For What Ails You

It seems that our family has been plagued with colds and coughs this winter. Hayden only got it once, but it lasted for 4 months. Jason's had it twice, the first time lasting for 2 months, and this time around, it's been 4 weeks so far. I woke up with my third sore throat yesterday morning, and it's only gone downhill from there. So, we do the usual: drink lots of fluids, get plenty of rest, rub ourselves down with Vicks. But I have a few of my own cures for the common cold that I wanted to share, in case they work for anyone else.

1. Caramel Apple Spice from Starbucks. The heat combined with the gooey nature of the caramel soothes a sore throat instantly!

2. When I'm desperate for relief and don't feel up to heading out to Starbucks, I drink a lot of echinacea tea, sweetened with honey. Same effect as the Caramel Apple Spice. If it's a severe sore throat, I've tried taking Dad's advice to gargle saltwater. All this seems to do for me is send me into dry heaves. So I've tried my own concoction of warm water, salt, and honey. The honey seems to help reduce the gag factor, and it really does seem to help.

3. Spicy Food! I'm not generally too big on this one. I like food with a bit of a kick, but when my lips start burning and my nose is running, it's not a sensation that appeals to me. Unless I have a sore throat. The idea is to burn the heck out of the top layer of your throat. Sure, my lips, my mouth, and my throat burn for awhile, but once it dies down, the pain in my throat is either gone or greatly reduce. Why this works, I haven't a clue. But it does! I did this today with a Volcano Burrito from Taco Bell. I'm feeling much better!

4. Finally, my go-to cure for the common cold: Kentucky Fried Chicken. Seriously. I've never really been a fan of KFC, but every time I get a cold, suddenly I'm craving it. Maybe it's the fact that it's swimming in sodium (along with all other kinds of badness), but something about it is comforting when you're sick, and makes you feel so much better! And as you can see, my kids seem to agree!