Recipe of the Moment: Garlic Water and Garlic Tea aka A Natural Cure for Common Cold

In light of it being cold season and all, I thought I'd post my new-found cure (or rather, a cure about 12 hours) for the common cold. Garlic is, apparently, a wonder drug. In researching it online, I've found claims for it to cure everything from asthma to weight loss to tumors. How true are these claims? I have no idea. But I can say that I love me some garlic and it is the sole reason I don't suffer from colds.

Before I get to it, I'll say this: raw garlic is spicy and bitter. If you're allergic, do not eat it. If you don't like the taste of garlic, I have been told that lentils and olive oil help disguise the its scent.

1. Get live, raw garlic. I've been told that you know it's still alive because it has a healthy green shoot inside. Since most grocery stores frown on you opening their garlic cloves at the stores, I have been told (and thus far in my experience, it's true) that garlic with roots on the bottom are healthy and alive. Garlic without the roots has been sprayed with radiation and no longer has healthy properties.

2. Chop the garlic and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes. I've started chopping mine into larger chunks because the taste and smell don't bother me anymore, but chop them into whatever size you want.
*For first (and second) timers, the smaller, the better. The smell and taste can be overwhelming at first, but I found that I got over it pretty quickly.

3. Dump the garlic into your glass of water and enjoy.





















OR (For Garlic Tea)
3. Dump the garlic into a mug and pour hot water over it. Cover your mug for another 10 minutes and let it steep. Then add a tablespoon of lemon juice and/or honey, depending upon your preference. Another alternative is to add raw ginger and some cinnamon. Tasty and powerful enough to knock your cold out. Enjoy!


FAQs
1. I don't like garlic. Should I do this?
No. Probably not. Why torture yourself?

2.Should I do this? I don't like the idea of reeking of garlic all day.
Fair enough. Honestly though, even though you're aware of the garlic smell, other people don't smell it on you. Unless they're kissing you.

3. Is this verified by science?
Science has verified that raw garlic has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. It also has an active ingredient that hinders free radicals from spreading throughout your body. So it's pretty healthy and good for you.

4. How soon do I get relief from my cold symptoms?
I experienced relief after about 5 minutes after I began consuming the garlic water. A friend disagrees- she says it's 7 minutes. (Why this level of detail matters to her, I'm not sure.) So I'll say 10-15 minutes just to be on the safe side.

5. The garlic burns! Help!
That's why you put it in water! I read online that someone touched raw garlic and their skin blistered- I'm pretty sure that qualifies as an allergy. As long as it just burns a little, you're fine. Drink some more water. Also, the garlic tea is much easier to consume than the garlic water. Give it a try!