Dr Sam Watts

07/06/2026

In Ayurvedic traditions, there is a beautiful concept called “K**a.”

Loosely translated as joy, it teaches the importance of seeking and protecting time for the things in our lives that bring us a deep sense of joy and happiness.

But crucially, it emphasises, “simple joy” - not for the ego, or for comparisons sake, but rather the joy that is to be found in doing the things you love most, with the people you love the most.

The last few weeks - including the amazing half-term heat wave - have gifted my family and I some incredible “k**a” filled memories; and here are a few of them.

Have a lovely Sunday evening everyone, and I would love to know what things have filled your life with K**a this weekend???

**a

06/06/2026

When it comes to preventing disease and boosting health, this is one of the most important fruits of them all…

05/06/2026

Sardines are one of the most nutrient dense superfoods in the world, but increasingly I have been seeing lots of fearmongering about the dangerous levels of mercury found within sardines. But is this belief fact or fiction?

In fish species, mercury accumulates as you move up the food chain. That’s why large predatory fish like swordfish, shark and some tuna species contain the highest levels.

However, sardines are the opposite. They’re small, short-lived fish that sit near the bottom of the marine food chain, which is exactly why they’re considered one of the lowest-mercury seafood choices available.

And here’s what most people don’t realise: the action level for mercury in fish is 1.0 ppm. Sardines typically contain around 0.01–0.05 ppm. That means sardines often contain mercury levels that are 20 to 100 times below the level that would trigger regulatory concern.

At the same time they contain massive levels of essential nutrients such as omega-3 fats, vitamin D, vitamin B12, calcium, selenium, iodine and highly bioavailable protein in a single food.

In other words, you’re not just getting fish but also one of the most nutrient-dense foods in the human diet.

And whilst it’s true that sardines DO contain toxic contaminants, so do organic vegetables, drinking water and the air you breathe.

The real question is whether the benefits outweigh the risks and for sardines, the answer is overwhelmingly yes.

So if you’re worried about mercury, sardines are one of the fish you should be eating, not avoiding.

04/06/2026

This is why you should never leave plastic bottles in the car in the hotter summer months…..

03/06/2026

Autophagy - the process by which the body removes and repairs damaged and dysfunctional components from our cells - is one of the most powerful and important longevity promoting and disease preventing pathways yet studied.

And whilst fasting is without doubt the most effective and reliable means of inducing autophagy, emerging evidence suggests that saunas may also be effective in this capacity.

This is because when you’re exposed to heat in a sauna, your cells experience a mild, beneficial stress. In response, they activate protective mechanisms, including the production of heat shock proteins that help repair and maintain healthy cellular function.

Research suggests that these heat shock proteins may also stimulate pathways associated with autophagy, the same process that fasting activates to help to identify, recycle, and remove damaged cellular components.

While the evidence is strongest in laboratory and animal studies, human research shows that sauna use activates many of the same stress-response systems linked to autophagy stimulation and cellular repair, resilience, and healthy ageing.

This may help explain, in part, why regular sauna use is associated with such a lower risk of premature death and disease and better longevity profiles.

As such, this is just another reason why we should put sauna use as a key self-care practice in our bid to live longer and healthier lives.

02/06/2026

Here’s the study reference:

World Cancer Research Fund: Diet, nutrition, physical activity and colorectal cancer, 2024.

02/06/2026

https://youtu.be/vxBR4ya0Aiw

Talking all things breathwork with Ramon Ghosh.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

01/06/2026

I got asked a really interesting question on Instagram today, which was what practices do I advocate above and beyond the standard pillars of diet, exercise and sleep to support health and wellbeing, and these were some of my musings; what do you think?

01/06/2026

I got an interesting message on Instagram today asking what things I value and prioritise to support health and wellbeing above and beyond the standard pillars of diet, exercise and sleep, and these were some of my musings; what do you think???

31/05/2026

What’s gardening got to do with how long you’ll live for?

From a research perspective, the answers quite a lot actually.

This is because some of the most fascinating longevity research isn’t about expensive supplements, cold plunges or biohacking.

Rather, it’s about everyday activities that people can sustain for decades.

And of these, gardening appears to be the most powerful.

For example, research following older adults for over a decade found that people who regularly gardened had significantly lower mortality rates, even after accounting for age, health status, lifestyle factors and socioeconomic differences.

Why might gardening be so powerful? Because it combines many of the ingredients we know support healthy ageing:

🌱 Regular low-to-moderate physical activity
🌱 More time outdoors and exposure to natural light
🌱 Reduced stress and improved mental wellbeing
🌱 Greater consumption of fruit and vegetables
🌱 A sense of purpose, routine and achievement
🌱 Connection with nature and often with other people

Even more so, studies have also linked gardening with better cardiovascular health, lower rates of diabetes, improved physical and mental health, healthier diets and lower predicted mortality risk in older adults.

Interestingly, researchers from the University of Edinburgh found that frequent gardeners not only had better physical function and psychological wellbeing but also showed a 22% lower mortality risk over long-term follow-up.

The lesson? Longevity isn’t usually built through things we do for six weeks.

Rather, it’s built through things we enjoy enough to do our whole life, and of these gardening appears to reign supreme, so here’s to all the gardeners out there!