The cold season is upon us. Here in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the leaves are turning bright red and yellow. The winds are chilly. Smoke can be seen from early morning chimneys. This is the time for reduced immune systems; the time for chest colds and flu fevers. But these cold season maladies are not inevitable. Not if we take charge and build up a strong defense by bolstering our immune system.

Ayurveda instructs us not only to live in tune with our individual body type, but also the seasonal environment. During the colder vata season, it is important to maintain a regular routine with our meals and to eat warm, soupy foods.

In 2016, the Japanese cellular biologist Yoshinori Oshumi won the Nobel Prize for proving the process of authophagy, the way cells utilizes and recycles unnecessary or dysfunctional cellular components. In other words, I was able to heal my chronic condition during my 14 day juice fast because the fast allowed my cells to detox, regenerate and rebuild themselves.