Last week, many of my family members spent Shabbos together in Jerusalem and afterwards several of our older children had mild cold symptoms. One asked me with concern if it had been brought back to the rest of the family here.

I told her not to worry – no one here caught anything, but even if they did, these things really don’t concern me. People may be under the weather but they get better – this is the natural cycle and it’s not something to get anxious about, or make a big deal of. Every person has been supplied with an incredibly sophisticated system to protect them from disease and help them heal if they do come down with something – our immune systems.

Three years ago I was talking with my accupuncturist and she introduced me to the term ‘terrain versus germ theory’. While I wasn’t familiar with the term prior to our talk, I was very familiar with the thinking behind each theory.

The germ theory posits that the germ is the danger to health. The focus is thus on eliminating the germ, and is the focal point of the medical world.

The terrain theory posits that it’s the health of the host that is of primary concern, and the threat of a germ is minimized by strengthening the host.

Why do some people stay healthy when others around them are getting sick? Is this random, or is this something we can affect with our direct actions?

There are germs floating around everywhere, all the time. To focus on the germs that we can directly do nothing about is disempowering and makes us fearful and passive victims, waiting to catch whatever the latest bug is going around. This approach leads people to feel helpless, that the answer is outside of their locus of control, and dependent on others to find the answer for them.

While germs have been and will always be a biological reality, when we focus on the health of the individual, on supporting the most powerful health system that is known to man – our immune system – we take back power.

There is so much you can do about your personal health. Stress and poor diet are two highly negative influencers of personal health, both of which lead individuals to be much more likely to catch whatever is floating around.

The best defense is a good offense! To minimize the likelihood of getting sick, you can proactively focus on building your personal immune system.

Reduce stress – Turn off the news that is non-stop anxiety inducing; bad news is their business and how they make money! Who benefits if you get anxious and start looking outside of yourself for solutions? Instead focus on all the wonderful things in your life. Taking time to write three things you’re grateful for daily requires just a few minutes and shifts your mindset and focus. Negative emotions weaken immune response, and positive thinking strengthens your mind and body!

Get out into sunlight and fresh air. I always find my mood brightens without moments of doing this. Spend time in nature. Twenty to thirty minutes a day spent just sitting in nature is correlated with a notable drop in cortisol levels.

Take a daily walk or exercise in some other way. Exercise strengthens the immune system. If you walk with a friend or family member, you get the double benefits of increased relationship while exercising!

Invest in the relationships that matter most to you and and spend more time interacting with those you love. Did you know hugs strengthen the immune system? The less robust someone is, the more they need this – for example, our elderly need increased physical contact and social connections.

Improve diet – The most common diseases that kill people in the US every year are: heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, obesity, Alzheimers, and diabetes. Do you know that almost every single one is highly correlated to diet?

Simply eliminating sugar from the diet would dramatically improve the immune system of every single person on the planet. It’s curious how hospital menus are filled with processed food and sugar, and also interesting how people are frequently told by doctors that it doesn’t make a difference what they eat, when diet is the biggest influencer of health.

There are also many ways to alternatively support immune health, some of which I’ve shared over the years. Well known supplements to boost immune function include vitamin C, vitamin D, and zinc. There are many, many other ways to prevent and treat illness; in the past I’ve shared different home effective home remedies that use ingredients found in the typical kitchen.

If there were a significant health threat, what would be cause natural immunity to be negatively impacted and make people more susceptible to getting sick?

First of all, raise stress levels – flood the airways with frightening and alarming news.

Simultaneously forbid stress-reducing outlets – spending time with family and friends, exercise, time in nature and physical contact between humans.

Cause deep personal economic distress by shutting down the ability to earn and pay bills. Keep children from attending school and take away the predictability of their regular routine.

Mock and marginalize anyone who suggests that individuals can reduce their risk of catching whatever is going around, or treating it, by improving diet and using alternative means to support their immune systems. Insist that nothing matters except the germ, and all steps taken to wipe it out are justified, regardless of negative impact.

Does this look like the perfect recipe for physical disease and mental health issues?

Worldwide these measures were taken to supposedly keep the population healthy. It’s distressing but not surprising to see the statistics and recognize the feverish focus on the germ, with the corresponding stressors on the host, have had a hugely negative impact on world health. Hopefully humanity has learned the dangers of an approach like this.

Reducing exposure to germs can never be of benefit to the average person unless there is simultaneously a focus on improving physical and emotional health.

As a parent who cares deeply about the well-being of my family and has spent hundreds of hours learning about various aspects of health, my focus is on supporting wellness, not focusing on disease. That has been extremely effective throughout the years, and continues to be where I recommend that concerned individuals put their focus whenever health is a concern.

Be empowered, not fearful. As we move into the fall season when sickness begins to become a concern, be assured that there is so much you can do to protect your families. Regardless of current or future threats to your health, this is a timeless approach that is helpful regardless of the specifics of a particular pathogen, virus or microbe.

Avivah