When I start feeling Fall roll in, I begin to feel the need to warm up my system.  A few of the ways I do that is with garlic and ginger.  I love to use ginger in my cooking but most often I make tea out of fresh ginger and add honey and lemon.  Its wonderful to settle your stomach after dinner and to kick off your metabolism as you to go to sleep.  Who doesn’t want to burn calories while sleeping??  Garlic on the other hand, I like to eat raw.  I get up and drink my lime water and lightly chew a clove and wash it down quickly.  There is something about eating it raw that makes me feel like it is such a powerhouse of healing.  I would advise your spouse to do this too, otherwise, you may not get a smooch anytime soon.  You can also mince and put it into a glass of water to sip all day- but I find this more difficult than just eating a raw clove.

“Garlic is one of the world’s oldest medicines and is an incredibly potent spice that can ward off a variety of illnesses and diseases. It has amazingly high levels of vitamins and minerals including vitamin C and B-6 and minerals such as selenium, calcium, and iron. Garlic also contains very strong antibiotic, anti-fungal, anti-cancer, and anti-viral properties.

One raw crushed clove of garlic contains the antibiotic equivalent of 100,000 units of penicillin and has been proven to be more effective than both penicillin and tetracycline in suppressing certain types of disease carrying agents. Garlic contains a compound called allicin which has been shown to help significantly lower cholesterol and blood pressure by inhibiting the HMG-CoA reductase enzyme within the liver cells and blocking platelet clot formation in the blood vessels.

Garlic is also very good for the digestive tract and has a strong ability to eliminate toxic matter from the lymphatic system. Garlic’s anti-inflammatory properties make it vital for autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, COPD, lupus, fibromyalgia, lyme disease, bursitis, shingles, and chronic fatigue syndrome. It is also particularly beneficial for ear infections, candida, bronchitis, respiratory infections, food poisoning, herpes, coronary artery disease, stroke, colds, flus, urinary tract infections, and weak immune systems.

Garlic can help eliminate lead and other heavy metals from the body. It is also a good remedy for removing parasites and worms from the colon. Garlic can be juiced with vegetables for a powerful immune boosting drink. When feeling under the weather consider eating 1-4 cloves of raw garlic a day by adding it to guacamole, soups, hummus, or crushed on toast with a little olive oil. “-Anthony William

If the flavor of garlic does not appeal to you,  garlic capsules can be a great alternative and a way to still get the health benefits of this natural wonder.