I know I’ve been focusing on colds a lot here, but this winter has been horrible-I feel like every other week I am sniffling and coughing. For some reason there have been a number of highly contagious bugs flying around that nobody can seem to avoid. I revisit this topic because winter decided to drag itself on for even longer. I write this fresh snow is falling outside the window and a little black storm cloud is hanging over my head because I am so bitter that spring is delayed after we already got a taste of it.









But anyways. It’s at least given me an excuse to perfect cold remedies, and this spicy little drink is one of them. It combines the well-loved ingredients of honey, apple cider vinegar, lemon, and garlic. It’s no great secret, but I have become quite fond of it-and who says a remedy has to be fancy?

Why the Ingredients?

Honey: Honey acts as a natural sweetener in this recipe, and I find it necessary with the garlic and ACV combination (although I actually don’t mind the vinegar on its own.) It is also anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal-but if you are drinking it for a cold it’s really the anti-viral part that matters. It can also help quell a pesky cough.

Lemon: Lemon adds fresh flavor while it works as a natural anti-viral component in the drink, working in tandem with the honey to flush out the virus that is taking over your cells.

Apple Cider Vinegar: The list of apple cider vinegar’s health benefits is virtually endless, with some theories having more solid backing than others. The main benefit it has in this drink is soothing a sore throat and relieving congestion, both of which I have found it to be very successful at doing.

Garlic: Ah, garlic. The infamous date-ruining food, the stinky rose, Italian perfume…it has many names, but its connotation is the same-it will make you smell. The reason for the smell is because constituents in garlic cause the release of hydrogen sulfate the same gas that smells like rotten eggs. While that sounds terrible, hydrogen sulfate is actually quite useful at low levels in the body, and we naturally produce some on our own. It is theorized that this is one of the reasons it has healing benefits, but it is not known for sure. What is known is that it works a treat on clearing on congestion and shortening the duration of the cold.

You will need…

-10-11 peeled and lightly mashed cloves of garlic

-1 1/2 -2 cups of water

-1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar

-1 lemon

-4 tablespoons of honey (or more to taste)

Directions

Simmer the peeled and mashed garlic in 1 ½ cups of water for 10 minutes-you can use 2 cups if you prefer a more diluted flavor. Strain. Stir into the strained liquid apple cider vinegar, the juice of 1 lemon, and at least 4 tablespoons honey. Drink 2-3 times daily as needed.

This will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, and can be gently reheated on the stove top.

P.S. Make sure to take a look at the Everyday Roots Book with 350+ pages of the best home remedies, natural beauty recipes, homemade cleaners and diy household products. View Remedies By Claire Goodall Claire is a lover of life, the natural world, and wild blueberries. On the weekend you can find her fiddling in the garden, playing with her dogs, and enjoying the great outdoors with her horse. Claire is very open-minded, ask her anything 🙂 Meet Claire Claire is a lover of life, the natural world, and wild blueberries. On the weekend you can find her fiddling in the garden, playing with her dogs, and enjoying the great outdoors with her horse. Claire is very open-minded, ask her anything 🙂

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