“It changed my life”: Deliciously Ella founder Ella Mills on the easy nutrition advice to improve your health

At Good Housekeeping, we’ve always got our eyes peeled for expert health tips that we can actually trust. So, when Deliciously Ella founder and wellness guru, Ella Mills, agreed to be on the cover of our July issue, we simply had to ask her for some nutritional advice – and there’s one easy piece, she says, that changed her life.

"What I’m suggesting is not complicated: cook at home, eat a plant-rich natural diet, get your five-a-day – and then you can go out for dinner and enjoy a cocktail and a pudding," she says. "Everything I suggest is evidence-based. It’s not about gimmicks or fads. I changed my diet and it changed my life."

Ella explained that, having been diagnosed with postural tachycardia syndrome in her early 20s, which had left her housebound, it was only when she changed her diet that her symptoms started to improve. She searched for plant-based recipes to boost her wellbeing and realised there was a lack of resources.

And so, in 2012, she sat at her computer and typed out a recipe for roasted potatoes with a creamy avocado dip. It was the beginning of her Deliciously Ella recipe blog, which would spawn her plant-based empire, which sells a product every second – but also her route to getting well again.

Ella is quick to point out, however, that when it comes to our health, we should all do what works for us. “I never wanted my business to be ‘The Ella Show’ and I’m not asking anyone to do what I do all day, every day,” she says. “But I do feel very passionately about my mission to have a positive impact on the food landscape.’

Earlier this year, Ella started a podcast called The Wellness Scoop with registered nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert. They discuss how much sleep we really need, debunk TikTok trends such as raw milk and tongue scrapers and despair at “food noise”. The aim is to cut through the noise to live a healthier life.

So, we asked Ella about some of the health advice (or in some cases, health myths) we've heard recently, and here’s what she had to say…

Q. Are seed oils bad for you?

A. This is one of the best examples of the internet gone wild; the evidence just isn’t there. Seed oils are not bad for us – unless of course you’re chugging back a whole bottle. Research shows it’s much better than having too much butter. Everything in moderation!

Q. What’s more important: protein or fibre?

A. They’re both very important, but very few people – bar specific medical challenges – have protein deficiencies, whereas we have a chronic fibre deficiency. Around 80% of people aren't eating enough fibre.

Q. Are all ultra-processed foods bad for us?

A. No. But, as a rule, you don’t want to be eating anywhere near as much as we do. If you’re eating a little bit as part of a nutritious diet, it’s fine. Also, UPF-like baby formulas are life-saving.

Q. You don’t get enough protein in a-plant based diet. True or false?

A. False.

Q. Coffee: yes or no?

A. Coffee has health properties, but if you're exhausted, stressed or haven’t eaten anything, too much coffee is going to not make you feel good.

Q. Will a juice actually detoxify you?

A. Absolutely not!

Q. Do you only need to eat protein if you go to the gym?

A. Again, absolutely not. Everyone needs protein.

Q. Is a multi-grain bread better for you?

A. It depends on the multigrain bread. The best bread isn’t packed with emulsifiers. It’s difficult, because you wouldn’t necessarily think bread is bad for you, but the best bread is expensive, and people can’t afford to buy it to feed their family. It’s a controversial topic.

Read the full interview in Good Housekeeping’s July issue on sale now. The Wellness Scoop, hosted by Ella Mills and Rhiannon Lambert, is available wherever you get your podcasts.

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