Prevent a Cold (Naturally!)

I know that this is supposed to be a cooking blog, but I wanted to share this great tip for stopping a cold in its tracks using apple cider vinegar (which is food related! ;)

I started to feel that dreaded tickle in my throat last week, which was quickly escalating into a runny nose, headache and fatigue. I decided to do a search for a natural vegan-friendly remedy, and came up with this

great post about apple cider vinegar as an all-out cold preventer. I picked up some raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar right away (Bragg's has a great one and seems to be available in lots of stores--as she notes in the post, make sure it is raw and unfiltered rather than the cooking type such as Heinz, which has filtered out the helpful enzymes). I got mine at Sprout's.

I also picked up some apple juice (I'm sure that other types of juice would be fine too, or just water if you don't mind the taste--just do dilute it somehow before drinking), and filled an 8 oz. glass with about about half apple juice, half water, and 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar (shake up the vinegar first). If it tastes too sharp, you can sweeten it with some maple syrup. It doesn't taste bad to me, just a little sour and spicy, but I know that some people are more sensitive to vinegar.

She recommends doing it every 8 to 12 hours: I took mine that evening, then the next morning and evening.

When I woke up the morning after my first glass of it I felt like I was recovering, and the cold never materialized! It could just be a coincidence, but I'm sure it didn't hurt. 

I have been reading about the many other benefits of apple cider vinegar, such as being good for your skin and for heartburn prevention, so I may start doing this every day.

*Please note that I have no medical training; just sharing a tip that worked for me!