10 ways to fight off a cold

In the interest of fairness, and with flu epidemic scares on the news, and under the "I already knew that" column, I present the following Powerful 10:

10 Ways to Fight Off, Prevent, Cure a Cold or Flu

1. Go to sleep. Sleep more. Get more rest. Duh.

2. Eat your veggies. Mom's advice, and hard to take when you are exhausted and a trip to the drive thru could fill your gut simply enough. Suggestion: Make a huge batch of vegetable soup which will last you the duration of the cold. Just warm and serve!

3. Garlic cloves! When I feel a cold coming on, I roast a whole garlic root (many cloves together) in the oven or even toaster oven. Then, when the cloves are softened, I squeeze them out of their "shell" directly onto toast, or even directly into my mouth. Tastes good, and usually my cold is gone by the next day. Kisses not so pleasant for the receiver, but with a cold or flu, you shouldn't be kissing, anyway.

4. Hot Bath. Really hot and steamy, for as long as you can stand it, or as long as the water stays really hot. Upon exiting, dry quickly, put on sweats, go to sleep (see #1)

5. Take a sick day off from work (see #1)

6. Breathe!! Breathe deeply as you can, slowly and with consciousness. When I get sick, it is always because I haven't done the things we humans must do to survive: breathe, drink water, sleep, eat good food. Once these four are in balance, so usually is your health.

7. Drink! Water is best. Hot or Cold.

8. (for in-Japan cold sufferers) Drink a bottle of Zena, the energy drink, before bed right after your hot bath. I swear this and a garlic treatment will usually do the trick. Unfortunately, those tiny bottles of Zena are about 20 dollars a pop. Try to buy them in four-packs, or even a less expensive brand.

9. (for in Japan cold sufferers...or not) Tamago-zake. This is a raw egg broken into a glass of tall, hot Japanese Sake. This, too, has stopped a cold in its tracks more than once for me. Medically, it seems more like a folk remedy, but a tasty one at that.

10. Think healthy thoughts. Really. Once you say to yourself, "I feel like I'm getting sick," guess what happens? When I feel a sniffle or sore throat coming on, I tell myself, in a hot steaming shower, breathing deeply, "I am healthy! I am whole! I feel good!" Yes, it's possible to talk yourself out of a cold.

**No, not professional medical advice, and no intent is made as such. Just friendly advice. But you already knew that.