Not sure what things to drink when you have a sore throat or cold? Unfortunately, winter and sicknesses seem to go hand in hand. This past week, I took my turn with swollen glands, a persistent, annoying, dry cough and an overall weak feeling. This put a huge damper on my half marathon training, so I wanted to get rid of it FAST. Since I’m a stay-at-home mom, having a sick day wasn’t an option. We opted for a few movie days and I stuck with these three hot liquids, and in less than 48 hours I was practically brand new again!

Try one of these things to drink when you have a sore throat or cold:

1. Homemade Soup
   – If you’ve never made a soup at home before, this is the perfect time to try.
   It is extremely easy (so it’s the ideal kind of cooking when you don’t feel
   well) and you really can’t mess it up. A homemade soup is going to be much healthier than canned soup, but a high quality store-bought soup is still better than nothing at all. Anyway, start with a large stock pot, add in a handful of
   each of your favorite vegetables, protein options of your choice (make sure any
   meat is cooked first) and 6-8 cups of water. Bring everything to a boil, then
   lower the heat, cover and let it simmer 30-45 minutes. Add noodles, rice,
   quinoa or a grain of your choice, simmer another 10-15 minutes until your grain
   is done, and serve. Not only is the broth going to feel great on your sore
   throat, but there seems to actually be science behind soup making you feel better. My
   favorite is a classic chicken soup using peas, carrots, celery, onion and wild
   rice spiced with thyme and oregano. Another good option is a turkey soup using
   butternut squash, green beans, corn, onion and lentils spiced with good old
   fashioned salt and pepper. I always suggest using organic and minimally
   processed ingredients.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar Drink – After doing a ton of research online, I tried
   to find a tolerable hot drink that combined powerful cold-fighting ingredients.
   One of the things to drink when you have a sore throat is a combination of apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, and honey in hot water and
   somehow managed this feat. There are numerous benefits to consuming apple cider vinegar, so this was a natural first
   choice. Be sure to choose an organic, unfiltered product. Honey was an easy
   second choice. Honey is used in almost every all-natural cough syrup. It also gives this drink a sweetness to help make it more delectable. A raw, locally produced honey will give you the most benefits. Finally,
   cinnamon. Anytime I think of apple, I think of cinnamon, so it just seemed like
   the right combination. Then I started to do research on the benefits
   of cinnamon and I was quite amazed. So, give it a try: 8 ounces of hot water
   (warmer than tap but not quite boiling); add ½ tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp apple
   cider vinegar and 1 tbsp honey. Stir everything up and sip. I drank 3 glasses
   of this each during the two days I didn’t feel well.
3. Peppermint Tea
   – I specifically recommend peppermint tea because of its soothing
   effect on the stomach. Many times when I have a cough, sore throat or cold,
   there’s a lot of phlegm draining and often I end up feeling a bit nauseated,
   too. On top of that, when your mouth is dry from having a cold, the horrible
   taste in your mouth is nothing to look forward to. Peppermint helps that, too.
   My favorite brands are Celestial
   Seasonings, or if you want to enjoy a cup of loose leaf tea, Mountain Rose
   Herbs has a delicious organic peppermint leaf for sale. Drinking hot
   liquids like peppermint tea all day long will help you recover faster and feel
   better in the process. Plus, herbal teas like peppermint tea are naturally
   caffeine free, so they won’t interrupt your attempts at getting much-needed
   rest.