Hello Friends! Cold season is fully upon us and it seems that everywhere I turn someone is hacking up a lung or is all sniffly and congested.  I am also feeling a bit under the weather today.  Thankfully I don’t have a cough or the sniffles, but it feels like my body is fighting something , because I woke this morning with a sore throat, headache and even though I went to sleep early last night I felt completely exhausted.  All of those symptoms are warning signs to stay home and rest.  My body does a pretty good job of fighting off colds if I stay home to rest and support my immune system with nutrients.

Luckily, I made these Ultimate Cold Killer Shots a few weeks ago for the photo shoot and still have some left in the fridge.  So all of the garlic, ginger and cayenne has been steeping in the apple cider vinegar and water mixture enough to make it super potent in taste.  Thank god its only a shot and I don’t have to drink a whole glass.

These shots were inspired by all of the herbal tinctures my mom used to give me when I was a kid to help fight off colds.  She used to make me drink all kinds of weird, pungent smelling concoctions, like lomatium or echinacea tinctures and teas steeped in garlic and honey.

If it tastes super strong and hardly tolerable then it must be working, right?  Which reminds me of a conversation I had with my husband the other morning where he said he liked the sting of aftershave because then he knew it was working.  Same concept, I guess…

Btw, thank you husband for being my hand model. You are the best.

So, back to the shots.  Shots are fun, even when you’re feeling sick.  “Shots, shots, shots, shots, shots, shots….” goes through my head each time I make one for myself.  Thanks Lil’ Jon and LMFAO for that.  The song plus the fact that I have been drinking them with the shot glasses I got from my bachelorette in Las Vegas, cracks me up and lifts my spirits every time.

The benefits.  Why does this support your immune system?

• Raw Apple Cider Vinegar relieves sore throats and supports the immune system with healthy bacteria.  I list more benefits of apple cider vinegar in my “Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey Drink” post.
• Ginger is an anti-inflammatory and soothes an upset stomach.
• Garlic – According to Dr. Mercola, in the article, “Beat Back Cold and Flus with…Garlic!” on mercola.com,

Garlic may be particularly useful in preparation for cold and flu season, as it contains compounds capable of killing a wide variety of organisms, including viruses and bacteria that can cause earaches, colds and influenza.

• Cayenne Pepper – According to the article, “17 Health Benefits of Cayenne Pepper“, by Global Healing Center, cayenne can be used for fever and sore throats.
• Lemons are full of enzymes, vitamin C and reduce acidity and inflammation in the body.
• Honey is antibacterial and helps suppress coughs.

This recipe combines all of these ingredients in one very potent mixture that can be taken in small shots throughout the day.  I like to get all of these into one potent shot rather than drink them in a tea, because I don’t like drinking garlicky, spicy health drinks slowly.  This gets it all in quickly and painlessly.  And its more fun!

 

These shots are a little strong, but instead of making you sick, these spicy, potent shots will make you feel better, faster.  The honey is the best part; it will coat your throat in sweetness and take away the strong flavors of the garlic, ginger and cayenne.

What’s also great is that it’s cheap to make, (most people have these ingredients on hand), and one batch should last for a few days.  If you don’t drink it all, it will last for weeks in the fridge.

These shots will go well taken with my Spiced Cider Kefir Immune Booster or Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey Drink.  Also, try one of my sauerkraut recipes. They are packed with Vitamin C and are full of probiotics which support the immune system.

Sources and products I use:

“Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey Drink”

“Beat Back Cold and Flus with…Garlic!”

17 Health Benefits of Cayenne Pepper

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/medicinal-uses-of-honey 

Bragg Raw Apple Cider Vinegar

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