Dr Sam Watts

20/04/2026

Along Mediterranean coastlines, sea water therapy, known as thalassotherapy, has long been prescribed as medicine.

Doctors in coastal regions have recommended time in the sea for everything from respiratory health to skin conditions, circulation, and recovery.

But this is not simply a trend, it’s tradition now backed by robust clinical science.

This is because sea isn’t just water; it’s a mineral-rich, living environment that your body instantly responds to.

From magnesium that calms your nervous system to iodine supporting metabolism, every wave delivers nutrients that help your body repair, restore, and rebalance.

Immersion in sea water also boosts circulation, supports lymphatic drainage, and helps your body clear toxins, all while reducing inflammation and strengthening your immune system.

Furthermore, when you breath in sea air, you’re getting negative ions + marine minerals that improve mood, support your lungs, and enhance oxygen flow.

And then there’s the real magic; the ability of the ocean to naturally shift you into “rest & heal” mode, helping to lower stress, improve sleep, and bringing your mind back to calm.

This is the power of “blue space”

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18/04/2026

Across the globe, cardiovascular disease is still the leading cause of death.

And in hawthorn, both the flowers and berries, we have access to a true heart health boosting wonder herb.

This is because hawthorn contains powerful plant compounds like flavonoids (quercetin, rutin) and oligomeric procyanidins (OPCs) that directly support cardiovascular function.

These compounds:

• Boost nitric oxide production, helping blood vessels relax, reducing blood pressure and improving circulation.
• Act as antioxidants, protecting against oxidative stress linked to atherosclerosis
• Support cardiac contractility, helping the heart pump more efficiently
• Show mild ACE-inhibiting and anti-inflammatory effects, supporting healthy blood pressure

Some clinical studies even show benefits in mild Heart Failure, including improved exercise tolerance and reduced symptoms.

And the best bit is that it’s free! Simply add a small handful of hawthorn flowers into a cup, pour over just off boiling water and enjoy, aiming to drink 1-2 cups per day.

17/04/2026

Simply comment “yes” to join my FREE 5-day Wild Crafted Wellness Week and learn how to use foraged herbs to make medicines, foods and meals to transform your health and wellbeing….

16/04/2026

🌿Between the months of April and November, the hedgerows, fields and forests all around us are exploding with an abundance of free wild-growing herbs that we can use to optimise our health, prevent disease and treat common household ailments.

🌿If you would like to learn the science and secrets of herbal foraging and medicine making in this way, I would love to welcome you to my FREE 5-Day online course, The Wild-Crafted Wellness Week .

👉👉SIMPLY COMMENT “HERB” AND I’ll SEND YOU A DIRECT INVITE WHERE YOU CAN LEARN MORE.

🌿This fully interactive week of learning is for you if:

* You love the idea of foraging and using wild-grown herbal medicines but don’t quite know where to start.
* You want to learn how to forage for free herbal medicines in a safe and supported way.
* You want to learn how to turn freshly foraged wild herbs into a wide selection of herbal medicines, tinctures, tea, remedies, lotions and potions that you can use to optimise the health and wellbeing of your household
* You want to learn how to make deeply nutritious family meals, snacks and drinks using freshly foraged herbs.
* You want to craft a home herbal pharmacy using wild-crafted herbs that you can call upon to treat common household ailments.
* You want to learn how to use evidence-based wild herbs to reduce your disease risk factors in a fun and creative way.

🌿Follow along and craft your own foraged home herbal pharmacy! Each day of The Wild-Crafted Wellness Week I will be showing you how to make a wide variety of different herbal remedies, medicines, lotions and potions using easy to find and forage herbs, so if you follow along with me, by the end of the week you will have a growing home herbal pharmacy that you can turn to to transform the health of your family and friends!

🌿The Wild-Crafted Wellness Week kicks off on Monday 27th April and l would love to see you there!

15/04/2026

Did you know that getting outside and connecting with dirt, plants and the natural world is essential for the health of your gut microbiome and immune system?

This is because the “Biodiversity Hypothesis” proves that contact with soil, mud (horse manure in this case, courtesy of 😂😂) and plants is clinically proven to:

✅ Increases microbial diversity in your gut.
✅ Train your immune system to be more resilient and effective (a precursor to health and longevity)
✅ Lower inflammation and allergy risks.

Just 20 minutes of gardening, digging or “forest bathing” can powerfully reset your system.

And whilst this is essential for all of us, it is especially important for children as studies show children who play in dirt-enriched environments (e.g., forest floor soil) for 28 days show significantly higher microbial diversity, particularly on their skin and in their gut.

So in our overly hygienic world, we definitely need to find room for a little dirt!

