Getting the common cold is almost unavoidable when the cold months come around. In the state of Massachusetts, we have around seven months of chilly weather stretching from October to April, and these months consist of constant sniffles, coughing, fevers, and chills. What can you do to feel better or even avoid it as a whole?
A frequent household remedy used since the 12th century is the classic chicken soup recipe. Although it is delicious, it doesn’t work as well as we all thought. Drinking the warm soup may lead you to believe you are cured, but you have only delayed the process. Chicken soup will do some good, like thinning the mucus and preventing dehydration, but in the end, your symptoms will most likely come back.
Another common misconception is that antibiotics will help you get over your cold; unfortunately, it’s not that easy. Antibiotics will only help when needed and with there being “no cure”, no over-the-counter medication will help.
People may disagree and claim that medications like Mucinex will help. Mucinex like many others will only target one thing, but from personal experience, it is not effective. Ultimately you can’t stop your suffering by taking Mucinex or Advil.
If medication and antibiotics don’t work, what does? Try the natural route. There are many different home remedies that you can prepare this season with things that are probably already in your kitchen. One thing that works very well is a fermented garlic and honey mixture. What are the benefits of garlic you may ask? It reduces high blood pressure, boosts the immune system, reduces cholesterol levels, and has allicin which fights infection and helps detox the body. After looking at the pros of garlic, what does honey bring to the table? Honey acts as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial agent. Pairing these two together can get you over many illnesses. The seasonal cold should not be able to stand a chance.
I put the fermented garlic and honey remedy to the test with my father, who not only had a cold for a few days, but also had a fever. He didn’t consume the clove; he just had a tablespoon of the garlic-infused honey, took that for two days, and was healthy after. Not even a sniffle remained. I myself have tried this concoction but I had half of a garlic clove. I was suffering from a cough for about three weeks and after that one bite the next day–no cough!
Making this homemade medicine is quite simple; all you need is a full clove of garlic, some unfiltered raw honey, and a jar. As you are peeling your garlic and getting it ready to put in your jar take a spoon and smash a few of them this will release some of the juice and make the process a bit faster. After the garlic cloves are in the jar, add honey until it covers all the garlic. Put this jar on the counter somewhere for a month, shake it every day or every few, and burp it two times within the first two weeks.
Being sick is one of the worst feelings, especially when you have things to do. Why put up with a cold and stop your busy life? You may smell a bit like garlic for a few hours, but you won’t have to suffer through endless days of coughing and runny noses.
