Sam Smith’s Nutritionist on Why You Should Never Leave the House Without Food

When Sam Smith debuted a dramatically trimmed-down figure on Instagram six weeks ago, he bestowed all credit upon one person: nutritional therapist Amelia Freer. “Three weeks ago I met a woman who has completely changed my life,” the four-time Grammy Award winner wrote to his 3.6 million Instagram followers. Holding up her book, he added, “Amelia Freer has helped me lose over a stone [14 pounds] and has completely transformed my relationship with food. … Love you Amelia and thank you for making me feel so happy inside and out.” Naturally, a media frenzy ensued, and London-based Freer found herself being flown stateside to promote her book, which had become a best-seller, printed virtually overnight for American audiences.

A reformed junk food “addict,” Freer’s journey to becoming a celebrity health guru is not what one would expect. She started her working life as a PA to the Prince of Wales. Late nights, quick sugary fixes, and a growing list of ailments followed, until Freer decided she had to take drastic action and booked an appointment with a nutritional therapist. Overwhelmingly inspired, she quit her job and went back to school at the age of 28.

More than a recipe book, Eat. Nourish. Glow gathers together the 10 most important lifestyle factors that Freer has seen affect her own and her clients’ health in the decade since she made that life-changing appointment. A holistic guide to nutrition that provides targeted encouragement, knowledge and some hard home truths (read: “If you have time for Facebook, you have time for exercise” or “Listen to your body, it’s smarter than you”), the book, and Freer, are refreshingly grounded. Here, touting “no magic potions, no fairy dust,” Freer explains why everyone should eat more plants and why we should never, ever leave the house without food or trust the word “superfood.”

Yahoo Style: Why did you decide to write Eat. Nourish. Glow?

Amelia Freer: Having worked with clients for the last 10 years, I’ve seen the field of health and nutrition become so complicated. People are terrified and confused by all of the different messages. I want to unpick the web of confusion that surrounds health; food and eating are not about being perfect. Each person is unique and Eat. Nourish. Glow is a generalized approach, but the chapters represent the 10 crucial areas that all people need to work on.

YS: What are the most common mistakes people make when trying to eat healthily?

AF: The two most common pitfalls are lack of preparation and unconsciously overeating. If you haven’t been shopping and you get home late, it will all go wrong. There are also too many so-called healthy snacks on the market that are actually filled with about five servings of fat. I don’t endorse starvation, but you must be prepared and you must read the labels of what you’re eating.

YS: What’s the single most important step for someone looking to change their diet?

AF: The first thing everyone must do is to give up one thing that you know doesn’t make you feel good. Everyone has something, be it alcohol, dairy, or coffee. The next step is to start preparing at least one meal a day from scratch. Happiness is homemade, so even if it’s just making your breakfast rather than buying a croissant, you’re on the right track.

YS: What’s your advice to people who are scared of the kitchen?

AF: I have no formal cookery skills, but as soon as I started to train as a nutritional therapist I knew I had to get in the kitchen and get creative. I don’t think that anyone needs formal training to eat well, but it is essential to try. It helps you to connect with what you’re putting in your body. I like to think that my recipes are somewhere between gourmet and convenience — so there’s something for everyone, no matter what your cooking level.

YS: What key foods should people include in their everyday diets?

AF: It’s important to eat predominantly plant-based foods at all meals with a small amount of protein — whatever kind you favor — and one portion of fruit per day. It’s also vital to include an abundance of flavor, because that’s what makes eating satisfying, fun, and enjoyable. I can never force myself to eat anything just because it’s healthy, and I’m not suggesting that everyone needs to make their own sprouts and activate their nuts, but variety, color, and an open mind are all key.

YS: What’s your typical day on a plate?

AF: I always start my day with hot water and a strong black coffee. An example of what I’ll have for breakfast is eggs, tomato, rocket [arugula], avocado, and a portion of pineapple or a chia seed pudding. Lunch will be protein and a salad. At dinner, I like to have something cooked like a soup or my favorite recipe from Eat. Nourish. Glow — the beef stew. I don’t advocate snacking in between meals, but it’s important not to deny yourself of too much, as then you’ll just crave it and go overboard. Red wine is my guilty pleasure, but I limit myself to only drinking it at the weekends.

YS: How important is it to eat organically?

AF: Where possible, we shouldn’t eat the chemicals that nonorganic farmers spray on food and feed animals. I understand that it can be hard for people, but it’s important to minimize the amount of chemicals in your life.

YS: Do you believe in superfoods?

AF: I am incredibly anti-fad-eating. Terms and trends get projected and given ridiculous terms like “superfood.” All natural foods are amazing, but we shouldn’t be eating too much of anything.

YS: What’s your advice for people who like or have to eat out?

AF: Italian restaurants are actually great for eating out — even though it can be hard not to have the bread, and the cheese, and the pasta. They always have vegetables and a healthily prepared protein, but most places can usually accommodate dietary needs. That said, my general rule for everyone is to not leave the house without food — it’s a dangerous world out there!

YS: What’s next for you?

AF: I’m about to start writing a cookery book, as everyone wants more recipes. Other than that, I hope to just carry on making everyone a little bit healthier.

BEEF CURRY

“I make this curry in my slow cooker, but it works just as well in a casserole. I love to have that melt-in-the-mouth, tender meat, and so the slow cooker is ideal for this. It’s just so easy but feels like a really delicious, hearty meal — great for a Friday night with friends. Everyone always thinks that they need to have rice or bread with a curry, but I add in lots of vegetables, so it’s actually more than enough on its own. I sometimes serve this curry with cauliflower rice, which works very well.”

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Cook Time: 5-8 hours 20 minutes (3 hours if using a conventional oven preheated to 150c/300F/Gas mark 2)

Ingredients

410g organic stewing steak, cut into cubes

2 x 400g tins organic coconut milk

1 large onion, peeled and diced

2 garlic cloves, keep whole (to remove at the end)

3cm cube of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin slices

2 small red chillies, finely sliced (I keep the seeds in as I like the heat, but remove for a milder version

3 star anise

2tbsp ground cumin

2tbsp ground coriander

250ml fresh beef or chicken stock or water

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks

10 cherry tomatoes

40g spinach

1tbsp fish sauce

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fresh coriander, to serve

Put all of the ingredients except the sweet potatoes, tomatoes, spinach and fish sauce into the slow cooker. Stir and add a generous pinch of salt and pepper.

Set the slow cooker to high, cover with the lid and leave to cook for 5 hours. Alternatively, set the slow cooker to low and leave to cook overnight.

Before serving, add the sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and fish sauce and cook for a further 20 minutes, then stir in the spinach.

Sprinkle the coriander over the top and serve.

—Serves 2 people