 Sam Meyer is an editor at CNN and blogs about cocktails at cocktailians.com. He's not a licensed medical professional, but he makes one heck of a soothing toddy. Recipe below. So the weather has finally turned downright chilly in New York City, and I've come down with a head cold. Not a nasty one, fortunately; I'm not flat on my back, whining as I watch daytime television and count my muscle aches. The symptoms - runny nose, slight headache, sore and scratchy throat, general congestion - are more irritating than debilitating. But what to do about it? Other than the standard approaches of rest, fluids, and over-the-counter medication, what's the food angle? Everyone seems to have their own approaches - my girlfriend firmly believes that you should stay away from dairy when you have a cold, on the theory that milk makes your nose run more - so what's yours? Should you starve a fever and feed a cold? Or is it the other way around? WebMD, bless their hearts, says that "starving is never the correct answer" and recommends eating foods rich in antioxidants, bioflavonoids, and phytochemicals. Soups and other hot liquids also soothe scratchy throats. I find, however, that a hot toddy is more pleasurable. It helps you sleep, the sore throat goes away, and the lemon even gives you some Vitamin C. Basic Hot Toddy Warm a mug or Irish coffee glass with boiling water, then toss the water out and place 3-4 whole cloves, a cinnamon stick, and a teaspoon of honey inside. Add 4 to 5 ounces boiling water (strong tea is a nice variation), stir until the honey dissolves, and add 2 ounces bourbon, Scotch, rye, dark rum, or brandy. (I'm partial to bourbon toddies, though strongly-flavored honeys work well with Scotch.) Stir briefly, then squeeze a lemon wedge into the drink and drop it in. Top with grated nutmeg or allspice if you really want to get fancy. CNN Health has some more traditional (though we suspect less delightful) cures for the common cold Got a no-fail food-related cold remedy? Share with the rest of the class in the comments below. |
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Good Morning-Wanna talk about it?
Lots of napping and maybe some chicken broth or 7up.
Hot hot chai tea with a bit of honey and jack daniels....a splash of non fat or soy milk makes it nice and creamy. Takes the sting out of the cough and lets you rest.
Toddy Woddy! check out my blog http://shamirecipes.blogspot.com/
put cider in place of the water in the toddy. Very good. also, make broth, then hit it with sriracha and lime juice.
I've tried 8 of these hot toddies already today. My head is still clogged, but I don't really care anymore.....
Grandma's recipe to a tea. She served this to me with brandy and tea starting at the age of five, and I have sworn by it ever since!
Your grandmother was dosing you up with brandy at age 5?? Who left you in her care? Seriously!
Straight up hot lemonade works wonders, too. I make mine with the concentrated lemon juice found in a bottle. Add as much as you can stand to hot water, sweeten as necessary, and drink while hot. Helps soothe an aching or sore throat, and does help cut down on coughing. Hot ginger tea probably would work, too. The trick is to drink it while hot so that the acid + heat can go to work on what ails. Plus, it's an excellent way to push fluids.
blackberry brandy or hot and sour soup from a chinese take out
Yours probably actually tastes good. I'm used to creating basically a steaming sludge of brandy or scotch, tea, lemon juice and honey. I actually sometimes add some vitamin c tablets to mine, but only when I'm really miserable. Sometimes I skip the "hot" part, and just stick with the brandy or scotch, but usually that's when I'm feeling better. ;)
Either way, it does its job, usually.
I don't recommend the Two Hat Cure, but some swear by it.
Don't have a bedpost, but I think I'll give this a try anyway. If I DO see two hats sitting on a bedpost, I'll know it's worked!
Chicken soup with rice for the nourishment a pint bottle of light rum (Meyer's is my preferred brand) for some sleep. The two never seem to fail me.
Rum, lemon, TheraFlu – WIN
The only hangup there – Does theraflu contain any acetaminophen? If so, you want to avoid the booze due to potential for liver damage. I am hoping to keep mine around for a while...;)