We (virtually) sat down with leading nutritional therapist, author and mum, Amelia Freer to discuss life in lockdown 3.0, her must-have kitchen essentials and her favourite winter recipes for keeping cosy and well.
My non-negotiable health habit
Laughter. And I eat a lot of vegetables too.
My de-stress tool
I try to do 20 minutes of meditation each day. But I confess that recently I haven’t managed to make the time during lockdown 3.0. I do try to get outside into my garden or for a walk each day, even if it is only for 10 minutes which I find really helps.
My newest Instagram follow
@cookingbuddiesclub – Jamie Oliver’s kids cooking club
My top 5 kitchen essentials
1) Good, sharp knives.
2) A chopping board.
3) Fresh herbs, lemon, sea salt and good extra virgin olive oil. Flavour is essential so I love healthy condiments such as ChimiLove from Whole Foods Market
4) My Le Creuset shallow lidded pan.
5) A well-stocked fridge and cupboard with wholegrains (I love Minvita gaba rice from Whole Foods Market), pulses (I tend to buy Biona), fresh vegetables and fruit, lean proteins and healthy fats (such as nuts and seeds).
My recent wellness discovery
That we don’t need to do as much as we think in order to improve our health. Small changes really do add up.
My evening ritual
I eat early, with my daughter. Once I have got her to bed, I head straight for a long hot bath and an early night. I drink a lot of water and recently fell in love with Chai tea so I might have a mug before bed during the winter months. I try to switch off my phone at 8pm to have a good break to allow my head to unwind before sleep.
My favourite thing to cook right now
Warming, beany soups, dahls and stews. Because cooking has become quite intense with so many months at home, cooking three meals a day, it’s helpful to have a few healthy and delicious ready-made options so Whole Foods Market is my go-to for these kinds of exciting finds. I really like Fiid and Tideford Organics.
My biggest life lesson
I’m still learning all of the time. Be in the present, take time to tell those you love that you love them. Stop being busy. Ask more questions! Always listen to my gut instinct. So much, I can’t narrow it down to just one thing.
All products mentioned are available at Whole Foods Market, the world’s leading natural and organic foods retailer. With 7 stores across London, they offer a huge range of products that lead the way in quality, speciality and vegan diets. Visit WholeFoodsMarket.co.uk or @wholefoodsuk to find out more.