Winter is approaching, and parents already know the familiar scenario: Coughing at night, an endless runny nose, and a high fever that appears exactly on the day of an important meeting at work.
It seems that winter illnesses return every year and there’s nothing to do about it. But maybe instead of asking “How can we avoid getting sick?”, it’s time to ask: “How can we strengthen ourselves against it?”
Our immune system is a smart mechanism that is also influenced by what we feel and experience. The body and mind are interconnected, and when there is an imbalance in one of them, the other reacts as well. Therefore, when we want to strengthen the immune system, it is important to see the person as a whole.
The fever has gone up? Don’t try to lower it
One of the reasons winter illnesses break out specifically during the cold season is the combination of changing weather and prolonged stays in closed and heated spaces.
Autumn “confuses” the body. One day it’s hot, one day it’s cold—the body doesn’t have enough time to adapt. When you add closed rooms, heating without ventilation, and physical proximity, you get a classic recipe for the spread of viruses and bacteria.
In treating winter illnesses, it is recommended to prefer gentle approaches that support the body and allow the immune system to act naturally.
Fever is not an enemy, but one of the body’s main tools in fighting infection. When the body raises its temperature, it is preparing for battle and essentially “mobilizing its army”—increasing heart rate, activating and sending white blood cells to fight the invader.
When we artificially lower a fever, we may interrupt this natural process. It’s like sending soldiers into battle without weapons.
The immune system needs a gym
Just as a muscle doesn’t build without effort, the immune system also needs its own “gym.” When the body copes with a mild virus, it becomes stronger for the next challenge.
In the world of homeopathy, a symptom is not a problem to be hidden but an expression of the body’s imbalance. The approach focuses on healing the root of the problem alongside the external symptoms. When there is a runny nose, cough, or rash, the body is actually talking to us. Our role is to understand what it is trying to say and not to silence it.
The homeopathic approach views body and mind as one complete system that works in constant harmony. It’s impossible to separate body from emotion. There is continuous synergy between them, and every emotional experience also has a physical effect. Emotions such as fear, sadness, or anxiety can have an actual physical expression.
This is where homeopathy comes in, aiming to stimulate the person’s inner healing mechanism. Homeopathic medicines, or remedies, are made from natural substances and are individually adapted according to the patient’s personality, medical history, and emotional response.
Treatment begins with a long and deep conversation with the patient, intended to understand the story behind the symptoms. Homeopathy sees each person as a whole world, and every healing process begins with true listening.
What can be done routinely to strengthen the body?
Strengthening and warming nutrition
• Orange vegetables
• Soups with ginger, cinnamon, and chili
• Fruits rich in vitamin C
Healthy lifestyle habits
• Sufficient sleep
• Regular movement
The body is an entire system, and everything we do affects it. True strengthening begins first and foremost with our attitude: We are used to fighting illness, fever, and fatigue—but the body does not need to be fought. It needs us to listen to it, to let it express itself.
When we accept its reactions instead of being frightened by them, we actually allow the immune system to do what it knows best—protect us.
Winter is not a punishment but an opportunity to strengthen ourselves from within—to slow down and remember that our body knows how to heal itself—if only we give it the right conditions.
Dalia Eitani is the Head of the Homeopathy Department at Maccabi Tivi and specializes in holistic treatment that integrates body and mind as one system.