  Hello everyone,
At this end of this month, it'll be ten years exactly since I founded deliciously ella, since I put (metaphoric) pen to paper and began publishing plant-based recipes online. It's been a whirlwind to say the least, and I've learnt a lot along the way. The biggest learning has almost certainly been the all-encompassing nature of wellness, that it expands so far beyond just what we put on our plates. I firmly believe that our health has a 360 element to it and as such we need to look at how we live, how we move and tools to support our mental wellbeing, as well as what we eat.  
175g ground almonds
200g coconut sugar
1 lemon, zest and juice
2½ teaspoons almond extract
4 teaspoons vanilla paste
8 tablespoons olive oil
400g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
A pinch of fine sea salt
3 tablespoons maple syrup
325ml oat milk
1 tablespoon flaked almonds 
STEP ONE Line a 1kg (2 lb.) loaf tin with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan (350°F).
Step TWO Combine 100g ground almonds and 75g sugar in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice and zest, the almond extract, 2 teaspoons vanilla paste, 2 tablespoons cold water and 3 tablespoons olive oil, and stir together until you have a paste.
STEP THREE Place the flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt, the remaining 75g ground almonds, and 125g sugar into a separate, large bowl. Stir then add the maple syrup, oat milk, remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla paste, and 5 tablespoons olive oil, and mix until you have a smooth batter.
STEP FOUR Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and marble in the almond mixture, continue until the tin is full. Sprinkle over the flaked almonds. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and cover with foil to prevent burning and return to the oven and bake, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 40 minutes more. Set on a wire rack to cool completely.
 As the company started with a focus on using plant-based food as a tool for improving our health, it seems only right that our first wellness series in the monthly edit centres around just that. In the last few years, more and more research has demonstrated that our gut health is central to our overall health, including supporting our immune system, our skin, and our mental health, and the easiest way to improve our gut health is to eat more plants. In fact, to truly optimise our gut microbiome we need more diversity, we need to consume 30 different plant foods every week.
It may sound intimidating at first, but this includes all the 6 plant food groups: fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, legumes (beans and pulses), and herbs and spices; and quickly adds up! Below we've shared 3 tips for achieving 30 plant foods every week.  START SMALL
The easiest way to add more plants to your diet is to add one more plant to each meal – that could simply be a sprinkling of seeds, a dollop of hummus or some sliced banana on your toast. To double the nutrient power, and increase the variety of antioxidants, vitamins ,and minerals in your meal at the same time as supporting your gut health, you could go a little further and think about adding a plant that's the opposite colour to what's already on your plate. For example, if you're having a tomato-based pasta or curry, add in some dark leafy greens or fresh herbs like parsley.  ADD TOPPINGS Whether it's porridge, a salad, stews, soup, or pasta; meals are always made more delicious with added toppings and they're a simple way to add in more plant food groups. A sprinkling of toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds; or pieces of fresh fruits like apple, pear or berries work well with both sweet and savoury meals and provide an extra texture which helps keep us feeling satisfied.  SOUPS & SMOOTHIES Blending up soups and smoothies is a quick and easy way up your plant count and is also a great way of using up any produce that's starting to go beyond its best. Adding a large handful of fresh leafy greens, such as spinach or kale, or a tablespoon of seeds like flax or hemp, will boost your daily plant intake without adding any strong flavours. Stews, curries, and stir-fries are also great meals to add in more herbs, spices, veg and legumes.
      
  This month has been a particularly exciting and busy one at DE HQ. We celebrated 10 years since Ella published her first recipe with a number of marketing activations, events and team activities. We also saw our new product: Trail Mixes, hit stores. They're a delicious and nutritious mix of fruits, nuts and seeds, and have become a firm favourite within our team. Two years later than planned, we finally launched into Austria, and have Germany upcoming this month. We're so buoyed by all of your encouragement and kind words around our anniversary. Thank you again, from the bottom of our hearts, for all of your support.   
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