NAVIGATE

Kris Carr

Blog Post

Crazy Sexy Profile: Living Vibrantly With Ella Woodward

Hi Sweet Ones,

Today I have a fabulous treat for you—an exclusive interview with Ella Woodward, a woman on a mission to make the world a healthier place.

Four years ago, she took a diagnosis of Postural Tachycardia Syndrome and turned it into a personal revolution. Today, she’s sparking that revolution in others through her teachings and plant-based cookbook, Deliciously Ella.

Ella has a very special place in my heart.

Earlier this year, I was reading about her in SELF Magazine while sweating it out on the bike at the gym. To my surprise, she mentioned how my books have helped support and inspire her journey—I nearly fell off the bike. What an honor!

Since then, it’s been a joy to watch the meteoric rise of the ah-mazing Ella. Her tips, insights and delicious food will inspire you to make healthy changes in your own life.

Let’s dig right into our conversation!

Kris: I know you did a 180 when you decided to change your diet—do you think that’s necessary for everyone?

Ella: Not at all, we are all so different and what works for one person isn’t going to be the best thing for someone else. It’s all about finding a balance that you enjoy and that works for your lifestyle. I love eating the way I do all the time but you shouldn’t feel guilty if that’s not the case for you!

Kris: How did you handle cravings for old comfort foods and what tips would you give readers dealing with the same challenge?

Ella: I struggled with cravings so much to begin with, especially for sugar. I hadn’t realized that you could make sweet, delicious treats that weren’t full of refined ingredients, so I wasn’t ever able to satisfy my cravings. Once I figured out how to make things like Sweet Potato Brownies and Almond and Chia Energy Bites (get the recipes below!), my life got a lot easier! I think the best tip to beat cravings is to never ignore them. If you feel you need something sweet, then have something sweet—just make it a healthier option.

Kris: When readers think about your healing path, they probably think of food as being your primary focus. What else is in your self-care tool kit?

Ella: As I got increasingly interested in a natural way of eating, I began to look more at other areas of wellness—from natural beauty to yoga, exercise and mindfulness/meditation. For me, including exercise in my daily routine is magic—it’s definitely equal to food now when it comes to my self-care. I try to exercise for an hour every morning during the week and it really balances me and helps me deal with any stress or anxiety.

Kris: Walk me through a typical Ella day… (body, mind, spirit and FOOD)

Ella: I start every morning during the week with some kind of exercise like spinning, boxing, yoga or pilates. My morning workouts are just as important as meetings and they never get changed for anyone or anything because otherwise I find I just don’t have the mental energy to achieve everything I want to do! After that, I head to my office and make an awesome breakfast before I start work—a green smoothie filled with spinach, banana, almond milk, almond butter, hemp seeds, dates and anything else I find in my cupboard, or a big bowl of oatmeal with almond milk, berries and homemade granola. For me, breakfast is super important—if I have a delicious breakfast then I’m happy all day!

When it comes to my work, every day is different, which I love. I’ve just finished writing and shooting my second book, so that’s been my biggest focus, but I also spend a lot of time blogging, in meetings about exciting projects and collaborations, teaching cooking classes, organizing events, running demos, holding talks, creating new recipes, taste testing and doing social media.

Lunch is normally a recipe that I’m experimenting with that day or leftovers from the experiments of the day before! There’s always so much food in my life that I really try and get through the leftovers so that it doesn’t go to waste.

I’ve found striking a work-life balance pretty challenging over the last year so I’ve put a few helpful practices in place. Every night I leave my laptop and all thoughts about work at the office. I turn off my emails, log out of social media and go home to make dinner or meet some friends.

For dinner I love making warming, nourishing meals like big veggie curries with brown rice or homemade pesto pasta with lots of peas, spinach and zucchini. Then I need some kind of dessert, as I have a huge sweet tooth! At the moment I’m obsessed with a chocolate cashew ice cream—it’s full of beautiful ingredients but it tastes so indulgent and amazing!

Kris: I went on an emotional roller coaster journey with my health challenge and I’m sure you did too. What have you found to be most helpful in handling the darker days?

