Eat some garlic and call me in the morning

I'm a bit sniffily can barely taste the Thanksgiving leftovers I'm eating right now, which is especially unfortunate. I'm planning to wash down that greenbean casserole with a swig of orange juice.

Another of the Modern Gal's fave magazines is Health, which has an especially useful article on foods and beverages that suppress symptoms of colds (translation: doesn't cure but helps you feel better). Chicken soup and OJ are givens, but pretty much everything on the list is just healthy in general.

- Grapefruit. Like OJ, good source of vitamin C, which could shorten the duration of colds.
- Whole-grain cereal or bread. Whole grains are rich in vitamins and minerals, including zinc and vitamin E, which can help keep your immune system healthy.
- Black tea. Real tea leaves (not herbal) have substances that speed the action of cilia, the tiny hairlike cells lining your nasal pas-sages, helping them expel germs.
- Yogurt. It can help you maintain a healthy immune system, as long as it contains beneficial bacteria.
- Anise-seed cookie. Anise seeds, with their licorice-like flavor, have been found to help break up congestion.
- Salad of bitter greens. Bitter greens are especially helpful in relieving chest congestion, sniffles, and coughs.
- Pasta with tomato sauce and plenty of garlic. Garlic is one of the most potent disease-fighting foods around.
- Ginger tea. Ginger is loaded with virus-fighting substances, including several that act directly against cold viruses.” (One substance, gingerol, can suppress coughing.) Boil water; then steep a tablespoon of fresh shredded ginger for 2 or 3 minutes.

(Cheers to Health mag)