In the spot light: Dan Watson, BumbleZest Founder
What is your approach to nutrition? How do you keep healthy?
I honestly find it is hard keeping healthy in London particularly whilst launching a start up, which involves dealing with stress and being time-poor. We do an online shop to arrive at the beginning of every week so that the fridge is full of fresh, healthy and nutritious food. I find this makes it easier to make good choices, rather than going to the shop hungry and picking up something naughty. I also make sure I have at least one good walk a day in the fresh air with my dog. Although for me it is important to have balance and not be too strict on yourself – I do enjoy a few beers and a pizza at the weekend from time to time!
What is your most treasured wellness secret?
It’s definitely not a well kept secret… but it has to be sleep. The benefits of a good nights sleep on your body and mind is totally empowering. You can have an emotionally and physically draining day, however if you go to bed and manage to get a good nights sleep it will have more of a positive effect on you than anything else. You can recharge, re-set and be ready to take on the new day! I take my sleep very seriously!
What do you do to relax?
I find long baths very therapeutic for both my mind and body. I do a lot of thinking in the tub, I use it as time to reflect on the day that has just happened and to calmly think about what needs to be achieved the next day. It also helps my body to relax, ready for a vital good nights sleep.
Fave kitchen staple?
Coconut Oil
Can’t live without?
Lemons, Eggs, avocados, Pink Himalayan Salt, Chilli Flakes and Black Pepper
Your healthiest passion?
I still love experimenting with all of the amazing and unusual ingredients I have in my kitchen cupboards to come up with potential new health shot recipes for BumbleZest.
How would you describe your brand philosophy?
We put health at the forefront of everything that we do, whilst also making our drinks taste great for our customers and being as environmentally friendly as possible.
Your current mantra?
“A goal without a plan is just a dream.”
I believe you need to work hard at your dreams.
If you had to use only one product from your range, what would it be?
I drink all of our range regularly however probably the recipe I consume the most has to be our Calm&Comfort – Chamomile, Lavender and Spirulina. I think it is delicious and helps me distress, relax and unwind. It also contains some power house ingredients including a large dose of Chamomile which in my opinion is underestimated and is very good for skin complexion.
What has been the biggest challenge of your career so far?
The biggest challenge has been the actual commitment to creating a product in a completely new industry. It is one thing having ideas in your head and completely another taking the risk and actually doing it.
And what has been the biggest highlight?
It has to be when my now wife, Emily joined the team fulltime in September last year. She came onboard at the perfect time when the work load was beginning to become too much for just one person. Before it was just myself and our ‘Chief Supervisor’ @bumblezest_indie who tried to help out as much as she could!
What would your advice be to other people thinking of starting a company?
There is never a good time to start your own company, so I would say stop talking about it and get on with it. It is hard work and all consuming but also so much more rewarding.
Understanding Your Energy Roadmap – @livewellwithlou
We’ve teamed up with Health & Mindfullness Coach Lou, from @livewellwithlou to share tips for understanding your ‘energy roadmap’ PLUS head over to her Instagram feed to enter a competition to win our 3 sparkling herbal waters to help give your energy a vital...
10 Way To Live More Sustainably – Erin Burns
Sustainability is the word hot on everybody’s lips right now-and for a very good reason, but what exactly does it mean and what can we do about it? Well, sustainability can be best understood as meeting our current needs without negatively impacting the ability of...
Top 4 reasons why the Planetary Diet is a Winner – Anna Porter
Want a healthy diet and to play your part in a sustainable food system? Look no further! The planetary diet was born out of desire to provide nutritious food to the worlds fast growing population whilst preserving the planet. According to researchers, the Earth can...
How To Stay Calm In a Crazy World- Francesca Elliott
Yoga Yoga helps me to escape, not only when I am teaching my clients but also when I am self-practicing. Yoga has taught me to acknowledge how my body and mind are feeling in any given moment, making me less reactive in any given situation. A yoga class is the only...
My Experience with Offline 48 – John Henderson
“The internet used to be an escape from reality, now reality is an escape from the internet” - Unknown My smartphone is like an additional part of my body these days, its always right there in my hand or at hand in my pocket. I spend countless hours scrolling...
How to Join the Anti-diet Revolution- Sarah Glover-Smith
Diet culture; it’s been getting a lot of attention recently, but it’s been a part of our society for years. It’s the voice that screams at you as you look in the mirror and curse yourself for eating that packet of digestives. It’s the reason you can’t wear shorts,...
Dogs and how they benefit our mental health and wellbeing- Holly Snowdon
'No matter how little money and how few possessions you own, having a dog makes you rich' - Louis Sabin There’s a reason why dogs are often referred to as ‘man’s best friend’. I’m confident in my assumption that NOBODY will greet you with as much enthusiasm and joy...
My Top 5 Non-aesthetic Reasons to Workout- Tori Porter
Once we leave the childhood innocence of playing football or stuck in the mud in a field behind, exercise shifts from a playtime activity to becoming, for many, about weight loss. I think we’ve all been there, trying to make up for excessive pizza and alcohol but...
How can we make our wardrobes more sustainable?- Gemma Newton
We hear the term ‘sustainability’ used a lot nowadays, but it’s not without good reason. More recently, we’ve begun to hear the phrase ‘sustainable wardrobe’. This is almost certainly a reaction to the devastating impact fast fashion is having on the environment. I...
Beating fatigue with food- Naomi Laws
We’ve all been there. It’s that time again where we’ve had a terrible nights sleep (or perhaps even no sleep!), either due to a late night with friends, or just purely from the inability to go to sleep. But alas, morning is here (how is it morning so quickly?) and we...