Ella: I have to admit that I do still struggle to stay positive when I’m having a health wobble. I have a tendency to push my body too far and when I burn out, I really crash! I’m very lucky and find this doesn’t happen often, but when it does, I cancel everything and invest in myself for a few days.

I used to go and hide in bed whenever I felt unwell or got bad news from a doctor, but I found that sitting alone with my negative thoughts really didn’t help me, so now I’ll book a massage, a facial, a restorative yoga class and anything else that will boost my body and mind. I go back to basics with my food and eat a lot of greens, drink a lot of water, etc. and just really focus all my energy on making positive decisions that will help my body. It’s not always easy, but feeling like you’re being proactive in your recovery does wonders!

Kris: I have to say that every time I see a video interview or photo of you, your skin is glowing! Have you found any diet or lifestyle practices to be especially helpful in this department?

Ella: Thank you! I’ve seen a huge difference in my skin and hair. I’ve never had terrible skin, but now it always looks so happy and I have the confidence to wear no makeup almost all the time. In fact, I actually feel more comfortable when I’m fresh-faced, which is an amazing feeling! It took a good few months to start really seeing a difference, but within six months of eating this way, my skin was brighter and glowing, and my hair was stronger and grew faster.

Kris: And, what’s in that makeup bag of yours, girrrl?

Ella: My makeup bag is so limited! I have a couple of natural beauty brands that I love though and I’ll use their bronzers, mascaras, eyeliner and blush when I want to look fancy. RMS, Neal’s Yard and Ilia are my favorites—they all make awesome products without all the nasties.

Kris: Can you leave us with one easy tip that readers can start doing today that would help them gently lean into a healthier lifestyle?

Ella: Focus on counting goodness, not calories, and enjoy your food! The way we eat is so important to our happiness and you have to love how you eat if you want it to be sustainable. Don’t look at healthy eating as a diet or as deprivation, because that should never be the case. Enjoy an abundance of nourishing goodness, satisfy cravings with healthy alternatives and don’t beat yourself up if you’re not perfect all the time! Remember, healthy living is a joy, not a curse.

Kris: Thanks, Ella!

Now it’s your turn: Which one of Ella’s tips or recommendations resonates with you most? Share your thoughts in the comments below

Peace & sweet potato brownies,

Add a comment
  1. This is a lovely article and interview. I really like sweets, and this is a great recipe. Thank you so much.

  2. I really enjoy reading and also appreciate your work

  3. tss says:

    Hey. Great interview. I love Ella – please do some more 🙂

  4. antraajaal says:

    thanks for the details information by your blog

  5. antraajaal says:

    thanks for the great information

  6. gautam seo says:

    But I love this quote from Ella, “Focus on counting goodness, not calories, and enjoy your food! The way we eat is so important to our happiness and you have to love how you eat if you want it to be sustainable.”

  7. Sue says:

    What size baking dish for the sweet potato brownies?

    • Jennifer says:

      Hey Sue, this is Jennifer from Team Crazy Sexy and that’s a great question! I also looked on Ella’s site and she didn’t specify. My best guess would be to start with an 8″ x 8″ pan (based on the images) but you’d have to contact Ella for sure. So sorry I can’t answer this for you.

    • BroJee says:

      Wow so much testy food.

  8. Soniya says:

    Nice post. I am fully impressed with your blog. Thank you so much for sharing such posts.

  9. Eileend Shaw says:

    Wonderful post. Thank you for share

  10. interior design in kolkata says:

    nice post. I was checking continuously this blog and I am impressed! Very useful information particularly the last part ??
    I care for such info much. I was seeking this particular info for a very long time. Thank you and best of luck.
    Your style is unique in comparison to other people I have read stuff from.
    Excellent article. Very interesting to read. I really love to read such a nice article. Thanks! keep rocking

  11. This is great, I love all the wonderful tips

  12. Wow so much testy food.

  13. This is great, I love all the wonderful tips, and how these ladies are so generous to share their knowledge and experiences, thanks, Kris and Ella!!

