As winter settles in, it’s time to check the list of strategies to keep our health optimal through the season. Make sure you have an updated medical checkup and run an inventory of your medicine cabinet.

Besides the usual products you keep in your medicine cabinet, with the vitamin C and other supplements, you may consider having a few homeopathic medicines on hand. Homeopathic medicines have been proven to be safe through over 200 years of use by healthcare practitioners around the world. Some research, performed according to modern scientific standards, has shown that homeopathy can be effective in a variety of conditions including upper respiratory infections and influenza-like illnesses. For serious medical conditions, you should first seek the care of a skilled physician, preferably one with extensive homeopathic training.

A number of homeopathic products can be purchased, over-the-counter (OTC), in health food stores and some pharmacies. Some of them are a combination of homeopathic medicines labeled to use in colds, allergies, and coughs. Following the package’s directions should progressively help your symptoms in a matter of hours. If you feel your symptoms getting worse as time passes, consult your physician. Usually, self-limiting conditions like colds and coughs should not last more than a few days.

Another OTC homeopathic product to have in the medicine cabinet is Oscillococcinum. This medicine has been shown, through research, to reduce the severity and the length of flu-like symptoms, like feeling run down, body aches, chills and fever. This product is safe and has no known side effects.

Other essential wintertime homeopathic medicines to keep in your cabinet are
• Arnica for trauma and contusions
• Carbo vegetabilis for abdominal distention with flatulence
• Ignatia for grief and stress
• Nux vomica for digestion problems from overindulgence of food, with nausea, and holiday hangovers
• Phosphoric acid for exhaustion from stress or overwork.

For overall wellness this season, maintain a healthy diet, as close as possible to a “Mediterranean diet”—with plenty of vegetables, garlic, olive oil, fish (rich with essential fatty acids), and low-fat animal protein—and exercise 20-30 minutes at least three times per week.

Finally, ask to include a vitamin D3 serum level in your routine blood tests. Vitamin D3 is essential for the optimal function of the immune system, and can also help to prevent seasonal depression, amongst other functions.