Take control of your situation.
Dr. Merrell says stress management is essential. "You need to have very simple techniques so you can handle the stress," he says. "You have to take charge of your life and plan your life, and then within that, you have to let things not get to you so much."

Make meditation a part of your daily life.
Dr. Merrell says at the beginning of every day you should take time to sit quietly and clear your mind. "When you first wake up—before you turn on the light and go to the bathroom—just sit on the edge of your bed," he says. "Before you get up, say something positive, thank the world for the blessing, and sit there for two minutes and clear your mind."

Get enough sleep.
Dr. Merrell says lack sleep and rest can lead to fatigue and cause many health problems. "Eight hours of sleep [a night] is really the minimum," he says. "The highest level of healing occurs between the seventh and eighth [hour] and really gets significant between the eighth and ninth hour."

Eat well.
Dr. Merrell shares some food items that he says can heal and/or prevent many common ailments:

• Green Tea. Dr. Merrell suggests drinking green tea over coffee as a caffeinated beverage of choice. "[Green tea] is one the most powerful antioxidants on the planet," he says.
• Elderberry. "Berries are some of the most powerful healing substances we have in terms of the antioxidant capacity, and elderberry has unique properties that actually help the immune system," he says.
• Turmeric. "This is just an ingredient in curry," Dr. Merrell says. "A lot of people prefer to take it in a tablet form. It is a very powerful anti-inflammatory substance." Dr. Merrell says turmeric may be an asset in preventing Alzheimer's disease.
• Omega-3 fatty acids. "My overall favorite supplement is omega-3 fatty acids—fish oil—because they do so much and have been proven to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, arthritis, arrhythmias and depression," he says.

Take supplements.

Dr. Merrell says that aside from food items, there are some supplements that can also work as great homeopathic remedies to fight illnesses. One that he recommends for flu sufferers is oscillococcinum, whose active ingredient comes from duck liver.

"You take it at the very first sign of flu," he says. Dr. Merrell estimates that about 50 percent of the people with flu symptoms who come to see him and take the supplement in the first 24 hours have a dramatic reduction of symptoms.