  14. Vibha Jain says:

    Vibrant living is what it adds more life. Thank you so much for sharing thoughtful words. Vibrant living is what all we need in today’s modern world and hectic life.

  15. Sumit says:

    Thank youI love all the wonderful tips, and how these ladies are so generous to share their knowledge and experiences, thanks Kris and Ella!!

  16. parul says:

    wonderful content. I was very of that. thank you so much for sharing such content.

  17. Dia says:

    excellent written up. Thanks a lot for sharing such posts.

  18. riya says:

    great article. thanks a lot for posting such an article.

  19. Seema says:

    nice article, happy to read it… thanks

  20. Druv says:

    Nice article.. Keep it up

  21. Jessi James says:

    Thank you for Sharing Such a Nice information. We are Very glad to ready this article

  22. Thanks for setting aside the opportunity to do this exploration and sharing it to the network. I feel really good about me while reading *positive vibes feel* Thanks again

  23. I like this post. Thx for sharing!

  24. LocalBest says:

    Thank you very much for the valuable information. Very Good!

  25. Nice job!

    Thanks for sharing.

  26. Archana says:

    good articals and very usefull to increasing the knowleges, you also visit us:http://jcscertifications.in/service.php
    Jcs provides Bar Code,Bar Code India,Bar Code Registration in India,
    Bar Code Certification in India,Bar Code Providers in India,GS1 India,Bar Code Certificate

  27. Archana says:

    this is a very nice articals and very usefull, you can also visit us: http://jcscertifications.in/index.php
    Jcs provides Bar Code,Bar Code India,Bar Code Registration in India,
    Bar Code Certification in India,Bar Code Providers in India,GS1 India,Bar Code Certificate

  28. Mike says:

    Thank you very much for the interview. Very nice!
    I love your website and will come back – It’s modern and you have nice topics. 🙂

    Kind regards
    Mike

  29. Binod Kumar says:

    Such an amazing post. Thanks for sharing.

  30. Arjun says:

    Helpful advice-
    thank you.

  31. Anny Strom says:

    Informative. Interesting blog

  32. Kajal Kapoor says:

    Amazing blog. Keep sharing

  33. Rik Flaxman says:

    Very inspiring.. thanks for sharing..

  34. Sarah says:

    Nice blog post. Its good to see that you are sharing your knowledge

  35. Manshu Ydoxy says:

    Wonderful artilce. I fully agree with you..

  36. David Waise says:

    I love thyis interview. I agree with you because you tell about basic needs of everyone.

  37. Estel says:

    I really like Ella. She’s such a sweet human being. You nd her inspire thousands of people. I really appreciate your sincerity and generosity.

    What inspired me the most was when she said that when she has a bad time concerning health she has learnt to priorize her health and she takes time to nourish her body properly and focus on healing. Also when she has some negative thoughts instead of staying with them do something that puts her up like a massage, etc.
    Best wishes to all of you xxx

  38. Rons says:

    For me the most encouraging part of the interview is that it is a good thing (and absolutely necessary!) treat yourself gently when you burn out! Me too I crash when I do not look after myself enough and it makes me happy to read how Ella treats herself with good wellness stuff when it happens to her and that she is taking time to rest until it is better. For me it is wonderful to have her as an inspiration since in my community it is likely to go on and on instead of caring lovingly for yourself. So thank you a lot for sharing this interview!

  39. What a nice post. I just love this post and your blog. Thank you so much for posting and I would like to appreciate your work. I wish if I could get some more useful post like this. Keep posting and keep growing.