14/04/2026

Broccoli is one of the most nutrient dense superfoods in the world, and a staple in many homes.

But when we cook broccoli, a significant volume of its disease preventing and health boosting goodness is lost; but adding mustard helps bring it back.

This is because broccoli contains compounds called glucosinolates, which turn into sulforaphane (the super healthy good stuff) thanks to an enzyme called myrosinase. Heat destroys a large percentage of this enzyme when you cook broccoli.

However, mustard (along with foods like radish or wasabi) naturally contains high levels myrosinase, so when you add a little mustard during or after the cooking process, it helps restore sulforaphane formation and thus re-establish the full and entire health benefits obtained from broccoli .

Here’s a great hack for doing this; simply mix 1tsp of mustard with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, a little lemon and a pinch of salt and pepper and then drizzle this over the cooked broccoli; it’s a taste sensation!!

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13/04/2026

Fruit tree leaves contain incredibly high concentrations of bioactive compounds—predominantly polyphenols, flavonoids, and terpenoids—that exhibit significant anti-cancer actions, including inhibiting cell proliferation, inducing apoptosis (programmed cell death), and reducing tumor metastasis in various cancer cell lines.

Indeed, the evidence indicates that fruit tree leaves often contain an even higher concentration of these beneficial phytochemicals compared to the actual fruit itself.

And whilst it’s important to emphasise that lots of this research has been conducted in lab as opposed to human research, it still suggests real promise as a novel anti-cancer agent.

And the best bit is that they are so easy to use if you have access to an apple, plum, olive, fig, pear or quince tree; simply pick a small handful of leaves, pour over boiling water and leave to steep until cool and aim to drink 2-3 cups per day to unleash the powerful health boosting, anti-cancer benefits they afford.

12/04/2026

This is such a great free and super easy to find herb to use right now to boost your levels of vitamin C and other essential antioxidants…..🌿🌿

11/04/2026

My 14 year old son is very much an extreme sports athlete, performing at a really high level in freeride mountain biking (think massive jumps and huge tricks!) and increasingly surfing.

And whilst he out performs me in both (I still hold my own for now!!), these sports have definitely taken there toll on my body over the last few years; broken bones, several concussions, torn muscles, herniated disks and lots more.

As a result, I was increasingly finding my body suffering with lots of stiffness, muscle aches and general pain. And whilst yoga and exercise made a huge difference, it wasn’t quite enough.

And then, several years ago, I started to use saunas religiously 3-4 times a week, and it was truly transformative. The aches and pains disappeared, the stiffness dissolved and my flexibility improved dramatically.

Yesterday was a great example of this; a 5am start, six hours of driving to the in Bristol, loads of surfing, less than ideal food and a late night. I work up this morning feeling sore, stiff and achy. But after a 20-min sauna, a gentle strethcing routine and a hot shower, I literally feel brand new again.

So if you are looking for a simple and evidence based way to help you feel like you did 20-years ago, saunas would be my top recommendation. And now with loads of leisure centre based saunas, community sauna projects, home saunas and even sauna blankets, this has become more accessible than ever, so it’s well worth considering to help keep your body young and flexible!

11/04/2026

The Health Gift of Gardening

Engaging in gardening activities has been associated with several health benefits that may contribute to a longer lifespan.


Research suggests that spending time in nature and caring for plants can reduce stress levels, promote relaxation, stimulate immunity, lower blood pressure, regulate blood sugar and improve mood.

Indeed, in most of the world’s leading longevity zones, such as Ikaria in Greece, gardening is one of the most consistent lifestyle practices adopted by those reaching 100 years of age in healthy independence, something I am personally aiming for, at a minimum!

In this way, gardening offers a holistic approach to health and well-being, addressing physical, mental, and nutritional needs, which may ultimately lead to a longer and healthier life.

If you need some plants, fruit trees, grow your own then we would love you to support our friend, Matt and his late wife, Camilla who supply plants by post, across the UK. You can find out more about this at https://www.hopeplants.com/collections/summer-annuals

Hope Plants

Fresh plants delivered to your door direct from the nurseries!

10/04/2026

Since the end of the pandemic, I have seen a massive change of priorities in those I connect with through my work.

The old model of wealth being defined as income and bank balance (as important as they often are) seems to have been replaced with a more holistic classification of wealth.

And leading this paradigm shift seems to be time; the realisation that time is, and always will be, our greatest and most finite commodity, and using it well is now the new wealth.

Using it to build health, happiness, strong family relationships, time for hobbies and passions and, perhaps most importantly of all, time for doing nothing; time for a slow cup of coffee in the morning, time to day dream, time to dream in general and time to just be.

What variable of this new paradigm of wealth do you value the most????