Cooking is at once child’s play and adult joy. And cooking done with care is an act of love.
~ Craig Claiborne, food journalist and restaurant critic
Let food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.
~ Hippocrates, ancient Greek physician
What better way to show yourself and your family love than by preparing a healthy, delicious meal? If you’ve recently had to change your diet to help manage chronic illness, this may feel daunting. A well-stocked kitchen may help. While you don’t need every gadget and gizmo out there, we’ve narrowed down a few essentials that we would be hard pressed to live without.
A great crockpot
Crazy schedule? A crockpot can be a time saver! Throw everything in the pot in the morning, set the timer and heat level, and forget it until dinner! There are many models to choose from, some with lots of dials and buttons and others with just basic on and off functions. Consider your family’s needs when narrowing down your choices. Personally, we like this KitchenAid 6 Quart Slow Cooker. We love it because:
- The glass lid is more durable than some others.
- It cooks more evenly when compared to similar models.
- The handles are designed to stay cool, no matter how hot the crockpot gets.
- It beeps to alert you of any significant changes during the cooking process.
High quality spoons
Silicone and plastic may be easy to clean and hard to damage, but they aren’t ideal. We prefer all natural, untreated bamboo. Bamboo is naturally stain resistant and has anti-microbial properties. Bamboo is also lightweight and gentle on the surface of your pots and pans.
A powerhouse blender
If you use your blender every single day, consider a Vitamix. Although expensive, these bad boys can handle just about anything you can throw in them! The motors are solid and the company offers full warranties covering the entire blender, inside and out, including guarantees about performance and covering any necessary labor or repairs within the warranty period. If you can’t afford a Vitamix, look for these features when selecting a blender:
- Glass pitcher — One of the few drawbacks to a Vitamix is the plastic pitcher. If you will be using your blender for hot foods or liquids, consider a model with a glass pitcher. Even though your food won’t be in contact with the pitcher for long, glass is ideal as it won’t leach yucky chemicals into your food.
- Stainless steel, four pronged blade — A two or three prong blender blade may be adequate for soft fruits and vegetables, but not for frozen or hard foods or ice. A 4-pronged, stainless steel blade is essential. Look for a blade with two prongs pointing up and two pointing down. This provides even blending and better handling of hard or frozen foods.
Comfortable knives
If you are still using that cheap, boxed set of knives you bought for $20 however long ago, it’s time to upgrade! Like with the other tools in your kitchen, the higher quality, the better. However, price isn’t necessarily an indicator of quality. Like with your blender blade, look for stainless steel knife blades. Be sure to hold the knives in your hand and mimic cutting and chopping motions before you buy them. If a knife doesn’t fit the palm of your hand and your grip, or if it feels off balance, you risk injuring yourself. Your knife set should be heavy enough to get the job done, but not so heavy you can’t easily use each knife in the set.
An easy to use spiralizer
Spiralizers aren’t entirely new, but they are suddenly becoming popular. They have been used for potatoes or apples for years. Newer models, however, are available to handle a number of types of veggies and fruits. The Paderno World Cuisine Tri-Blade Plastic Spiralizer is our favorite as it offers three options for ribbons and noodles. It also is sturdy with suction cups to hold it firmly to your counter. The crank handle is easy to use and makes it fun for your kids to help in the kitchen (with your supervision, of course).
We realize that not everyone has the money to go out and buy all kinds of new appliances and kitchen tools right away. Just invest in those tools you think you will use most. If you can only afford one piece of equipment, make it the best possible for your price range.
Want to know more about using food as medicine?
At Functional Longevity Institute, we believe that what you eat may help prevent or treat chronic illness.Nutrigenomics addresses how your diet impacts your genes and how this interaction manifests as either health or disease. While there are no guarantees in life, improving your diet and understanding how it impacts your health may help you to manage chronic illness. Both Dr. Rosario and Dr. Medel offer an array of guidance to their patients and invite you to get in touch today to schedule a consultation. Please call our office at (916)550-0567 or fill out our easy to use online form to learn more.
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