  40. Suzie B says:

    Thank you for sharing this with us brits. Kris – you had the same impact on my health journey as you did Ella’s. As i also suffer with an Auto Immune Disease (Crohns) and was diagnosed around the same time you got your diagnosis – the above and everything you say/do really resonates with me. Then obviously to have a fellow brit girl jumping on board the health love train it’s totally aww inspiring. When i’m having my off days i actually watch your film! Yes, that seems to be my most uplifting option alongside all the self care practises mentioned above. And also practising the power of surrender with the universe and trusting that the he/she has my back. Much love – Suzie B xxxx

  41. Waao these are looking Yummy and delicious. Thanks for sharing their recipe here. I will try this at my home.

  42. What a beautiful woman. You are both so generous to share your stories with us, I really appreciate the inspiration!

  43. Rebecca says:

    Hi Kris!
    I dont know if this is the right place to ask about this, but I’m desperate so I’ll Give it a try. I suffer from endometriosis, which is extremely painful. I have heard that you can decrease the symtoms if you exclude certain foods from your diet, gluten etc. Do you have any tips or recommendations? Is there like an endo-diet that I could try? I’m willing to try anything at this point. I am taking hormones and strong painkillers atm but I’m still suffering.
    Thank you, lots of love from Sweden

    • Cat says:

      Hi Rebecca

      You can look at this site for information about the ‘endo-diet’ http://www.endo-resolved.com/diet.html
      It’s a lot take on all at once. Most women who have tried have focused on eliminating one food group at a time to see if it makes a difference. Gluten and dairy are good starting points. For me, I don’t do the whole diet but have cut some foods and don’t eat anything processed 90% of the time. Good luck! Cat

  44. Lizzie says:

    What I lovely interview. Ella’s book led me to you, Kris so this interview has made my heart happy. Keep doing what you’re doing both of you. It’s changing lives! X

  45. Lisa says:

    Love that Ella realizes every individual is on their own journey and is gracious enough to share what works for her. Great tips, great insight. And the recipes look delicious- can’t wait to try them out. Thank you for sharing!

  46. Annabel Burstow says:

    Love Ella and Love You Kris…. I read Ella’s book first and via her recommendation got yours… I also love Rich Roll’s Plant Power…. all so inspirational… I have one question… I have suffered with M.E. for over 20 years… and have really big dips normally attributed to stress. I have also a few other health issues migraines, ovary problems etc… I have changed my diet to plant based and I love it… I have been doing it now for only 6 weeks but can really see a marked difference in my energy and general well being. The one slight worry I have is weight… I have always had issues with my weight and then I was put on amitriptyline for pain 30mg and had the mirena coil inserted… I gained 30lbs in 3 months… devastation… I have had the coil removed and am trying to get off the other drug… But I’m worried that all the nuts, seeds and oat milk will not aid me in weight loss…. I don’t eat a huge amount of nuts as I know they are hugely calorific but I also don’t want to miss out on any goodness…. Have you got any words of wisdom for me… I am desperate to eat right for me… and to feed my wellness which it feels like I am but I also am desperate to shift this added weight….. arghhhhh…. can you help at all…!!!! Love your books…!! and your Love Notes… I read one every morning and get my husband to read one on the weekend too… !!!! They are little rays of sunshine..! Annabel, Suffolk, UK

  47. Brittany says:

    I loved the last tip from Ella! Perfection, as it seems so common to just read about how to gauge calories. It’s frustrating because I can’t stand counting things with food… it puts me in the mindset of starvation, regardless of what I eat. Counting calories just does not work for me and I love the advice to “count goodness”. It’s pure amazingness! I never thought of it that way! I have been eating that way for a few days after a Trader Joe’s haul and I have been feeling way more satisfied. I stay extremely active so my metabolism is very high right now and I have been hungry and I just eat healthy vegan options in whatever quantities until my body says “stop”. I really love that you said not to feel guilty for that. It makes me feel very happy and inspired by the fact that I am listening to my body and feeding it’s needs, as opposed to depriving them. 🙂

    Thank you for sharing Kris Carr and Ella Woodward!

  48. t says:

    Thank you both for the lovely stories, tips and tricks to keeping your health on track. I came across Kris when I was diagnosed with breast cancer four and half years ago. I have done a huge turn around and am now practicing art and loving it. My life changes have been on every level and it is women like you that have inspired me to keep evolving. So thank you both.

