John Bell & Croyden – London’s luxury pharmacy – is today launching complimentary virtual dietetic consultations, usually costing £100, to help customers achieve their nutrition and health goals, whilst still adhering to social distancing measures, until the end of April 2020

The pharmacy, which dates back to 1798 and has held a royal warrant for over a century, became the official pharmacists to the Queen in 1958. Although their doors have remained firmly open during the current unprecedented pandemic, their leading in-house dietitian Joanne Kwok is now taking virtual bookings to help people seeking free-of-charge wellbeing advice from the comfort of their home.

The online consultations will give people a private, confidential platform to discuss any dietary and health concerns they have, as well as talk about lifestyle and food preferences.

The one-to-one meetings can also talk about ways to boost the immune system, especially after being ill, or discuss any other specific queries a person may have regarding their nutrition or diet, or even pantry or cupboard reviews, and help with education on areas such as label reading.

The sessions are not just for people who are deemed ‘healthy’ and want general advice, for example for weight management, but are also suitable for those with specific medical conditions and needs such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancers, digestive problems, IBS, eating disorders, and food allergies.

Each consultation will include assessments regarding anthropometry, diet and health risks, and Joanne will then work together with the client to come up with an individualised plan to help with any goals. Clients may be asked to keep a food diary to help assess the adequacy of their diets and follow up consultations will be done online.

Speaking about the new service, Joanne Kwok, Lead Dietitian and Nutritionist, comments: “During these challenging conditions, we wanted to reassure our customers that we are open as usual, and we are introducing new measures to make sure our team can support them with all their wellbeing needs. This is the first time we have launched virtual, free-of-charge consultations, but we are committed to ensuring people can access help and support without having to leave their house. It’s now more important than ever to look after your immune system and wellbeing and we are on hand to help.”

It’s important to be clear that in the UK, no food or food components have been authorised by the European Commission to be labelled as ‘protecting against infections’ or preventing catching COVID-19 or other viruses. The recommendation, however, is to eat a well-balanced and varied diet. It is best to obtain nutrients from food and only supplement what you cannot obtain from what you eat.

Many vitamins (include vitamins A, B6, B12, C, and D) and minerals (including folate, iron, zinc, copper, and selenium) are involved in various ways in the immune system. It is important to eat a variety of foods to maintain a balanced diet. Multivitamin supplementation can ensure adequate intakes of nutrients such as vitamin D and probiotics.

John Bell & Croyden have also launched a 20% online only Bank Holiday offer on skincare and beauty, valid from Wednesday 8th April 2020 until 23:59 Monday 13th April 2020. It includes discounted products from skincare, bath care, hair care, fragrance, bath and body, hand and nails, and men's grooming collections online.

Please e-mail us at jbc@johnbellcroyden or call 0207 935 5555 if you have any questions or concerns.

For press enquiries, please e-mail prjbc@johnbellcroyden.co.uk or call the press office on 07718 963395.

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Established in 1798 and pharmacists to Her Majesty The Queen since 1958, John Bell & Croyden’s Wigmore Street store has introduced hundreds of globally sourced wellbeing and beauty products to the UK market over the last 220 years.

Passionate about putting HEALTHCARE and WELLBEING first and with over 12,000 products and accompanying advice services, the beautifully designed destination store offers world class holistic services as well as a curated selection, all handpicked from the best products across health and beauty worldwide. London’s Luxury Pharmacy is unlike no other in the world and has been dubbed the ‘best kept secret’ amongst celebrities. It is known for being the first retailer to bring many exclusive ranges and cult products to the UK.