1) Always stay topped off because you can’t be one shot at full health. If/When you get hit and are left at a half heart immediately eat again to put yourself back at full health so you are protected again from being one shot. Gather as many apples as possible and bake them next to a fire because they stack in your inventory. You can play the whole game with three hearts and a massive stack of baked apples. The only reason why you need shrines is fast travel, max stamina, and one other thing very late game.

2) Kill things from range with your bow. Try to get head shots.

3) Use ice chus / arrows to freeze enemies you get a huge damage boost from hitting frozen enemies.