Sandra Lee provides recipes and tips for people with rheumatoid arthritis to help them in the kitchen.

Topsail Island, NC - (NAPSA)-Life and Style Expert Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade approach to cooking, which involves using 70 percent store-bought items and 30 percent homemade items in every meal, makes life easier for millions of busy Americans. Unknown to most, Lee's signature style was strongly influenced by her grandmother, who suffered from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic, progressive disease of the immune system that causes joint damage as well as chronic pain, stiffness, swelling and fatigue.
"RA made cooking difficult for my grandma, and I recently met with people who also experience the same challenges because of their RA," said Lee, who is working with Bristol-Myers Squibb and the Arthritis Foundation to launch the "RA in the Kitchen(tm)" campaign. "My grandma developed shortcuts and other ways to continue cooking, and her resourcefulness inspired me to create Semi-Homemade recipes and tips that may help people with RA."
According to a recent Roper telephone survey of 128 people with moderate-to-severe RA who were not responding well enough to their current medication, nearly 60 percent of those who cook or help cook said they find it difficult to do so. This survey was conducted on behalf of Bristol-Myers Squibb.
Lee is the host of "Semi-Homemade Cooking," and her RA-friendly kitchen organization ideas and cooking tips are available at www.RAintheKitchen.com. The Web site also includes a broad range of recipes-from 20-minute meals to healthy feasts.
"In addition to preparing meals, patients living with RA may have trouble doing everyday activities like washing their hair, getting dressed or committing to social functions, even if they are being treated for the disease," said Nurse Practitioner Patricia Daul, RN, CCRC, Executive Director of Clinical Services, Buffalo Infusion Center. "Often, patients with RA who may not be satisfied with their current treatment plan think they need to live with the physical and emotional effects of the disease, but that's not always the case. Their treatment may not be working well enough for them, and they may want to speak to their health care professional about other treatment options."
Additional results from the survey showed that 60 percent of this group of respondents say that they still experience pain, swelling and stiffness daily, and 56 percent of respondents say their RA symptoms have taken some, most or all of the joy out of cooking. 
"One of our goals is to help make cooking easier for people with RA, to help them do the things they need and want to do in the kitchen and participate in life's little celebrations," Lee said.
About Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic, chronic, autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation in the lining of joints (or synovium), causing joint damage with chronic pain, stiffness and swelling. RA causes limited range of motion and decreased function as a result of affected joints losing their shape and alignment.
RA affects about 1 percent of the world's population, including more than two million people in the United States. The condition is more common in women than in men, who account for 75 percent of patients diagnosed with RA.