It's In Our Nature: Natural Tips for a Healthy Winter

"The emergency room and departments are at full capacity. There are no more beds for hospitalization..." - announced the broadcaster on the radio news. This is something we've become accustomed to hearing in recent years. The flu and various winter infections bring the public and the health ministry to winter preparations, vaccinations against a new flu strain, antibiotics, and so on.

This time, I would like to propose a different perspective on preparing for winter according to the approach of natural medicine. I want to start by saying that viruses do not attack randomly. They primarily target when they detect weakness. That is, a weak person, whose body systems are weak - also has a compromised immune system. Various viruses recognize this and settle there. There is no one to resist them, hence no one to expel them. In other words, the cause of illness is not the virus or the bacterium but the person weak in spirit and body. In this state of weakness, they allow various viruses to settle and deepen the damage. Even the Torah refers to harmful factors in this way. An example of this is when Amalek attacked the people of Israel in the desert, it is written in the Torah: "Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim". The sages said: When their hands weakened from the Torah, Amalek came and fought them.

In light of this, the proper preparation for winter is by strengthening our overall health. This can be achieved by 'turning away from evil' - meaning avoiding weakening factors, and 'doing good' - meaning consuming strengthening factors. I'll start with 'turning away from evil' and mention ten general risk factors (according to 'Man's Nutrition and Health', Isaac Ben Auri): poor diet, air pollution, pesticides and chemicals in food and water, overweight, smoking, alcohol, lack of physical activity, mental stress, drug use, harsh living conditions.

Now, I'll mention several positive general factors that help build and maintain our health: appropriate nutrition, fresh air, good sleep, clean water, physical and creative activity, and mental calmness. The more we adopt these principles, the more we'll strengthen our health base and enjoy better physical and mental health. Alongside this, I would like to suggest some practical tips in the field of food that can usually have an effect in the short term. Their importance is mainly for those who tend to suffer during the winter from the flu and the like: avoid various dairy products, different sugars including brown sugar, doughs as much as possible, peanuts and peanut butter, snacks, and fried foods as much as possible. Additionally, it's advisable to incorporate Vitamin C and Omega 3 into the routine. Various medicinal herbs, such as echinacea, which serve as natural antiseptics, can assist in different situations, but it's recommended after consulting with a therapist. To health. 

Eliyahu Shechter is an iridologist and natural therapist