'Tis the season for colder weather. I actually love the change of seasons and enjoy the beauty each of them have to offer. Unfortunately, with colder weather often comes more colds, the flu, sickness, and other immune system challenges. Here are eight healthy tips to stay well through the winter season:

1. Remember that if you do get sick, it's okay.

There is no need to sprint to the doctor for antibiotics. We know that frequent antibiotic use causes long-term damage on the body and leads to immune system problems. If you get a cold or flu, EMBRACE IT, don't fight it. We fight it by taking drugs that suppress what the body is trying to do, which pushes the sickness deeper into your body. For example, taking Mucinex to dry up mucus membranes completely disables the body from eliminating toxins through your mucus. Embrace it by staying warm, letting the mucus flow, eating minimally, and resting in bed. You can take your immune stimulating herbs to speed the healing.

2. Stop eating!

When we have the flu we often lose our appetite. Why? The body is telling you it is more interested in fighting this infection with your immune system than it cares about trying to digest food. When we force food, we disable the body's natural healing mechanisms by shifting all the body's resources to digestion.

The famous author Mark Twain said this: "A little starvation can really do more for the average sick man than can the best medicines and the best doctors. I do not mean a restricted diet; I mean total abstention from food for one or two days. I speak from experience; starvation has been my cold and fever cure for 15 years and has accomplished a cure in all instances."

3. Don't get the flu shot.

They don't work and they are loaded with toxic ingredients. For more information on flu vaccines read the following articles.

1. Flu Vaccine Efficacy Lacking

2. The Truth About the Flu Shot

4. Get sunshine or take Vitamin D supplements.

We are more sick in the winter for one main reason, less sunshine. You CAN go outside in the winter. Go for it! Bundle up and go on a long walk while the sun is out, taking advantage of breathing in fresh air. This is your best prevention this winter. Take Green Pastures fermented Cod Liver Oil which is the ONLY quality food source of vitamin D. You can also take Vitamin D supplements, but they have a minimal effect unless you take very large doses.

5. Take your herbs.

My favorite formulas for quickly eliminating a cold/flu are OregaBiotic by North American Herb and Spice, and Herbal Fighter by Herb Garden.

1. Take 2 OregaBiotic capsules 3x daily to quickly knock out a cold/flu. This oregano is grown over 5,000 feet high in the mountains of Turkey and is the most powerful anti-fungal, anti-bacterial herb known to mankind.

2. Herbal Fighter is a liquid tincture blend of echinacea, goldenseal, ginger, and a few other herbs. Taking 3 full droppers under the tongue 3x daily will have a similar effect and help you get well much faster.

6. Food grade 3% hydrogen peroxide drops in your ear.

Any time a family member even suspects a hint of a cold, we immediately put 4-6 drops of hydrogen peroxide in our ears. You lie your head on its side, add the drops and hold 3-4 minutes. Do this on both sides. This will work for a cold/flu and it will knock out an ear infection every time. You can do this morning and evening before bed. The antibiotics, tubes in the ears, and all the medical intervention done to children for ear infections is often not necessary when hydrogen peroxide can do the trick.

7. For nasty sinus infections you should only need four things.

1. Food grade hydrogen peroxide in your ears as stated above.

2. Sinuorega by North American Herb and Spice. Sinus infections are a fungus, and antibiotics only make them angry! You must kill the fungus with oxygen and essential oils for long-lasting effects.

3. Sinus & Brain Steam Detox. People have chronic infections in their sinus cavities and suffer from allergies for years, even to the point of surgery. What we need is to kill infections and remove mucus from the sinus cavities and the brain. Degenerative brain conditions, memory loss, and mental disorders aren’t about old age; it’s a buildup of waste, mucus, and infections in the head. If you use this formula and mucus starts to come out, you are on your way to healing!

4. Bees Wax Ear Candle. Excellent at clearing out earwax.

8. Eat well.

With the decreased sunshine and therefore, decreased immunity, it is more important than ever to eat nutritious foods during the winter months. Processed sugar should be avoided completely and even natural sugars should be greatly limited. Were it not for our modern system of airplanes, trucks, and 24/7 grocery stores, most of us would never even eat fruit during winter months. We should eat what is in season. Eat warm, cooked foods such as soups, stews, cooked veggies, and bone broths. Chicken soup (the real thing, not the boxed or canned stuff) really does cure a cold. The Jewish refer to chicken soup as "Jewish penicillin."