Amelia Freer

My go-to recovery plan

When nutritionist Amelia Freer was recovering from symptoms of Covid-19, she relied on simple lockdown strategies and the food she loves to get back on her feet. She shares her tips with Maria Lally

going into a quiet panic. I feared things would go downhill and I would be rushed into hospital and die,’ she explains.

By the time Boris Johnson announced the lockdown on 23 March, Freer and her family had been self-isolating for two weeks. ‘I’m not a big socialiser, so for me being at home isn’t too challenging. However, after I felt better, I found the lack of routine difficult, and it’s hard keeping a toddler entertained during a lockdown. We’ve also struggled to access food at times because we couldn’t go out to buy it, our families don’t live nearby and we found it hard to get deliveries when panic-buying hit. So we had to make the food we did have stretch.’ And it was here that her knowledge came into its own.

Freer became interested in nutrition in her late 20s when her lifestyle left her feeling exhausted and bloated. ‘My job was busy and demanding and everything I ate was processed and pre-packaged,’ she says. She developed acne and IBS, yet made no connection to the food she was eating. A friend suggested she see a nutritionist for some advice, and Freer says that during one of their early sessions a ‘flame lit within’ her and she decided that was what she wanted to do. After qualifying as a nutritional therapist, Freer worked with stars including Victoria Beckham, Boy George and Sam Smith.

Her first book, Eat. Nourish. Glow., came out in 2015 and she wrote her fourth, Simply Good for You, after having Willow in 2017.

So how did she recover from Covid-19? ‘Well firstly it’s important to say that I was never tested, but my symptoms suggested I had it. Secondly, this is such a new virus that we don’t know enough about it. The most important thing we can do is to listen to Government advice.

‘However, what I’ve found has helped me during this difficult time is focusing on having a regular and robust self-care strategy. But don’t strive for perfection either, whether that’s parenting, homeschooling, work or daily workouts. Right now, good enough is good enough.’

Three nourishing dishes from Amelia Freer’s book Simply Good for You. ‘While it’s important to stress that these recipes won’t cure you, they will help nourish you and help boost your immunity.’

Amelia Freer in her kitchen at home in London

Freer with her partner, businessman Nick Jenkins, in 2014