It may be 60 degrees and sunny in NYC, but winter is undoubtedly on its way. Oh, yes, it's coming and the holistic health community has a lot to say about staying healthy when it gets here.

Natural Health's Winter Wellness Guide [1] is a surprisingly informative — and even innovative — list of 20 DIY preventative or curative treatments for a collection of mental, emotional, and physical issues.

I expected to find the usual — stay warm, take vitamins, get lots of sleep — but Natural Health transcends the predictable. Compiled from a broad spectrum of experts specializing in alternative health and healing, the tips and suggestions have a never-thought-of-that appeal and can be easily implemented into everyday life.

Acupuncturist Lihua Wang recommends brewing up a pot of La Ba Rice soup. The Chinese medicinal brew helps ward off winter illness with a concoction of red dates, chestnuts, and lotus seeds, which are said to have powerful anti-aging qualities. To prevent colds and flu, phytotherapist Suzanne Catty massages black spruce oil into her skin when showering. The oil is anti-bacterial and anti-infectious and supports the adrenal glands. As soon as she starts to feel sick, Erika Schwartz, M.D. soaks her feet in hot water for 20 minutes.

Even Leatrice Eiseman, the executive director of the Pantone Color Institute [2] weighs in on winter health: “If you live in a climate that gets very gray in winter, without a lot of sunlight, create a feeling of sunlight in what you wear. The first piece of clothing you reach for in the morning, whether it’s a cozy fleece robe or your running gear, should be in a vibrant color like orange. It will embrace you in warmth and raise your energy level.”