I always eat garlic for a runny/stuffy nose and notice significant improvement the next morning! How great is that? And it tastes good too! My other favorite home remedy is vinegar... but that will have to be another hub! This hub will be about the wonderful benefits of eating garlic.

If you haven't heard about garlic then this article (and I will keep it short) will be a great bit of knowledge in dealing with your own health. Garlic has been used to stimulate the immune system, fight infection, reduce high blood pressure and cleanse the system of harmful toxins. Garlic has a wide range of disease fighting properties. It is both anti fungal and antibacterial. In some tests, garlic inhibited growth of influenza viruses. WOW! Isn't this just what we need right now with the H1N1 virus going around?!! Now I don't know about any testing for this yet, but past clinical studies supports positive outcomes which can only lead one to believe that this can help as a preventative remedy.

There have been studies of garlic juice mixed with a virus in a test tube, and measured how much of the virus was killed. The result was 99.99% of the virus was killed by garlic juice! The test included viruses that cause the flu, colds, cold sores, fever blisters, polio, smallpox and genital herpes. This is some super news for those of us that want to take responsibility for our own health!!!

So go and get some garlic today! You can purchase white or purple garlic, but the purple generally has larger cloves making it easier to handle and prepare. There is also 'Elephant' garlic which has very large cloves too. Look for fresh, large, white firm heads with cloves that have not pulled away from their center, clean and unbroken skins that are hard (not soft or shriveled). The average bulb will have about 8 cloves. You can store it at home for short periods of time. Keep in a cool dry place where air can circulate freely, like a basket or bag. It can also be purchased already peeled in some stores for quick and easy preparation, although it won't be as fresh.

So to use garlic, first one needs to peel off the outer white skin. Inside will be some cloves that you can pull apart and then peel each clove's skin off leaving the clove itself ready to use. Then you can saute each clove as is or slice in half first. You can dice smaller if you like to add to recipes such as soup or marinara sauce... but I like to use garlic cloves whole or halved and sauteed gently in olive oil. They will taste bland without a strong flavor! I have found that it is key to not overcook it! Cook SLOWLY... only until it becomes soft and clear, but not brown!!! So if you are having veggies, one could saute their veggies with the garlic (just keep in mind how long the veggies need and add the garlic towards the end so it doesn't brown, but be sure to cook long enough so that it isn't too strong).

Crushed garlic will add its' essential oil which produces a more robust flavor. The easiest way to crush garlic is with a garlic press which is available at most stores. It separates the meat and oil of the clove from the pulp.

Now if you are wondering about the smell on your hands or your breath there are some things you can do. Keep in mind that heat releases the odor and cold removes it. (Remember to wash your hands and cutting board with very cold water to eliminate unwanted smells). Some of the bad odor usually comes from raw garlic, so you can switch to cooked garlic. You can also use Garlic Oil which the natural fermentation process neutralizes the odor! But if you still prefer the best garlic potency, raw garlic, then you can try rinsing your mouth out with lemon juice mixed in a glass of cold water. Also one can chew on a citrus peel, or cook with grated sweet carrots to reduce the odor. Other known methods contain chewing on anise seed, fennel seed or dill seed. And if you still haven't found something you want to try then munch on some roasted coffee beans. I know they make chocolate covered beans too?! Try a fresh apple or chew on some parsley, but the best method is to seek other garlic lovers!

For other information on preventative care for your health visit: www.theyogaworkshop.info