience whenfatigue. Some cooling strategies you can try cooking or preparing food, but hand function,are wearing a cooling vest, wearing smaller safety, cognition, and fatigue tend to be somepieces of cooling equipment (wrist wrap, ankle of the common barriers for my patients.wrap, etc.), running cold water over your wrists, Decreased hand coordination may limit theeating frozen grapes, drinking cold water, or ability to chop food. Safety issues in the kitchenwearing a personal neck fan. Not overusing may arise from impaired cognition or decreasedmuscles and managing the heat can go a long functional use of arms and legs. In additionway in helping with fatigue when cooking.msfocusmagazine.org 14'