DR SAM WATTS
Dr Sam Watts is an Ayurvedic clinician committed to the elevation of human potential in the fields of health, longevity and personal development using the timeless traditions of Ayurveda. Prior to founding Mind-Body Medical, Sam worked in cancer research at the Department of Primary Care at the University of Southampton, where he completed his PhD. His research interests there focused on developing and implementing survivorship initiatives in the field of oncology where he led research projects in prostate and ovarian cancer at a number of hospitals in London and South East. Sam has published numerous research papers relating to integrative medicine and has presented his work at internationally acclaimed medical conferences and continues to share his passion for integrated medicine through workshops, training and his online self-care platform, The Ayurvedic Mentor.
Follow Dr Sam:
Instagram: @drsamwatts
Membership Platform: The Ayurvedic Mentor
“THE THING THAT NEVER CEASES TO SURPRISE ME ABOUT AYURVEDA IS HOW QUICKLY IT CAN POSITIVELY AND DISCERNIBLY IMPACT UPON OUR LIVES AND ITS ABILITY TO ELEVATE THE LEVELS OF HEALTH AND WELLBEING WE ENJOY TO A POINT WE NEVER EVEN IMAGINED POSSIBLE.”
WHAT DOES AYURVEDA MEAN TO YOU?
When I think about Ayurveda, two concepts always jump out at me; empowerment and autonomy. By this I mean that when we integrate Ayurveda into our lives, it empowers us in a truly profound way with arguably everything we need to know to transform, optimise and sustain the highest possible levels of health in both our body and our mind. In doing so it creates a completely unique sense of health autonomy. Rather than our health being dependent upon something or someone outside of us, Ayurveda puts it squarely back into our own hands. And in doing so, gives us a completely unique sense of autonomous control over every facet of our daily lives; our levels of health, happiness, meaning and purpose, joy and contentment. This is the gift that Ayurveda offers us and it’s a profound one.
WHEN DID YOU DISCOVER IT? HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PRACTISING IT?
I was incredibly fortunate to have been exposed to Ayurveda as a young child. One of my family’s closest friends and next-door neighbour was a Sri Lanken clinician who was qualified in Western medicine and also homoeopathy and Ayurveda. Through him I developed a passion for natural medicine, particularly Ayurveda and herbal medicine, that continues to this day! I have been practising Ayurveda clinically for almost 15 years now and passing on the knowledge of this transformative way of living is something I will never tire of.
WHAT DREW YOU TO AYURVEDA?
There are so many aspects of Ayurveda that fascinate me, but I think ultimately what I find so mesmerising is its breadth and all-inclusiveness. When we view the world through the lens of Ayurveda, everything we observe, from the macrocosm to the microcosm, falls within its parameters. For example, at the macrocosmic level, Ayurveda has validated explanations of the Big Bang theory and talks about how the actions of the planets can affect our health (for example, how the full moon can modulate our moods and behaviours). Similarly, at the microcosmic level, we can use the science of Ayurveda to directly impact upon the workings of the tiniest individual cells in our body or to optimise the workings of specific organ systems via the use of specific herbs, foods and lifestyle practices. In this way, there is nothing in existence that falls outside of Ayurveda and it is this breadth that makes it such a profoundly unique and powerful system of living.
HAS IT HELPED YOU WITH ANYTHING MAJOR?
Fortunately I have never had to use Ayurveda to address any specific health problems. But in a paradoxical way, this has helped me with something major as Ayurveda has kept me fit, well and free of any kind of chronic disease or health crisis and for that I am eternally grateful!
IS AYURVEDA PART OF YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE OR JUST FOR YOUR MEDICINE CABINET OR FALL-BACK ROUTINE?
Ayurveda is very much a part of my daily life. It informs my diet, my self-care practices and the mental and emotional outlooks I try to cultivate each day so that I live from a place of positivity and contentment.
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 3 AYURVEDIC TIPS THAT HAVE WORKED FOR YOU?
I would say that in terms of gain for effort, the Ayurvedic tips/practices that have had the biggest impact on me are:
1. To follow an optimal Ayurvedic daily routine (called Dinacharya) to ensure proper circadian alignment
2. To adopt the famed 6-tastes of Ayurveda as my governing nutritional framework to ensure full body nutrition
3. The daily use of herbal medicines, particularly Ayurvedic Rasayanic herbs, which are proven to bolster energy, strengthen immunity and maximise our disease resistance. Their daily adoption can be transformative.
