I have got the cure for the common cold. I always kick my cold-fighting habits into high gear as soon as I get a soar throat. That is always the first indication that I am sick. Here’s what I do (and what you might as well give a shot!):
1. Take LOTS of echinacea. I take as much as 1,500 mg a day when I am sick and I drink echinacea tea. You can take it in pill form or as drops as well.
2. Vitamin C. Whether you take the chewables, drink Airborne or Emergen-C just make sure you are drinking/eating it.
3. Lots of rest and a hot epsom salt bath.
4. Drink lots of fluids like green juice, hot tea and water.
5. KCA Soup
When you were a kid, the staple sick food was chicken noodle soup. Which as an adult, does not make a whole lot of sense to me. It has no added nutrients and it really just soothes your throat because it is hot. I think if you’re sick, you should be giving your body every ounce of wellness to get better, so I now make Kick a Cold’s Ass Garlic Zoodle Soup. When I first made this soup, it was really more like broth with lots and lots of garlic, I then added vegetables for texture and color. The best part is, all the ingredients serve a purpose and there are only four of them!
Carrots – Kale – Garlic – Chicken Broth
If you didn’t know, garlic is a like a ninja when it comes to taking down viruses. It actually stimulates the immune system, especially when consumed raw. Besides the garlic, the carrots have antioxidants, the kale is a superfood and the chicken broth soothes the throat.
Here is what you will need
1 48 ounce chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 large head of garlic (peeled)
6 large carrots (I used multi-colored but any form will do)
1 cup packed kale (chopped)
Here’s how it’s done
Prepare garlic by peeling individual cloves, run each clove through a garlic press. I used a neat little dish my mom bought me that puree’s the garlic on a small dish, but a press or food processor is fine. As long as it is raw garlic and it is pureed.
For the carrots you will need a Veggetti to turn the carrots into spaghetti form. If you don’t have a veggetti (you should get one they are the shit) you can use a simple peeler and peel the carrots into long shreds. I would cut the shreds in half as well, so they are not too long. They should be short, like the pasta in a classic chicken noodle soup.
In a large pot, add garlic and 1 tablespoon olive oil, heat over med-low heat while stirring for about 3 minutes. You don’t want to cook the garlic too much, that will strip it of it’s powerful enzymes.
Add broth, carrots and chopped kale and turn heat to medium. Cook, uncovered for about 30 minutes. Soup should be simmering, be sure to stir.
If you make this in a crock pot cook on high for one hour.
Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy! My boyfriend likes to eat it with a tablespoon of parmesan cheese and some crumbled crackers.
Makes 4 bowl-fuls, so save them the eat them throughout the week!
Here is the the dish my mom got me. I’m not sure what it’s called, but you simply press the garlic around the center in a circular motion and it purees the garlic. I added the olive oil to the dish to get the bits of garlic out.
Here is my Veggetti, so easy and turns any long vegetable into pasta. I use this a lot with zucchini and add marina sauce on top for raw spaghetti.
Once combined, it’s a very colorful soup. Be sure to stir and get the flavors mixed together.
Eat hot and eat often!
Mangia!
By Bianca