Good health does not have to be complicated.  A lot of it starts with just learning to pay attention to your body, listening to what it's telling you, and taking common sense steps to take care of yourself.  Here are a few tips that are especially helpful for wintertime health but make sense all year long, too:

1)  Get Enough Rest

Who doesn't need a gentle reminder to stop the wheels from turning all the time?  It's tempting to keep trying to cram it all in there, day after day.  But sometimes we burn ourselves out.  Winter, especially in colder climates, is a natural time for hunkering down, staying warm, and catching up on some quiet time (not to mention some extra sleep!).  This can help rejuvenate your cells, keep your immune system functioning optimally, and allow your mind to relax so you can think more clearly and creatively. Even on your busiest, longest days, give yourself a few resting breaks, even if only for a few minutes.  Close your eyes for a few minutes and just breathe.  Drink a cup of warm tea and look out the window.  Or spend some time with a cat or dog-they are experts in being in the moment. 

2)  Stay Hydrated

Dehydration is a contributor to many health problems, including colds and the flu.  Especially in winter, when outdoor air is colder and indoor air tends to be drier, it's important to maintain adequate fluid balance in the body to protect yourself from infections and viruses, to more easily digest an often heavier winter diet, to clear your body of any toxins, and to maintain your energy level.  Remember to drink water throughout the day (ideally, filtered) - if you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated!  Eating plenty of alkalizing foods, such as fresh vegetables and fruits, also helps keep the body well hydrated (as opposed to processed foods, which acidify and dehydrate the body further).

3) Try A Neti Pot

I'm mentioning this tip because I've been doing it for a few months and I love it.  Neti pots have been used for thousands of year by yogis for both physical and spiritual cleansing.  If you've never seen one, it's a small, usually ceramic or porcelain pitcher with a longish spout that's used to irrigate the nasal cavities.  You fill the neti pot with a solution of warm, salty water and pour it in one nostril and it goes out the other.  It sounds gross, and admittedly, the first time I tried it, it felt kind of weird, but once you get used to it, it feels really soothing and cleansing.  It's helped me keep my upper respiratory allergies in check, especially during this time of year, when the windows are closed and the dust (and in my house, cat hair) have a field day.  Keeping your nasal passages irrigated also helps keep germs from slipping in through the dry, often cracked mucus membranes many of us tend to have during the winter.  Best of all, neti pots and the accompanying salts are inexpensive and readily available in most health food stores.  Last tip:  if you're trying neti, don't use regular table salt or sea salt-it will burn!  Plain water will also burn!  Use neti salts, which have the proper pH balance and will feel soothing..