Dr Sam Bunting – my biggest wellness wins
In the first of our Wellness Wins series, top derm and former hurdling champion Dr Sam Bunting reveals why meditating in taxis, a high-protein diet and chin-up goals are all in a week’s wellbeing
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You know her as the dermatologist who sorts struggling skin with her award-winning skincare line, Dr Sam’s (which has just launched in Sephora) and her renowned Harley Street clinic. But did you know Dr Sam Bunting is also a wellbeing obsessive who’s always trying out the latest health trends? Her kitchen is an organisational marvel of nuts, seeds and supplements, she’s a sucker for an ice bath and her favourite pillow goes everywhere with her to ensure sweet dreams.
“Yes, I’m a skin doctor but my enthusiasm for wellness and biohacking started in the pandemic,” says Sam, who lives in London with her cats, Hector and Ginger. “A combination of bereavement, a break-up and an injury was a trifecta of troubles that sent me searching desperately for ways to help manage the way I felt.”
5 wellness wins that work for me
Twice-daily Vedic meditation to reset my mind
“The first stop was to learn how to manage my over-thinking mind. I’d always considered myself a bit neurotic but I became utterly miserable as I tried to process grief after losing my father, recover from a painful break-up and deal with physical pain. I’d rolled my ankle while HIIT skipping in my living room, which kicked off an old hip injury from my days as a competitive sprint hurdler in my teens.
“Grief needs to be worked through of course, but I found myself trying out meditation for the first time to bring some mental calm. When podcaster Emma Guns messaged me to say she was doing a course in Vedic meditation, I immediately said I could come, without hesitation. We both attended the London Meditation Centre, where I was taught the technique over a period of three days. It is quite a commitment – you need to meditate twice a day for 20 minutes with a mantra that you repeat to yourself.
“I can honestly say it was life-changing. I have a clear memory of walking home after the third day and feeling so light that I felt like I was in a movie montage. I now meditate every morning and late afternoon, whether in the office, the clinic or even in the back of a taxi. It’s a means of resetting my mind when I have too much going on. I reflect on how different much of my adult life might have been if I’d learned to quieten the chattering sooner. I recommend it to everyone.
Sam’s key accessories for meditation: cats and cashmere blankets
“I like to meditate while kneeling on a bolster with cashmere socks and blanket – it’s not uncommon for Ginger to come and meditate with me. I’m unsure if it’s me or the cashmere!”
A 2-minute cold shower for focus – and contrast therapy when I can
“I am partial to Andrew Huberman’s Huberman Lab Podcast in the morning as I’m doing my skincare routine. He’s a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. He talks about zero-cost longevity hacks and the science behind them.
“One day I happened upon his instalment on the benefits of cold water immersion. I’m prone to getting a bit fretful in the morning unless I’m very intentional about my plan for the day. But it turns out that one of the best ways to tap into intense focus and positivity is a cold shower (which I combine with a feelgood electronic dance track!).
“The dopamine hit lasts for a good few hours and it never fails to amaze me that we have the capacity to feel like this with the mere touch of the shower. I only managed 30 seconds on the first attempt but can now comfortably do two minutes, which I do most days.
Sam gets her sauna glow on and (right) The Bathhouse, a favourite hangout
“Immersion in a cold plunge pool is even better. I’m a huge fan of contrast therapy, where you alternate between hot and cold – so sauna and plunge pool, with repeated dunks of ice-cold water from a bucket. I do this on a Sunday evening with a couple of girlfriends at The Bathhouse (above) a traditional Russian banya in Belgravia, London.
I also adore the chic new wellness haven Rebase in Marylebone, which is just around the corner from my clinic. I pop in there for a quick session in their Powercab cryotherapy chamber – this reaches -110 degrees Celsius and helps with a whole host of issues, including anxiety and sore muscles.”
Hiking holidays and lifting heavy weights
Hiking highs – Sam on retreat at Yeotown in Devon
“I manage my body very carefully these days – competitive track and field from the ages of 13 to 20 has taken its toll on me physically and left me with a muscular hip and shoulder injury. So I have to work out with great care.
“Thankfully my trainer Alex Beard, who I see twice a week after work in his Notting Hill gym, is excellent. He’s incredibly precise and attentive with a holistic approach, focusing on things like your breath and even your emotions. His whole philosophy is about optimising your body for function, not just how you look. I’ve got glutes that don’t want to fire properly despite endless coercion, so this requires very targeted exercises lifting heavy weights. My fitness goal for the year is to do a chin-up unassisted.
“I make regular visits to Yeotown health retreat in Devon (above) which has some spectacular hikes. It’s my favourite place to rewind and reset and I invariably come home with a new wellness habit, it’s one of my happy places in the UK.”
My nuts and seeds station on the kitchen counter for a protein boost
The nuts and seeds dispensary – now we want one too!
“Eating healthily for my skin is second nature to me most of the time. I focus on a high-protein diet to support my training, eating a wide selection of veggies, fruit, nuts and seeds. I don’t eat eggs and keep dairy to a minimum so that means eating lots of nuts and seeds in the morning with my porridge. I’ll also add chia seeds for fibre and I might supplement with some Collagen Peptides powder, £30 from Hunter & Gather, as an added source of protein. I keep an array of nuts and seeds on my kitchen counter – they’re so nutritionally dense, and they make perfect healthy snacks.
Protein at lunch is salmon or chicken. Supper is often bean-based – I’m obsessed with Bold Bean Co beans.
A healthy lunch with a side of supplement – this Charava one is a longevity booster
I supplement my diet carefully. I’m a fan of Charava’s NMN NAD+ Activator, £69.99, to ensure my body’s production of NAD+ is supported – this is vital for healthy, energetic cells and to ensure activation of genes linked to longevity.
I also take vitamin D, Nutri Advanced Calcium D-Glucarate, £31.16, for my gut health, and melatonin on prescription to help me fall asleep more easily. I saw functional medicine physician Dr Wendy Denning in London to assist with my gut health. As well as minimizing dairy, I try not to eat gluten as much as possible to help avoid bloating.”
A travel sleep kit for sweet dreams
Night night! Sam snuggles down with her Duxiana pillow
“If I’m not sleeping, I’m not happy. It’s that simple. I need seven and a half to eight hours ideally, with lights out at 11pm, but the reality is often a lot later. Tough hours as a junior doctor have led to a legacy of insomnia, so I do my utmost to optimise my sleep hygiene. And this includes when I travel – I take my Duxiana goose down pillow in Soft on trips with me. There’s nothing worse than realising that the hotel pillow is overly high and firm, when you like one that’s soft and squishy. I also always travel with my eye mask and ear plugs so I have the comfort of the familiar. Dr Sam’s Flawless Silk Satin Eye Mask, £30, is incredibly plush and doesn’t leave lines on your face. Finally, model and influencer Ruth Crilly recommended Alpine Sleep Deep Ear Plugs, £12.95, and they’re brilliant.”
