     10 years ago I knew nothing about health and wellness – I couldn't cook, and life felt very bleak. I was struggling with my mental and physical health; I had a spreadsheet for the medication I was on to manage my illness, and whilst I knew I needed to adopt a healthy diet and lifestyle, I didn't know how to do it. So, I went onto a website called wordpress and started www.deliciouslyella.com in a bid to start a new way of living. The first recipe was for sweet potato wedges with avocado cream, it was simple (very simple!) but it was genuinely delicious. More than that it was empowering, after a bleak year where my life felt so far outside of my control, I had a moment of clarity – I was choosing what I was doing, I could learn to cook, I could make healthy food delicious, I could find a hobby that was realistic with where my life was, and I could find a sense of direction. Pressing 'publish' on that post changed my life. It took me several years to recover both mentally and physically from the illness (more on the illness and my health journey here if you'd like to read – link to our about page), and whilst finding the strength to push through was extraordinarily hard, it was the best decision I've ever made.    Ella and I grew up living somewhat parallel lives. Ella's Dad and my Mum were colleagues and friends, and we lived close to one another. Despite this, we had never met, and the first time I heard about Ella was whilst reading the Sunday Times in January 2015. Her first book had just come out and Deliciously Ella was emerging as a new platform for people interested in natural, plant-based food. I had reached out to Ella's Dad to see if she'd be interested in being an ambassador for a food and farming social enterprise I was helping with. He put us in touch, and after three meetings I decided working together was a bad idea and instead I should ask her out! Two weeks later we were living together: our parents thought they were geniuses, whilst others thought we were mad! 
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