WHAT SURPRISED YOU MOST ABOUT AYURVEDA?
The thing that never ceases to surprise me about Ayurveda is how quickly it can positively and discernibly impact upon our lives and its ability to elevate the levels of health and well-being we enjoy to a point we never even imagined possible.
DID YOU INTEGRATE IT GRADUALLY OR OVERNIGHT FOR ANY PARTICULAR REASON?
No, Ayurveda is something I have been blessed with since childhood so it has been with me for as long as I can remember.
DO YOUR CHILDREN/FAMILY EAT AN AYURVEDIC DIET? AND IF THEY DO, DO THEY KNOW IT’S AYURVEDA OR DO THEY JUST THINK OF IT AS HOME COOKING?
This is such an important topic for me. As a father of three young children who are living in a world where childhood illnesses are increasing exponentially, one of my biggest passions is helping parents and children to adopt the preventative health practices of Ayurveda into the family setting. And in that? capacity the Ayurvedic diet is front and centre. However, this doesn’t mean we need to overhaul our diet or completely restructure what we eat. We just need to gently modify how we construct meals in an easy and sustainable way. More specifically, we need to ensure the integration of all of the 6-tastes of Ayurveda (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent and astringent foods) into each meal. In doing so we harness the full, evidence-based power of nutritional synergy in a profoundly transformative way which clinical evidence shows is the most effective means of ensuring complete and full body nutrition. However, my children simply view this way of eating as standard home cooking as opposed to following a strict Ayurvedic diet.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE AYURVEDIC RECIPE OR GO-TO INGREDIENT?
I know this is going to sound clichéd but it genuinely is kitchari! This most famous of Ayurvedic meals is a staple in our house and we eat it several times a week, albeit with different variations. I also think the whole world needs to learn about the profound health benefits of ghee, another staple of Ayurvedic cooking, and adopt it into their daily cooking.
WHAT DO YOU WISH WAS EASIER IN OUR SOCIETY TO MAKE AN AYURVEDIC LIFESTYLE MORE ACCESSIBLE?
Over the years I think the biggest barrier I have seen that stops Ayurveda being more accessible in the West is that of inaccurate connotations. In other words, I get the sense that when someone new to Ayurveda begins contemplating adopting it, the connotation is that they need to become a spiritualist, a yogi, a vegetarian and a renunciate overnight. The connotation is also that living Ayurvedically is not synonymous with living a “normal” life here in the commercially driven West. As a result, it can feel overwhelming which in turn stalls their progress. This is frustrating because all of these connotations are wrong. Thus I think the most important message we can spread about Ayurveda is that yes, it works and that yes, its evidence-based but more importantly, it's easy, sustainable and compatible with whatever life you currently lead in terms of your work, relationships, religion and all of the other nuances of our daily lives.
DO PEOPLE AROUND YOU/IN YOUR CIRCLE OF FRIENDS KNOW ABOUT AYURVEDA?
When it comes to my immediate and extended family, then yes very much so. Most of my family adopt Ayurvedic practices, to a greater or lesser extent, into their lives. This is less true across my extended circle of friends, but most do adopt certain practices, particularly in the context of using Ayurvedic herbs, meditation and yoga.
WHAT’S THE ONE THING YOU WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO TRY OR YOU THINK WOULD BENEFIT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE’S HEALTH FOR THE BETTER?
I think one of the most important things we all need to do in terms of maximising our health and minimising our disease risk factors is to ensure we construct our daily lives in a way that maintains proper circadian alignment. Nobel Prize winning research now shows that our circadian rhythm impacts upon the workings of every single cell and organ system in our body and lays, at the genetic level, the very foundation of health. Maintaining proper circadian alignment in this way largely revolves around waking, eating and sleeping at the correct times and Ayurveda has a whole science devoted to this called Dinacharya. I truly believe that this is the greatest gift that Ayurveda offers the world and I feel so motivated to empower as many people as possible to integrate it into their lives as the clinical science shows that doing so has the potential to truly transform our health.