  49. Alyson says:

    I LOVE Ella’s blog and IG. She is always so positive and your recipes are delicious, plus I think she has some of the best food blogger photos around. Thanks for sharing this interview Kris it was cool to learn more about her. 🙂

  50. Macy says:

    Hi Kris! You and Ella are both so very inspiring to me! I share your love for real food and using it to heal health issues! Also I love making your yummy smoothie recipes from each of your books and blogs 🙂 I hope you have a lovely day! xoxo Macy

  51. Paola says:

    I just think you and Ella are very inspiring, I love what she said about not to look at your healthy eating as diet and enjoy, I struggle so much with this. Thank you both:)

  52. Janette says:

    This is fabulous, Kris! I found Ella’s recipe book at a bookstore in London this winter and immediately fell in love with her attitude and her food. Her focus on enjoying the goodness rather than mourning what we don’t eat is so wise and it shows in her delicious recipes. Thanks for sharing this sweet convo btwn two of my healing heroes!

  53. Donnamarie Tizzano says:

    My favorite tip!!! Powerful!!
    ” Remember, healthy living is a joy, not a curse.”
    Thank you 😉

  54. Amy Ossip says:

    Love you and love Ella! You are both such inspirations in that you make a healthy lifestyle feel fun and exciting!! Thanks!!

  55. Lori L. says:

    You both inspire me! And Chocolate Cashew ice cream? Oh my 🙂 Thanks for sharing all you share!

  56. Brenda K says:

    Thank you for sharing Cris. I am a 51-yo woman who has struggled with POTS since my young teens, but was not diagnosed until multiple heart-stopping, flat-lining experiences took me to Mayo Clinic 5 years ago. Just last week I determined to up my game from a gluten-free, dairy-free diet to fully vegan. My gut is thanking me for it! I am excited to get to know Ella. Thanks Cris!

  57. Cassie says:

    I totally agree that everyone is different and needs different things! It’s all about finding that personal balance.

  58. I love how Ella turns it all off each night. Such a great tip. And that she makes her morning routine the most important meeting of the day.

    I was so happy to read this interview. Amazing woman who are helping me continue on my Wellness Journey because we can have detours and need help to find the road again.

    Thanks Kris.

    Jo-Ann

  59. Becky says:

    I love Ella’s Almond and Chia Energy Bites. They are a perfect snack for work and are easy to make. They satisfy my sweet tooth. Thanks, Kris, for featuring her and inspiring her and me on our journeys. Keep the inspiration coming!

  60. Margi says:

    loved the interview- real, helpful advice- thank you.

  61. Margaret says:

    I love her saying ‘count goodness not calories’ also when she talks about trying and not beating yourself up about what food you eat when. I just love this attitude and it makes me feel good about my relationship with food.

  62. Diana says:

    I would have loved to be in the room with you two talking about food, health and life in general! Two of my favorite ladies! Thanks so much for all you both do. I want to continue spreading the word about cruelty free and healthy eating, but it has been a real challenge in the area that I live in. But I love this quote from Ella, “Focus on counting goodness, not calories, and enjoy your food! The way we eat is so important to our happiness and you have to love how you eat if you want it to be sustainable.” I teach a small plant based class, and I tell them this all the time as well. The way we eat is not a “diet,” it is a lifestyle. Keep it up ladies, and know that you are both such an inspiration to me!

  63. Clare Abela says:

    Just starting a journey into healthy eating for my daughters benefit. Yesterday we made Ella’s almond butter with dates and i’m pleased to say she is converted! Small steps at the moment, thank you Ella x

  64. Christine Senz says:

    Thank you, Kris for this. Yes, great ingredients; tasty and healthy too. Go Ella!

  65. Kathy says:

    Thank you to all the lovely ladies who are helping me to stay well. I am 63 and feel fabulous!

  66. Alisa says:

    This is great, I love all the wonderful tips, and how these ladies are so generous to share their knowledge and experiences, thanks Kris and Ella!!

  67. Liz S. says:

    Fabulous interview! Love Ella’s website – she is such an inspiration (like you, Kris!).

  68. Zineb says:

    When i saw that Ella was going to be interviewed, i couldn’t believe it ! Yay ! This is absolutely perfect 🙂 I know this sounds pretty sad, but i’m so so excited, this made my day 🙂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

KrisCarr.com