With flu season (November to March) quickly approaching, it is important to remember some of the natural ways to boost your immune system. According to Dr. Reginald Cherry, taking herbs such as echinacea will not only help your body fight off viral infections, they can also lessen symptoms, and can even protect you from coming down with the flu in the first place. He says many people take echinacea daily during flu season as a preventative measure.

“Echinacea works by stimulating the immune system,” says Cherry in his book Bible Health Secrets (Siloam, 2003), “but it should not be taken on a daily basis for an extended period of time because tolerance can develop and cause it not to work as effectively.” His advice is to take the herb for four to eight weeks, and then discontinue use for at least two weeks.

If you do come down with the flu, there’s nothing like a bowl of chicken soup, says Cherry, who also recommends the use of garlic to fight off viruses and bacteria. He suggests taking the equivalent of one clove of garlic per day in capsule form and to be sure to get enough fluids, especially if you develop a fever.

KARA DAVIS, M.D., is a doctor of internal medicine and a former assistant professor of medicine at the University of Illinois. She is also the author of Spiritual Secrets to Weight Loss (Charisma House).

Though some cancers have no effective method for facilitating early detection, there are ways to screen for breast cancer with the goal of diagnosing the disease at an early, treatable stage. In 2003, the American Cancer Society issued the following guidelines for the early detection of breast cancer:

Though some cancers have no effective method for facilitating early detection, there are ways to screen for breast cancer with the goal of diagnosing the disease at an early, treatable stage. In 2003, the American Cancer Society issued the following guidelines for the early detection of breast cancer:

Talking with William Craig, one of the leading Christian scholars in the world, was a blast. He said a lot of things that got me thinking, but the one point that really stayed with me is that in order to be “fully engaged men,” as he called it, we need to make sure we’re pursuing every aspect of Christian discipleship.

He was saying this to point out that in the men’s movement we focus a lot on things like family, sex and leadership (which we should), but we often neglect the intellectual side of being a mature Christian. I agree with this, and certainly would love to pursue this area more in my own life, but I thought that his overall point was much more interesting: There are many aspects to being a fully engaged Christian man, and we shouldn’t miss out on any of them.

So what all is involved in becoming a rounded, fully engaged Christian man? Here are some ideas:

Knowledge: Since we’ve been talking about it, let’s start here. A mature Christian man has an understanding of the world and his faith that he can be confident in. He should be able to speak intelligently about what he believes. This is essential not only for sharing the gospel with others, but also for knowing the reasons why we believe what we believe.

Wisdom: Probably more important than knowledge is wisdom, the proper application of our knowledge. This is so important that God devotes entire books of the Bible to it. Wisdom is essential to navigating the tough road a man leads. There are few things that people respect more in this world than a wise man.

Humility: The flip side to knowledge and wisdom is humility, which is one of the unique and defining aspects of the Christian faith. Pride is one of the greatest enemies we have in life, and humility is the only defense. A humble man sees life as it is, and understands how much he relies on God.

Grace: Another hallmark aspect of Christianity is grace, or unmerited favor. There are few things in life as shocking and memorable as acts of grace. Even Christians are stunned when we receive something great in spite of the fact that we don’t deserve it. Grace is crucial for every relationship we have, from our families to our friends.

Discipline: Going along with wisdom is discipline, or self-control. This is an essential part of becoming a man of God, because the enemy is really good at getting us off track in this life. Discipline helps us avoid areas of temptation and pursue the amazing things God has for us.

Of course, the greatest example of every one of these traits is Jesus Himself. The only true fully engaged man in history, He exhibited perfect knowledge, wisdom, humility, grace and discipline. It’s beautiful that the only way to really understand and live out these ideals is to pursue Him and let His Holy Spirit bring them out in our lives.

These are just a few examples of the traits of a fully engaged Christian man. I’d love for you guys to share more. What are some important ideas that I missed?

This story was first posted in New Man e-magazine.

Janet Maccaro, Ph.D., CNC, recommends the following steps for coping with symptoms of peri-menopause or menopause:

1. Manage your stress. Forgive past hurts and apologize to those you may have wronged in the past. Make sure to get enough sleep. Exercise daily. Eliminate sugar as much as possible. Fellowship daily.

2. Take a good multivitamin along with a B complex formula containing at least 500 milligrams of pantothenic acid. This will help nourish the adrenal glands. These glands help your body handle stress, but at menopause, they assist the ovaries when their hormone production diminishes. Some women benefit from an adrenal glandular supplement.

3. Flaxseed oil is wonderful for eliminating hot flashes and night sweats. Evening Primrose Oil helps with vaginal dryness, breast tenderness, mood swings and irritability.

4. Natural progesterone cream can help balance the ratio of estrogen to progesterone during these years, which lessens the symptoms mentioned earlier. It also helps to build bones and create a sense of well-being.

Janet Maccaro, Ph.D., CNC, recommends the following steps for coping with symptoms of peri-menopause or menopause:

1. Manage your stress. Forgive past hurts and apologize to those you may have wronged in the past. Make sure to get enough sleep. Exercise daily. Eliminate sugar as much as possible. Fellowship daily.

2. Take a good multivitamin along with a B complex formula containing at least 500 milligrams of pantothenic acid. This will help nourish the adrenal glands. These glands help your body handle stress, but at menopause, they assist the ovaries when their hormone production diminishes. Some women benefit from an adrenal glandular supplement.

3. Flaxseed oil is wonderful for eliminating hot flashes and night sweats. Evening Primrose Oil helps with vaginal dryness, breast tenderness, mood swings and irritability.

4. Natural progesterone cream can help balance the ratio of estrogen to progesterone during these years, which lessens the symptoms mentioned earlier. It also helps to build bones and create a sense of well-being.

In her book Finally FIT!, Lorraine Bossé-Smith points out the benefits of keeping active. Exercise, she writes, will reduce stress, improve the quality of your sleep, give you more energy, maintain healthier muscles and joints, increase bone density, decrease blood pressure, reduce your chances of becoming depressed and make you feel better about yourself. So what are you waiting for? Get up and get going!

In her book Finally FIT!, Lorraine Bossé-Smith points out the benefits of keeping active. Exercise, she writes, will reduce stress, improve the quality of your sleep, give you more energy, maintain healthier muscles and joints, increase bone density, decrease blood pressure, reduce your chances of becoming depressed and make you feel better about yourself. So what are you waiting for? Get up and get going!

According to medical doctor Don Colbert, a recent study shows that chocolate–the dark variety, that is–can be good for you. Dark chocolate, Colbert says, contains high levels of flavonoids, an antioxidant that protects the heart and blood vessels from the damaging stress of free radicals. This beloved treat can actually increase the levels of antioxidants in the blood by about 20 percent! Colbert recommends restraint, however, because the high sugar content of most chocolate candy causes more health problems than chocolate can protect you from. So if you get chocolate, get only the dark–and eat it only in moderation.

According to medical doctor Don Colbert, a recent study shows that chocolate–the dark variety, that is–can be good for you. Dark chocolate, Colbert says, contains high levels of flavonoids, an antioxidant that protects the heart and blood vessels from the damaging stress of free radicals. This beloved treat can actually increase the levels of antioxidants in the blood by about 20 percent! Colbert recommends restraint, however, because the high sugar content of most chocolate candy causes more health problems than chocolate can protect you from. So if you get chocolate, get only the dark–and eat it only in moderation.